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EDITORIALS
Jul 16, 2004

A functional defense and more

Japan's Self-Defense Forces, which came into existence 50 years ago, was described at the time as "armed forces with no war potential." Although that remains essentially true, the SDF is no longer a "passive" organization devoted only to national defense. As this year's defense report, issued earlier...
EDITORIALS
Dec 13, 2002

High stakes in reducing poverty

In the 2002 edition of its annual "State of World Population" report, the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, or UNFPA, emphasizes that eliminating poverty and reducing the birthrate by raising the educational level of women will curb the population explosion, shrink the gap between rich and...
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2002

Panel urges patience, carrots for Pyongyang

A government foreign policy advisory panel recommended Thursday that Japan seek gradual changes in North Korea instead of pursuing a "quick overthrow of the current regime" and use economic aid as a carrot.
ENVIRONMENT
Mar 27, 2000

World's forests cut to feed voracious Japanese industry

For those who suffer from cedar pollen allergies, these dry, sunny days of spring are sheer torture. After Finland and Sweden, Japan has the most forest cover in the world: 67 percent. My itchy eyes tell me 98 percent of those trees must be cedar.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 1999

Blue book notes '98 foreign policy 'unique'

In response to a variety of threats to international peace and security, Japan last year carried out foreign policies characterized by top-level initiatives, according to the Foreign Ministry's diplomatic blue book for 1999 released Friday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jul 23, 2023

China draws geopolitical lessons as Ukraine war grinds on

While the conflict in Ukraine has provided China’s military with valuable insights into modern warfare, Beijing is drawing mixed geopolitical lessons about the risks of using force.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 7, 2022

How will Ukraine rebuild (and who should pay)?

A report to Western donors before a major reconstruction conference next month urges quick decisions, phased investment and strict foreign oversight of any aid.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Aug 2, 2022

Al-Qaida leader's killing highlights Afghanistan’s renewed role as terrorist haven

The death of Ayman al-Zawahri has spotlighted the extent to which the group seems to once again be operating freely in the Taliban-ruled country following the U.S. withdrawal.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 2, 2022

Pandemic and Ukraine war threaten clean energy gains for world's poorest

The impact of the pandemic on incomes has made basic energy services unaffordable for nearly 90 million people in Asia and Africa, according to international organizations.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 28, 2022

Ferocious Russian attacks spur fresh accusations of genocide in Ukraine

A new report by legal scholars and human rights experts said mass killings and deliberate attacks on shelters by Russian forces had established a 'genocidal pattern” against Ukrainians.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 23, 2022

Makers of baby formula still break global marketing rules, WHO and UNICEF find

More than a third of women across all countries surveyed said that health workers had recommended a specific brand of formula to them.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Dec 9, 2021

Japan must take a multifaceted approach to its economic security

Focusing on collaboration with Washington in a range of areas will help Tokyo to make its presence felt across the Indo-Pacific region.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2021

COVID-19 widens the cracks in a fragmented, contested world

Insight, however, no matter how good, is wasted when policymakers aren't paying attention — a lesson that the Global Trends report makes painfully clear.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Feb 7, 2021

What is needed to bring back freedom of movement

As Japan struggles to find a way to resume normal life and international travel, a lesson could be learned from Taiwan's approach.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 15, 2020

Japan boosts checks on Chinese students amid fears of campus spying

Compared to a crackdown by Washington, measures by Tokyo are baby steps, but many believe it is vital to follow the U.S. lead in order to safeguard Japan's universities.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Sep 6, 2020

Uyghurs in Japan call for action to end forced labor in Xinjiang

Twelve Japanese manufacturing giants have been accused of complicity in the group's repression by sourcing supplies from factories exploiting their forced labor.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 14, 2019

Japan's precarious Indo-Pacific balance

Japan's sustained economic growth and regional stability will not be served if Japan-China relations are securitized.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 18, 2017

Ushering in a new, kinder era for Japan's zoos

Lack of legal regulation means the worst facilities continue to taint Japan's image abroad.
EDITORIALS
Jan 25, 2015

NHK must maintain independence

NHK has announced a three-year budget plan that includes strengthening its overseas services. But has Japan's national broadcaster figured out yet whether it exists as a news organziation or as a propaganda arm of the government?
EDITORIALS
Nov 23, 2014

FIFA's own goal

FIFA's culture of impunity is ruining 'the beautiful game.'
COMMENTARY
Apr 23, 2009

No place for doctors who torture

Physicians and other medical personnel were involved in the abusive interrogation of terrorists suspects held overseas by the CIA, according to a secret report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The report was obtained by journalist Mark Danner, who has written extensively about...
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2005

Insiders at public lender call for its dissolution

An in-house section of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation has compiled a report proposing the dissolution of the government-backed lending institution, sources said.
EDITORIALS
Oct 7, 2004

Basic security-policy concerns

A n advisory panel to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has completed a report calling for a review of Japan's defense-only security policy. The report, by the Forum on Security and Defense Capability, says Japan should have a "multifunctional, flexible defense force" to meet security threats such as...
A screen displays Chinese leader Xi Jinping, at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing last October.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 28, 2023

China eyes accelerated plan for ‘world-class military,’ Japan says

An annual defense white paper said the world was facing its greatest test since World War II amid China's military buildup and the Ukraine war.
A relative of a missing passenger on MH370, in Beijing on the one year anniversary of the aircraft's disappearance.
WORLD
Feb 23, 2024

A decade after MH370, planes still at risk of vanishing off the map

An industrywide push to eliminate the chances of a similar case has been stymied by bureaucracy and financial pressure.
Ecuador has sought funding to fight the effects of climate change, including a June 2023 flood that followed heavy rains in Esmeraldas. So far, the developed world has offered the debt-strapped nation more loans than grants.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
May 23, 2024

Rich nations reap climate finance dividend, benefiting from rates and terms

Developed nations have pledged to send $100 billion a year to poorer countries to aid adaptation, but money from the deals is being funneled back into rich economies.
A screen shows news footage of plane debris at the site where a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane crashed in the Chinese city of Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in March 2022.
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Feb 28, 2025

Air safety reporting under scrutiny as crashes lie unresolved

Almost half of 268 accidents involving fatalities or major damage between 2018 and the end of 2023 lack a final report.

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