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EDITORIALS

Jun 29, 2007

Jockeying for a favorable impression

The successful push by the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito to extend the Diet session by 12 days to July 5 appears to represent a partisan move to change the political situation in the coalition's favor. This is the ninth extension of a regular Diet session held before a scheduled...

EDITORIALS

Jun 29, 2007

Insult to meat consumers

The product mislabeling scandal at Meat Hope Co. in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, will deepen consumer distrust of food manufacturers. Police must carry out a thorough investigation. The company not only misled consumers about product content but also carried out practices that compromised product safety. Both...

COMMENTARY

Jun 29, 2007

Chief executive who serves two masters

By Tom Plate and Jonathan Cable

This is the first in a series of columns on the political and economic status of Hong Kong. On Sunday, the former British crown colony will mark its 10th anniversary as a special province of China.

COMMENTARY

Jun 29, 2007

Hope for six-party talks lives

By Ralph Cossa

SEOUL — It's not exactly clear what Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Christopher Hill told (or promised) North Korean officials during his surprise visit to Pyongyang last week — or if the mere continuation of the long sought after one-on-one direct dialogue was sufficient — but the DPRK has finally...

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 28, 2007

China, Russia in the new world disorder

By Dominique Moisi

WARSAW — Can Kosovo achieve independence from Serbia without the tacit consent of Russia, and can there be a humanitarian and political solution to the tragedy in Darfur without the active good will of China? The two crises have nothing in common, but their resolution will depend in large part on whether...

COMMENTARY

Jun 28, 2007

Put yourself in China's shoes

By Gwynne Dyer

LONDON — The United States is off the hook: last year China overtook the U.S. to become the world's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide. "The tall tree attracts the wind," and from now on China will be the main target of the criticism that used to be directed at the U.S. for refusing to accept binding...

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 28, 2007

Just who is Gordon Brown?

By Ian Davidson

BRUSSELS — At long last, Gordon Brown is taking over from Tony Blair as Britain's prime minister, thus attaining his lifelong ambition, as if by right. That is his first problem. He has not been elected by anyone — not by the Labour Party, and not by Britain's voters; he has merely come into an inheritance...

EDITORIALS

Jun 28, 2007

A bid to shake up U.S. politics

There is still a year and a half before the next U.S. presidential election, but campaigning is already intense. Even though there is no shortage of candidates from the two main parties, attention is now focusing on an as-yet undeclared candidate who may run as an independent. His denials notwithstanding,...

COMMENTARY

Jun 27, 2007

Battle for the European Union's identity

By David Howell

LONDON -- The latest battle of Brussels is over and news of the outcome is circulating through the capitals of the European Union. But unlike the ferocious battles of past centuries on European soil, this appears to be an engagement that everyone has won.

EDITORIALS

Jun 27, 2007

Reality check for Mr. Sarkozy

Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy's coattails are shorter than anticipated. As expected, his Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) won a parliamentary majority in national elections this month, but not the landslide that the new French president had hoped for to push through his aggressive program for change. Mr. Sarkozy...

EDITORIALS

Jun 27, 2007

Spas need safety regulations

The explosion at an annex of a women-only spa located 500 meters from Tokyo's Shibuya Station, which killed three women and injured eight people, has taught many Tokyoites something: Drill deep enough underground in Tokyo and you'll likely strike hot water containing methane gas. That's because the city...

COMMENTARY

Jun 26, 2007

China aims for bigger share of South Asia's water lifeline

By Brahma Chellaney

NEW DELHI — Sharpening Asian competition over energy resources, driven in part by high growth rates in gross domestic product and in part by mercantilist attempts to lock up supplies, has obscured another danger: Water shortages in much of Asia are beginning to threaten rapid economic modernization,...

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

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.

What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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