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COMMENTARY
Aug 21, 2009

Decay of Japanese politics

Japan's politics in recent years has lacked dynamism and incurred people's distrust. The purpose of politics is to present a vision for the nation's future, identify the systems and policies needed, and ensure the safety and prosperity of the nation and its people. Recently, though, Japanese politics...
JAPAN
Aug 19, 2009

Focus for many is on how big DPJ win might be

Most observers are betting the Democratic Party of Japan will win the Aug. 30 Lower House election, with their focus now on just how big the DPJ's victory will be.
JAPAN / ELECTION 2009
Aug 16, 2009

'Telepolitics,' polls shake up status quo

Japanese politics has been in a chaotic state for the past few years, perplexing millions of voters. The country has seen four prime ministers in the past three years, and the latest — Taro Aso — could be forced out if the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition force, grabs power in the...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 16, 2009

Japanese attacks provoked a seismic 'me-too' shift Down Under

"On 27 December [1941], with his government a mere 12 weeks old, [Prime Minister John] Curtin stood Australian foreign policy on its head by declaring that the country now 'looked to America' for protection from the Japanese. Until this ringing pronouncement, Australia, in truth, barely had a foreign...
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2009

Hatoyama, Aso trade barbs in first showdown since call for election

Prime Minister Taro Aso and Democratic Party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama held their first one-on-one battle Wednesday since the Lower House was dissolved last month, and the two attempted to attack each other over which party was suitable to lead.
EDITORIALS
Aug 10, 2009

Funds for local government

A Cabinet Office panel on the promotion of devolution is pushing discussions that will lead to the preparation of a third set of recommendations for the prime minister. This set was originally supposed to be submitted in May, but its submission was postponed to September because of strong opinion within...
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2009

Clinton's success highlights Japan's abductee failures

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton's dramatic trip to North Korea this week to win the release of two American journalists stands in sharp contrast to Japan's lack of an effective strategy to resolve the fate of its own citizens abducted by Pyongyang.
JAPAN / ELECTION 2009
Aug 8, 2009

DPJ shows stress fractures under pressure of leadership

Third in a series
COMMENTARY
Aug 8, 2009

Disaster in Afghanistan

Thousands of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom and several other nations are struggling on in Afghanistan, with the Americans and British in particular suffering heavy casualties. But why are they there, and what are they trying to achieve?
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 4, 2009

Strict rules in play to keep campaigning above board

Since Prime Minister Taro Aso dissolved the Lower House last month and announced Aug. 18 would be the official start of campaigning for the Aug. 30 general election, hundreds of undeclared candidates have been making the rounds to attract voters.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2009

Those off lay judge hook feel relieved

Relief was the overriding emotion of the candidates who weren't picked in a final lottery draw Monday to participate in the first criminal trial under the new lay judge system.
BUSINESS
Aug 4, 2009

Toyota, Mazda lead sales decline

Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. led a 4.2 percent drop in domestic vehicle sales last month as unemployment surged.
JAPAN / PARTY POWERS
Aug 1, 2009

Hatoyama disses LDP but is otherwise vague

With the pivotal Aug. 30 election looming, Democratic Party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama said Friday the upcoming Lower House battle will offer the public an opportunity to hand down its judgment on the past four years of Liberal Democratic Party rule.
COMMENTARY
Aug 1, 2009

Tough times for politicians

Democratic governments everywhere are in trouble. In Britain, the Labour government is tottering. In Japan, defeat looms for Prime Minister Taro Aso's Liberal Democratic Party. In Italy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is clinging on amid a sea of scandal. In France, hyperactive President Nicolas Sarkozy...

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past