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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 23, 2011

Sapporo battles for Vietnam 'guzzlers' as China beer market slows

Japanese brewers are looking past China's $57 billion beer market to a country with less than one-tenth the population: Vietnam.
COMMENTARY
Dec 20, 2011

Suicide pact at Durban climate-health summit

The Durban climate summit that ended Dec. 11 has been proclaimed a great success. The chair, South Africa's international relations minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, told the delegates: "We have concluded this meeting with (a plan) to save one planet for the future of our children and our grandchildren...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 18, 2011

Their spirit seems willing but young Japanese are hesitant to get hitched

Back in the days of "there's gold in them thar hills," one of the prospectors' doleful refrains boasted the title "My Girlfriend's a Mule and a Mine." Across the Pacific and some 150 years on, I wouldn't be surprised if an echo of that plaintive air were not about to catch on among young Japanese males...
EDITORIALS
Dec 14, 2011

Glimpse of hope from Durban

The 17th Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) held in Durban, South Africa, since Nov. 28 agreed Sunday to start work in 2012 to write a comprehensive treaty that will require both developed and developing countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. According...
COMMENTARY
Dec 9, 2011

Russia's cooperation options for design of a trade scheme

Nowadays the trend toward trade and investment liberalization is developing under restraints of the opposite — protectionist — tendency strengthened by the shaky and unpredictable world situation, which in turn was created by the global financial and economic crisis.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Dec 7, 2011

Toyota plug-in hybrids seen going to head of the class

Toyota Motor Corp.'s new plug-in Prius threatens to cast a shadow over competitors' hybrids.
COMMENTARY
Dec 6, 2011

Growth on austerity road

The British chancellor of the Exchequer (the finance minister) in his autumn statement to the House of Commons on Nov. 29 admitted that the British budget deficit will last beyond 2015 — when a general election has to take place. That means continuing cuts in government expenditures and in public sector...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 30, 2011

Motor show opens with car firms facing triple whammy

The Tokyo Motor Show kicks off Saturday amid a variety of challenges facing the automobile industry, including intensifying global competition, the yen's historic surge and supply disruptions caused by natural disasters.
BUSINESS
Nov 22, 2011

Ex-finance minister warns of debt crisis

Japan risks falling into a similar sovereign debt crisis as Europe if it doesn't get the world's "worst" public debt situation in order, a former finance minister said.
EDITORIALS
Nov 19, 2011

Diet action for reconstruction

The Lower House on Nov. 10 passed the supplementary budget for fiscal 2011 to finance reconstruction from the March 11 disasters. This week the Upper House has started deliberations on it. Both the extra budget and related bills are expected to be enacted by the end of the month. But more than eight...
EDITORIALS
Nov 19, 2011

Storing radioactive waste

Eight months since disaster struck Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the cleanup of areas contaminated by radioactive substances and the safe storage of contaminated soil and waste are pressing issues.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 17, 2011

Thai floods may divert Japanese investment

Japanese companies, Thailand's biggest foreign investors, may spend more to build factories in neighboring Indonesia and Vietnam after the worst flooding in 70 years disrupted global production.
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2011

Toyota concepts await show

Ahead of next month's Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota Motor Corp. on Tuesday unveiled two fuel-efficient concept cars, one an electric vehicle and the other a fuel-cell vehicle.
BUSINESS
Nov 12, 2011

Sumitomo Electric eyes EVs, hybrids

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. plans to sell a sodium-ion battery it is working on to makers of electric and hybrid cars, expanding its horizons beyond commercial-vehicle fleet operators.
COMMENTARY
Nov 11, 2011

Two days that shook the CIS

On Oct. 18-19, eight of 11 members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) — gathering in St. Petersburg for its annual session — accepted a proposal from Russian Prime Minister and returning President Vladimir Putin to establish a free trade zone, thus taking a decisive step toward a Eurasian...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 9, 2011

Russia's Eurasian integration

With Russia's 2012 presidential elections effectively over since Vladimir Putin's decision to reclaim his old Kremlin office, it is time to turn from personalities to policies. Putin plans to stay in the Kremlin for two more presidential terms, another 12 years, as he is enabled to do by the recently-amended...
JAPAN
Nov 3, 2011

Timing may be everything in TPP

As emerging Asian economies facilitate growth in the region and increasingly stand out as important players in global trade, the United States appears intent on getting its own share of the pie in the form of taking a leadership role in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade framework.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 3, 2011

Japan has viable options on the TPP conundrum: Why not use one?

U.S. President Barack Obama will soon head to Hawaii for the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, November 8-13. Hosted by the United States, it and eight other APEC economies are holding talks to reach broad outlines of a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement.
EDITORIALS
Oct 24, 2011

U.S. remembers trade diplomacy

On the morning of Oct. 14, U.S. President Barack Obama signed three free-trade agreements, one each with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. The trade deals are important steps forward for the United States and its partners. While these deals are economic agreements, they are much more. In particular,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDIA-JAPAN SYMPOSIUM
Oct 24, 2011

India bids for closer East Asia ties for regional integration

India wants to play a role in the economic integration of Asia through closer ties with East Asian powers including China — despite a long history of political hostility — and Japan, journalists and experts from India said at a recent symposium in Tokyo.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 12, 2011

Missing the boat to Myanmar

Where is Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's foreign policy? A neighboring country that has suffered years of isolation and plunder by the misruling junta may be signaling that it wants to come in from the cold. Japan, which could offer the greatest help, seems to be asleep to the opportunity.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear