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EDITORIALS

Jan 14, 2004

Mr. Bush sets his sights on Mars

For as long as humankind has been capable of wonder, men and women have looked to the stars and dreamed. For centuries, they had to be content with just that. Only a mere half century ago, we first escaped the Earth's atmosphere; a decade later an American astronaut lowered himself to the lunar surface....

EDITORIALS

Jan 13, 2004

Prospects dim for wage round

Japan's economy is showing increasing signs of recovery, yet there is nothing to cheer about concerning the job situation as labor and management brace for what promises to be yet another difficult bargaining season. Once again, wage restraint will be the main theme of negotiation in spring 2004.

EDITORIALS

Jan 12, 2004

Falling behind in the FTA race

Free trade is taking a new shape. With the World Trade Organization's new round of multilateral talks on the rocks, countries around the world are taking increasingly to bilateral and regional free trade agreements, or FTAs. Japan is falling far behind in this race, largely because of its protected agriculture....

EDITORIALS

Jan 11, 2004

A bid for peace in South Asia

Welcome though it is, it is hard to be optimistic about the surprise announcement that India and Pakistan are ready to resume peace talks. The three wars the two neighbors have fought are reasons to both applaud the two governments' readiness to talk peace and to be skeptical about the prospects. Last...

EDITORIALS

Jan 10, 2004

Postcards from the red planet

We Earthlings have been to Mars before, of course. Dozens of times we've visited it in our imaginations, giving it special status as a far-off symbol of our own lust for war and the focus of all our fears and fantasies of extraterrestrial invasion -- Mars as the original red menace.

EDITORIALS

Jan 9, 2004

Settling labor disputes efficiently

One notable development in Japan's labor relations is the rapid increase in disputes between individual employers and workers, such as those involving sudden dismissals and unpaid wages. To settle these disputes legally and quickly, the government has decided to set up a "labor tribunal system."

EDITORIALS

Jan 8, 2004

High economic hopes for 2004

The economic outlook is looking up. Most economists think the world's economy has bottomed out and is now poised for strong growth. The U.S. recovery and Chinese stability will be key factors in the near future, but longer-term growth depends on consumer confidence and a renewed commitment to trade liberalization....

EDITORIALS

Jan 7, 2004

Constitution just the beginning

Afghanistan's drive toward democracy reached a major milestone Sunday when the "loya jirga," or grand council, approved a new constitution. The country, which the charter defines as an "Islamic state," will have a popularly elected president and a bicameral legislature. Human rights will be respected,...

EDITORIALS

Jan 6, 2004

Danger signs in Serbia

It would be easy to dismiss the results of last week's poll in Serbia as "a protest vote." The strong showing of hardline nationalists certainly reflects the country's economic difficulties and the humiliations that have followed the war-crimes trials of former leaders. The problem is the nationalists...

EDITORIALS

Jan 5, 2004

Restoring a nuclear-energy policy

The Atomic Energy Commission's latest white paper, announced late last year for the first time in 5 1/2 years, is a reminder of the troubled condition of Japan's nuclear power industry. The report's publication had been delayed because of a series of irregularities and accidents that came to light in...

EDITORIALS

Jan 4, 2004

Ten words that mirror a year

It's the time of year when people try to make sense of the past 12 months by coming up with lists -- the best this and the worst that, what was in and what was out and, above all, Top 10 Everything. Some of the latter lists are so familiar and expected that New Year's wouldn't be the same without them:...

EDITORIALS

Jan 3, 2004

Vote buying saps democracy

On the face of it, the much-touted drive for political reform in Japan appears to be going almost nowhere. On Monday, a Liberal Democratic Party legislator was arrested on charges of violating the Public Offices Election Law. Indeed, Japanese politics is locked in a never-ending cycle of corruption....

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

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Dangami House is a 180-year-old former samurai residence of the Kato clan, who ruled over Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, until the Meiji Restoration.

A house, a legacy and the quiet work of restoration in rural Japan

By Hanako Lowry

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Fujitsu crafts sustainable innovation for itself, society

Fujitsu crafts sustainable innovation for itself, society

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