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EDITORIALS
Nov 18, 2008

The G20 rises to the challenge

In retrospect, last weekend's meeting of world leaders to deal with the global economic crisis was fated to succeed. While such gatherings usually produce stale rhetoric and mere exhortations to take substantive action, this meeting produced an 11-page document with enough content to qualify as a genuine...
COMMENTARY
Nov 18, 2008

Enlightened realism in Ukraine

LONDON — The brawl in the Ukrainian Parliament on Nov. 11 was an undignified ending to the country's two-month political crisis, but something important has changed. In the immediate aftermath of the Orange Revolution of 2004, the more extreme Ukrainian nationalists fantasized that the country could...
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Nov 17, 2008

LDP split on when to fight

A serious schism has developed within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Taro Aso between those who demand an early general election and those who favor waiting for the political and economic situation to improve so that the party has a better chance of winning.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Nov 15, 2008

Husband's support crucial for Yamauchi

Six pieces of "mochi" pounded rice patty in miso soup are an excessive amount of carbohydrate, and Atkins diet believers would freak out if they even thought about consuming that amount. In fact, that would even be too much for even normal adult males to have in a single meal.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 14, 2008

'Blindess'

When chaos hits, no one is morally or philosophically unscathed. Such is the moral of "Blindness," based on Portuguese author Jose Saramago's 1995 best seller and adapted to the screen by Brazil's Fernando Meirelles ("City of God").
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2008

The financial hurricane hits Latin America

LOS ANGELES — A few weeks ago, the world was on the edge of disaster. Fortunately, the decisive actions taken by the advanced countries' monetary authorities — including provision of unprecedented amounts of liquidity — prevented a complete financial meltdown. The world has avoided the "Argentinization"...
EDITORIALS
Nov 11, 2008

Historic visit to Taiwan

The Taiwan Strait continues to narrow. Last week witnessed the highest-level contacts between Taiwan and mainland China since the 1949 civil war. The visit of Mr. Chen Yunlin to Taipei continues the bridge-building between the two sides and is a step forward in the eyes of all who seek peace and stability...
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / STYLEWISE,ON: FASHION
Nov 11, 2008

Fashion for the masses

Swedish "fast-fashion" chain H & M made a big splash when it opened in Ginza in September and the line just to get into the store continues to be 30-minutes long. The company has added to its brood with a new youth-oriented store in Harajuku, kicking it off with a collaboration with Japanese label Comme...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 11, 2008

To go naked in autumn, you've gotta have yu

As soon as the weather starts to get chilly in this country, it seems that peoples' minds turn to two things: yu (湯, hot water) and nabe (鍋, hot pot). Anyone staying in Japan longer than a year will have noticed it — as a nation, Japanese are hopelessly samugari (寒がり, prone to being cold)....
JAPAN / Q&A
Nov 11, 2008

Tamogami — history again retold

Ousted Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Gen. Toshio Tamogami's war essay justifying Japan's aggression in China and colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula has stirred controversy both at home and abroad. More is in store as he is set to give unsworn testimony Tuesday in the Upper House.
COMMENTARY
Nov 9, 2008

McCain's heart wasn't really in it

LOS ANGELES — History's losers can emerge later as history's winners, especially in U.S. politics. John F. Kennedy lost his bid to become the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 1956, but his televised concession speech helped to propel him into the White House four years later.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Nov 9, 2008

What a world of difference that one momentous day could make

The stunning victory of Barack Obama in last Tuesday's election is a cause of great joy not only for Americans but for people all over the world.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 8, 2008

American dream triumphs

HONG KONG — Congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama and to the people of the United States of America, some of whom lined up for five hours to vote, for their stunning victory. Bill Bennett, a former Republican Cabinet secretary under Ronald Reagan, commented that "the country has grown up."...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 6, 2008

Mock vote lets youths speak out

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama won big Wednesday, and a mock poll held at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo indicates the senator is popular with young Japanese, too.
JAPAN
Nov 6, 2008

Repeat of Clinton-era friction, concerns unlikely

Democrats in the United States and residents in the town of Obama, Fukui Prefecture, may be getting carried away Wednesday by news of Sen. Barack Obama's victory in the U.S. presidential election.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 2008

Dalai Lama admits his approach to Tibet greater autonomy has failed

The Dalai Lama said Monday that his approach to Tibet's greater autonomy has so far failed, and that Tibetans should decide for themselves the future direction the region should take.
COMMENTARY
Nov 3, 2008

Different playbooks aimed at balancing Asia's powers

NEW DELHI — The Japan-India security agreement signed recently marks a significant milestone in building Asian power equilibrium. A constellation of Asian states linked by strategic cooperation and with shared common interests is becoming critical to instituting stability at a time when major shifts...
EDITORIALS
Nov 1, 2008

Economic damage control

Prime Minister Taro Aso on Thursday evening announced a ¥26.9 trillion economic stimulus package in an effort to minimize damage to the Japanese economy from the global financial crisis. The current economic turmoil could have a devastating effect on people's lives. As Mr. Aso said, "The economy is...
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2008

Economic mess arrived to trump election chance

Prime Minister Taro Aso announced his intention Thursday to postpone dissolving the Lower House and calling a snap election.
BUSINESS / GERMAN JOURNALIST SYMPOSIUM
Oct 27, 2008

Germany struggles to strike economy-environment balance

Germany's ambitious targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions — coupled with its policy of phasing out nuclear power generation — pose a very serious challenge for the competitiveness of German industries, Daniel Goffart, a senior editor for politics and the economy at Handelsblatt, told the...
COMMENTARY
Oct 24, 2008

A Republican general's warning to America

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — It was a revealing moment in American politics. In endorsing Barack Obama for president of the United States over fellow Republican John McCain, Colin Powell was not simply giving his blessing to this candidate. That was the easy part.
COMMENTARY
Oct 24, 2008

There's no ignoring China

HONG KONG — Earlier this month, when Washington announced the sale of a $6.5 billion arms package to Taiwan, China reacted with anger. It has canceled a series of military and diplomatic contacts with the United States, including port calls by naval vessels, and indefinitely postponed meetings on halting...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 21, 2008

Japan's spies: What cloak, dagger?

How ill is Kim Jong Il?
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 19, 2008

Moving from Christian to Muslim democracy

BUDAPEST — This past summer, Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) narrowly escaped being banned by the country's constitutional court. State prosecutors alleged that the party was trying to "Islamicize" the country and ultimately introduce theocracy. After the decision, not only did...

Longform

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