Morearticles

 
Menu
Search
 
October 10, 2025
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

More Opinion stories

EDITORIALS
Nov 16, 2008
Deviant thinking on defense
Prime Minister Taro Aso in an Upper House session Thursday said it was "extremely inappropriate" for Mr. Toshio Tamogami, the recently dismissed Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff, to write an essay that contradicted the government's official view on Japan's war-making in the 1930s and '40s.
EDITORIALS
Nov 15, 2008
Problematic cash handouts
After a sinuous course, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito have reached a decision on cash benefits to be given to households as part of the government's economic stimulus package. The decision itself contains problems. It could confuse municipalities that will distribute the money. Moreover,...
EDITORIALS
Nov 15, 2008
Test for Taiwan's judiciary
Mr. Chen Shui-bian, an advocate of pro-independence policies vis-a-vis China, symbolized the democratization of Taiwan by winning a presidential election in March 2000. His victory ended the monopoly rule of the Nationalist Party, which opposes any moves to formally declare Taiwan's independence. He...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 14, 2008
Oddball summit has limits
By Kevin Rafferty
HONG KONG — It is the best of times because leaders from developed and developing countries have gathered in one place, Washington, to try to rebuild a broken global system, and China and India are at last at the top table.
COMMENTARY
Nov 14, 2008
Hu touches base with Obama on economy
By Tom Plate
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Guess who telephoned Barack Obama for one of the first, if not the first, substance-packed reachout to the next U.S. head of state. It was Chinese President Hu Jintao. The conversation focused on the global economic freeze, but Hu knew how to warm up the president-elect as well...
EDITORIALS
Nov 14, 2008
Hard times for U.S. automakers
If there were any doubts about the severity of the economic downturn and its impact on the "real economy," they were put to rest last week by reports from U.S. automakers. General Motors Corp. warned that it may not have enough cash to keep operating through the year; Ford's situation is not as dire,...
EDITORIALS
Nov 13, 2008
Mr. Tamogami toes his line
Mr. Toshio Tamogami, who was sacked as Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff over a controversial essay, testified Tuesday before an Upper House committee. His statements show that he does not understand what civilian control of the Self-Defense Forces means and how his essay could damage the reputation...
COMMENTARY
Nov 13, 2008
Advice on Asia for Obama
By Ralph Cossa
Foreign policy bloggers and pundits are already gushing forth with advice for President-elect Barack Obama. Allow me to add some of my own, at least as far as Asia policy is concerned.
EDITORIALS
Nov 13, 2008
Enabling decentralization
Prime Minister Taro Aso has instructed Cabinet ministers to push for the abolition and integration of their ministries' regional offices. His instruction is in line with the call by the government's devolution panel for drastic reform of such regional offices. Since the reform is a main pillar of overall...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2008
The financial hurricane hits Latin America
By Sebastian Edwards
LOS ANGELES — A few weeks ago, the world was on the edge of disaster. Fortunately, the decisive actions taken by the advanced countries' monetary authorities — including provision of unprecedented amounts of liquidity — prevented a complete financial meltdown. The world has avoided the "Argentinization"...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2008
Yes we can . . . what, Mr. Obama?
By Philip J. Cunningham
KYOTO — America appears to have been swept up in a feel-good moment. But as much as U.S. President-elect Barack Obama appeals to me as a public speaker and wordsmith, as much as I appreciate his candid, inclusive style as an antidote to everything redolent of President George W. Bush, as thrilled as...
EDITORIALS
Nov 12, 2008
Financial crisis hits home
The global financial crisis is hitting Japanese companies hard. Symbolic is Toyota Motor Co.'s prediction of its own business performance for the full year to March 2009. The rise of the yen's value and the slowing down of the world economy as seen in decreased auto sales in the United States and Europe...
Typhoon Halong to cause windstorms, heavy rain and high waves on the Izu islands
Typhoon Halong is moving north near the Izu Islands, with strong winds, high waves and heavy rain expected as it passes early on Thursday, prompting warnings from the weather agency.
Japan to move toward five-year integrated bachelor's-master’s programs
Japan plans to introduce nationwide five-year bachelor's-master's programs to raise graduate school enrollment and train more highly skilled professionals amid a shrinking workforce.
Chemistry Nobel winner Kitagawa says downtime helped him think up new material
Susumu Kitagawa speaks to reporters at Kyoto University on Wednesday after receiving the news that he had been awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry the same day.
After 26 years, Komeito may be showing signs it will break with LDP
Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito (left) and LDP counterpart Sanae Takaichi meet in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Bear injures two in Japan supermarket; man killed in separate attack
A bear seen in security camera footage taken Tuesday inside a supermarket in Numata, Gunma Prefecture
With nuclear sub proposal, Japan faces array of political and tech challenges
The Jingei, the third of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Taigei-class submarines, was commissioned in March last year. It is equipped with lithium-ion batteries, enabling it to have a longer diving time and cruising distance than older models with lead-acid batteries.
OpenAI’s Sora 2 is drowning in Japanese 'AI slop'
OpenAI has rolled out a social app powered by Sora 2, its artificial intelligence video generator, which was quickly flooded with videos featuring iconic Japanese intellectual property.
Trump has his eyes on the prize — but a Nobel win looks unlikely
A protester holds a sign with an image depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and the words "Nobel" written on it, as supporters and family members of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, demonstrate to demand the immediate end of the war and the release of all hostages, outside the U.S. Consulate in Tel Aviv, on Sept. 2.
‘Takaichi trade’ stalls as political reality calls for wait-and-see approach
Tokyo stocks staged a powerful rally on Monday. On Tuesday, they rallied again, then retreated.
How a family-run landscaper turned the Osaka Expo green
The team at Ryokukou Garden consists primarily of a single family, including Toshiki Tanisaki (second from right), who led the company's efforts at the Osaka Expo, Chikako Tanisaki (fifth from right), who performs daily maintanence at the expo, and Takeshi Tanisaki (fourth from right), who added a nursery to the family farm more than 50 years ago.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER