Roger Brown
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rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown
@rbjapan.bsky.social
1.2K followers 620 following 300 posts

Marine & Historian. Research modern Japanese political & intellectual history, also interested in military history & US-Japan relations. 専門は日本近現代政治思想史、軍事史と日米関係史にも興味がある。　　
researchmap.jp/Roger_Brown

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Roger H. Brown is an American businessman, philanthropist, and academic administrator and former president of Berklee College of Music. Brown is also the co-founder of Bright Horizons and founder and chairman of the Salt Lick Incubator. .. more

Political science 38%
Engineering 28%
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rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · Nov 25
Intro: I’ve written on the importance of Confucian concepts to Japanese nationalism & politics, culminating in a book (Yasuoka Masahiro and the Confucian Path Through Twentieth-Century Japan; under review); now working w/two colleagues translating & annotating Hirohito’s 1946 "monologue" on the war.

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

atomicanalyst.bsky.social
Stephen Schwartz @atomicanalyst.bsky.social · 3d
Coming on January 6 to American Experience on PBS: “Bombshell: The Fight to Control the A-Bomb’s Story,” about how the US news media worked with the government to manipulate the official narrative about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—and how a few journalists refused to play along.
Bombshell: Trailer | American Experience | PBS
Watch a preview of Bombshell.
www.pbs.org

Reposted by Mark Harrison, Roger H. Brown, Aviel Roshwald

alanallport.bsky.social
Alan Allport @alanallport.bsky.social · 8d
“The United States, according to the New York Times, has a Maginot Line problem.

The problem is that Monsieur Maginot’s infamous namesake fortification has little to do with what really happened in 1940.”

Me in Foreign Policy (gift link)

foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/18/f...
U.S. Strategists Keep Getting France’s Defeat Wrong
Myths about the Maginot Line are strangely persistent.
foreignpolicy.com

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · 10d
That Japanese might believe in this "dream" was the nightmare of Japanese conservatives who feared "renovationist" forces in the army and elsewhere were using the war to foment a socialist revolution. It's stated explicitly in the Konoe Memorial; interesting to see Mao and Nosaka sharing the idea.

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

brennancenter.org
Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 10d
If the Supreme Court takes originalism seriously, then lawyers have to as well. Our new guide shows them how to win.
A New Playbook for Countering Originalism in Court
If the Supreme Court takes the theory seriously, then lawyers have to as well.
www.brennancenter.org

Reposted by Paul Bowman, Roger H. Brown, James A. Benn

olegb.bsky.social
Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 10d
I'll be giving a talk at The Japan Society in London next month on “Japan, Britain, and the Globalisation of the Samurai," which will also tie into some of themes of the upcoming British Museum special exhibition.
www.japansociety.org.uk/event?event=...
The Japan Society - Japan, Britain, and the Globalisation of the Samurai - with Oleg Benesch
www.japansociety.org.uk

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Brendan Nyhan, Roger H. Brown , and 3 more

anneapplebaum.bsky.social
Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 10d
If we can't even identify our enemies then how can we fight them?

Trump's National Security Strategy is the longest suicide note in American history

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Longest Suicide Note in American History
The Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy targets liberal democracy itself.
www.theatlantic.com

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · 17d
This is the only way it potentially makes any sense, though this view presumes a distinction between the authority of the Meiji Emperor and the state that didn't exist (outside the minds of some nationalists), and that may rest on the misapprehension that Mutsuhito exercised direct imperial rule.

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · 18d
I'm glad to learn your judgment regarding accuracy. I recently recommended it to my brother and told him I thought it was pretty accurate as these things go, but then it's hardly my area of expertise.

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · 19d
There's a memoir by one of the divers called Descent into Darkness (Naval Institute Press) that is quite good, and he indeed saw some horrible things. Or mostly felt and bumped into them, because it was too dark to see much inside the ships (especially USS Arizona).

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · 24d
A well-done concise explanation of the filming of USS Arizona's destruction on 7 December 1941.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdoM...
The Destruction of the USS ARIZONA & Haakenson Film
YouTube video by SFR Productions
www.youtube.com

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · 26d
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve seen:

Led Zeppelin
The Who
Eric Clapton
Rush
Elvin Bishop
hayleylscanlon.bsky.social Hayley Scanlon @hayleylscanlon.bsky.social · 28d
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve seen:

Super Furry Animals
Fleet Foxes
Nick Cave
The Magnetic Fields
First Aid Kit
mibih.bsky.social MIB @mibih.bsky.social · 28d
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve seen:

Duane Eddy
Cinderella
Buddy Guy
Iron Maiden
Yngwie Malmsteen

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Shannon Vallor, Jonathan M. Gilligan , and 9 more

hisbpf.bsky.social
Brian Farrell 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @hisbpf.bsky.social · 26d
Colleges Are Preparing to Self-Lobotomize
The skills that students will need in an age of automation are precisely those that are eroded by inserting AI into the educational process.
www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

hayleylscanlon.bsky.social
Hayley Scanlon @hayleylscanlon.bsky.social · 28d
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve seen:

Super Furry Animals
Fleet Foxes
Nick Cave
The Magnetic Fields
First Aid Kit
mibih.bsky.social MIB @mibih.bsky.social · 28d
Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve seen:

Duane Eddy
Cinderella
Buddy Guy
Iron Maiden
Yngwie Malmsteen
jaspersharp.bsky.social Jasper Sharp @jaspersharp.bsky.social · 28d
Sabbat, Henge, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Jethro Tull and Killing Joke.

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · Nov 21
Forthcoming book on Japan's Imperial Rule Assistance Association and wartime elections.

www.yoshikawa-k.co.jp/book/b101465...
戦時期日本の翼賛体制と選挙 - 株式会社　吉川弘文館 歴史学を中心とする、人文図書の出版
既存の政治秩序改編のために構築された「新体制」での国民の政治参加のあり方を追究。戦時下のデモクラシーと戦後の変容を見通す。 高島　笙 著
www.yoshikawa-k.co.jp

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · Nov 15
www.bbc.com/culture/arti...
Frankenstein: Why Mary Shelley's 200-year-old horror story is so misunderstood
As a new film starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi is released, why is the message of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel still overshadowed by its success, more than two centuries on?
www.bbc.com

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

modernjapanhist.bsky.social
Modern Japan History Association @modernjapanhist.bsky.social · Nov 14
A video of the recent MJHA "New Books on Japan" discussion with Barak Kushner on "The Geography of Injustice: East Asia's Battle between Memory and History" is now available on the MJHA YouTube channel!

youtu.be/EJlYhPWELpk?...
New Books on Japan: Barak Kushner (Cambridge) on "The Geography of Injustice"
YouTube video by Modern Japan History Association
youtu.be

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · Nov 10
常に忠誠を！Happy Birthday!

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · Nov 10
Official photograph of this year's one-man Marine Corps Ball (not many fellow Marines hanging around in Gunma).

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · Nov 10
Happy 250th Birthday, Marines! Semper Fi!

Photo: LST at sea, 1988.

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · Nov 9
Same here.

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

adamkeiper.com
Adam Keiper @adamkeiper.com · Oct 29
"For anyone who doubts that Trump is contemplating a monarchical reign, consider how very far down that road he already is."

From a hero of democracy, retired federal judge J. Michael Luttig.

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
President for Life
Donald Trump is trying to amass the powers of a king.
www.theatlantic.com

rbjapan.bsky.social
Roger Brown @rbjapan.bsky.social · Oct 24
A recent two-part NHK documentary on the kamikaze (in English).

www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
Kamikaze: An untold History Part 1 - KAMIKAZE: An Untold History | NHK WORLD-JAPAN
www3.nhk.or.jp

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

asianstudies.org
Association for Asian Studies @asianstudies.org · Oct 21
New #AsiaNow post: Paul D. Barclay remembers his mentor and friend, Byron K. Marshall of the University of Minnesota, who passed away last month.
In Memoriam: Byron K. Marshall (1936–2025) - Association for Asian Studies
Byron K. Marshall, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, passed away on September 19, 2025. He was a beloved mentor, teacher, and friend. Byron “Budd” Marshall taught in the history…
www.asianstudies.org

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

nickkapur.bsky.social
Nick Kapur @nickkapur.bsky.social · Oct 20
Thrilled to announce the publication of my article "The Invention of the Kamikaze: Dissent and Resistance in the Japanese Military" in the October issue of the Journal of Military History!

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

sankei.com
産経ニュース @sankei.com · Oct 19
【手書き戦争史料をAIで解読】先の大戦で最前線の将兵らが書き残した貴重な史料を、先端技術を使って解読するプロジェクトが、防衛省防衛研究所で進められている。手書きの史料には判読が困難な崩し字や走り書きのものが多く、解明が滞っていたが、新たにAIを使って判読の精度と効率を高める手法を導入。史料をテキスト化し、将来的にはネット上での一般公開を目指しており、新たな史実の発見も期待される。
手書き戦争史料をAIで解読　防衛研がプロジェクト…ネット検索容易に　新史実発見も期待
先の大戦で最前線の将兵らが書き残した貴重な史料を、先端技術を使って解読するプロジェクトが、防衛省防衛研究所（防衛研）で進められている。手書きの史料には判読が困…
www.sankei.com

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

emilymatson.bsky.social
Emily Matson @emilymatson.bsky.social · Sep 19
Next Friday at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies! @gwu1821.bsky.social

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

iwanami.co.jp
岩波書店 @iwanami.co.jp · Sep 17
【本日発売】1940年夏、天皇の政治顧問である内大臣に木戸幸一が就任、11月には長年天皇を支えてきた英米協調派の元老西園寺公望が亡くなった。悪化する日米関係のなか交渉に最後の望みをかけた天皇が次第に開戦に傾いてゆく様を木戸と百武は複雑な思いで見守る。1941年秋、ついに天皇は交渉を断念、対米開戦を決断する。

百武三郎／古川隆久、茶谷誠一 編／NHK 編集協力
『百武三郎日記 侍従長が見た昭和天皇と戦争 2』

「百武三郎日記」（全三巻）特集ページ☞ www.iwanami.co.jp/news/n114334...

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

mikejason.bsky.social
Mike J @mikejason.bsky.social · Sep 12
This is remarkable.

www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...
One man’s memory sparks search for US soldiers he saw executed in WWII
Retired firefighter Benjamin Broadwell Hagans, 96, has emerged as an eyewitness to the savage executions of three soldiers in 1942, The War Horse reports.
www.militarytimes.com

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

dbfenthusiast.bsky.social
Semper Gumby @dbfenthusiast.bsky.social · Sep 6
Showboat

Reposted by Roger H. Brown

dfeds.bsky.social
David Fedman @dfeds.bsky.social · Sep 2
A new essay from me synthesizing the rich body of media criticism in Japanese focused on the practice of "August journalism" (八月ジャーナリズム): the tendency for rehearsed, compressed, and hollowed-out coverage of war memory each August.

apjjf.org/2025/9/fedman
“August Journalism” Studies: Lessons in World War II Reporting from Japan’s Season of Remembrance - Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus
[…]
apjjf.org