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May 17, 2024
 

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Tom Plate

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Tom Plate
Tom Plate, a veteran American columnist and career journalist, is the Distinguished Scholar of Asian and Pacific Affairs at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. His many books include the "Giants of Asia" series, of which book four, "Conversations with Ban Ki-Moon: The View from the Top," is the latest.
For Tom Plate's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
COMMENTARY
Aug 2, 2007
What the Japanese election really means
LOS ANGELES — The country is deadlocked. The people are divided. The stock market is grumbling. The leader is discredited — but vows to govern onward anyhow.
COMMENTARY
Jul 31, 2007
Asians a boon to American prosperity
LOS ANGELES — For once, let's look at the other side of the coin regarding the constant drumbeat that Asia is causing American workers to lose jobs.
COMMENTARY
Jul 13, 2007
Breaking point of China's Communists
LOS ANGELES — It's not always easy to do right by China. Should you choose the path of unthinking flattery, you will eventually lose self-respect.
COMMENTARY
Jul 5, 2007
Troubles with 'China Inc.'
LOS ANGELES — There's something of an international food fight — and more — occurring over China right now. The alarming issue concerns the quality control — or lack thereof — of the many products the mainland exports to the world.
COMMENTARY
Jun 30, 2007
Hong Kong media thrive under China
LOS ANGELES — Not every place in the world takes its news media seriously, to say the least. Some governments view it as a nuisance, if not a menace; others as an arm of public instruction, if not propaganda. But this is not the view taken here in what (since the 1997 handover from Britain) is...
COMMENTARY
Jun 29, 2007
Chief executive who serves two masters
This is the first in a series of columns on the political and economic status of Hong Kong. On Sunday, the former British crown colony will mark its 10th anniversary as a special province of China.
COMMENTARY
Jun 19, 2007
Giving China the red hook
LOS ANGELES — U.S. Democratic Sen. Charles E. Schumer has a tiger by the tail. And since he hails from the mean streets of Brooklyn, you can count on the fact that he's not about to let go soon, no matter how loudly the tiger roars.
COMMENTARY
Jun 14, 2007
Wanted: A 'new deal' for globalization
LOS ANGELES — There is no such thing as "free" trade. In truth, the phrase "free trade" is an oxymoron.
COMMENTARY
Jun 8, 2007
When getting rich impoverishes society
NEW DELHI — Serious social tension roils here and there across the globe. Gaps between poor and rich rarely seem to shrink and in most places continue to enlarge. The fairest assessment of economic and informational globalization (the greatest pretender as an income gap-narrower since orthodox...
COMMENTARY
Mar 9, 2007
Retreat from responsibility
LOS ANGELES -- Perhaps in an ideal world, people all across Asia would simply ignore the sad Japanese leader who slides embarrassingly and inelegantly into seemingly pointless denial over the "comfort women" issue of World War II. Perhaps in another world, the sight would prompt genuine concern about...
COMMENTARY
Dec 21, 2006
Fresh leadership at the United Nations
NEW YORK -- The world has no sure idea of what it may be getting with its newly designated United Nations secretary general. Ban Ki Moon, a former South Korean foreign minister, is more or less an enigma except to a small population engaged in international diplomacy.
COMMENTARY
Oct 16, 2006
Expect more shocks from North Korea
LOS ANGELES -- Today's level of anxiety and near-panic in the U.S. news media is amazing. It is almost as if America's leading journalists are thrilled to be writing about something other than Iraq finally. Thank you, Kim Jong Il -- we were all getting rather bored.
COMMENTARY
Oct 12, 2006
North Korea: Asia's pouting paper tiger
LOS ANGELES -- One mustn't make too light of the presumed North Korean underground nuclear test, but the fact is that whenever instruments detect a lot of ground-shaking in North Korea, it could be because of almost anything.
COMMENTARY
Oct 5, 2006
When in China, just follow the power
WASHINGTON -- It's evident to the smart people here that there's a whole lot of shaking going on in China right now. It is hard to hear it or feel it above the desperate din of the tragic blunder of the Iraq invasion, but it is happening nonetheless. And when the shaking is over, China may not be quite...
COMMENTARY
Sep 14, 2006
Let's avoid a U.N. row with South Korea
LOS ANGELES -- I do not much mind being misquoted, especially in a good cause. That cause is the worthy candidacy of South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon, who is fighting for the job of U.N. secretary general. The incumbent, Kofi Annan, is finishing out his second term and must vacate later this...
COMMENTARY
Sep 10, 2006
Irwin never met a critter he didn't like
LOS ANGELES -- I have long been in awe of the late Steve Irwin, perhaps in part because I never personally met him.
COMMENTARY
Jun 16, 2006
Is Japan set to stumble after Koizumi?
LOS ANGELES -- China is like the relatively new baby on the block that the neighbors fawn over, mostly ignoring any negatives, acting as if it's the perfect child as the other children are unceremoniously pushed into the background. Overlooked, the others occasionally fling their rattles out of the playpen...
COMMENTARY
Jun 10, 2006
China's buildup is no wonder
LOS ANGELES -- There has been an unsettling discordance about U.S. policy toward China that was brought home anew by Donald Rumsfeld, recently at the annual IISS Asia Security Summit in Singapore. Why this discredited man with his failed Iraqi policies remains U.S. secretary of defense is a profound...
COMMENTARY
May 19, 2006
Pride in a Yankee apology
LOS ANGELES -- In the sports-happy, internationally oblivious country of the United States, probably more people know who Hideki Matsui is than who Junichiro Koizumi is.
COMMENTARY
May 16, 2006
Pioneers turned paper into must-reads
LOS ANGELES -- It was a remarkably sad coincidence that within the span of a few days, two of the world's more influential newspaper figures died.
Japanese stripper bids to have her porn movies taken off internet
Plaintiff Miyuki Ariga (left) speaks at a news conference along with her lawyer, Yoshitomo Morohashi, after filing a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on Monday.
Kishida defends planned rule to revoke foreigners' residency
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a meeting of the Lower House Judicial Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
Human bone-like objects found at Nippon Steel plant’s molten iron pot, with one worker missing
Police believe it’s highly possible that human bones found in a molten iron pot at Nippon Steel's Oita factory belong to a missing male employee.
Japanese billionaire sues Meta over investment scams using his image
Entrepreneurs Yusaku Maezawa (second from right) and Takafumi Horie (third from right) attend a study session on fake social media ads and investment scams at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on April 10.
Was Onosato's defeat of Terunofuji an era-defining bout?
Onosato (right) defeats Terunofuji at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on May 12. While nothing in sumo is guaranteed, it seems almost inevitable that Onosato is destined for the top of the sport's pyramid.
Unraveling the Japanese prose of Yukio Mishima
Author Yukio Mishima accepts the Arts Festival Award in the drama category at the 20th Arts Festival Award Ceremony on Jan. 22, 1966.
New Taiwan president to set tone for ties with China at inauguration
Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te arrives at the CyberSec 2024 Exhibition in Taipei on Wednesday.
Japanese billionaire sues Meta over investment scams using his image
Entrepreneurs Yusaku Maezawa (second from right) and Takafumi Horie (third from right) attend a study session on fake social media ads and investment scams at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on April 10.
Japanese rap creates its mecca in Pop Yours
Tokyo-based artist Jumadiba says he forgoes the label of simply “rap” for his music because the Japanese rap scene isn’t confined to a particular sound.
Was Onosato's defeat of Terunofuji an era-defining bout?
Onosato (right) defeats Terunofuji at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on May 12. While nothing in sumo is guaranteed, it seems almost inevitable that Onosato is destined for the top of the sport's pyramid.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan
By Mai Yoshikawa

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Vol. 35: Travel in time — and stay there
Vol. 35: Travel in time — and stay there

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