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August 25, 2025
 

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EDITORIALS
Oct 8, 2010
Iraqi breakthrough or breakdown?
October 7 marked seven months since Iraq held parliamentary elections. During this time, the country's politicians proved unable to forge a ruling coalition, giving Iraq the dubious honor of surpassing the Netherlands for going the longest time without an effective government following a parliamentary...
EDITORIALS
Oct 7, 2010
BOJ moves to prop up economy
In a welcome surprise for enterprises, the Bank of Japan on Tuesday announced an unexpected set of measures for further monetary relaxation. Adopting a de facto zero interest rate policy, the BOJ will guide its key short-term interest rate to a range of zero to 0.1 percent, from the previous 0.1 percent....
EDITORIALS
Oct 7, 2010
Mr. Kan, Mr. Wen hit restart
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Monday managed to hold informal talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting in Brussels — their first meeting since the row last month over the arrest of the captain of a Chinese fishing boat that allegedly rammed two Japanese Coast...
EDITORIALS
Oct 6, 2010
Mr. Ozawa on the ropes
The Tokyo No. 5 Prosecution Inquest Committee, an independent judicial panel composed of 11 citizens, on Monday said former Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa should be indicted for having his Rikuzankai political funds management body make allegedly false reports in 2004 and 2005....
EDITORIALS
Oct 6, 2010
Japan-Russia ties pinched
Apparently taking advantage of the recent Japan-China spat over the Senkaku Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev appears to be trying to put pressure on Japan in the bilateral dispute over the sovereignty of four islands east of Hokkaido aka the Northern Territories.
EDITORIALS
Oct 5, 2010
Clarifying the betrayal of trust
The public prosecutors offices for the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka districts have special investigation squads — elite teams that specialize in the investigation of corruption involving politicians and bureaucrats and large-scale crimes involving enterprises. Unlike other prosecutors, they make arrests...
EDITORIALS
Oct 4, 2010
Turkey at a crossroads
The Turkish public's approval of constitutional reform takes that country to a critical moment. The impetus for changing the national charter was the desire to build a stronger democracy, a change that would better align Turkey with Europe and eliminate another obstacle in the drive to join the European...
EDITORIALS
Oct 3, 2010
Mr. Kan's to-do list trumps vision
As Japan faces serious domestic and diplomatic challenges, a 64-day extraordinary Diet session started Friday with Prime Minister Naoto Kan's policy speech. The speech drew particular public attention because it was his first policy speech following his re-election as head of the Democratic Party of...
EDITORIALS
Oct 2, 2010
Hard times ahead for firms
A Bank of Japan tankan survey shows that business sentiment measured by the diffusion index among big manufacturers in the three months through September was plus 8, a rise of seven points from the previous quarter, marking improvement for six consecutive quarters. The diffusion index (DI) represents...
EDITORIALS
Oct 1, 2010
Epaulets to rule North Korea
Mr. Kim Jong Un, the third and youngest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, has joined the leadership of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. Party delegates on Tuesday elected him as a member of the party's Central Committee and as a vice chairman of the party's Central Military Commission, a position...
EDITORIALS
Sep 30, 2010
Improving law school education
Under Japan's judicial reform to nurture legal professionals who can meet the increasing needs of citizens in law-related matters, 74 new law schools have been set up since 2004. The government hoped that 2,900 to 3,000 of their graduates would annually pass the bar exam. But the results of this year's...
EDITORIALS
Sep 30, 2010
Economic policies that instill hope
As Prime Minister Naoto Kan's new Cabinet goes into full swing, it is important for the government to adopt and carry out effective economic policies speedily. With economic policy, not only substance but also psychological factors are important.
Japan to revise romanization rules for first time in 70 years
The Agency for Cultural Affairs is recommending replacing the government’s long-standing Kunrei system with more widely used Hepburn-style spellings.
Character-crazed Japan has little appetite for Labubu
A pop-up advertisement for the newly opened Chiikawa Park in Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood demonstrates how the country is chockful of cute characters — to the detriment of trends like Labubu.
At meeting rich in symbolism, Ishiba and South Korea's Lee agree to steadily build ties
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shake hands at joint press announcement after summit talks in Tokyo on Saturday.
Are 'coolcations' the answer for Japan's heat-weary tourists?
Hikers on a trail in Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture. As extreme heat continues to grip Japan, a tectonic shift may be underway in the nation’s summer tourism scene as more people gravitate toward cooler destinations.
Japan to boost support for joint ride-hailing services
Tatsuaki Igarashi, mayor of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, exits a ride-sharing vehicle at Tsukuba Station in January.
Germany's first sakemaker offers a bold brew of ideas
Reigen, Germany's first sake brewery, makes a diverse, nontraditional range of sake that includes fruit-flavored sips and wine barrel-aged renditions.
Alicia Keys closed Summer Sonic, but J-pop owned it
Summer Sonic’s 2025 lineup demonstrated its strength, showcasing the latest in J-pop, including “new kawaii” act Fruits Zipper.
Is the LDP’s catch-all approach to politics still effective?
Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi visits Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Aug. 15. Political commentator Toru Hashimoto has suggested that Takaichi ought to lead a group of like-minded hawkish politicians out of the Liberal Democratic Party and form their own party.
Fingers sore from too much phone time? You might have ‘sumaho yubi.’
A catch-all term for tendonitis and arthritis caused by excessive smartphone use, 'sumaho yubi' may be difficult to treat for gadget-crazy Japan.
As farm minister, Koizumi is held ‘hostage’ by Ishiba
Farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi (center) attends a Lower House session on Aug. 1. Locking Koizumi into the Cabinet is Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s way of turning a potential rival into a team player, according to one expert.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

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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