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EDITORIALS

May 12, 2003

A great leap forward in China?

Back-to-back calamities are forcing China's leaders to adopt new approaches to governance. A government accustomed to ruling without challenge is now under pressure to restore public confidence in its leadership. Hopes that this might lead to more broad-based political reform are premature, however....

EDITORIALS

May 11, 2003

Myanmar's gestures are not enough

Once again, the military government in Myanmar has made a symbolic gesture to placate international critics. The release of political prisoners is always welcome, but the government in Yangon does not question its right to use the opposition as pawns. The game must stop; nothing less than systemic reform...

EDITORIALS

May 10, 2003

Keeping a lid on SARS

Japan's health authorities are beginning to make a concerted effort to prevent the spread of the SARS epidemic. No case of severe acute respiratory syndrome has been reported in Japan so far, but health officials leave open the possibility that the deadly virus might be brought into the country by people...

EDITORIALS

May 9, 2003

Disappointments in Damascus

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell visited Syria last weekend to demand that the government in Damascus do more to help bring peace to the Middle East. As a key player in the region, Syria's cooperation is essential to any viable peace between Israel and its neighbors. So far, though, Syria has resolutely...

EDITORIALS

May 8, 2003

Mr. Blair's vote of confidence

In his first political test after the Iraq war, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has fared well. His Labour Party suffered larger than expected losses in local elections last week, but such votes are usually protests against the party in power. The prime minister benefits from a weak opposition. Mr....

EDITORIALS

May 8, 2003

A clear answer is demanded

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has pulled the plug on Northern Ireland's local elections in an atEtempt to preserve the province's battered peace process. His decision makes sense, but it is indicaEtive of the desperate straits into which supporters of the Good Friday accords have fallen. The fault...

EDITORIALS

May 7, 2003

Ease lending to small firms

Small businesses in Japan continue to languish in the midst of a protracted economic slump. Compounding their predicament is the tight lending policy of private banks, which are said to be more selective toward smaller borrowers than larger ones. Banks may have their own reasons to restrict lending,...

EDITORIALS

May 5, 2003

Compromise for Mideast peace

A new road map for peace in the Middle East has been proposed to the two parties in the conflict, Israel and Palestine. The Palestine problem is the main focus in ascertaining the shape of a new order in the Middle East following the Iraq war. The new plan, which aims for a comprehensive settlement,...

EDITORIALS

May 4, 2003

First step in reviving cooperation

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's European trip, which had been touted as a mission to help heal the trans-Atlantic rift over the Iraq war, appears to have produced no tangible results. Yet, at a minimum, the journey has served to highlight the necessity of international cooperation in the postwar reconstruction...

EDITORIALS

May 3, 2003

Now that the fighting is over

U.S. President George W. Bush announced on Thursday the end of fighting in Iraq. Welcome though it is, Mr. Bush's pronouncement marks only the close of the first phase of the Iraqi conflict. Many would say the real work begins now. Winning the war in Iraq will be easy compared with winning the peace....

EDITORIALS

May 2, 2003

Reviewing Mr. Koizumi's record

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, now just one week into his third year in office, sounds as upbeat as he did when he took office two years ago, even as the gulf between his words and deeds continues to widen. He says he is still firmly committed to his banner slogan: "structural reform with no sacred...

EDITORIALS

May 1, 2003

Privacy bills still have faults

The Diet debate on the government-proposed privacy legislation cleared a major hurdle last week as a Lower House special committee approved it with the support of the ruling parties. The controversial package, designed to protect personal information held by government offices and private companies,...

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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