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Silvio Berlusconi has failed in his attempt to topple the Italian government, leaving him weaker than ever and zapping the aura of invincibility that has surrounded him for two decades as he faces the possible loss of his Senate seat and a ban from ...
Hatsudai has a lot going for it. This quiet low-rise residential neighborhood just minutes west of Shinjuku boasts a friendly traditional shōtengai (shopping street) and a lively annual Awa Odori dance festival. Now add to that a really outstanding restaurant. Anis opened in early ...
International events undermine Japan's democracy. Shame on the International Olympic Committee for being a party to it.
In the glitzy and gossipy world of Japanese celebrity, hardly a week goes by without revelations being made about — or made by — Ichikawa Ebizo XI. For years, the charismatic young star of the kabuki world has never long been out of the ...
Reigning champion Kei Nishikori made quick work of Feliciano Lopez, walloping the Spaniard in a straight-sets victory Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Rakuten Japan Open. The world No. 13 Nishikori needed little over an hour to put away Lopez, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0 ...
The defeat of an Osaka Ishin no Kai candidate in a mayoral election Sunday has dimmed the outlook for Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's idea of creating a greater Osaka administrative area.
A government panel reviewing Japan's legal system seeks reform of the bar exam and the law schools established in the 2000s in order to improve the quality and availability of legal services.
As Shinzo Abe goes ahead with a sales-tax increase aimed at getting a handle on Japan's huge debt burden, he risks killing Japan's best chance for an economic recovery.
The twin crises involving Syria and Iran demonstrate the continuing utility of the United Nations as the Security Council remains the cockpit for addressing geopolitical upheavals.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe confirms that the government will raise the sales tax from 5 to 8 percent beginning in April. But will the tax hike lead to an economic downturn
The acquittal of three ex-presidents of JR West in the 2005 Amagasaki train derailment that killed 107 people does not absolve the corporate culture thought to have led to the accident.
The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan, thanks to a cheaper yen and waived visa requirements in some countries, could top a government goal of 10 million this year.
The government has not given a convincing reason why the U.S. Marine Corps will train with Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in Shiga and Kochi prefectures in October.
Pyongyang's recent cancellation of a planned reunion for North and South Korean families suggests that it is using hard and soft tactics to gain diplomatic advantage.
n a sign that China's leadership is trying to strengthen its control of speech to increase its ideological grip, the government has detained a Chinese professor who teaches in Chiba.
It is commendable of the Metropolitan Police Department to urge male officers to change their outdated perceptions of female colleagues and to wipe out prejudicial attitudes.
Last week's march in Shinjuku, a rebuke to recent anti-Korean rallies, reasserted Japan as a country whose values include tolerance and a general desire to eliminate discrimination.
Amid reports of track repairs left untended for up to a year, one wonders whether employees of JR Hokkaido have a clear sense of duty to protect the lives of passengers.
Although Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani did not meet U.S. President Barack Obama at the U.N. this week, each man signaled a desire for a rapprochement.
Don't look for the refinement of public views in the U.S. Congress unless the most extreme members of the Republican Party feel they can risk moving out of their echo chambers.
Contrary to what most of the loud media commentary would have us believe, financial "austerity" or fiscal responsibility appears popular. Angela Merkel's success is proof.
lthough Russian President Vladimir Putin has had some success strengthening Moscow's position in the Middle East, the "near abroad" area to Russia's west is not marching in step.
America's "liberal" president and his Democratic allies aren't fighting the good fight. The most liberal politician in America these days is the right-winger Rand Paul.
The private sector must be a critical partner if we are to sustainably lift people out of poverty. It is small- and medium-size enterprises that consistently drive job creation and economic growth.
A number of recent scandals suggest that there are weaknesses and flaws in Britain's national health care system.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's pragmatic and cautious defense of Germany's national interest in the age of globalization may yet instigate an aggressive new nationalism in Europe.
