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This article provides an overview of the relationship between Japan and North Korea, with a focus on the issue of abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea. It discusses a citizens' rally in Tokyo calling for the return of abductees and the normalization of relations. The Japanese government has expressed its commitment to resolving the abduction issue, but North Korea has called for a fresh proposal from Japan. The article also explores the history of the Japan-North Korea relationship, including Japan's role in the Korean War and the issue of abductions. It concludes by highlighting differing perspectives on the issue, with civil society in Japan and South Korea opposing a trilateral military alliance between the US, Japan, and South Korea. The text suggests that peace diplomacy and non-antagonistic relations are crucial for improving relations between Japan and North Korea. [Extracted from the article]

APJ Subscription Drive November-December 2019 Tensions between the US and China are reaching fever pitch in the era of Donald Trump, with mounting conflict between the US and China, the US and North Korea, China and the nations of the South China Sea, Okinawa and the US-Japan, and Japan and its neighbors, Korea and Taiwan. We believe this makes the work of APJ more important than ever. We have no corporate, foundation or university angel, so our ability to publish relies on our core supporters. Your support allows us to provide APJ free to our 19,000 regular readers and thousands of others around the world who access the journal through reprints and other sources. Our goal: $12,000. We thank supporters for helping us raise $5,400 toward our goals. $6,600 to go. If you value the journal, please go to our homepage http://apjjf.org/Subscribe where you can both subscribe to our semi-monthly Newsletter and contribute (tax free) via Paypal or credit card. Enter your email address and an amount and click on Paypal. You can pay by credit card or paypal. We need support in the range of $100-500-1,000 to maintain the site. This brief talk examines the San Francisco System—the geo-political order inaugurated in September 1951 in the combined terms of the San Francisco Treaty and the US-Japan Security Pact. The San Francisco System did not bring an end to war as many imagine; rather, it set the stage for war elsewhere—namely Korea. In short, the San Francisco System has provided the framework for the United States to continue fighting the Korean War indefinitely and has defined Japan's place in this nexus. The system was strengthened during the Vietnam War, and only began to show signs of revision in 1972 with US-China reconciliation. The end of the Cold War brought US-Soviet reconciliation and the demise of the Soviet State Socialist system. Notwithstanding, an isolated Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) remained in confrontation within the framework of the San Francisco System and has developed its own nuclear weapons. By the end of 2017, North Korea and the United States were on the brink of war. A dramatic change then took place: the Singapore Summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un opened a peace process, which ultimately could dismantle the San Francisco System. In the long run, I believe that a Northeast Asia community model will replace the San Francisco System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asia-Pacific Journal Subscription Drive July 2019 With tensions between the US and China at fever pitch in the era of Donald Trump, with mounting conflict between the US and Korea, between China and the nations of the South China Sea, and between Okinawa and the US-Japan, APJ is a vital resource. The media has treated the primary conflicts as economic and financial, but they are deeply intertwined with geopolitical conflicts that could easily lead to war including nuclear war. APJ has no corporate, foundation or university angel, so our ability to publish relies heavily on our core supporters. We come to you twice a year to request the financial support that allows us to provide APJ free to our 22,000 regular readers and thousands of others around the world who receive the journal as subscribers or via Facebook or Twitter. The journal is strong and growing. We need support to publish and to maintain it free to global readers. If you value the journal, please go to our homepage http://apjjf.org/Subscribe where you can both subscribe to our semi-monthly Newsletter and contribute (tax free) via Paypal or credit card. All contributions are welcome. But we need support in the range of $100-500-1,000 to maintain the site toward our annual goal of $12,000. We're $1,900 toward our goal. Thank you for your support. The Editors [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]