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COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Mar 27, 2007

'Multicultural Japan' remains a pipe dream

In February, education minister Bunmei Ibuki called Japan "an extremely homogenous country." Eighteen months earlier, now Foreign Minister Taro Aso described Japan as having "one nation, one civilization, one language, one culture, and one race." What was notable about these comments is that they were...
JAPAN
Mar 22, 2007

Local elections to test depth of voter despondence

Held every four years, the polls will produce a new mix of governors, prefectural assembly members, mayors and other heads of towns, villages and wards.The official campaign period for the gubernatorial elections, including Tokyo's, kicks off Thursday.Along with the mayors for four ordinance-designated...
EDITORIALS
Mar 8, 2007

Is the opposition ready for battle?

The Lower House passed an 82.91 trillion yen budget for fiscal 2007 in a plenary session over the weekend. The budget, the first compiled under the Abe administration, is now in the Upper House's Budget Committee. Fierce Diet battles are expected to ensue between the ruling and opposition forces since...
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2007

Panel endorses formation of new security council

The formation of a Japanese version of the U.S. National Security Council designed to respond quickly to fast-developing threats ranging from terrorism to North Korea's nuclear ambitions was endorsed Tuesday by a government panel in its final report.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Feb 20, 2007

Upping the fear factor

The government and media would have you believe that Japan has lost its mantle as a safe country. Apparently we live amidst a spree of heinous crimes. Accurate? Not very, according to a new academic study. But before we get to that, let's take stock of one alleged cause of this "crime wave," this decade's...
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2007

Abe has high hopes for Diet session

The Diet convened Thursday, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party aiming to get key bills passed, including one to set up a referendum on amending the Constitution and several more aimed at education reform.
EDITORIALS
Jan 20, 2007

Come clean on political funds

Suspicions are growing over the use of political funds and the accuracy of mandatory reports on such funds. Specifically, the suspicions have been aroused by media reports that five Cabinet ministers and two Liberal Democratic Party executives had declared a combined 689 million yen as "office expenses"...
EDITORIALS
Jan 1, 2007

A political showdown year

Mr. Shinzo Abe's administration at first seemed to have smooth sailing. By visiting China and South Korea and holding summits with their leaders, the prime minister managed to improve Japan's relations with the two neighbors. The relations had soured as a result of his predecessor Junichiro Koizumi's...
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2006

Defense officials eager for status boost

With legislation to upgrade the Defense Agency to a ministry expected to clear the Diet this week, defense officials say they finally will be free of their identity complex.
EDITORIALS
Dec 7, 2006

Syria in the middle

It has become increasingly clear that Syria plays a pivotal role in Middle East politics. It has influence over -- some say control of -- Lebanese politics, and its support for insurgents -- "freedom fighters" is Damascus' preferred term -- elsewhere in the region makes it a key interlocutor when trying...
EDITORIALS
Nov 28, 2006

National security council

A special panel last week started discussions on setting up a Japanese version of the National Security Council of the United States. The White House-style organization is a pet idea of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In his first policy speech before the Diet, Mr. Abe expressed his resolve to "strengthen...
JAPAN
Nov 9, 2006

Abe says no to nukes but allows discussion

Japan has no intention of going nuclear but there is still room for debate on the issue, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday as he defended key Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers who have been criticized for comments suggesting that the matter needs to be discussed.
BUSINESS / POPULATION SYMPOSIUM
Nov 9, 2006

Environment, not career major hurdle to big families

See the main story: Low birthrate threatens Japan's future See related story: French values and child-care policies put family before work

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person