More Opinion Articles - The Japan Times

Today's print edition

Subscribe for more access

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 22, 2006

India's song of freedom creates a divide

By Gautaman Bhaskaran

MADRAS, India -- India has a national song, and a national anthem. The first, "Vande Mataram (Salute to the Mother)," signified the cry for freedom from British brutality. The song pushed the nation into a nationalistic frenzy that often caused fear and panic among the occupying British forces. The first...

EDITORIALS

Sep 22, 2006

A nuclear-free Central Asia

Five former republics of the Soviet Union in Central Asia have created a nuclear-free zone. The agreement is an important step forward for the global nonproliferation regime at a time when that order is under assault on multiple fronts.

EDITORIALS

Sep 21, 2006

Mr. Abe's worrisome plan for Japan

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe has been selected as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, roundly defeating his two rivals, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki and Foreign Minister Taro Aso. Within a week the Diet will elect him as the nation's next prime minister.

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 21, 2006

The next Palestinian struggle

By Ramzy Baroud

LONDON -- An expert in international law and an old friend of the Palestinian people wrote me with utter distress a few days after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh were reported to have reached an agreement Sept. 11 to form a national unity government. The content...

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 21, 2006

The world's biggest mystery

By David Wall

LONDON -- In a recent opinion poll in Russia carried out by the Yury Levada Analytical Center, 58 percent of the respondents said they believe that "non-Russian nationalities are to blame for many of Russia's misfortunes"; 52 percent said they thought the government should restrict immigration.

EDITORIALS

Sep 20, 2006

Mr. Musharraf's dangerous deal

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf maintains a precarious balance. On one hand, he must tread carefully among the Muslims who make up 97 percent of his country's population. On the other, he must appease his international supporters, among them the United States, who demand that he crack down on Islamic...

EDITORIALS

Sep 19, 2006

A positive U.S.-ROK summit

While Japan has focused on the modernization of its alliance with the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK) has been seeking a new equilibrium in its relationship with Washington, too. The maturing of South Korea's economy and political system, and the coming to power of a new generation have shifted...

COMMENTARY

Sep 19, 2006

Ugly finale to bogus pretexts

By Gregory Clark

The fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on New York's World Trade Center by Islamic militants has come and gone, leaving some glaring contrasts in its wake.

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 18, 2006

Chronically hungry children of America

By Cesar Chelala

NEW YORK -- While it is normal to expect high levels of hunger and poverty in a developing country, it may come as a surprise to observe such conditions in one of the richest countries in the world. The Food Bank for New York City recently reported that nearly 20 percent of children in the city rely...

EDITORIALS

Sep 18, 2006

Share of urban wealth

While the gap between the haves and have-nots -- which is believed to have widened under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's administration -- has become a political issue, another economic gap deserves attention. This is the gap between the nation's business and economic centers and the countryside....

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 18, 2006

Weighing Israel's way of war

By Ramesh Thakur

There are two alternative models for examining conflicts. Model One assumes that there are at least two parties who disagree over facts, causes, consequenc- es and the best way forward. Both sides are wrong, with neither being entirely blameless. Both will have to live with each other, no matter how...

EDITORIALS

Sep 18, 2006

Unfinished business

The Tax Commission, an advisory body that directly reports to the prime minister, has decided to put off for a year or so recommendations on middle-range tax reforms. Short of official recommendations, however, commission chief Hiromitsu Ishi has issued a personal statement calling for public discussions...

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

Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy

Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

international-reports