
Editorials Feb 18, 2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently told the U.N. that the U.S. is releasing its information on a possible Russian invasion “not to start a war but to prevent one.”
In an effort to speak with an authoritative voice on issues we deem important, The Japan Times Editorial Board produces a single editorial each week that offers a fresh and informed perspective. The weekly editorial appears online every Friday and is published in print in The Japan Times Weekend edition.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently told the U.N. that the U.S. is releasing its information on a possible Russian invasion “not to start a war but to prevent one.”
Focus on the substance, not the symbols, of a Japan-U.S. partnership
The Kishida administration will be better served by concentrating on and building upon positive developments with the United States.
With celebrations and controversy, the 2022 Winter Olympics begin
There are fears that China will use COVID-19 protocols to affect competitions, disqualifying some athletes to ensure the “proper” outcomes.
With Putin's Ukraine actions, he wants nothing less than a rewriting of the rules of international order and must be resisted.
China's declining birth rate looks almost impossible to reverse, a trajectory with profound implications for its economic and social prospects.
Tokyo Stock Exchange might not be ready for ‘prime’ time just yet
The year's performance is a good sign as the TSE prepares for a restructuring in early April that is intended to revitalize corporate governance and attract global investors.
Japan should make products that it and the rest of the world need so that the nation is considered an integral partner.
In recent years, new dangers have emerged such as pandemics, the threat to vulnerable supply chains, cyber attacks and the undermining of democracy.
Central bankers balance two priorities: prices and employment. Unfortunately, a slowing economy generally reduces employment, which means that those two priorities compete with each other.
The prospect of a recovery from COVID-19 and a vaccine and pills that can protect against future infection has prompted the Kishida government to restart the Go To Travel program.
The most important factor in COVID-19's evolution and the threat its variants pose is the size of unvaccinated populations and the reservoirs in which they can develop.
Release oil, but only to facilitate a transition to renewables
Unfortunately for Japan, the release of government oil reserves is a veritable drop in the barrel when compared to demand for this vital commodity.