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May 17, 2025
 

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EDITORIALS
Apr 18, 2008
Safety comes first at nuclear plants
The Atomic Energy Commission's white paper on nuclear power for 2007 that has been adopted by the government says that a worldwide increase in nuclear-power generation is indispensable to fighting global warming. This is in line with the government's call for halving CO・emissions by 2050. But promoting...
EDITORIALS
Apr 18, 2008
Unavoidable extension of sanctions
Japan has extended economic sanctions against North Korea for six months following their April 13 expiration, marking the third time that the sanctions have been renewed. The extension is unavoidable since there has been no progress in the issue of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea,...
EDITORIALS
Apr 17, 2008
Turmoil in Zimbabwe
It has been three weeks since Zimbabwe's voters went to the polls. They are still waiting for the results. By all appearances, they have had enough of President Robert Mugabe and gave opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) the reins of power. Mr. Mugabe and his...
EDITORIALS
Apr 16, 2008
G7's dim view of global economy
When financial chiefs from the world's leading economic powers met in Washington last week, they painted a dimmer view of the global economy than they did at their February meeting in Tokyo and endorsed a plan aimed at stabilizing the financial markets hit by the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis.
EDITORIALS
Apr 16, 2008
Halting ODA's downward trend
Japan was the world's top foreign aid donor from 1991 to 2000, topping the United States. But faced with budget shortages, Japan has been reducing its official development assistance in recent years. A report of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says that in 2007 Japan slipped...
EDITORIALS
Apr 15, 2008
Funding for U.S. military facilities
The Lower House passed a new special-measures agreement for financial burden-sharing to maintain U.S. military facilities in Japan and sent it to the opposition-controlled Upper House on April 3. Even if the Upper House does not pass the agreement, it will become effective 30 days after the Lower House...
EDITORIALS
Apr 15, 2008
No need for nationwide fitness test
The education ministry has decided to carry out a nationwide test of physical strength covering all fifth graders and middle school second-year students from this month to late July. The test will cover about 2.4 million children at both public and private schools, and cost ¥335 million. The ministry...
EDITORIALS
Apr 13, 2008
The ball's in China's court
Apprehension has been long expressed about the Beijing Olympic Games in August due to several issues. Two of them — air pollution in the Chinese capital and food safety — focus on the Games themselves. A third one involves criticism of China's human rights records and its close ties with Sudan, whose...
EDITORIALS
Apr 13, 2008
At last, a meaningful debate
For the first time in the current Diet session, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and the Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa had a one-on-one debate last week. Compared with their low-key debate in January, last week's debate was heated and came closer to what such a debate ought to be. Both Mr....
EDITORIALS
Apr 12, 2008
Conservatives win again in South Korea
South Korean President Lee Myung Bak got a boost this week from parliamentary elections that gave fellow conservatives a majority in the National Assembly. The results provide a modicum of relief for "the bulldozer" but he is still going to have to struggle to implement his policy agenda. Ironically,...
EDITORIALS
Apr 11, 2008
What lies behind murderous intent?
It is always difficult to determine why anyone would develop an urge to kill. However, the behavior and the background of the suspects in two murders in late March indicates that along with other cautionary measures, better social and familial help might have prevented the tragedies.
EDITORIALS
Apr 11, 2008
At long last, a new BOJ governor
To the belated, if only partial, relief of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and financial market players, the position of the governor of the Bank of Japan, which had been empty since former BOJ chief Toshihiko Fukui's tenure ended on March 19, has finally been filled.
Success of Chinese-made fighter jets against India raises alarm in Asia
Chinese J-10 fighter jets from the People's Liberation Army Air Force August 1st Aerobatics Team perform during a media demonstration at the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, in November 2015.
Rich Japanese still fear yen crash, wealth manager says
The yen slumped more than 2% on Monday alone, nearing ¥150 to the dollar, after the U.S. and China temporarily lowered tariffs, triggering a reversal of bearish dollar bets.
Japan to recognize Taiwan as place of origin in family registration system
Masataka Yuhara, secretary-general of the Friends of Lee Teng Hui Association in Japan, which has been calling for "Taiwan" to be permitted as a place of origin in family registers.
Irresponsible climbing prompts debate over who should pay for Mount Fuji rescues
Mount Fuji fills the skyline above a bridge connecting stores at a popular outlet shopping center in the city of Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, in November 2024.
Akazawa's dilemma: no tariff deal or a half-baked deal
Chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa and his delegation in the Oval Office of the White House in April. Since then, Japan's trade negotiations with the U.S. have produced no tangible results.
Nissan hoping to electrify home crowd as Formula E returns to Tokyo
Nissan's Oliver Rowland drives during qualifying for Miami E-Prix at Homestead Motor Speedway in Homestead, Florida, on April 12.
For his first feature film, director Ryuya Suzuki created a masterpiece
"Jinsei," which follows its protagonist over a century, probes themes of identity and societal issues with a dark comic touch. The director, however, says he created the story without knowing where it would lead.
Historian Rob Fitts discovers earliest ever reference to baseball in Japan
Japan's Shohei Ohtani carries the Japanese flag onto the field before the start of the World Baseball Classic final against the United States in Miami on March 21, 2023.
Japanese retailers turn to California rice for cheaper alternative
U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass eats California rice at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday along with Mitsuko Tsuchiya, vice president of retailer Aeon.
Harmfully hot days for pregnant women in Japan nearly doubled over past five years
New research by a U.S. climate scientists’ group reveals that extreme heat has increased the risks of preterm births and other pregnancy complications in Japan, nearly doubling the number of days that are harmfully hot for pregnant women over the past five years.

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