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EDITORIALS
Mar 29, 2016

Security legislation takes effect

Japan's postwar defense posture underwent a major change this week as new security legislation took effect, but how the government plans to implement the laws remains unclear.
EDITORIALS
Jan 18, 2016

Public access to government records

The principle of sovereignty resting with the people must be reinforced by improving public access to official documents.
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Dec 27, 2015

Hashimoto factor keeps political pundits on edge of their seats

Well, that didn't take long. Less than 24 hours after finishing as Osaka mayor, Toru Hashimoto met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Dec. 19.
EDITORIALS
Dec 7, 2015

State secrets law still deeply flawed

A year after it took effect, the serious flaws of the state secrets law remain unaddressed.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 24, 2015

Asia's $89 billion sexism issue

Japan is one of the worst offenders when it comes to sexism. Shinzo Abe needs to prove 'womenomics' is more than tokenism.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 15, 2015

Ruling bloc, three small opposition parties agree on security bills

The ruling bloc and three small opposition parties have basically agreed to have Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's national security bills accompanied by a resolution to ensure a greater role for the Diet in approving Self-Defense Forces dispatches abroad, and to vote on them, according to informed sources....
JAPAN / History
Aug 14, 2015

Emperor's WWII surrender aired amid turmoil in wartime regime

It was a hot day in Tokyo with a daytime high of 32.3 degrees Celsius 70 years ago when Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, declared Japan's surrender in World War II.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 10, 2015

Japan's military that isn't: a short primer in self-defense doublespeak

Article 9 of Japan's Constitution, which renounces war, has been interpreted as permitting the maintenance and use of military force for self-defense, but this has led to some interesting linguistic gymnastics.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 17, 2015

Ishin no To leader lashes Abe over security bills

The ruling bloc had hoped Ishin no To would help the Cabinet enact controversial national security bills, but the party's leader flatly denied that.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 23, 2015

Any attempt to scale Japan's mountain of rules is doomed

In England of the distant past, the word "doom" was a legal term, referring to a judgment imposing a punishment. Some etymological sources suggest it has common roots with the Sanskrit "dharma," a deeply complex word that can refer to customary social duties or divine law, depending upon the religious...
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 6, 2015

Suga downplays U.S. comments on upcoming WWII statement

The Liberal Democratic Party will step up efforts this year to revise the Constitution, a long-cherished goal of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 28, 2014

Perilous spirit of the times

A gap has emerged between Japanese and foreign media in their appraisal of Japan's political scene. Some overseas media are growing skeptical that Japan is indeed a champion of freedom and democracy.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 20, 2014

Ministers' resignations recall the instability of other Cabinets in recent times

Monday's resignations by Cabinet ministers Yuko Obuchi and Midori Matsushima after only six weeks in office recalls the volatility of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's first Cabinet, but financial scandals are not the preserve of the Liberal Democratic Party alone.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 4, 2014

'Daddy's girl' Obuchi to oversee nuclear industry

Yuko Obuchi, the 40-year-old daughter of the late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, was Wednesday appointed as the first female trade and industry minister, one of five women Prime Minister Shinzo Abe named to his new Cabinet.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 13, 2014

Article 9 ball in New Komeito's court as Abe rushes collective defense talks

Ruling coalition partner New Komeito mulls new defense principles from the Liberal Democratic Party that would let Japan use collective self-defense in nearly any circumstance.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 10, 2014

LDP seeks defense deal by Friday

Unless the ruling coalition strikes a deal this week, Cabinet will be unable to approve the use of collective self-defense during the current Diet session, a senior Liberal Democratic Party minister says.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 12, 2013

Government to promulgate new secrets law quickly

The government will promulgate the contentious state secrets law Friday, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet will be tested in its ability to create viable independent overseers to check how the state classifies and declassifies information before the law takes effect within a year.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 9, 2013

Secrets law bruises Abe's ratings

The Cabinet's sharp drop in the opinion polls shows that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe might have expended too much of his political capital on enacting the state secrets law.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 4, 2013

Opposition takes final swipe at bill

The ruling bloc and the opposition camp face off again over the contentious state secrets bill, even though it appears headed for passage by the Upper House before the Diet session ends Friday.
EDITORIALS
Dec 1, 2013

NSC council has dangerous flaws

The Upper House has enacted a law that establishes a Japanese version of the U.S. National Security Council. But there's no guarantee the NSC will contribute to the government's making rational security and diplomatic decisions.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 4, 2013

New secrecy law seen best serving bureaucrats

The secrecy bill is dangerous because Japan already has a lot of nondisclosable information and several laws to protect it, the head of an NPO warns.
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Oct 20, 2013

Political winds buffet NHK

An NHK insider warns that the quality of Japan's public broadcasting system is threatened by a poor personnel appointment for which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pulling the strings.

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’