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COMMENTARY / World

Jan 25, 2003

Only Mitzna offers real hope for peace

By Cesar Chelala

NEW YORK -- The Jan. 28 elections in Israel offer voters a clear choice: either they choose to continue with policies that have only brought increased violence and misery to their country, or they can take the bold step of choosing a candidate with risky but novel ideas on how to deal with the ongoing...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 25, 2003

The world needs a new nuclear doctrine

By Masamichi Hanabusa

After getting its first taste of an atomic holocaust in 1945, mankind has made various efforts to avoid nuclear calamity by enforcing a stalemate based on the doctrine of mutual assured destruction and an international agreement against nuclear proliferation.

EDITORIALS

Jan 25, 2003

Diet's role in cleaning up politics

The economic debate in the Diet appears to be distracting legislators from an issue that is no less important: political ethics. It would be a great pity if this issue were to be sidelined under the pretext of prioritizing economic-recovery measures. Recent developments involving scandal-tainted politicians...

COMMENTARY

Jan 24, 2003

Cracks in the united front against terror

By Farhan Bokhari

ISLAMABAD -- Despite its cooperation with the United States in the war on terror, Pakistan can hardly be said to have started the new year on a pleasant note. A brief military encounter between American soldiers and a group of Pakistani paramilitary troops close to the Afghan border -- following a shot...

EDITORIALS

Jan 24, 2003

The next BOJ governor

The Bank of Japan's governor, Mr. Masaru Hayami, is to retire in late March when his five-year term expires. At the moment, who will succeed him is a matter of speculation. There is no question, however, that the next governor will face the same difficult challenge that has confronted the outgoing governor:...

COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE

Jan 23, 2003

Affirmative action challenged

By Bob Keefe

WASHINGTON -- As so many Republicans turned from the embarrassment caused by Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi and began to give the appearance of really caring about racial harmony and equity, the leader of the party, President George W. Bush, took several actions that threaten to cast new darkness on...

EDITORIALS

Jan 23, 2003

Forge national consensus on taxes

One year ago the government published a five-year budget projection showing how it expected to make ends meet in fiscal 2002-06. Now, the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, chaired by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, has revised the plan -- downward. The basic picture is that the budget deficit...

COMMENTARY

Jan 23, 2003

Restructure job stress levels

By Hugh Cortazzi

LONDON -- Stress seems to be the most common reason for absence from work. Stress at work is not a new phenomenon, but in the past it was often called something else, such as exhaustion. In the worst cases, it led to what was termed a nervous breakdown. Some of the tougher or macho bosses regarded such...

EDITORIALS

Jan 22, 2003

Sumo needs a clear vision

Yokozuna Takanohana has finally bowed out of the dohyo. Looking back over his active career, he certainly made spectacular achievements. There can be no objections to his being described as one of the all-time great grand champions of sumo.

COMMENTARY

Jan 22, 2003

Politics still trumps business in China-Taiwan relations

By Frank Ching

HONG KONG -- The new year has begun with conciliatory messages from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, suggesting that both China and Taiwan want to avoid too much tension in their relationship, although neither side seems likely in the short term to yield any ground on the sensitive issue of "One China."...

COMMENTARY / JAPAN IN THE GLOBAL ERA

Jan 21, 2003

Cultural powerhouse needed

By Jean-pierre Lehmann

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Sustainable globalization needs Japan to be actively involved, if only because of the size of its economy. For its part, Japan stands to contribute a great deal to globalization. The Japanese establishment, however, has hobbled the country with gerontocratic governance, obsolescent...

EDITORIALS

Jan 21, 2003

Tasks for the newly opened Diet

Economic revival is the main theme of the 150-day regular Diet session that opened on Monday. One of the first items to be discussed is a supplementary spending package for fiscal 2002 designed to shore up the sluggish economy. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's policy speech, scheduled for delivery...

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

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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