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COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 4, 2009

The DPJ's sense of duty

Until the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)'s win in Sunday's election, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had dominated Japanese politics for more than half a century except for short intervals.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2009

Ozawa set to be DPJ secretary general

Yukio Hatoyama, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan and prime minister in waiting, told reporters Thursday he will appoint DPJ acting President Ichiro Ozawa as secretary general, the No. 2 post of the party that now holds an overwhelming majority in the Lower House.
BUSINESS
Sep 4, 2009

BOJ must be ready to stop supporting credit markets: DPJ's Okubo

The Bank of Japan should plan an exit strategy for its policy of buying government and corporate bonds because the freeze in credit markets has eased, according to an Upper House financial committee director from the new ruling party.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 4, 2009

Denzel holds the lead

"I think it's hard to generalize," says actor Denzel Washington about movie remakes. He and John Travolta — as the villain — costar in a remake of the 1974 "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," which starred Walter Matthau and was much noted for its powerful score by David Shire. Comparisons between the...
Reader Mail
Sep 3, 2009

DPJ policy at odds with capitalism

Regarding the Aug. 31 editorial, "Historic day for Japanese politics": The election of the Democratic Party of Japan is being celebrated by the usual suspects — people who are less interested in how economic value is created than in how to confiscate and control it for the benefit of the poor, the...
COMMENTARY
Sep 2, 2009

Justice, clemency and U.K. politics

The secretary for justice in the devolved government in Scotland decided Aug. 20 to release Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the only individual who had been convicted of involvement in the so-called Lockerbie tragedy. This terrorist incident occurred more than 20 years ago when a Pan American airliner was...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 2, 2009

Japanese metamorphosis

OSAKA — Sunday's landslide general-election victory by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) terminated the one-party- dominated system that the catch-all Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has controlled almost without interruption since 1955.
BUSINESS
Sep 2, 2009

AMP Capital may up Japan shareholdings

AMP Capital Investors, a unit of Australia's biggest pension-plan provider, said it may increase its Japanese investments following the Democratic Party of Japan's election win.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2009

Victor puts on the glitz, with dash of humble

The Democratic Party of Japan victory was large enough to leave a grin even on the face of "iron-armed" deputy leader Ichiro Ozawa.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 30, 2009

Japan at a crossroads of government and of its citizens' values

Charles de Gaulle, the magisterial president of France from 1959-69, was inordinately fond of the phrase, "Moi ou le chaos" — "Me or chaos." It was not much of a choice.
EDITORIALS
Aug 30, 2009

U.S. Senate loses a lion

Edward Kennedy, the senior U.S. senator from the state of Massachusetts, died Tuesday night after a yearlong struggle with cancer. Mr. Kennedy's death deprives the United States of one of its most powerful and eloquent voices, a man who demanded justice and equal opportunities for the country's weakest...
EDITORIALS
Aug 29, 2009

Reining in the bureaucracy

The bureaucracy played a crucial role in the building of the modern Japanese state and its economic growth in the postwar years. But these days people's trust in bureaucrats has been shattered by events such as the pension records fiasco and the misuse of public money, especially in road construction....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2009

Jumbo SMAP ad pro-LDP?

SMAP, the pop group that has dominated the nation's music scene for more than two decades, urged voters to support incumbent politicians as the ruling party faces likely defeat in Sunday's Lower House election.
JAPAN / ELECTION 2009
Aug 29, 2009

Game almost up for LDP in Aomori

AOMORI — Perched on the upper tip of Honshu, Aomori Prefecture is tired of being left behind.
EDITORIALS
Aug 28, 2009

Tax-hike debate missing

In the campaigns for the Aug. 30 Lower House election, voter interest appears to be focused on domestic policies directly related to their daily lives, while issues related to diplomacy and security appear to have been put on the back burner. These issues are mentioned when Prime Minister Taro Aso attacks...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 27, 2009

Hamas takes on Gaza Strip's Islamic radicals

GAZA CITY — A recent shootout in a Gaza mosque between Hamas security officers and militants from the radical jihadi group the Warriors of God brought to the surface the deep tensions that divide Palestinian Islamists. Twenty-two people died, including the Warriors of God's leader, Abdel Latif Moussa....
JAPAN / ELECTION 2009
Aug 27, 2009

Political shift gives hope to gays

The possible power shift in Sunday's general election signals change for many, and one minority interest group is daring to hope it will bring about the biggest change yet.
EDITORIALS
Aug 26, 2009

A challenge to Mr. al-Maliki

A series of bomb attacks in downtown Baghdad have exposed the weakness of the new Iraqi government. It is not clear who or what is responsible for the bombings, and the list of suspects is long. But a government's first responsibility is to provide for the safety and security of its citizens: By any...
Japan Times
JAPAN / ELECTION 2009
Aug 26, 2009

Hokkaido figures to be key showdown for LDP vets

SAPPORO — The winds of change are blowing nationwide as the Lower House election nears.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Aug 24, 2009

Party shakeouts unlikely if the DPJ wins big-time

The latest major opinion polls seem to indicate that the general election on Aug. 30 will bring about a change of government in Japan, with the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) unseating the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Prime Minister Taro Aso as the predominant force in the Lower House. One is left...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 23, 2009

Obama hails Lincoln — but is he on course to fail the LBJ way?

"Some of our bankers had shown themselves either incompetent or dishonest in their handling of the people's funds. They had used the money entrusted to them in speculations and unwise loans. . . . It was the government's job to straighten out this situation and do it as quickly as possible, and the job...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Aug 23, 2009

TV celeb wannabes, origins of noodle-making and mysteries of Azuchi Castle

Show business likes family dynasties even more than politics does, though you may wonder how new "stars" are introduced when they have nothing more to offer than their surnames. Eight "talked-about teen candidates" for show biz stardom are the guests on this week's installment of the variety show "The...

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