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COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT

Nov 18, 2007

How well do you really know Japan?

By Roger Pulvers

Well, dear reader, it's time for our annual How Well Do You Know Japan? quiz.

EDITORIALS

Nov 18, 2007

New wine in old bottles

Seasons change in Japan in two ways, according to nature and according to marketing. This last week started the season for Beaujolais Nouveau, the freshly harvested wine that has become an annual worldwide phenomenon. Marketing and traditional values, the two major forces on Japanese consumer behavior,...

COMMENTARY / World

Nov 18, 2007

What the Kaczynksi twins taught Poles

By Leszek Balcerowicz and Isabel Woodford

WASHINGTON — The defeat of the Kaczynski twins' Law and Justice Party (PiS) in Poland brought sighs of relief across Europe. But, as Donald Tusk's new government assumes office, it is important to learn the lessons that their defeat holds for all of us.

EDITORIALS

Nov 17, 2007

Staving off recidivism

The Justice Ministry's 2007 white paper on crimes focuses on repeat offenders, using analyses of statistics from 1948 to 2006. It points to the importance of education and support programs for criminal offenders as a means of preventing the recurrence of crimes, and shows that the duty to prevent crimes...

COMMENTARY

Nov 17, 2007

Is the democracy image losing its glow?

By Tom Plate

BALI, Indonesia — There's no guarantee that an intellectual counter-revolution will last any longer than a major monsoon. But there is in the works in this region growing disenchantment with the views of what one might call democracy fundamentalists. These are the people who insist that the democratic...

COMMENTARY / World

Nov 17, 2007

Soft touch with Myanmar

By Shibly Nabhan

It was far from a perfect crime and far from a perfect coverup: a shooting in broad daylight, hundreds of witnesses, scores of video cameras recording the crime from many angles, audio recordings of the shots fired, clear photos of a man brandishing a murder weapon, an insignia identifying the suspect's...

COMMENTARY / World

Nov 16, 2007

Aussies eye painless change

By Alan Goodall

SYDNEY — A conservative coalition that has governed Australia for over a decade under Prime Minister John Howard faces a severe test ahead of next week's national election.

COMMENTARY

Nov 16, 2007

Taiwanese scion strains to catch the sun

By Frank Ching

HONG KONG — Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's greatest successes were scored in 2000 and again in 2004, when he won two presidential elections. His performance as president in the last seven years, however, has been mediocre.

EDITORIALS

Nov 16, 2007

Shopping rules tourists

Tourist-wise, Japan has a somewhat divided character. Despite Japan's fascinating history and vast cultural treasures, tourists apparently come here primarily to go shopping. A recent Japan National Tourist Organization survey found that nearly 35 percent of the visitors were in Japan for the shops....

EDITORIALS

Nov 16, 2007

Another tradition fading

A recent Cabinet Office survey shows a considerable shift in the views of male-female roles over the past decade. Nowadays, more than 50 percent of Japanese men oppose having women stay at home solely as housewives. Yet, with so many women now working full and part time, it is surprising that nearly...

COMMENTARY

Nov 15, 2007

The fusillade against China

By Gregory Clark

In some ways China is not my favorite country. I once went to some trouble to learn its language. I have often had to court rightwing hostility for trying to explain its foreign policies in less than demonic terms. Back in 1971 I even organized, single-handedly and over Canberra's opposition, an Australian...

COMMENTARY / World

Nov 15, 2007

Iran's quest for security and stability

By H.E. Manuchehr Mottaki

TEHRAN — A major shortcoming in today's world is the persistence of a zero-sum sense of geopolitics. The world expected something different in the post-Cold War era to promote peace and stability. Instead, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, momentum swung toward a "global war on terror," which, in practice,...

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

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