Commentary / World Mar 30, 2017
Let reason rule the day
Negotiators on both sides of the Brexit table need to exercise restraint and be willing to search for mutually acceptable compromises.
Hugh Cortazzi
Hugh Cortazzi was posted to British Commonwealth Air Forces in Japan in 1946, and he joined the British Foreign (later diplomatic) service in 1949. After retiring, he worked in the city of London and was an adviser to a number of Japanese companies. He was chairman of the council of the Japan Society from 1985-1995. Since 1983 he has researched and written a number of books about Japanese culture and history and has edited and compiled a series of books on personalities active in Anglo-Japanese relations.
For Hugh Cortazzi's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Commentary / Japan Mar 9, 2017
What path will Japan take?
Japan's continuing importance should not need restating, but its future prospects are not so clear.
Commentary / World Feb 28, 2017
Migration: a threat or a necessity?
By targeting immigration control as one of the prime aims of Brexit, the British government may find that it has kicked an own goal.
Commentary / World Feb 26, 2017
No welcome for refugees
The milk of human kindness toward refugees has soured across the world.
Commentary / World Feb 16, 2017
U.S. rule of law under threat
The press needs to stand up to political bullying from overly sensitive politicians such as Donald Trump.
Commentary / World Feb 1, 2017
Theresa May got Trumped
However distasteful and dangerous Trump's policies may be, Britain has to find a way of getting on with him without too much damage to its interests and values.
Commentary / World Jan 23, 2017
U.K. illusions of grandeur
The May government must not allow nostalgia for Great Britain's past glories to cloud its vision.
Commentary / World Jan 11, 2017
Speaking truth to power
The resignation of Sir Ivan Rogers, the British ambassador to the European Union in Brussels, has raised serious issues not only about Britain's strategy for Brexit but also about relations between officials and politicians and their political advisers. Rogers was an experienced negotiator and former ...
Commentary / Japan Dec 23, 2016
Japan's image and culture
Japans' language, culture and democratic image are assets of vital importance. They should be carefully nurtured.
Commentary / World Dec 15, 2016
Defining national interest
The election of Donald Trump should be worrying for anyone who advocates cooperation over confrontation and adherence to international law and international agreements.