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COMMENTARY

Jan 27, 2001

KSD places Mori in peril

By Kenzo Uchida

Dark clouds hang over Japanese politics. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has been jolted by allegations that some of its leading members took payoffs from the mutual-aid organization KSD. The scandal came after Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori reshuffled his Cabinet last month and the restructured central...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 27, 2001

GOP keeps its faith in the Confederacy

By Rick Mercier

President George W. Bush's nominee for attorney general, John Ashcroft, must wonder why he's gotten so much heat for comments he made about the Confederacy. After all, in the ultra-conservative circles he frequents, there's nothing taboo about his unreconstructed opinions -- even his likely future boss...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 27, 2001

Nothing new about U.S. boom-bust cycle

By Christopher Lingle

Fears that a bear market in the United States will dampen consumer spending and cause a recession are unfounded. This is not to say that the U.S. economy will not experience a slowdown. But when the recession comes, it will be for a different reason.

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 27, 2001

Corruption in China: business as usual?

By David Wall

Hardly a week goes by in China now without some leader being executed or arraigned for corruption. And the level of the officials being charged and convicted (much the same thing in China) is rising.

COMMENTARY

Jan 26, 2001

Plagued by scandal yet again

By Keizo Nabeshima

Fukushiro Nukaga was forced to resign Tuesday as minister for economic and fiscal policy over allegations that he received 15 million yen from the mutual-aid organization KSD in return for favors. Nukaga denied accepting the money himself but admitted that one of his secretaries had received it. He said...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 26, 2001

Major trends start at microeconomic level

2000 should be remembered as the first year in which it was statistically confirmed that microeconomic activities can significantly affect macroeconomic performance, according to Naoki Tanaka, president of the 21st Century Public Policy Initiative.

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 26, 2001

Macroeconomic pacing urged

Both Japan and the United States are vulnerable to the same macroeconomic policy mistakes -- overreacting to short-term bad news and making wrong policy decisions, a renowned American economist warned during a recent symposium held in Tokyo.

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 26, 2001

Japan's banking system still shaky despite 'reforms'

Japan's banking system can still be described as "fragile" or even "precarious" despite nearly a decade of supposed reforms and a wave of industry realignment, according to Benn Steil, New York-based senior fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations.

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 26, 2001

It's up to Japan to act on trade ties

The new administration of George W. Bush has placed low priority on trade policy toward Japan, making it crucial that Tokyo take the initiative in developing closer trans-Pacific economic ties rather than waiting for overtures from Washington, a U.S. think tank member told a symposium held just before...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 24, 2001

Russia can teach California a few things about blackouts

By Russell Working

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia -- When blackouts hit the residential districts of Russia's largest Pacific seaport, as they have for up to 20 hours a day and even more this week, people learn to cope.

COMMENTARY

Jan 24, 2001

Time for Japan to root out corruption

By Hugh Cortazzi

LONDON -- Fifty years ago this year, the San Francisco Peace Treaty was signed and the Japanese government began preparing to resume full sovereignty. Then-Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida was a shrewd politician. He knew that the peace treaty, despite the difficulties some of the clauses would cause for...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 23, 2001

Give aid to China, but remain vigilant

By Tomoyuki Kojima

The 21st Century Committee for Japan-China Friendship held its 14th meeting on China's Hainan Island Dec. 24-25, and I was among those present. Former Chinese Ambassador to Japan Yang Zhenya, the conference chairman, said he was pleased that the Chinese and Japanese governments were promoting regional...

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.

What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

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