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May 18, 2024
 

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David Howell
For David Howell's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
COMMENTARY
Sep 14, 2002
It's folly for U.S. to go it alone
LONDON -- "Go it alone" is clearly the prevailing mood in Washington. Officials and commentators alike argue that with the United States' overwhelming military might and Europe's alleged weakness, the world must be set right by unilateral American action, and the international community can either like...
COMMENTARY
Aug 24, 2002
Save energy, slash summitry
LONDON -- Are summits worthwhile? Do they add to the sum of human wisdom and achieve beneficial results?
COMMENTARY
Aug 11, 2002
Universal role of new soldier
LONDON -- "A soldier's life is terrible hard" goes the song, and so it remains today, but with some big differences.
COMMENTARY
Jul 29, 2002
Beware the property bubble
LONDON -- These are worrying times for the world economy, and perhaps even more so for the armies of highly paid analysts who failed to predict the current slump in world stock markets.
COMMENTARY
Jul 12, 2002
Iraq debate moves to the fore
LONDON -- "Where you stand depends on where you sit" goes the old political adage. And this was never more true than in the case of Iraq and what, if anything, should be done about this troublesome tyranny.
COMMENTARY
Jun 29, 2002
A dangerous new doctrine
LONDON -- "I will not wait on events while dangers gather." Thus speaks U.S. President George W. Bush -- and in doing so appears to state, in plain and simple language, a revolutionary new doctrine that upends five decades of thinking about global security.
COMMENTARY
Jun 10, 2002
Britons fete their status quo
LONDON -- If anyone had doubts about the public mood in Britain, a few days last week would have dispelled them beyond all argument.
COMMENTARY
May 27, 2002
Global soccer invades Japan
LONDON -- Now for the really big story -- and Japan is at the center of it. But the focus this time is not on dreary economics but on soccer. With the curtain rising on the great drama of the Japan/South Korea-hosted World Cup, all eyes and world media attention are beamed on the teams, the players,...
COMMENTARY
May 15, 2002
EU's costly quest for world leadership
LONDON -- Nowadays the European Union and the United States seem to be locked in almost permanent quarrels. One moment it's bananas, then it's steel, land mines, the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, European defense arrangements and NATO. Then it's the question of whether there should be a permanent...
COMMENTARY
May 1, 2002
Le Pen victory a dark sign of the times
LONDON -- Political experts of all shades have been professing surprise and amazement that Jean-Marie Le Pen, with his wild mixture of views, some overtly racist, should have collected around 17 percent of the votes in the first round of the French presidential elections. But the real surprise is that...
COMMENTARY
Apr 18, 2002
Turkey's Mideast peace role
LONDON/ISTANBUL -- The only possible way of exerting outside influence on the ever-worsening conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians is through a visibly balanced approach.
COMMENTARY
Apr 4, 2002
Forecasts of an early exit fade
LONDON -- Those who said the war in Afghanistan was over have had to eat their words.
COMMENTARY
Mar 30, 2002
Power to the EU's people
LONDON -- Yet another disappointing European summit, this time in Barcelona, has left more and more people asking whether this is the right way to proceed with the European project. Is the existing European model the right one? The goal is supposed to be for a liberalized Europe to catch up with the...
COMMENTARY
Mar 7, 2002
Zimbabwe: 11th hour questions
LONDON -- The situation in Zimbabwe goes from bad to worse. Sunday's presidential election approaches amid a crescendo of violence and intimidation, with the army, the state police and the thugs of the ruling Zanu-PF political party rampaging through every region of this enormous and once-rich Central...
COMMENTARY
Feb 23, 2002
Revisiting the Great Game
...
COMMENTARY
Feb 9, 2002
Can U.S. find the right voice?
LONDON -- The United States is the predominant force in the world -- more so than ever. Its military reach is awesome (as Afghanistan has proved), its technology at the forefront, its universities the most advanced, its Nobel laureates the most numerous, its production now back to almost 30 percent of...
COMMENTARY
Jan 26, 2002
A revolution in British politics
LONDON -- The British Constitution has long been widely admired, if not always understood.
COMMENTARY
Dec 30, 2001
Clash of European visions
LONDON -- The odd situation seems to have been reached where the most dedicated enthusiasts for European unity fear that their dream is falling apart, while the skeptics fear that unity and integration are pushing Europe ahead faster than ever toward a super state.
COMMENTARY
Dec 17, 2001
Britain's NHS shows how not to fund health care
LONDON -- Some high-powered Japanese experts recently were in London looking at British systems of welfare and social support, and at health and medical provisions in particular.
COMMENTARY
Dec 1, 2001
'Caring' capitalism is needed
LONDON -- A decade ago, capitalism seemed almost totally triumphant. Its old enemy, communism, was discredited and in rapid retreat, global capital markets were beginning a phase of colossal expansion and countries everywhere were deregulating, opening their markets and unraveling their state sectors...
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.
U.S. envoy to Japan makes landmark visit to front-line island near Taiwan
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel meets with members of the Self-Defense Forces stationed on Yonaguni, Okinawa Prefecture, on Friday.
Japan to review romanization system for first time in 70 years
An advisory panel to the education ministry will consider how the Japanese language should be transcribed into the Latin alphabet, including unifying different romanization styles currently in use.
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.
Japan’s economy contracts as consumers and firms cut spending
Japan's gross domestic product shrank at an annualized pace of 2% in the three months through March.
Can AI-generated inventions be patented? A Tokyo court says no.
The Tokyo court's ruling comes amid ongoing debates on how to regulate generative AI and is part of a transnational class action lawsuit.
A new initiative rethinks old Tohoku crafts
The colored patterns of Tsuguru "nuri," made in Aomori Prefecture, are achieved by applying multiple coatings of lacquer, which are later polished down to reveal layers of colors beneath.
Xi and Putin mark ‘new era’ amid efforts to counter U.S. ‘containment’
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend an event in Beijing on Thursday. During Putin's visit, the leaders showed off their growing alignment amid efforts to push back against the U.S.-led world order.
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.

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

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