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September 10, 2025

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COMMENTARY / World

Sep 16, 2000

California: the colors of tomorrow's U.S.

By Edward Neilan

SAN FRANCISCO -- The bald statistic released the other day informing us that the population of the state of California was no longer dominated by a Caucasian majority, having given way to a fast-growing coalition of Hispanics and Asians, should have surprised no one.

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 16, 2000

Shining a light on global 'Big Brother'

By Glyn Ford

Perhaps more appropriately to the world of James Bond than to the European Union, Echelon -- an international spying network in which governments covertly cooperate to intercept global communications -- is causing a stir in the European Parliament.

COMMENTARY

Sep 16, 2000

Public TV in the digital era

By Hugh Cortazzi

LONDON -- The British Broadcasting Corporation was a pioneer of public-service broadcasting when it was established in the 1920s. It built up a strong reputation in its early years under its first director, General Lord Reith, although it also earned the nick-name of "Auntie" because it was regarded...

COMMENTARY

Sep 15, 2000

Looking for Mori's successor

By Minoru Tada

A couple of weeks ago, Koichi Kato, former secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, appeared at a news conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo. Kato is receiving growing public attention as a potential contender for the post of prime minister to replace unpopular Yoshiro...

COMMENTARY

Sep 14, 2000

Paving the road to failure

By David Howell

LONDON -- If good intentions could guarantee good results, the recently concluded Millennium Summit at the United Nations in New York would merit nothing but unreserved praise.

COMMENTARY

Sep 13, 2000

Religion's small role in the public realm

By Doug Bandow

WASHINGTON -- The American left has always had a simple view of religious people and politics. If they are liberal, welcome. If they aren't, be gone. So it seems to be with Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Lieberman.

COMMENTARY

Sep 13, 2000

Fragile foundations for the nation's youth

By Ryuichiro Hosokawa

Although the whole nation has been dismayed by the recent wave of reports of serious crimes committed by 17-year-olds, everyone must have been excited and impressed by the teenagers playing in the high-school baseball championship tournament held at Koshien Stadium, regardless of who won and who lost....

COMMENTARY

Sep 12, 2000

Japan needs a Third Way

By Takamitsu Sawa

Through the last decade of the 20th century, the Japanese economy has been in a state of confusion. After the bubble peaked in 1987-90, the economy went into a tailspin. The economy hit bottom in October 1993, according to official statistics, but since then it has shown few tangible signs of robust...

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 10, 2000

High costs a barrier for foreign students

By George Sioris

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- An editorial in The Japan Times a few weeks ago focused on the Japanese government's efforts to increase the number of foreign students in Japan. No one would disagree with the government's dual aims of assisting in the development of human resources of poorer Asian countries...

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 10, 2000

Corruption continues to plague Cambodia

By Peter Eng

PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia has become more stable since the 1998 election, a major victory for a country that has suffered so much turmoil in the past three decades. The infighting between the two parties of the coalition government has receded, and it is safer to travel around the country as the number...

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 10, 2000

Multiculturalism and meritocracy are key

By Ramesh Thakur

We live in a world of at least 2,000 nationalities, 200 states and 20 nation-states (where the populations are more or less homogeneous). The doctrine of self-determination was one of the most powerful ideologies of the 20th century. The drive to self-determination by disaffected communities created...

COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW

Sep 9, 2000

Putin's obscure mind games

By Constantine Pleshakov

I know very little about judo. Actually, I know nothing about it at all. Yet I like the image of two people wearing cool outfits accentuated by stylish belts, circling the mat with stony faces, waiting for the right moment to jump at each other like two splendid bobcats. It is undoubtedly the sport of...

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

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.

The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight

By Mai Yoshikawa

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

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