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EDITORIALS
Aug 10, 2012

Confusing political games

A confused state of affairs developed in the Diet this week. On Tuesday night, the Liberal Democratic Party decided to submit a no-confidence motion against the Noda Cabinet to the Lower House and a censure motion against Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to the Upper House, despite the fact that the LPD,...
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2012

LDP chief holds tax bill hostage to election

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda needs to give assurances that he will dissolve the Lower House and call a snap election before the Liberal Democratic Party votes for his social security and tax reform bills in the Upper House, the leader of the top opposition party said Monday.
COMMENTARY
Aug 1, 2012

Disease hindering the development of Africa

The high cost of treating certain diseases, most notably HIV/AIDS, when coupled with the indirect costs from lost worker productivity, is having a serious negative impact on African economies. More effort must go toward primary care, especially in rural areas, accompanied by activities to promote health,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2012

Strife-idled plant hits Maruti's dominance

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. is weighing options for restoring production of its most popular models as recurring labor disputes at one of its plants threaten the company's lead in Asia's third-largest car market.
EDITORIALS
Jul 25, 2012

Equalizing pension benefits

There has been criticism that public servants have been receiving advantageous treatment in retirement allowances and pension benefits, compared with corporate workers.
EDITORIALS
Jul 23, 2012

Aid with strings for Afghanistan

The international community has agreed to continue its support for Afghanistan, committing at a conference on July 8 in Tokyo to provide $16 billion in aid to the embattled government. But donors have adopted a new mindset, demanding that the money be well spent and promising the government in Kabul...
EDITORIALS
Jul 21, 2012

Divisions serve to weaken ASEAN

The foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations held an extraordinary meeting on July 13 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Earlier there they had expressed concern over territorial disputes over islands and reefs in the resource-rich South China Sea between certain ASEAN members...
EDITORIALS
Jul 15, 2012

Alternatives by Mr. Ozawa

Former Democratic Party of Japan chief Ichiro Ozawa, who bolted the DPJ to protest against Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's plan to eventually double the consumption tax rate from the current 5 percent to 10 percent from October 2015, inaugurated a new party on July 11 together with 36 other Lower House...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 8, 2012

What nobody is saying about Noda's new consumption tax bill

Two weeks ago, the Lower House passed a law to increase the consumption tax to 10 percent by 2015, something Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has been pushing with blinkered, self-sacrificial dedication. Eventual final passage seems inevitable at this point, and so the only aspect deemed worthy of discussion...
BUSINESS
Jul 5, 2012

Azumi blasts 'wasteful' SDF reserves

An army of reserve soldiers that was never mobilized after last year's disasters has been cited as an example of waste by Finance Minister Jun Azumi, who also called for tighter control of government spending.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 5, 2012

Use JGBs, not tax hike, to spur growth: 'Mr. Yen'

Far from tightening its fiscal belt, Japan should expand the world's largest debt pile to rekindle economic growth, said former Finance Ministry official Eisuke Sakakibara.
EDITORIALS
Jul 4, 2012

Mr. Ozawa needs more than slogan

Former Democratic Party of Japan chief Ichiro Ozawa and 49 other DPJ lawmakers on Monday bolted from the DPJ, which Mr. Ozawa had helped come to power by leading it to a victory in August 2009 Lower House election.
EDITORIALS
Jul 2, 2012

Commitment that failed to come

The U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20, was held in Rio de Janeiro on June 20-22 as a follow up to the 1992 U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit), also held in the Brazilian city. Since 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the U.N. Framework Convention...
BUSINESS
Jun 28, 2012

Households face staggering rises in social welfare costs

The average household headed by a corporate worker will face a much heavier financial burden in 2015 if the consumption tax and other social security costs are raised, according to analysts.
EDITORIALS
Jun 28, 2012

Collusion on consumption tax hike

The Democratic Party of Japan together with the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito on Tuesday passed through the Lower House bills for the so-called unified reform of the tax and social security systems. In the voting for a bill to raise the consumption tax — a pet idea of Prime Minister Yoshihiko...
BUSINESS
Jun 28, 2012

Fuji Heavy may top midterm U.S. sales target on Forester popularity

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. says it may exceed its midterm target for U.S. sales of its Suburu cars on stronger than expected demand and the introduction of a new Forester sport utility vehicle.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 28, 2012

Tax hike risks stunting growth in '14

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda risks stalling the economy by pushing through his consumption tax increase, which may dampen spending even as it aids efforts to tame the world's largest debt burden.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 27, 2012

Sony, Panasonic to collaborate on OLED TVs

Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. have agreed to jointly develop televisions using OLED displays as they try to rebound from a combined ¥1.2 trillion in losses last year.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’