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August 05, 2025

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COMMENTARY / World

Aug 27, 2004

Apathy sustains hunger toll

By John M. Powell

ROME -- Imagine for a moment the thousands of proud athletes from around the world that paraded through the Olympic Stadium in Athens during the spectacular opening ceremony last week. Now, imagine this: In the next 12 hours, hunger and malnutrition will take the lives of more men, women and children...

EDITORIALS

Aug 26, 2004

Clarifying the cyber-crime fight

Japan is set to become an active party to an international treaty designed to combat computer crime. The Diet, which earlier this year approved the Convention on Cyber-crime, is in the process of debating a set of revision bills for related domestic laws, including the Criminal Law. Given the rapid rise...

EDITORIALS

Aug 25, 2004

China marks Deng's centenary

China this week celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Deng Xiaoping, the man most responsible for setting China on the path toward growth, development and its re-emergence as a real power in Asia and the world. Deng died seven years ago, but his stature has only grown in the intervening years....

COMMENTARY

Aug 25, 2004

World faces another humanitarian crisis

By Hugh Cortazzi

LONDON -- While politicians and diplomats discuss what to do, many people of Sudan's Darfur region have been forced from their homes, terrorized, tortured and murdered by members of the armed Janjaweed Arab militia, who frequently rape the women they capture. The militia has apparently been aided and...

EDITORIALS

Aug 24, 2004

Japan's changing labor structure

Japan's employment situation is improving thanks to the economy's recovery, which in part has been fueled by corporate efforts to deal with changing economic realities. To reduce personnel expenses, companies have been increasingly turning to the recruitment of cheaper "nonregular employees," such as...

COMMENTARY

Aug 24, 2004

Dressing Japan for success

By Keizo Nabeshima

To play a positive role in the international community of the 21st century, Japan should lift its self-imposed ban on the exercise of the right to collective self-defense, reinvent itself as a political power and win a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, according to Yukio Satoh, president...

EDITORIALS

Aug 23, 2004

Step toward a democratic state

Falteringly but hopefully, Iraq has made a first step toward building a democratic state. Last Wednesday, following four days of acrimonious talks, a national conference of political and religious leaders selected a council that will advise the interim government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. With violence...

COMMENTARY / World

Aug 23, 2004

Africa's oil boom benefiting all too few

By Cesar Chelala

NEW YORK -- Since the mid-1990s, several countries in sub-Saharan Africa -- Nigeria, Angola, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea -- have experienced strong revenue growth from the petroleum industry. In most cases, this new wealth is not being directed toward the countries' economic development or toward improved...

COMMENTARY

Aug 23, 2004

Foreign workers at the gates

By Kiroku Hanai

negotiations with South Korea and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan faces mounting pressure to open its labor market to foreigners. Among industrial nations, Japan has maintained the toughest exclusion policy toward foreign workers and remains extremely cautious. Japan should...

EDITORIALS

Aug 22, 2004

Soul-searching in South Korea

South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun announced Aug. 15, the day his country celebrates liberation from Japanese occupation, that the legislature would form a special commission to investigate who benefited under Japanese rule. The call for such an inquiry is understandable: The occupation was a dark and...

COMMENTARY

Aug 22, 2004

Withdrawal of U.S. forces a good start

By Doug Bandow

WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush has proposed bringing home upwards of 70,000 U.S. troops stationed in Asia and Europe. It's a good start, but remains only a start. Washington should withdraw all 230,000 service personnel guarding against phantom enemies in Europe and protecting well-heeled friends...

COMMENTARY

Aug 22, 2004

Barbaric immigration policy

By Gregory Clark

Japan's current campaign against visa overstayers is both puzzling and cruel.

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

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.

With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear

By Jason Coskrey

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

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