Despite strong local opposition, the central government seems intent on forging ahead with the construction of V/STOL (vertical or short takeoff or landing) facilities for Ospreys and Harrier jump jets in Yanbaru, Okinawa’s northern highlands, without any regard to Japan as a sovereign state. ...
The mind boggling times we live in (“Pricey drugs push health burden up” in the Sept. 15 edition). On the one hand, we have people promising us a DNA revolution that can alter the code(s) of life, self-driving cars in the next 20 years, ...
In his Counterpoint column titled “Memories of Mukden Incident remain divisive” in the Sept. 18 edition, Jeff Kingston claims that Japan’s drive into Southeast Asia in 1941 was initiated “in order to secure resources needed to vanquish China.” This is a curious interpretation for ...
Stalking? It’s as Japanese as sushi (“Waking up to the menace of stalking” in the Sept. 11 edition). Ninja were professional stalkers and it’s in the blood of most Japanese. This is a nation of snoop hounds. Privacy is a myth in Japan. The ...
I wish to refer to the article “Thai military junta playing a dangerous blame game” by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, published in the Sept. 1 issue, and wish to make the following clarifications: Immediately after the series of bombing attacks occurred on Aug. 11 and 12, ...
A foreign woman writing about Japan’s Emperor accession (“Compromising on Imperial succession reform” in the Sept. 13 edition) demonstrates her profound lack of understanding of Japanese history and the traditions that have protected Japan from conquest for thousands of years. She sees the Emperor ...
The news that Mother Teresa was made a saint Sept. 4 by the pope reminded me of her speech in Sendai and had me pondering her life as well. She visited Japan several times and fortunately I had a chance to listen to her ...
Regarding the opinion piece “The most dangerous problem in Asia: Japan-China relations” in the Sept. 3 edition, Japan-China relations have indeed had its tumultuous phases since the second half of the 19th century. But contrary to professor Kerry Brown’s sweeping assertion that both countries ...
In only two years, Priyanka Yoshikawa is the second mixed race contestant to win a major Japanese beauty pageant, but even so she is facing a severe backlash (“Japanese-Indian crowned Miss World Japan” in the Sept. 7 edition). Many Japanese people say that she ...
Social media is alight every August with comments ranging from educational to pure hate speech (“Anniversary of surrender marked with speeches and prayers” in the Aug. 16 edition). Seventy-one years later, the war still elicits strong opinions, some fact-based and some social media myths. ...
As a disabled person — I have cerebral palsy — I give The Japan Times a lot of credit for highlighting the potential harm to people with mental health issues an overreaction to Sagamihara might cause (“Trying to make sense of Sagamihara” in the ...
The Emperor’s video message made me astonished, then made me sad (“Emperor hints at desire to abdicate,” Aug. 9). He is 82 years old and still responsible for public duties and rituals. As he is not allowed to make any political remarks, he deliberately ...
