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EDITORIALS

Jun 23, 2007

Iraq mission needs clarification

The Diet has passed a bill to extend by two years the July 2003 ad hoc law to deploy Self-Defense Forces in Iraq for noncombat activities. The Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito supported it, while the Democratic Party of Japan and three other opposition parties opposed it. The...

EDITORIALS

Jun 22, 2007

Water fit for drinking

Some 3.4 million people abroad die annually of diseases caused by drinking polluted water. Fortunately, drinking water in Japan is virtually free of pollution and pathogens thanks to the efforts of the 60,000 local government people employed in city water supply services.

EDITORIALS

Jun 22, 2007

Avoiding a collision

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately extended a helping hand to U.S. President George W. Bush. He let the U.S. use military bases in Central Asia when the U.S. attacked the Taliban forces in Afghanistan. But the once-friendly relations have...

EDITORIALS

Jun 21, 2007

Mysterious deal with Chongryun

Mystery still surrounds the unsuccessful attempt to buy the 10-story headquarters of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents of Japan (Chongryun) and its land. Mr. Shigetake Ogata, former head of the Public Security Intelligence Agency, which monitors Chongryun, headed an investment...

EDITORIALS

Jun 21, 2007

Relief for pollution victims

Court-mediated talks to settle damage suits filed by some 630 Tokyoites suffering from air pollution-induced asthma are nearing a final stage. In the damage suits they sought a total of 14.8 billion yen from the central government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Metropolitan Expressway Co. and...

EDITORIALS

Jun 20, 2007

Assuaging fears of being a judge

Within two years, the lay judge system will be introduced in Japan. Citizens will be able to have their opinions directly reflected in initial, lower-court trials for heinous crimes. But the system will impose new civic duties and burdens on citizens. It is imperative that the courts, the bar and the...

EDITORIALS

Jun 20, 2007

Services before profits

Japan Post Corp. has submitted a business plan to the government for a 10-year privatization process that begins Oct. 1. The company will serve as a holding company for four units: Yucho Bank, Kampo Insurance, a mail delivery firm and an over-the-counter services firm. The group will have some 241,400...

EDITORIALS

Jun 19, 2007

A lesson for Nova Corp.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has decided that Nova Corp., the nation's largest English-language school chain, violated the Specified Commercial Transaction Law and ordered it to partially suspend business. Saying that Nova committed 18 types of violations, the ministry imposed a six-month...

EDITORIALS

Jun 19, 2007

It's North Korea's move

The financial dispute that North Korea used as an excuse for not fulfilling its obligations under a six-party talks accord has reportedly been resolved. Although the North extended an invitation to a delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it must now speedily carry out the steps of the...

EDITORIALS

Jun 18, 2007

Efficient use of farmland

The government's white paper on agriculture for fiscal 2006 calls for greater domestic production as world population growth and increased bioethanol production put the squeeze on grain supplies for food. The United Nations estimates that the world's population, which stood at 6.5 billion in 2006, will...

EDITORIALS

Jun 18, 2007

They say they want a devolution

The government's committee for promoting devolution has laid down the basic ideas for the reform and the government has set up the headquarters to push it. The committee is scheduled to report to the government over the next two years. It is hoped that the committee will come up with proposals that will...

EDITORIALS

Jun 17, 2007

Crime in Akihabara is no game

A report released earlier this month by the Metropolitan Police Department found that crime is rising in innovative and trendy Akihabara. Bag thefts, shoplifting, and sales of restricted goods and illegal services have reached a worrying level that cannot be ignored. It is hoped that, in this case, Akihabara...

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

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.

What comes after 100?

By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

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