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COMMENTARY

Jun 18, 2010

Recipes for curbing deficits

By Hugh Cortazzi

LONDON — Following the Greek financial crisis, governments in Europe have been adopting austerity measures designed to reduce public sector deficits. The main reason that cuts in governments expenditure are needed is that unless clear and determined steps are taken to reduce public sector deficits,...

EDITORIALS

Jun 17, 2010

Hints to financial reconstruction

Lawmakers representing opposition parties on Monday and Tuesday questioned Prime Minister Naoto Kan in the plenary session of each house of the Diet over his first general policy speech he made June 11. The ruling Democratic Party of Japan has decided not to extend the current Diet session so that it...

CARTOONS / DAHL'S JAPAN

Jun 17, 2010

EDITORIALS

Jun 17, 2010

Fund irregularities cost a Diet seat

Ms. Chiyomi Kobayashi, a former saleswoman for a bread company who was first elected to the Lower House by proportional representation in 2003, was touted as a symbol of the Democratic Party of Japan's massive win in the Aug. 30 Lower House election. She routed former Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka...

COMMENTARY

Jun 17, 2010

U.S. military has Chinese seeing red

By Frank Ching

Although China voted with the United States and other countries to impose another round of sanctions against Iran in the United Nations Security Council, there is still little political trust between the two countries, especially between their militaries.

COMMENTARY

Jun 16, 2010

China ups the ante in Asia

By Michael Richardson

In the opening session last month of the China-U.S. strategic and economic dialogue, Chinese President Hu Jintao said it was natural for the two countries to disagree on some issues. What was important, he added, was to "respect and accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns, appropriately...

EDITORIALS

Jun 16, 2010

A fourth try to convince Iran

For the fourth time, the United Nations Security Council has voted to impose sanctions against Iran to get that country to share more details about its nuclear program. Tehran's determination to shield those efforts from international scrutiny only compounds doubt about its intentions. The new sanctions...

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 16, 2010

Synthetic biology's promise outweighs its risks

By Peter Singer

MELBOURNE — In the 16th century, the alchemist Paracelsus offered a recipe for creating a living being that began with putting sperm into putrefying "venter equinus." This is usually translated as "horse manure," but the Latin "venter" means abdomen or uterus.

EDITORIALS

Jun 15, 2010

Disease still threatens livestock

It was believed that the outbreak of food and mouth disease in Miyazaki Prefecture would tail off thanks to the government's containment operation. But things haven't gone as expected.

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 15, 2010

Large-scale agriculture won't cure hunger

By Olivier De Schutter and Nikolaj Skydsgaard

BRUSSELS — The World Bank, U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and U.N. Conference on Trade and Development Secretariat recently presented seven "Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment."

COMMENTARY

Jun 15, 2010

Poor grades for U.K. schools

By Hugh Cortazzi

LONDON — The new British government has declared its intention to do all it can to improve standards of education in Britain. This was also a high priority for the previous Labour administration. As prime minister, Tony Blair used to declare that his mantra was "education, education, education."

EDITORIALS

Jun 15, 2010

Japan's new ambassador to China

Prime Minister Naoto Kan plans to appoint Mr. Uichiro Niwa, former chairman of Itochu Corp., a major trading firm, as Japan's new ambassador to China. Mr. Kan apparently wants to demonstrate his political leadership by choosing a businessman who has considerable experience in China, which is now Japan's...

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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