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William Pesek
For William Pesek's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 6, 2017
Trump might prove to be a godsend for Asia
The new U.S. president's unpredictability could get Asia's leaders on the same page for the first time in decades.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 3, 2017
Will Japan get Trumped next?
U.S. President Donald Trump seems intent on losing friends and alienating allies, placing U.S.-Japan relations on shaky ground.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 30, 2017
The Bank of Japan has a 'Toyota problem'
BOJ Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda's fight to lift inflation is being stymied by stingy Japan Inc.'s refusal to fatten paychecks.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 26, 2017
Trump owes everything to the Bank of Japan
The rise of Donald Trump serves as a warning to Shinzo Abe: Too much quantitative easing can fan the flames of populism.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 24, 2017
Alibaba's Jack Ma Wants U.S. to turn Japanese
Japan's successes in sanding down capitalism's rough edges are worth studying as populism spreads.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 20, 2017
Asia's newest fear: a Trump currency war
Having called out China as a currency manipulator, U.S. President Donald Trump now says the dollar is too strong.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 19, 2017
China's growth obsession leaves toxic legacy
China's addiction to stop-go economic policies is leaving a legacy of environmental destruction.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 17, 2017
Is Davos man ready for a Xi change?
China's president is the star attraction, but selling the Beijing consensus to the Davos elite won't be easy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 13, 2017
Why the bulls are wrong about the yen's rise
The yen has started 2017 strongly, but the Bank of Japan is likely to stick with its super-loose money program rather than dismantle it.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 11, 2017
What Alibaba's Jack Ma can teach Xi Jinping
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump isn't an emperor, or Jack Ma a lowly tributary. But in paying tribute to the incoming leader of the reigning superpower, Ma hopes to avoid the wrath of Trump Nation.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 9, 2017
Japan's zero growth nightmare
It's the rare economic tale that involves suicides, robots and arms dealers. Welcome to Japan, where science fiction may begin to trump economic fact in ways the global audience has yet to realize.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 6, 2017
All that glitters is gold as military risks rise in Asia
Trump's tweet and taunt foreign policy puts the U.S. on a collision course with China and North Korea.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 5, 2017
How Donald Trump can make Asia great again
U.S President-elect Donald Trump's desire to shake up the status quo could prod Asia's economies to lift their game.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 3, 2017
China's dangerous 2017 dominates the region
Fears of a Chinese financial crash loom large, but Japan and South Korea also face thorny challenges.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 30, 2016
Five big political risks for the incoming year
A Trump White House, leadership intrigue in China and Australia, Islam unnerving Indonesia, and Kim Jong-un's tantrums threaten stability in Asia.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 27, 2016
This year saw a bull market in skinny dipping
It's time to look back at a year when so many smart people were caught doing stupid things.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 22, 2016
Trump tantrum a double-edged sword for Japan
The yen's 17 percent slump is a win for Japan's exporters, but it may take the onus off Abe to deliver tough reforms.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 19, 2016
Why China's sale of U.S. Treasuries is great news
Japan's replacement of China as America's banker frees Trump to take a tougher stance against an assertive Beijing.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 16, 2016
Now Carlos Ghosn save Mitsubishi Motors?
The man dubbed as 'le cost killer' faces a tough task in reviving the fortunes of the automotive has-been.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 15, 2016
Japan places a big bet on Asia's casino bubble
The odds are stacked heavily in favor of the LDP-dominated Diet legalizing casinos but Tokyo may be too late to the party.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores