From The Washington Monthly, China's pollution revolution: Contaminated rivers and farms trigger peasant protests, but can China clean up its environment without cleaning up its politics? High heels in the desert: As Mongolia's nomadic herders face threats to their traditional existence, women are acquiring new roles in the country's steppes — and they are finding some success. A landslide in South Korea: Does a new era beckon for the Korean peninsula? From Japan, an essay on Japan as a plutonium superpower, and a look at why Japan must prepare for war between US and North Korea. An article on Japan's foreign policy and the return of the Fukuda doctrine. From The Economist, a special report on business in Japan: After 15 years of gloom, Japan's companies have emerged with a new, hybrid model a bit closer to America's. Domo arigato, Mr Roboto: Will Japan build rather than import new citizens? "If I weren't a Diet member, I'd be a porn-video actor for sure": A look at how shock tactics of weekly magazines are losing impact on jaded Japanese.
