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COMMENTARY / World
Dec 11, 2009

Aussie revolt over climate

SYDNEY, Australia — Even before the Copenhagen talkfest opened this week, a climatic wrangle cost an Australian political leader his job. Even before the expected international fallout from Copenhagen, Canberra is on alert for national electoral turmoil.
LIFE
Sep 13, 2009

Winning was the easy part for Hatoyama's DPJ

After generations of rule, the Liberal Democratic Party was trounced by the Democratic Party of Japan in last month's Lower House elections. Jeff Kingston weighs what went wrong, what went right — and what now for a nation whose voters are sick of 'politics as usual'?
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2009

In Hatoyama's 'fraternity,' people the end, not means

An opinion piece by Democratic Party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama that was originally published in the September edition of the Japanese monthly journal Voice has triggered controversy in the United States for appearing to have an antiglobalization bent.
EDITORIALS
Jun 14, 2009

A vote for peace in Lebanon

The victory of the March 14th alliance in Lebanese parliamentary elections June 7 is a welcome surprise. For many, the election was a referendum on Hezbollah and the armed resistance movement it represents as well as on the continued influence of Syria and Iran over Lebanese politics.
COMMENTARY / World
May 28, 2009

Incompetence marks India's new ruling caste

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The largest election in history, involving more than 700 million voters, has resulted in the victory of India's ruling alliance, led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Indian National Congress. The verdict disproved gloomy predictions of a hung Parliament and the further strengthening...
EDITORIALS
Dec 19, 2008

An ex-president heads for trial

Taiwan's former president, Mr. Chen Shui-bian, was indicted on corruption charges last week. This is a shocking development in the career of a man who campaigned on a pledge to clean up Taiwan's politics. In the supercharged atmosphere of Taiwan politics, all sides will be tempted to intervene in or...
JAPAN
Oct 20, 2008

Ozawa uses Internet show to seek out young voters

Opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa tried to present a softer public image Sunday by speaking to young people about his favorite tofu, women's fashions — and even his unrequited first love.
COMMENTARY
Sep 10, 2008

Thailand: populism vs. privilege

Thaksin Shinawatra is shaping up to be the Juan Peron of Thailand, with the significant difference that he is a rich Peron. The billions he earned in his telecom businesses enabled him to rise to the top of Thai politics — and he used his power to shift wealth and power systematically from the rich...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jun 21, 2008

An up-close look at global intelligence

Jun Isomura is delighted to meet twice. The first time I am in the front of a car, taking notes, he in the back, out of sight, answering questions in impeccably accented British English. It is only when we disembark that we finally meet face to face.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 8, 2008

It might be lousy, but political TV drama 'Change' lives up to its title

Pre-premiere hype is important for Japanese TV drama series since their broadcast runs tend to be limited to 13 weeks. They don't have time to build an audience the way more open-ended series do in the West. As many people as possible have to tune in right from the start.
CULTURE / Books
Feb 24, 2008

Stephen Barber: Re-imagining the Megalopolis

THE TOKYO TRILOGY by Stephen Barber. Creation Books, 2008, 320 pp., $16.95 (paper) Apocalyptic orgasms, feral abattoir gangs and the digitalization of Hitler's ghost rarely appear in mainstream literature, and Stephen Barber's "The Tokyo Trilogy" — comprising "Tokyo Sodom," "Tokyo Slaughterhouse" and...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 1, 2008

Political inertia, public indifference

Japanese politics and politicians continue to face an overriding question: What kind of nation should Japan become? The question needs to be discussed among all political parties in ways that inspire the public. Unfortunately, that is not about to happen. Preoccupied with short-term responses to immediate...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN TIMES BLOGROLL
Nov 28, 2007

Observing Japan

Writing under the "nom de blog" Japan Observer, Chicago-born Tobias Harris dissects Japan's ever-eventful political scene on his Web site www.observingjapan.com. The 25-year-old Harris recently completed an internship year as a foreign-policy adviser to Democratic Party of Japan Diet member Keiichiro...
EDITORIALS
Aug 25, 2007

Thailand approves a constitution

Last Sunday, Thai voters approved a new constitution. The expected result clears the way for national elections later this year. But the military-installed government should not exaggerate the meaning of this vote. It is a vote for a constitution, not a particular government. The election that should...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 8, 2007

Should Abe stay or go? Japan debates the LDP's electoral defeat

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has told the Japanese public that despite his ruling coalition government's devastating defeat in the July 29 Upper House elections, he will do "the responsible thing": He will stay on as the party's leader and as Japan's prime minister.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2007

Asano waxes friendly, slams Ishihara's slurs

the majority of them are criminals," said Asano, a former Miyagi governor. "Many foreign nationals live in Tokyo because they love Japan. They also pay taxes here, and we shouldn't ignore that," he said. "What will be important is to come up with ways in which we can provide opportunities for them to...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2006

Long inevitable goodbye of Tony Blair

LONDON -- In early 1999, Paddy Ashdown, then the leader of Britain's Liberal Democratic Party (and since then, as Lord Ashdown, Europe's envoy in Bosnia), was found with a woman not his wife and forced to resign his post.
COMMENTARY
Jul 19, 2006

Cultural diplomacy in the Middle East

Political and economic stability in the Middle East is vital to ensure Japan's energy security and to reduce risks in the global economic system. In the interests of this region's mid- and long-term political stability, it is clearly desirable for "democratization" in the region to take root deeply and...
Japan Times
LIFE
Jan 22, 2006

Yokohama: model city for the nation?

'Change Japan -- from Yokohama."
COMMENTARY
Dec 8, 2005

Crisis behind Arroyo, for now

MANILA -- Some observers of Philippine affairs view political crises in this country as a permanent phenomenon. Just the other day, I joined a group of foreign correspondents for a meeting with a visiting American reporter who has covered the Philippines since the late '60s. While this journalist, who...
Japan Times
Features
Nov 6, 2005

Surveying a state of change

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi led his Liberal Democratic Party to a landslide victory in the Sept. 11 general election he called as a de facto referendum on his drive to privatize postal services.
COMMENTARY
Aug 7, 2005

Legacy of tepid leadership

For Japanese, August is a gloomy month. In the Pacific War, which ended in August 60 years ago, more than 3 million Japanese troops died. In the final days of the war, U.S. forces dropped history's first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki following indiscriminate carpet bombings of Japanese cities...
EDITORIALS
Feb 22, 2005

More trouble ahead for Lebanon

The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri on Feb. 14 has raised fears of a return to civil war in a troubled country and adds yet another wrinkle to the already complex equation in the Middle East. It is unclear who was responsible for the murder, but fingers are pointing at Syria....
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 25, 2004

Indian candidates take care of business

MADRAS -- India's elections are sometimes compared to a circus. Some call it the greatest show on Earth. I prefer to call the national elections, the first phase of which began last week, the greatest "family show" on Earth.
EDITORIALS
Apr 18, 2004

A political quake in South Korea

Parliamentary elections last week have transformed politics in South Korea. The Uri Party -- which did not exist a year ago -- has won an absolute majority in the National Assembly, giving President Roh Moo Hyun control of the legislature for the first time since he was elected a year and a half ago...
EDITORIALS
Mar 16, 2004

A sad day for Korean democracy

Even by the rough and tumble standards of South Korean politics, the events of last week were tumultuous. On Friday, the South Korean Parliament impeached President Roh Moo Hyun. President Roh is likely to prevail in this squabble with the opposition, but the unprecedented move has introduced new uncertainties...
COMMENTARY
Mar 1, 2004

Asian tale of two technologies

MANILA -- Media developments influence not only our private lives, but also affect the way our societies and politics are organized. Before coming to the Philippines two years ago, I spent nearly six years in South Korea. In both countries, I observed the impact of media on political and social developments....
COMMENTARY
Nov 4, 2003

True structural reform tied to end of bureaucratic rule

The biggest question in the Nov. 9 Lower House election is which side should take power -- a coalition headed by the Liberal Democratic Party or an alliance led by the Democratic Party of Japan. Also at stake is whether Japanese politics will be able to extricate itself from bureaucratic control.

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