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Reader Mail
Mar 24, 2011

Instances of under-reporting, too

I agree that some foreign media outlets have sensationalized this story, but at the same time, I agree with those members of the Western media who say the Japanese media have under-reported and, in many cases, merely spewed numbers and reports provided to them by the government.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 27, 2011

Beijing in Washington's footsteps

HONG KONG — The so-called financial leaders of the Group of 20 nations propped up this month's agreement in Paris against a fluffy set of economic indicators that may lead to their taking concerted action to head off a future potential global economic crisis. But it would be unwise to hold your breath...
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2011

Bond bill failure fiscal coup de grace

If the Democratic Party of Japan-led government fails to gain passage of a special bill to issue deficit-covering Japanese government bonds, suspicions that the country is unable to ward off a looming fiscal crisis will only deepen, two economists interviewed by The Japan Times warn.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 15, 2011

Israel's nuclear option in Iran

LOS ANGELES — Revelations in former U.S. President George W. Bush's recently published memoirs show that he declined an Israeli request to destroy Syria's secret nuclear reactor in the spring of 2007. While the revelation may appear merely to be a historical footnote, more profoundly it raises new...
CULTURE / Music
Dec 31, 2010

Websites, blogs pick best albums of 2010

The staff at The Japan Times office couldn't agree on which album we liked best in 2010. We did agree, however, that we are really enjoying the thrill of finding new music websites and blogs that focus on local artists. With the list of online resources growing, we hope that more voices will help make...
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 22, 2010

Reviving the West is key

LONDON — In 2008, at a time of financial peril, the world united to restructure the global banking system. In 2009, as trade collapsed and unemployment rose dramatically, the world came together for the first time in the Group of 20 to prevent a great recession from spiraling into a great depression....
COMMENTARY
Dec 21, 2010

Merits of a Singapore-Australian exchange

SINGAPORE — Australian regulators and politicians must decide soon whether the proposed $8 billion takeover of the main stock market operator, ASX Ltd., by the Singapore Exchange is in the national interest.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2010

Ozawa avoids Diet resolution to testify

Democratic Party of Japan executives failed Monday to agree to pursue a Diet resolution demanding that party heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa testify before the Lower House Ethics Panel over his political funds scandal.
COMMENTARY
Dec 5, 2010

How low will Obama go to appease Israel?

SEATTLE — The Middle East policies of U.S. President Barack Obama may well prove the most detrimental yet, surpassing even the rightwing policies of President George W. Bush.
EDITORIALS
Nov 26, 2010

NATO's new look

Every 10 years, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization reassesses the world and its place in it and forges a new mission statement that tries to align the institution, its members and their desire to create a more peaceful and stable world. This year, that effort has yielded a "new strategic concept"...
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Nov 16, 2010

The final word on JET, for now

Arudou misses the mark Debito Arudou's recent article on the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme (Just Be Cause, Sept. 7) and many of the responses which followed (Have Your Say, Oct. 12):
Japan Times
LIFE
Oct 24, 2010

Some participants' hopes for COP10

The Japan Times asked delegates and other COP10 participants what their top priorities are at the conference. Many mentioned an Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Protocol that is currently the subject of intense negotiations. This would determine how companies and researchers gain access to and distribute...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 10, 2010

Contract loophole opened door for Nomo's jump

Second in a four-part series
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 28, 2010

COP10 to take on genetic, indigenous issues

From Oct. 18 to 29, the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP10, takes place in Nagoya.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Sep 14, 2010

Is racism coloring debate on Japanese whaling?

Following is a selection of readers' responses to the Aug. 17 Zeit Gist columns headlined "Racist undercurrents taint whaling rhetoric" by Dougal McNeill and "Appeals to culture, tradition ignore the historical facts" by Chris Burgess:
JAPAN
Sep 11, 2010

Futenma's future may ride on DPJ leadership battle

Political analysts in Japan and the U.S. agree that the heated battle between Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Ichiro Ozawa for control of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan could have a huge impact on the relocation of the U.S. Futenma air base.
JAPAN
Sep 11, 2010

Kan, Ozawa draw flak for fiddling while Rome burns

As Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa battle toward their showdown Tuesday, observers are criticizing them for creating a political void in the ruling party at a time when Japan is struggling to rekindle the economy and address other pressing issues.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Sep 5, 2010

Player protection rule has negative impact on bj-league

From Hoboken, N.J. to Hokkaido and thousands of far-flung locales in between, there are few issues as contentious and complicated as player contracts in professional sports.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 30, 2010

Kenyans at crossroads with constitution

WATERLOO, Ontario — Earlier this month, Kenyans went to the polls to vote on a new constitution that will replace the current one when signed into law, marking a turning point in the country's history.
BUSINESS
Jul 14, 2010

Kokusai sees Japan yields diving

Kokusai Asset Management Co., which runs the world's second-largest bond fund, said Japanese government bond yields may drop to a record, even as larger fund supervisor Pacific Investment Management Co. expressed concern about the nation's rising debt levels.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jul 12, 2010

Kan now faces gridlock, internal revolt

Voters handed a painful loss to the ruling Democratic Party of Japan on Sunday, with all signs indicating that more political instability — and even an internal revolt — could be in store for Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 26, 2010

Appreciating the renminbi

HONG KONG — Global stock and foreign exchange markets were fast out of the blocks to lead the applause for China's decision to free the exchange rate of the renminbi. Clearly licking their lips at the prospect of greater foreign access to China's fabled market of 1.3 billion consumers, stock markets...
JAPAN / DECISION 2010
Jun 25, 2010

Showdown could reshape political scene

The last House of Councilors election in 2007 heralded a change of regime, with the then ruling Liberal Democratic Party losing control of the chamber. That loss was followed by the swift resignations of two LDP prime ministers, before a crushing defeat in the House of Representatives poll last August...
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
May 25, 2010

Telling the other side of the Geos story

Re: "Eikaiwa on the ropes after fall of Geos" (Zeit Gist, May 4) by Richard Smart:
COMMENTARY
May 14, 2010

Escape to electoral reform

LONDON — There has not been a coalition government in Britain since World War II, but people may have to get used to them. The May 6 election left both major parties — the Conservatives and Labour — short of a majority, and put history's also-rans, the Liberal Democratic Party, in the position...
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2010

Tokunoshima is a risky gambit

TOKUNOSHIMA, Kagoshima Pref. — When Tokunoshima, an island with about 26,000 residents officially governed by Kagoshima Prefecture but counted as part of the Satsunan Islands that lie closer to Okinawa than Kyushu, first emerged as a candidate host for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, local reaction...
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 22, 2010

A pig's breakfast in Europe

LONDON — The Greek debt problem has been poorly handled by Europe's decision-makers. European Union heads of government, and the European Central Bank, initially rejected the idea of involving the International Monetary Fund, but without a fall-back plan. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that part...

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