Morihiro Hosokawa - The Japan Times

Today's print edition

Subscribe for more access

Meta

Morihiro Hosokawa

For Morihiro Hosokawa's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Reader Mail

Nov 27, 2011

Beware the foreign academics

Regarding the Nov. 22 Zeit Gist article by Nicolas Gattig, "MacArthur, identity theory and Japan's lingering eigo woes": I'm sure that Gattig-sensei receives many murmurs of approval as well as hidden yawns when he makes presentations at Japanese ESL conferences. This same glib message can no doubt be read every day in Japanese university journals and heard at every Assistant Language Teacher gathering in Japan.

COMMENTARY

Jul 1, 2002

Carbon tax is long past due

The global environment is deteriorating. I saw this firsthand on my trip to China several years ago. The plane arrived a few hours behind schedule because of blowing dust. As I disembarked, I noticed the jetliner was covered with black particles of "yellow sand."

COMMENTARY

May 20, 2002

Dispel the end-of-era mood

An interesting new book by Edo Period literary expert Takehiko Noguchi, "Bakumatsu Kibun" (The Mood in the Last Days of the Tokugawa Shogunate), details how shogunate officials and citizens of Edo indulged themselves in lavish consumption and entertainment as they faced the demise of the government.

COMMENTARY

Jul 31, 2001

Making decentralization work

In a recent report, a state panel urged the central government to transfer more tax-collection power to local governments and help them secure their own tax revenues. I have no objections to the proposal, made by the Decentralization Promotion Committee in its final report to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. I am doubtful, however, about how to enforce the proposal, which was merely an opinion expressed by the panel. It was not an official recommendation based on Article 10 of the Decentralization Promotion Law.

COMMENTARY

Jun 1, 2001

Koizumi's moment of truth

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's administration is enjoying record high public-approval ratings of more than 80 percent. Television news-programs report daily on the activities of Koizumi as well as Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka, who has caught the public's fancy as the top female member of his Cabinet. Ratings for live television coverage of Diet sessions have sharply risen. Japanese are in the midst of "Koizumi fever."

COMMENTARY

Jan 8, 2001

A simple test for leaders

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. last month announced a decision to abolish its long-standing system by which individual product divisions handled the integrated development, production and marketing operations for their products. The system, praised as the secret of the consumer electronics giant's success, was established in 1933 by the late founder Konosuke Matsushita, the guru of Japanese-style business management. The company once had more than 120 independent divisions for products such as television and VCRs. Officials said the only way to survive intensifying competition is for top management to work out integrated strategies and oversee their implementation.

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 1, 2001

The true meaning of civilization

History shows that on the eve of the collapse of the Roman Empire, its denizens reveled as if they were crazy. Just before Paris fell to German forces during World War II, dressed-up people danced all night at nightclubs in the city. And when the Cuban government of President Fulgencio Batista fell, casinos in Havana boomed with gamblers.

COMMENTARY

Oct 23, 2000

LDP is up to its old tricks

The current 150th Diet session is in unprecedented chaos over an electoral reform bill to revise the Upper House voting system. The bill would change the roster system for candidates nominated in the proportional-representation segment of the Upper House polls. Currently, parties predetermine the ranks of the candidates. Under the new system, the roster would be unranked and voters would choose either a party or a candidate instead of a party, as is currently done. The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito and the New Conservative Party abruptly introduced the bill and railroaded it through an Upper House special committee after only four days of debate, in defiance of an opposition boycott.

COMMENTARY

Jul 17, 2000

One last chance for Japan

A quarter of a century has passed since the world's seven industrialized democracies held their first summit meeting in 1975 under the initiative of French President Giscard d'Estaing. In its earlier years the G7 forum moved the world somewhat, providing a sense of unity and direction that was not available from the weakened United Nations and divided international organizations. This year's meeting — which includes Russia — will be held in Kyushu and Okinawa beginning July 21.

COMMENTARY / World

May 31, 1999

A de facto treaty revision

The Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, signed in 1951, is understood to be an arrangement whereby the United States, in exchange for the use of military bases in Japan, is committed to the rescue of this nation in the event of external aggression. Japan, with its "war-renouncing" Constitution, follows a policy of noninvolvement in foreign disputes. It is assumed, therefore, that the only way Japan can cooperate with U.S. forces is by offering bases and services. This basic assumption remained essentially unchanged even after the treaty was revised in 1960.

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

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

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

international-reports