Search - politics

 
 
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 19, 2009

Iran's muddled presidential politics

WASHINGTON — The decision by former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami not to seek the presidency again has revealed how muddled Iranian presidential politics now is. In trying to sort out this muddle, the most important thing to keep in mind is not so much who will be elected, but what that choice...
COMMENTARY
Feb 11, 2009

Casualties of mixing culture with politics

CHENNAI, India — Even in the best of times, politically, it is difficult to interpret Indian culture, which encompasses an ocean of thoughts and ideas and a river of traditions and beliefs. Yet, some rightwing political organizations have prepared their own treatises, or just about, on what the nation's...
COMMENTARY
Jan 26, 2009

Recalling the one who mixed politics, poetry

NEW YORK — At a time when we plainly see the negative effects of politics and greed in the life of nations, it is important to remember Pablo Neruda, a Chilean writer whom Gabriel Garcia Marquez called "the greatest poet of the 20th century — in any language." He was an artist who knew very well...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 15, 2009

Bangladeshi voters say no to Islamist politics

DHAKA — As fears about the Islamization of politics in the Muslim world grow, Bangladesh, with the world's fourth-largest Muslim population (126 million), has moved dramatically in the opposite direction. Bangladesh is usually heard about only when cyclones and tsunami ravage its low coastline, but...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CLOSE-UP
Jan 4, 2009

Japan's 'Mr. Television'

Picture the world's busiest television presenter, and imagine yourself squinting through the glare of high-wattage celebrity, struggling to breathe in air perfumed with pampered showbiz egos.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Jan 4, 2009

Monta Mino: Japan's 'Mr. Television'

Picture the world's busiest television presenter, and imagine yourself squinting through the glare of high-wattage celebrity, struggling to breathe in air perfumed with pampered showbiz egos.
JAPAN
Oct 9, 2008

Public seen tiring of hereditary politics

Japan's history is one of family dynasties, from the Emperor's 1,400-year lineage to the father-son inheritance of kabuki theater roles. And then there's the Cabinet chosen by Prime Minister Taro Aso.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 3, 2008

Japan politics in the 'short 20th century'

MARUYAMA MASAO and THE FATE OF LIBERALISM IN TWENTIETH- CENTURY JAPAN by Karube Tadashi, translated by David Noble. I-House Press, 2008, 212 pp., ¥2,500 (cloth) Masao Maruyama was one of the most influential contemporary Japanese intellectuals. Tadashi Karube is his heir in the sense that he is a professor...
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 1, 2008

'Civilized' talk contends with politics, culture

PARIS — What does it mean to be "civilized"? Obviously, being highly educated, wearing a tie, eating with a fork or cutting one's nails weekly is not enough.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 9, 2008

Yet another fine mess in Italian politics

ROME — A game of smoke and mirrors: this is how Italy's current electoral campaign appears — both to Italians and the wider world. Of course, there is nothing new in this:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 11, 2008

Passing politics from generation to generation

'La Faute a Fidel!" is, in a sense, a project engineered by daughters. Director Julie Gavras' father is the famed prorevoltionary director Costa Gavras, its lead actress Julie Depardieu is the daughter of Gerard, France's most treasured actor. And Nina Kervel, who was age 9 when the film was made, comes...
Japan Times
LIFE
Dec 10, 2006

Politics at the grass roots

Judging by the society pages of certain publications in Japan, politicians at both the local and national levels seem to spend a lot of their time being photographed with ambassadors, captains of industry, assorted aristocrats, passing film stars and all manner of other folk.
COMMENTARY
Jan 19, 2006

Still plagued by sleazy politics

LONDON -- There is understandably a great deal of cynicism about politicians in every country. Their reputation is probably now lower than that of any other profession because they have so often been exposed as liars and/or as corrupt.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 9, 2005

The politics of assigning a nuclear carrier to Japan

HONOLULU -- The easy part of newly assigning a U.S. aircraft carrier to Japan, which was to persuade the Japanese to accept a nuclear-powered vessel, has been accomplished. Now comes the hard part: deciding which one of 10 carriers should be based in the port of Yokosuka.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Sep 4, 2005

When money and politics merge

THE THAKSINIZATION OF THAILAND, by Duncan McCargo and Ukrist Pathmanand. Copenhagen: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, 2005, 277 pp., $23 (cloth). Thaksin Shinawatra is Thailand's flamboyant and controversial prime minister, a wealthy telecom magnate who has transformed the domestic political scene...
Japan Times
JAPAN / ELECTION '04
Jul 3, 2004

Convict Tsujimoto seeks mercy of voters

OSAKA -- Kiyomi Tsujimoto likes to call herself the "wasabi of Japanese politics," whose job is to add some zest to the blandness of debate.
EDITORIALS
Jun 8, 2004

Put pension reform above politics

The ruling parties early Saturday morning rammed much-maligned pension bills through the House of Councilors. However, their resorting to physical violence at a committee session and a tricky procedure at a plenary session badly tarnished the House of Councilors as the "chamber of common sense." The...
EDITORIALS
May 9, 2004

Casualty of pension politics

The political battle over pension reform has taken an unexpected -- and ironic -- twist. Accepting responsibility for failing to make mandatory payments to the national pension program, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda resigned abruptly Friday. With national elections two months away, his departure...
EDITORIALS
Jun 5, 2003

Politics prevail at the G8

Once upon a time, the heads of the world's seven leading industrial powers got together to discuss economics and ways to ensure growth. That focus made sense because there were other forums to talk about politics, and economic coordination was much lacking. Sadly, that time is long gone. Instead, the...
COMMENTARY
May 23, 2003

Politics placed before health

WASHINGTON -- If the infectious disease SARS breaks out around the globe, it most likely will come from China, the world's most populous state with a primitive health-care system and vast rural population. And if severe acute respiratory syndrome spreads from China, the cause will be the Chinese government's...
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 24, 2002

A healthy contrast to politics in Beijing

HONG KONG -- The openness, mutual personal criticism and freedom displayed during the latest Taiwanese election were a refreshing contrast to the secrecy, sycophancy and control displayed before, during and after the Chinese Communist Party's 16th Congress.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jun 20, 2002

Politics of homeland security

WASHINGTON -- The specter of terrorism that has hung over America since Sept. 11 has created an enormous public demand for security. Homeland security has become a massive governmental program, a political issue, a growth industry, a rationale for all sorts of governmental spending and constitutional...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2002

'Gringo mayor' does local politics his way

PORONGO, Bolivia — Mike Bennett came to Bolivia 18 years ago looking for gold. And he found it. But as he searched the nation for the precious metal, the 46-year-old geologist from Staffordshire, England, also uncovered other treasures — Spanish, which he speaks fluently, a farm, two hotels and a...
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 29, 2002

Top business lobbies tie knot, hope to better sway politics

The Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren) and the Japan Federation of Employers' Associations (Nikkeiren) merged Tuesday to become the Japan Business Federation, hoping the more powerful business lobby can wield greater influence over government policies.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Nov 8, 2001

Partisan politics heat up

WASHINGTON -- You can feel the change. It is not back to politics as usual -- pre-Sept. 11 variety -- but the partisan blood is flowing again in the body politic. In the spirit of accommodation that has marked the post-attack period, Congress has been passing major measures of great consequence on a...
COMMENTARY
Nov 4, 2001

NGOs poised to invigorate Korean politics

SEOUL -- Nongovernmental organizations and local political autonomy have both contributed greatly to the advancement of democracy in South Korea. Both have been instrumental in checking centralized political power, bringing political decision-making closer to the people and increasing the political awareness...
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2001

Lee looking to alter landscape of Taiwan's politics

TAIPEI -- Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui is looking to forge a new political group after legislative elections are held in December.
COMMENTARY
Aug 19, 2001

George W. Bush and the politics of DNA

NEW YORK -- "Today's overwhelming and bipartisan House action to prohibit human cloning is a strong ethical statement, which I commend." -- George W. Bush, July 31, 2001

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years