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COMMENTARY
May 19, 2010

Coalition off to a good start

Britain's May 6 general election was different from previous elections both in the way the campaigns were conducted and in its final outcome.
EDITORIALS
May 15, 2010

New era for British politics

Five days after the inconclusive election May 6 — in which no party won a majority in the House of Commons — Conservative leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg brought a new era to Britain's politics by starting the first coalition government since World War II. At 43, Prime...
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...
COMMENTARY
May 12, 2010

Democracy far from perfect

Prime ministers refusing to leave, political parties with a large number of votes being excluded and dubious coalitions being negotiated — which country are we in, the United Kingdom or Iraq?
JAPAN
May 11, 2010

DPJ to field judo star Tani as candidate

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan announced Monday it will field women's judo superstar Ryoko Tani for the proportional representation segment of the summer Upper House election.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2010

Small parties looking for bigger say

With the approach of the summer Upper House election, several new parties are vying for voters disenchanted with the Democratic Party of Japan, which swept to power last year on the promise of change but became mired in money scandals and accusations of poor leadership.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Apr 19, 2010

Playing ends off the middle

Komeito, the third largest political party in Japan, is striving not to antagonize but to be friends with as many rival groups as possible in a determined bid to win in the Upper House election scheduled for this summer. The principal reason for pursuing this tactic, which has been described by some...
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Apr 11, 2010

New party a boon to DPJ, thorn in divided LDP's side

Saturday's launch of marginal political party Tachiagare Nippon (The Sunrise Party of Japan) by former members of the Liberal Democratic Party has only accelerated the main opposition's downward spiral as lawmakers gear up for an Upper House election in July.
EDITORIALS
Mar 17, 2010

From hope to disenchantment

Just six months have passed since the Sept. 16 inauguration of the Hatoyama administration. In his first policy speech, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama pledged to do his utmost to build a nation truly based on the sovereignty of the people, and to "change the history" of the nation. There was a tangible...
JAPAN
Mar 16, 2010

Hatoyama's brother quits 'ousted' LDP

Former internal affairs minister Kunio Hatoyama, whose older brother, Yukio, is the prime minister, served notice Monday that he was exiting the Liberal Democratic Party, saying he was ready to form a new force.
EDITORIALS
Mar 5, 2010

Funding scandals keep coming

Another political funds scandal linked to a Democratic Party of Japan figure has come to light. On March 1, four trade union members were arrested on suspicion of violating the Political Funds Control Law with regard to donations allegedly received by the election campaign office of DPJ Lower House member...
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jan 31, 2010

Dysfunctional hairs of a vaunted democracy

NEW YORK — Three recent developments in a span of two days reminded me how dysfunctional and uncivil America's vaunted democracy has become.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2010

LDP tries to build steam before poll

The opposition-leading Liberal Democratic Party held its annual convention Sunday, promising party reform and victory in the July Upper House election while assailing the ruling Democratic Party of Japan over recent money scandals dogging Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa....

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
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