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August 26, 2025
 

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CARTOONS / DAHL'S JAPAN
Dec 19, 2010
Nutcracker Challenges
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 19, 2010
Pernicious 'rogue' offers of aid
By Kevin Rafferty
HONG KONG — China found itself in the unwelcome WikiLeaks spotlight the week before last with sweeping claims against its "aggressive" policies in giving aid to Africa. Johnnie Carson, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Africa, called China "a pernicious economic competitor with no morals" about...
CARTOONS / NOODLES
Dec 19, 2010
Bonenkai
EDITORIALS
Dec 18, 2010
Ad hoc tax reform plan
After confusing discussions over where to find the funds needed to implement policy measures and to make up for tax cuts, the government Thursday approved the fiscal 2011 tax reform plan. The basic character of the plan is to increase the levy on the household sector, especially on rich individuals,...
EDITORIALS
Dec 18, 2010
Freedom of expression under fire
In June, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly voted down a bill that stipulated that manga and anime must be sold in the "adult corner" of stores if they "recklessly" and "positively" depict sexual activities of characters presumed to be 18 years old or younger in a manner thought to hamper children's judgment...
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 18, 2010
WikiLeaks' flawed answer to a flawed world
By Esther Dyson
NEW YORK — Long ago, I wrote about the Internet pioneer Julf Helsingius, who ran a precursor to WikiLeaks called anon.penet.fi. As I said then: "Anonymity in itself should not be illegal. There are enough good reasons for people to be anonymous that it should be [allowed] — at least in some places...
EDITORIALS
Dec 17, 2010
Mr. Kan to open floodgates
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Wednesday decided not to appeal a Dec. 6 Fukuoka High Court ruling that called for opening two floodgates, north and south, of the dike in Isahaya Bay.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 17, 2010
The royal British revival of Princess Masako
By Shihoko Goto
WASHINGTON — An invitation to the upcoming nuptials of Prince William to Kate Middleton next April should be making its way to Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako soon. The odds of Princess Masako actually attending the much-anticipated wedding are stacked against her, given that the princess...
EDITORIALS
Dec 17, 2010
Troubling results in Egypt
In Egypt's parliamentary elections, held Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) won an overwhelming majority of seats. That victory was ordained when the two main opposition parties boycotted the second round of voting after alleging fraud in the first ballot. The results clear...
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 17, 2010
'Made in the world' notion no answer to U.S. prayers
By Kevin Rafferty
HONG KONG — Pascal Lamy, director general of the World Trade Organization, recently made an interesting and thoughtful plea for a new approach to trade, with the idea that "Made in the world" could often be a more accurate description than one that put a purely national label on a product.
EDITORIALS
Dec 16, 2010
The empty chair in Oslo
Ever since Mr. Liu Xiaobo was named recipient of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting democratic change in China, the government in Beijing has ensured that he receives maximum publicity — not deliberately, of course. The Chinese government did everything it could to intimidate the awards committee...
EDITORIALS
Dec 16, 2010
Mr. Ozawa's chance to shine
Former Democratic Party of Japan chief Ichiro Ozawa should heed DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada's call to speak before the Lower House's Council on Political Ethics with regard to political fund-reporting irregularities involving Mr. Ozawa's aides. Mr. Ozawa could use his appearance before the ethics...
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.
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.
JICA to designate four Japanese cities as 'hometowns' for African nations
The Japanese flag (left) with the flag of the African Union
Man arrested in Kobe stabbing had been staying at hotel near victim’s home
Masashi Tanimoto arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of a woman in Kobe, is sent to prosecutors on Sunday.
Tokyo releases AI-generated video of Mount Fuji erupting
A screenshot from an AI-generated video showing what could happen to Tokyo if Mount Fuji erupted
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.
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.

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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