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August 28, 2025

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EDITORIALS

Nov 2, 2002

A disappointing economic package

The economic package that the government unveiled on Wednesday, together with the Bank of Japan's decision to expand the credit supply, represents a concerted attempt to fight deflation. The comprehensive program includes measures to accelerate disposal of bad bank loans, help rebuild debt-heavy but...

EDITORIALS

Nov 1, 2002

Don't haggle over abduction issue

The latest round of Japan-North Korea talks on normalizing relations, held in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week for the first time in two years, was conspicuous by the lack of substantial progress. The two sides remained far apart on North Korea's nuclear-weapons program and the fate of Japanese citizens...

EDITORIALS

Oct 31, 2002

Low-key polls mirror political reality

Just as expected, no change whatsoever. That is the prevailing impression of the by-elections held on Sunday in five Lower House constituencies and two Upper House districts. The by-elections ended in an overwhelming victory for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, whose candidates scored five wins....

EDITORIALS

Oct 30, 2002

APEC hijacked again

For the second consecutive year, the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum was dominated by terrorism. The recent attacks against Indonesia and Russia hammered home the fact that no country is safe from this scourge. To their credit, the world leaders, assembling in Cabo San Lucas,...

EDITORIALS

Oct 29, 2002

Mr. Putin's worst nightmare

Events of the last few weeks should have put to rest any naive belief that anyone, anywhere is somehow safe from the dangers posed by terrorism. The cowardly bombing of a Bali nightclub and the hostage-taking in a Moscow theater last week are only the most recent attacks by terrorist groups with a taste...

EDITORIALS

Oct 28, 2002

Economic policy adrift

Japan's economic policy is adrift, as the government keeps putting off action to clean up debt-burdened banks and prop up the flagging economy. Mr. Heizo Takenaka, the chief banking regulator, wants to speed up the write-off of banks' nonperforming loans, but the release of his much-heralded action plan...

EDITORIALS

Oct 27, 2002

At last, a move to cut down on popups

Sometimes you have to wonder what advertising gurus use for brains. For decades now, we've watched them fail to grasp the simple truth that television commercials repeated ad nauseam can actually drive viewers to boycott products rather than buy them. In recent years, though, it has been the idea of...

EDITORIALS

Oct 26, 2002

How to address nuclear safety

Oct. 26 is designated as Nuclear Energy Day to mark the startup of Japan's first experimental nuclear-power reactor 39 years ago. Since then the nation's nuclear energy development program has made spectacular advances. This year's anniversary, however, is marred by a series of shocking revelations that...

EDITORIALS

Oct 25, 2002

Texas hospitality for Mr. Jiang

Chinese President Jiang Zemin is visiting the United States. The high point of the trip is a stop at President George W. Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch, where the two men will indulge in summit rituals. The presidents will probably spend more time eating barbecue and posing for photographs than they will...

EDITORIALS

Oct 24, 2002

Mr. Koizumi's answers lack candor

The current extraordinary Diet session, dubbed an "economy Diet," has its work cut out: debating measures for economic recovery and banking reform. As it turned out, the Lower House's opening debates on Monday and Tuesday did not measure up to that billing. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's answers...

EDITORIALS

Oct 23, 2002

Ireland gives the EU a go-ahead

I f at first you don't succeed, try again. That appears to have been the thinking of Irish politicians in their battle to secure public endorsement of the Nice Treaty, which provides the ground rules for expanding the European Union. Last weekend, a second ballot won popular support. Ireland's change...

EDITORIALS

Oct 22, 2002

A disappointing policy speech

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's policy speech to the Diet last Friday can be summed up in a word: disappointing. It was disappointing particularly because he failed to explain in plain language how he intends to prevent a dangerous economic downturn. People know first hand that things are getting...

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

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.

From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past

By Alex K.T. Martin

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