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Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 7, 2011

JET post best, not 'pityfest'

SHICHIGAHAMA, Miyagi Pref. — There is a picture folder in Marti McElreath's Facebook account that chronicles her time in Shichigahama, a town located on a small peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture less than an hour's drive from Sendai and where she has been working since last summer under the Japan Exchange...
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2011

Bonds, not taxes, should fund recovery, experts say

The government should draft a supplementary budget of at least ¥10 trillion or even ¥20 trillion to rebuild areas damaged by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and raise the money by issuing government bonds instead of hiking the consumption tax, economists and financial experts said Monday.
MORE SPORTS / ICE TIME
Mar 30, 2011

France's noble gesture resonates in midst of crisis

It has been said that in times of crisis, people show their true colors.
EDITORIALS
Mar 30, 2011

Portugal's problems

And now, it is Portugal's turn. Last Wednesday, the government in Lisbon was forced to resign when the opposition refused to back a tough economic package designed to tackle the country's fiscal crisis. The result is a political crisis on top of an economic mess, one that threatens — again — to spill...
COMMENTARY
Mar 30, 2011

Lessons of the nuclear crisis

SINGAPORE — Before Japan's nuclear crisis struck, the world appeared to be on the verge of a nuclear renaissance. An increasing number of countries, especially in Asia, were turning to atomic power to provide electricity for rapid economic growth without the carbon emissions that many scientists say...
EDITORIALS
Mar 21, 2011

Promoting tourism

Can tourism become a force for economic growth? The Japanese government hopes so, making tourism, including medical tourism, one pillar of its new growth strategy adopted last summer.
BUSINESS
Mar 17, 2011

Taiwan may delay start of new atomic plant

Taiwan Power Co., the island's state-run grid monopoly, said Wednesday it may defer the start of a nuclear plant for the sixth time in light of Japan's calamity. The government may ask for stricter inspections of Taiwan's fourth atomic facility before allowing fuel to be loaded, Chief Engineer Roger...
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Mar 12, 2011

Arsenal fans have to be realistic

LONDON — The reaction was predictable.
EDITORIALS
Mar 11, 2011

China struggles with change

China's legislature, the National People's Congress, commenced its annual 10-day session last weekend. The body is pretty much a rubber stamp, providing a democratic veneer to the decisions of the Chinese Communist Party. The session does shed light on affairs of state, in particular the government's...
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2011

Prius station wagon models set to debut, will vie with Honda

Toyota Motor Corp. was poised to unveil two new Prius prototypes Wednesday that are extended versions of its popular sedan, hoping that when they debut on the domestic market at the end of April, demand will be further stimulated for fuel-efficient hybrids.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 6, 2011

Minding the tensions over changes in China

The closing decade of the 20th century offered a crystal ball for anyone peering into the future of the Asia-Pacific region. Japan's economy, once the region's leader, was "lost" after its asset bubble burst, whereas China overcame the economic stagnation that followed the Tiananmen Square crisis of...
EDITORIALS
Mar 6, 2011

Vaccination policy booster

Japan's vaccination policy has taken a small step forward. The fiscal 2010 supplementary budget approved by the Diet in late November includes some ¥108.5 billion to financially help local governments subsidize the costs of inoculation with three types of vaccines: one to prevent haemophilus influenza...
/ Sarah Furuya Coaching
Mar 3, 2011

Democracy's brakes on costly wars are fading

NEW YORK — As the United States takes up the decision to lift its self-imposed debt ceiling, we would do well to remember why America's public debt is as large as it is, and how it matters. With the rise of the tea party, Republicans may rail against raising the debt ceiling, but they are likely to...
JAPAN
Mar 1, 2011

Kim's son likely to make high-profile visit to China

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's son and the hermit nation's heir apparent, Kim Jong Un, will probably visit China immediately following the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 14, according to a document recently seen by The Japan Times.
BUSINESS
Feb 26, 2011

Consumer prices dip 0.2%, fall for 23rd month

Consumer prices went south for the 23rd straight month in January as deflation kept its hold on the world's No. 3 economy.
EDITORIALS
Feb 26, 2011

Toll system is seriously flawed

Under a system introduced by the former Liberal Democrat Party-Komeito coalition government, set to expire at the end of March, vehicles using the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system enjoy a variety of expressway toll discounts, including a ¥1,000 ceiling on weekends and holidays.
BUSINESS
Feb 26, 2011

Public pension fund may sell bonds for payouts

The public pension fund said it may become a net seller of bonds to cover payments in the world's fastest aging society.
BUSINESS
Feb 25, 2011

Steel merger to save ¥100 billion in costs: analysts

Nippon Steel Corp. and Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd.'s deal to create the world's No. 2 steelmaker may shave as much as ¥100 billion off costs as the companies consolidate operations, according to analysts.
BUSINESS
Feb 22, 2011

UBS predicts Topix will break 1,200 by March '12

Tokyo's Topix index will rise to 1,200 in the year ending in March 2012, said UBS AG in a report dated Feb. 18.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 19, 2011

Bracing for Pakistan's 'Mubarak moment'

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's domestic situation is becoming increasingly precarious. Indeed, serious questions are being raised as to whether the country can survive in its present form.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Feb 19, 2011

Arsenal's win impressive, but work remains

LONDON — One of the beauties of football is that at times you simply cannot explain how something happens.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji