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EDITORIALS

Apr 12, 2007

More to crisis than meets the eye

A showdown between Iran and Britain was averted last weekend when Tehran announced the release of 15 British service personnel it had taken hostage. The personal intervention of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad resolved the crisis, but it is yet unclear how the incident will play out in the murky...

EDITORIALS

Apr 11, 2007

The benefits of delayed divorce

On April 1, a system that allows divorced couples to divide retirement pensions went into effect. It has been reported that many housewives had postponed divorce in order to benefit from the new system. But they should be aware that the amount they will receive will be smaller than they had probably...

EDITORIALS

Apr 11, 2007

Temporary boost for Mr. Abe

In five gubernatorial elections Sunday, candidates supported by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and those supported by the opposition Democratic Party of Japan fought head on against each other. The LDP took three and the DPJ two. Although the results are not a direct indication of a similar trend...

EDITORIALS

Apr 10, 2007

A view toward enshrinement

Documents on Yasukuni Shrine recently released by the National Diet Library shows that the then Health and Welfare Ministry actively involved itself in the enshrinement process for Japan's war dead at Yasukuni Shrine, including Class-A war criminals. The close relationship between the government and...

EDITORIALS

Apr 9, 2007

How does the ASDF help Iraq?

The government has submitted to the Diet a bill for a two-year extension of the July 2003 ad hoc law to deploy Self-Defense Forces for noncombat activities in Iraq. Since the law expires at the end of July, the government hopes the Diet will pass the bill by the end of June. The specific aim of the bill...

EDITORIALS

Apr 9, 2007

Dark cloud over baseball

An investigative committee has found that the Seibu Lions, a Pacific League baseball club, paid from 100,000 yen to 10 million yen to 170 managers and others affiliated with amateur baseball teams for 27 years until 2005 as rewards for helping the pro baseball team acquire new players. The revelation...

EDITORIALS

Apr 8, 2007

The annual 'hanami' rethink

Though it happens every year, cherry blossom season still functions as a vibrant experience in Japan. As the blossoms open up, somehow, so do people. Time spent walking or partying under the falling petals makes most people slow down to reconsider what is essential in life. It may be just a bunch of...

EDITORIALS

Apr 7, 2007

U.S. and South Korea make a deal

The United States and South Korea last week made the world's largest bilateral free-trade deal. It took 10 months of tough, point-by-point negotiations and officials worked to the very last minute. One measure of the sensitivities in both countries is that, days after the agreement was reached, the official...

EDITORIALS

Apr 6, 2007

Battle for textbook accuracy

The education ministry has publicized the screening results for new textbooks, most of which are scheduled for use at junior and senior high schools starting in April 2008. Conspicuous is the government's efforts to impose its historical view of the mass suicides among Okinawan residents during the Battle...

EDITORIALS

Apr 5, 2007

Keeping towns afloat

The first day in the financial reconstruction of Yubari, Hokkaido, has passed. On April 1, the start of the new fiscal year, the city began its 18-year-long program to repay accumulated debts of 35.3 billion yen. The central government will carefully monitor budgets drawn up by the city, which was once...

EDITORIALS

Apr 4, 2007

Conrad Black's diversions

The trial of Mr. Conrad Black -- Lord Black of Crossharbour -- began last week in Chicago. While the proceedings will offer considerable insight into the lives of the rich and famous, it will also provide a vivid reminder of the need for effective corporate oversight and the vital role played by boards...

EDITORIALS

Apr 3, 2007

Britain opts for new nukes

Britain has decided to renew its nuclear deterrent. A parliamentary vote last month sharply divided the ruling Labor Party, forcing Prime Minister Tony Blair to rely on opposition Conservatives to pass the measure. Mr. Blair made his case by arguing that international uncertainty required Britain to...

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

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.

What comes after 100?

By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

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