Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Politics & Diplomacy Aug 28, 2013
Japan, U.N. rights team discuss North
Members of a U.N. commission investigating human rights violations in North Korea met with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday in the first of a series of meetings that Tokyo hopes will highlight the unresolved cases of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang. During the ...
Politics & Diplomacy Aug 3, 2013
China, U.S. at odds over human rights
U.S. officials said Friday that human rights abuses in China are worsening and that their latest talks with China on the issue “fell short of expectations.” However, Beijing said the same day that its human rights situation is at a historic best, rejecting comments ...
Global-related Jul 17, 2013
Can Snowden cite rights and still applaud Putin?
by Peter Beaumont
It's easy to admire Edward Snowden for what he has revealed about U.S. and U.K. spying, and still feel deeply uncomfortable about his praise for Russia, of all places.
Asia Pacific Jul 16, 2013
Myanmar 'to free all political prisoners'
Myanmar President Thein Sein said Monday that all political prisoners would be freed by the end of the year and that a ceasefire with ethnic groups was possible within weeks. The former junta general’s comments, made during his first visit to London, appear to ...
Commentary | COUNTERPOINT Jun 30, 2013
Constitutional revision: Proposed Abe-rights look to be all wrong
by Jeff Kingston
After the Upper House elections on July 21, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may try to revise the Constitution. This longstanding agenda is now within reach because the Liberal Democratic Party he heads might be able to rally the necessary two-thirds of votes in both ...
National Jun 13, 2013
Japanese U.N. diplomat's shouts of 'shut up' to fellow delegates go viral, inflame
Japan’s human rights envoy to the United Nations faced calls to quit Wednesday over a video that showed him shouting at fellow diplomats to “shut up.” YouTube footage of the incident at the U.N. torture committee in Geneva provoked a storm of criticism on ...
Asia Pacific Jun 5, 2013
Beijing blocks remembrance for Tiananmen dead
Chinese police blocked the gate of a cemetery holding the remains of victims of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown on its 24th anniversary Tuesday, ahead of a vigil expected to see 150,000 people gather in Hong Kong. Authorities launch a major push every June 4 ...
Crime & Legal Apr 3, 2013
Lawyer, freed convict fight outcast bias, injustice
by Keiji Hirano
For activist lawyer Taketoshi Nakayama, a crusading legal career was almost predestined, having grown up as the son of a human-rights campaigner in a household keenly aware of the injustices faced by marginalized members of Japanese society.
Global-related Mar 22, 2013
Chinese rights genie at work
by Jun Zhang and Gary H. Jefferson
While criticism of China's human rights record clearly has merit, it is important not to lose sight of the genuine democratic change happening there.
Issues | JUST BE CAUSE Jan 1, 2013
The year for non-Japanese in '12: a top 10
by Debito Arudou
Back by popular demand, here is JBC’s roundup of the top 10 human rights events that most affected non-Japanese (NJ) residents of Japan in 2012, in ascending order. Bubbling under • China’s anti-Japan riots (September) and Senkaku-area maneuvers (October to now). • North Korea’s ...