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EDITORIALS

Jun 5, 2003

Politics prevail at the G8

Once upon a time, the heads of the world's seven leading industrial powers got together to discuss economics and ways to ensure growth. That focus made sense because there were other forums to talk about politics, and economic coordination was much lacking. Sadly, that time is long gone. Instead, the...

EDITORIALS

Jun 4, 2003

Myanmar shows its true colors

The arrest of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi and other top officials of the National League for Democracy, or NLD, should shatter any illusions about the Myanmar government's commitment to reconciliation in that country. The widespread popularity of Ms. Suu Kyi and the prodemocracy forces is a threat to the State...

EDITORIALS

Jun 3, 2003

Russo-Chinese courtship continues

Moscow and Beijing's efforts to build stronger bilateral ties continued apace last week as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Chinese counterpart, Mr. Hu Jintao, in St. Petersburg. The two men had plenty to talk about. Their countries share common international interests and concerns. Yet it...

EDITORIALS

Jun 2, 2003

Keep political donations transparent

Stung by a series of corruption scandals since last year, the ruling-coalition parties have begun talks aimed at updating some of the rules governing the financing of political campaigns in Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party seeks to raise the legal limit on donations that do not require disclosure...

EDITORIALS

Jun 1, 2003

In the hands of the language police

A nyone interested in the health of either the English language or American education might already have caught wind of a book that caused a stir when it was published in the United States in April. For those who haven't, "The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn," by Professor...

EDITORIALS

May 31, 2003

Benefits of closer Japan-U.S ties

After Iraq, the most destabilizing factor affecting Japan today is nuclear-arms development by North Korea. While aiming for a peaceful solution of the problem through dialogue, the leaders of Japan and the United States have affirmed that if North Korea escalates the situation they are ready to adopt...

EDITORIALS

May 30, 2003

Self-help is the best help for banks

The latest earnings reports from Japan's top banks confirm what everyone already knows: They are still heavily burdened with bad loans that won't be paid back. In the financial year that ended March 31, the seven largest lenders chalked up a combined deficit of 4.6 trillion yen, in large part because...

EDITORIALS

May 29, 2003

Heroes with asterisks

The world's attention was briefly diverted from Iraq, SARS, the economy and other rolling crises this past month by the deeds, both old and new, of three men obsessed with icy worlds that most of us will never see.

EDITORIALS

May 28, 2003

Why not a parliamentary faction?

The Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Party see each other as partners in a future government. Yet their on-and-off merger talks, which began half a year ago, seem to have produced no meaningful progress. Prospects for their unification receded further into the background Monday when Liberal...

EDITORIALS

May 27, 2003

Stage set for Iraq's reconstruction

With last week's almost unanimous U.N. Security Council resolution lifting economic sanctions against Iraq, the stage is set for a multilateral drive to rebuild the war-shattered country. The effort will be led by the occupying powers, the United States and Britain, but the international community will...

EDITORIALS

May 26, 2003

Talking down the dollar

The United States has apparently changed its dollar policy. At the weekend before last, U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow pointedly excluded the traditional measure of strength -- the dollar's value against other currencies -- when asked to define what "strong" meant. While a spokesman added that there...

EDITORIALS

May 25, 2003

Auguries in a coffee cup

Eight years ago, there was no such thing as a Starbucks coffee shop in Japan. Now they are part of the landscape; in the big cities, you can often find two or three of the ubiquitous stores with the round green logo within a couple of blocks of each other. That might sound like the ultimate definition...

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

Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones

Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones

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