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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
May 22, 2012

The elephant in the foreigner's room now has a name: microaggression

Some positive and negative readers' reactions to Debito Arudou's provocative and widely read May 1 Just Be Cause column, "Yes, I can use chopsticks: the everyday 'microaggressions' that grind us down":
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
May 15, 2012

Readers vent over 'Bread and becquerels'

Some readers' responses to the April 17 Zeit Gist column by Gianni Simone, "Bread and becquerels: a year of living dangerously":
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2011

Top scientist in academic row

An article that helped Tohoku University President Akihisa Inoue win the Japan Academy Award has been retracted from a leading U.S. scientific journal after the author violated protocol by reusing his own previously published material without acknowledging it.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 8, 2007

Japan's Antiterrorism Special Measures Law and confusion over U.N. authority

Once again there is political debate over military-related legislation under the shadow of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, and once again it has revealed confusion over the international law and constitutional issues involved. The debate is over the extension of the Antiterrorism Special Measures...
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 16, 2022

Poland blast: How NATO's defense obligations could be triggered by Ukraine war

The United States and its allies have said they are investigating reports a deadly explosion in Poland on Tuesday was caused by stray Russian missiles.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Jul 30, 2017

Are university teachers in Japan covered by the 'five-year rule'?

Careful reading of laws suggests that a 10-year exception to the new rule that makes irregular workers permanent doesn't apply to college teachers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 24, 2017

Former defense chief courts controversy by questioning Abe plan to revise Constitution

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should clarify the rationale behind his latest proposal to revise the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution, LDP heavyweight Shigeru Ishiba told The Japan Times.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 11, 2016

Election strengthens LDP as opposition flounders; Abe says talks to begin on constitutional revision

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was all smiles Sunday night after being asked to put flower symbols next to the names of his party’s numerous successful candidates, in a post-election appearance at Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 4, 2015

The Supreme Court and the state of unconstitutionality

Do we want the Supreme Court to violate the Constitution by allowing illegally elected politicians to stay in office, or do we want something closer to real democracy?
COMMENTARY
Nov 19, 2004

China's discordant note on election eve

HONG KONG -- As Americans went to the polls, a section of the Chinese communist leadership clearly and unmistakably indicated its extreme distaste for the present, and likely future, policies of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Jun 24, 2018

Two Japan Supreme Court cases clarify when discrimination against fixed-term workers is OK

June 1, 2018, saw two verdicts from two similar cases handed down by the Supreme Court, both based on the 2012 amendment to the Labor Contract Law.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 27, 2018

Abe's right — it's time to codify the SDF

The importance of providing legal clarity to decision-makers — especially during times of crisis — cannot be overstated.
JAPAN / Politics
May 8, 2017

Japan's defense-only posture to 'basically' remain unchanged under proposed constitutional change, Suga says

Japan's security policies, including its defensive posture, would 'basically remain the same' if the Constitution is revised as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed last week, claims Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Apr 8, 2015

Do Western men have it bad in Japan? Readers discuss

A small selection of the large number of comments received in response to Olga Garnova's recent column, 'Spare a thought for Western men trapped in Japan.'
JAPAN / Politics
May 3, 2013

Amending Constitution emerges as poll issue

As it marks its 66th anniversary, the fate of Japan's Constitution is set to become the focus of a political battle both in and beyond July's Upper House election.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
May 14, 2012

Nuclear watchdog autonomy

As the ruling Democratic Party of Japan under Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda pushed to make the yet-to-be-established Nuclear Regulatory Agency subordinate to the Environment Ministry, the opposition Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito favored granting it greater authority.
BUSINESS
May 3, 2006

Legal provisions targeting 'paper companies' a worry for foreign firms

Before the new Corporate Law took effect Monday, one article was viewed with a wary eye by foreign-affiliated firms: No. 821.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 3, 2005

Turning back clock on gender equality

As the government emphasizes patriotism as part of the national school curriculum and discussion continues apace over revising Article 9, some LDP lawmakers are now calling for changes to the Constitution that may put equal rights and individual freedom at risk.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / EXPLAINER
Dec 2, 2022

Mixed messages: What the Tokyo Court's same-sex marriage ruling really means

In saying the prohibition of same-sex marriage is both constitutional and in a “state of violating” the Constitution, the court was signaling that it wants parliament to settle the matter.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Apr 6, 2021

China’s ambiguous coast guard law a challenge for Japan

All eyes are on Japan's response as legislation lets organization function as both maritime law enforcement and military agency.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 24, 2017

Clear regulations needed for international schools

If the government allows some Japanese children to attend non-Article 1 schools, it should allow all Japanese children to do this.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 11, 2016

Abe says win gives him mandate to accelerate economic policies but remains mum on Constitution

Fresh from sweeping the polls in Sunday's Upper House election, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday called the outcome an endorsement of Abenomics and pledged to expand spending, particularly in rural areas, despite soaring public debt.
Environmental activists demonstrate in front of the convention center in Busan, South Korea, where delegates from around the world are seeking to reach a binding treaty against plastic waste.
ENVIRONMENT
Nov 29, 2024

Showdown looms on plastic treaty days before deadline

With just two days of talks left, countries seeking an ambitious treaty urged delegations that "have not moved a centimeter" to make compromises or "get out of the way."
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Japan's same-sex marriage ban, along with their lawyers and supporters, hold signs saying the court ruled the ban as unconstitutional on Friday in front of the Fukuoka High Court.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 13, 2024

Fukuoka High Court rules ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional

It is the third such high court ruling so far in Japan after the Sapporo High Court in March and the Tokyo High Court in October.
Then-economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura marks the opening of the carbon credit market at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in October 2023. The GX League, which includes the emissions trading system, already covers over half of Japan’s emissions.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 3, 2025

Japan poised to lead in a brighter carbon market era

The patchy, voluntary nature of carbon markets around the world is finally changing after world leaders agreed to a new system for trading emissions reductions across borders.
Both houses of the U.S. Congress have effectively become a subordinate branch of government, ceding power to the executive, especially when the president's party also controls Capitol Hill.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 27, 2025

U.S. Congress began ceding power to presidents long before Trump

Since the turn of the century, Congress has increasingly functioned as a quasi-parliament rather than as an independent branch of government
Chinese leader Xi Jinping waves as he arrives for a two-day state visit at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 14, 2025

Xi seeks to win with Southeast Asia trip as Trump pauses some tariffs

Xi arrived in Vietnam on Monday and was due to visit Malaysia and Cambodia later this week, just days after Trump raised tariffs on China but gave everyone else a 90-day pause.
A sign of the World Health Organization displayed at their headquarters in Geneva on March 13
WORLD / Politics
Apr 15, 2025

Pandemic treaty talks inch toward accord

Experts say an accord has become even more crucial with new health threats, ranging from H5N1 bird flu to measles, mpox and Ebola.
Indian paramilitary troopers stand guard in Srinagar, in India-administered Jammu and Kahsmir, on Wednesday following a terrorist attack near the Kashmiri mountain resort of Pahalgam. According to Pakistani officials, New Delhi is preparing a military response.
COMMENTARY / World
May 1, 2025

India-Pakistan ties on the brink after Kashmir attack

New Delhi has downgraded ties with Pakistan in response to the Kashmir terror attack. But what could really bite is the suspension of a water treaty and possible military action.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (center) and his wife, Kim Hye-Kyung, arrive for a ceremony to mark the 70th Memorial Day at the Seoul National Cemetery on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 9, 2025

South Korean president's election law violation trial postponed indefinitely

The Seoul High Court cited the constitution for its decision to put off the hearing without specifying a date.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji