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JAPAN
Sep 27, 2011

Former Ozawa aides judged guilty

Three former secretaries of Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa were given suspended prison terms Monday for making false entries in the financial reports of Ozawa's political fund management body Rikuzankai in 2004, 2005 and 2007.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2011

Is Obama worried about work yet?

Beleaguered President Barack Obama has come out fighting with two recent speeches focused on America's high unemployment rate. First, he gave an address to both houses of Congress, which is now being nicknamed the "jobs-jobs-jobs" speech, because Obama mentioned the word 37 times in 32 minutes. Then,...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 25, 2011

Humble pie notably absent from the food fancies of worthies and others

Food is a staple fare of the media, whether in the form of recipes, restaurant reviews or photographs of meals to die for. Food is health; food is economics; food is culture; but food is also politics.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 24, 2011

Keynes was not a big 'Keynesian'

What does it mean to be Keynesian? It was the British economist John Maynard Keynes who declared that when, like today, economic growth grinds to a standstill and businesses fail to provide enough jobs, governments have the ability, and the duty, to fill the gap.
JAPAN
Sep 20, 2011

Japan trying to repair ties with U.S.

The new government is trying to earn back trust from the United States, its most important ally, by showing support for initiatives that recent prime ministers have let languish.
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 17, 2011

Edano won't rush restarts

Newly appointed trade and industry minister Yukio Edano said he won't set a time frame for deciding whether to restart halted nuclear reactors currently undergoing stress tests.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Sep 17, 2011

Villas-Boas proving wise beyond years

The oldest manager in the Premier League goes head-to-head with the youngest at Old Trafford Sunday when Manchester United plays Chelsea in a match that will do much to determine the early pecking order of what is building up to be a fascinating season.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2011

Noda accepts blame for Hachiro

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Thursday acknowledged his responsibility for appointing Yoshio Hachiro, who stepped down within days of becoming trade minister to atone for a verbal gaffe, and vowed to strive to regain public trust.
COMMENTARY
Sep 15, 2011

A refresher course in Job Creation 101

We need a refresher course in Job Creation 101 to judge how much, if at all, U.S. President Barack Obama's proposed $447 billion program of spending increases and tax cuts might revive America's sputtering job machine.
COMMENTARY
Sep 14, 2011

Ten years on, a demoralized America

On Dec. 8, 1951, the day after the 10th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, The New York Times' front page made a one-paragraph mention of commemorations the day before, when the paper's page had not mentioned the anniversary. The Dec. 8 Washington Post's front page noted no commemorations the previous day....
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 13, 2011

Maeda eyes Eco-point plan to revive Tohoku

New transport minister Takeshi Maeda says he wants to bring back the Housing Eco-point incentive system to achieve low-carbon, sustainable cities in the quake- and tsunami-hit Tohoku region.
COMMENTARY
Sep 10, 2011

U.S. now less secure, less free

It has been a decade since that beautiful September day when terrorists brought down the World Trade Center, damaged the Pentagon, and killed thousands of Americans. Unfortunately, in important ways the terrorists have won.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 7, 2011

Shockwaves from the West

A nervous calm has returned to the streets of England after last month's widespread riots, arson and looting across London and other cities sent shockwaves around the world. As far away as Japan people were asking if Britain was safe any more, and one German politician suggested moving next year's Olympic...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 7, 2011

Is China's economic miracle a mirage?

Doubts are beginning to be heard about how sustainable is China's economic miracle, particularly the relentless emphasis on exports and investment spending by hundreds of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and local governments. Beijing, of course, has its supporters, including banker turned academic Stephen...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 6, 2011

China, U.S. both high on strategic agenda: Genba

While Japan's alliance with the United States benefits the stability of the Asia-Pacific region, close ties with China will also be needed if Japan wants to reap the benefits of its neighbor's booming economy, new Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba said Monday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 6, 2011

Azumi enters fray with tax-hike talk

New Finance Minister Jun Azumi repeated Monday that he may ask the public to pay higher taxes to shoulder the burden of reconstructing the disaster-hit Tohoku region, saying he is ready to do his utmost to secure the fiscal resources.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 5, 2011

Japan in a European club?

Hitherto unknown and self-styled "loach" Yoshihiko Noda must learn to swim in an ocean of problems as Japan's new prime minister of the year. He has more than a plateful of domestic issues, but he should also realize, as his predecessors forgot, that Japan needs to re-engage the world if it is to find...
COMMENTARY
Sep 5, 2011

Revolution no boon to the Copts

Ugly reality has dashed the high hopes of the "Arab Spring." In Egypt the fall of Hosni Mubarak has encouraged religious intolerance and persecution, especially against the Coptic Christian community.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 5, 2011

America's self-inflicted economic decline

If the broad post-World War II prosperity that has endured for six decades comes to an end, both the United States and Europe will be responsible. With rare exceptions, politics has become a discredited profession throughout the West.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Sep 4, 2011

Alfons Deeken: Priest-philosopher makes death his life's work

On Friday, July 22, as the stifling heat and humidity of summer relented for just a fleeting few days, hundreds of people filled a hall at Enkakuji Temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, to listen to a lecture by philosophy scholar Alfons Deeken.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Sep 4, 2011

Sakurai in "Kamisama no Karute"; Japan's smartest high school students; CM of the week: Takasu Clinic

Sho Sakurai of the idol group Arashi can currently be seen playing a physician in the theatrical film "Kamisama no Karute" ("God's Medical Chart") alongside Aoi Miyazaki. Both can also be seen in the ongoing TV commercial series for supplemental medical insurance provider Aflac, alongside a CGI duck...
COMMENTARY
Sep 3, 2011

Doctors among victims in Arab uprisings

Doctors and medical personnel have become additional victims of the uprising taking place in several Arab countries. Attacks on doctors violate the principle of medical neutrality that ensures that doctors and medical personnel should be free to treat those in need — regardless of politics, race or...
JAPAN
Sep 3, 2011

Yasukuni stance takes practical shift

In a major U-turn, new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Friday that neither he nor any of his Cabinet ministers will make official visits to controversial Yasukuni Shrine, reversing his previous position that visits by national leaders should be not be considered problematic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 1, 2011

Sachiko Hara makes her mark in Germany

Tokyo-born Sachiko Hara, 46, was the apple of her ordinary, working-parents' eye. She was encouraged to get a degree in German studies from the prestigious Sophia University, and after that it seemed some sort of high-flying career was hers for the taking.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2011

Days of Ozawa's influence seen dwindling

Yoshihiko Noda's victory against Banri Kaieda in the Democratic Party of Japan presidential runoff Monday dealt yet another blow to disgraced kingpin Ichiro Ozawa, who backed Kaieda in an apparent bid to boost his waning influence.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2011

Noda takes over, starts key selections

Yoshihiko Noda became the nation's 62nd prime minister Tuesday, tasked with leading the recovery from the March disaster.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2011

Nuclear reform will be uphill slog

In a bid to restore public confidence, the government has unveiled plans to reform the nuclear regulatory agency, separating it from the ministry in charge of promoting atomic power.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 31, 2011

Once Gadhafi is finally gone

A relatively successful transition from the Gadhafi regime to a united, stable, more open and democratic Libya would be seen in the region, and more widely, as a credit to the NATO-led intervention. It would enable Libya to resume its oil and gas exports, demonstrate international community capacity...

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