Search - politics

 
 
CULTURE / Film
Feb 6, 2009

'The Syrian Bride'

Strictly speaking, "The Syrian Bride" is a wedding movie, but its concerns are less with the wedding than about the effect of ethnic politics — subtle or not — on individual and family relationships. The Syrian Bride Rating: (4 out of 5) Ready for love: Hiam Abbass (left)...
COMMENTARY
Feb 4, 2009

Will Afghanistan turn into Obama's Vietnam?

You aren't really the U.S. president until you've ordered an airstrike on somebody, so Barack Obama is certainly president now: two in his first week in office. But now that he has been bloodied, can we talk a little about this expanded war he's planning to fight in Afghanistan?
COMMENTARY
Feb 3, 2009

Opening gestures show Obama's optimism

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Saying the right thing is not quite the same, to be sure, as doing the right thing, especially when you're the president of the United States. But it is much better than saying the wrong thing and then actually going on to do the wrong thing. We don't have to go back very far...
JAPAN
Jan 30, 2009

Ruling bloc, opposition resume Diet squabbling

Key ruling bloc and opposition lawmakers exchanged barbs Thursday in the Diet, opening a new round of squabbling following the enactment of a contentious secondary budget just two days earlier.
EDITORIALS
Jan 29, 2009

Dilatory confrontation

A second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008, which includes the controversial ¥2 trillion in cash handouts to all households, was enacted on Tuesday. The enactment process has highlighted a futile confrontation between the ruling and opposition camps. Both camps must be flexible since the nation badly...
JAPAN
Jan 29, 2009

Aso vows 'bold' steps to remedy economy

Prime Minister Taro Aso on Wednesday renewed his pledge to lead Japan out of the current economic crisis faster than any other country through drastic economic and employment measures.
EDITORIALS
Jan 27, 2009

China as number three

The Chinese government has revised its estimate of how much the economy grew in 2007. The revision is upward and, if accurate, means that China has surpassed Germany to become the third-largest economy in the world. That may start some celebrations on the mainland, but the Beijing leadership knows better...
JAPAN
Jan 27, 2009

Diet poised to OK second extra budget

The Diet was set Monday to approve over the strong protests of opposition parties a second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 that includes Prime Minister Taro Aso's controversial ¥2 trillion cash handout.
COMMENTARY
Jan 26, 2009

A return to common sense

Attention from all corners of the world is focused on Barack Obama, who was inaugurated as the first African- American president of the United States. As the sole superpower since the Cold War ended in 1989, America has often irritated other countries for choosing to pursue the path of a unilateralist...
EDITORIALS
Jan 24, 2009

The 'Decider' goes home

Mr. George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States, believes history will vindicate him. That thinking is typical of his presidency: It bespeaks an enduring optimism and faith in the future, a relentless refusal to bend to facts, and the certitude that his decisions, no matter how controversial,...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 22, 2009

Can Hamas leaders win the peace?

WASHINGTON — For generations to come, the Palestinians will remember the horrific war in Gaza with pain and bitterness. But what cannot yet be seen is how Palestinians will view Hamas. Whether Hamas can claim a victory — and whether Palestinians will believe them will be determined by the type of...
EDITORIALS
Jan 22, 2009

Mr. Obama takes office

Mr. Barack Obama is officially the 44th president of the United States. His inauguration Tuesday was the culmination of a historic process and a moment that many had dreamed of but never expected in their lifetime. Mr. Obama takes office amid a landscape of "gathering clouds and raging storms" as he...
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Jan 19, 2009

Aso getting the brushoff

As the approval rate for the government of Prime Minister Taro Aso plummets, bureaucrats have begun to distance themselves from him in favor of establishing closer ties with the No. 1 opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which they apparently think has at least a fair chance of displacing Aso's ruling...
JAPAN
Jan 19, 2009

Bureaucratic reform on the line

Former administrative reform minister Yoshimi Watanabe's resignation from the Liberal Democratic Party highlights a growing rebellion against Prime Minister Aso Taro, who has been struggling to steer the nation amid sagging public support.
Reader Mail
Jan 18, 2009

Don't spoil Japan's uniqueness

Gregory Clark's article is interesting, especially as it focuses on discrimination against foreigners. I believe The Japan Times publishes too many articles on discrimination issues and on the acceptance of immigration.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 18, 2009

The long-term security threat to Arab states

JERUSALEM — In Iran, elements from within the regime are reportedly offering a $1 million reward for the assassination of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak because of his opposition to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In Lebanon, the leader of Hezbollah, backed by Iran and Syria, merely calls for the Egyptian...
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2009

Watanabe, Eda to form political group but not new party

Former administrative reform minister Yoshimi Watanabe, who quit the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday, announced Friday he will form a political campaign group with lawmaker Kenji Eda and two analysts.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 16, 2009

Web site offers refugees a way to reunite

For Danish brothers David and Christopher Mikkelsen, it all began in 2005 when they met Mansour, a young Afghan refugee who had become separated from his family while fleeing the Taliban regime.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 14, 2009

'Change' is for the better in year's kanji highlights

The most popular kanji in headlines, blurbs and slogans last year had to do with disasters. Hen (変, to change, or metamorphose) was the most used character, according to the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, beating out close second and third choices kin (金 gold) and raku (落, to drop, or...
COMMENTARY
Jan 8, 2009

Outlook is mixed for 2009

Looking at 2009, the good news is that the global economy is likely to recover much faster than predicted. The bad news is that global politics are likely to deteriorate much more rapidly than most expected.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 6, 2009

Glasses retailer has price-cutting edge

Teruhiro Ueno has seen both his business and reputation grow by upholding a key retail strategy: undercutting the competition.
EDITORIALS
Jan 3, 2009

A year of transition

In 2008, talk of change was everywhere. This year that talk will be realized as historic changes take place around the world. In most cases, the process will be gradual and evolutionary. But we must also be prepared for revolutionary transformations as accumulated strains and stresses produce paradigm...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 3, 2009

No reason to have a cow over being bovine!

This column is to give thanks to the cows who have contributed so much to our lives. To those cows who have put their lives at steak for us humans as well as to those who have fodder to ruminate on and greener pastures to seek. Cows have made contributions to our society in many ways, but today I'd like...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2009

Small parties play up 'big' role in national politics

Political parties with fewer than 20 Diet seats face an identity crisis as the legislature moves closer to a two-party system following the huge gains made by the Democratic Party of Japan in the July 2007 Upper House election.
EDITORIALS
Jan 1, 2009

Gingerly start to the new year

Japan greets the new year with political stagnation and dysfunction inherited from 2008. The stifling atmosphere nationwide is due not only to deepening economic difficulties caused by the global financial crisis that started in the United States but also to the failure of Prime Minister Taro Aso's administration...
Reader Mail
Jan 1, 2009

Why attend an Indian school?

Regarding the Dec. 28 article "More parents send kids to Indian, Chinese schools": This would perhaps be very encouraging news to the Indian community in Japan and to Indians in general. But I am only in partial agreement with the views of Little Angels International School founder Angelina Jeevarani....
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 1, 2009

Will Obama's promise of change include U.S.-Japan relations?

The Jan. 20 inauguration of the U.S. administration of Barack H. Obama is not only of historic consequence for the United States in terms of his being the first black president as well as first chief executive from the post-Vietnam War generation, but it also has aroused extremely strong interest worldwide....

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