The labor ministry should devise more effective measures to be taken against "black companies" and more strictly enforce existing labor laws to halt abusive labor practices.

The Abe administration's management of the Islamic State hostage crisis must be investigated in an objective manner to provide lessons that will help guide the government in future crises.

Sustained chaos in Yemen could allow violent groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida to use the country as a base for operations elsewhere.

Even as the Abe administration pushes for the reactivation of idled nuclear power reactors once they're declared safe, it has yet to address the question of how Japan will dispose of highly radioactive nuclear waste so as not to endanger future generations.

The government needs to clearly explain how and whether its plan to move up the schedules for completing unfinished sections of shinkansen networks in Hokkaido, Kyushu and Hokuriku regions will bring benefits that outweigh the additional expenses to taxpayers.

Japan should throw its support behind the regional plan to establish the ASEAN Economic Community by yearend, thus creating a single market and production base of more than 600 million people.

Under a new Abe administration policy, Japan will be able to extend aid to the armed forces of recipient countries on condition that it be used only for nonmilitary purposes. But what will stop a nation from saving such aid for a rainy day ...

One can't help wonder why farm minister Koya Nishikawa felt compelled to have an LDP chapter that he heads return a ¥1 million donation from a subsidiary of the sugar manufacturers' association if there was no illegal activity.

Strong pressure on scientists to make notable achievements — and thereby secure research funds — is fueling research misconduct.

The government should consider overhauling the nursing care insurance system to ensure stable services for the elderly and to rationalize the system's overall operation.

With the economy performing below expectations, is it time for the Abe administration to reconsider its recovery policies?

At a time when the global economy remains weak, Japan should carefully consider what policies to pursue to put itself on a path of stable recovery.