Search - opinion

 
 
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 17, 2022

Property markets work better when the line doesn’t always go up

Japan's housing sector has been flat for years. But if dwellings are plentiful and attainable, why should that be a bad thing?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 16, 2022

Markets’ magical thinking on China has extended to the BOJ

After tying themselves in knots over Xi Jinping's 'COVID zero' policy, it looks like investors are doing the same with Japan's central bank.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 16, 2022

G20 summit exposes Russia's increased isolation on world stage

In a leaders' declaration, the G20 noted that the conflict is constraining growth, disrupting supply chains, and heightening energy and food insecurity.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 16, 2022

New weight-loss drugs work, but who's paying?

Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly say they can treat obesity with a weekly injection. But insurers aren't yet on board.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2022

Before the blowup, Wall Street heavyweights went to bat for FTX

Trading firms, think tanks and professors all supported FTX's plans to shake up the derivatives industry.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 16, 2022

Poland blast: How NATO's defense obligations could be triggered by Ukraine war

The United States and its allies have said they are investigating reports a deadly explosion in Poland on Tuesday was caused by stray Russian missiles.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 16, 2022

Trump launches 2024 U.S. presidential run, getting jump on rivals

Trump's announcement comes earlier than usual even in a country known for protracted presidential campaigns and signals his interest in discouraging other possible contenders.
JAPAN
Nov 15, 2022

Justice Ministry panel puts forward option of joint custody for divorced parents

The proposal could see Japan move into line with international standards, but has been criticized by supporters of domestic violence victims.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 15, 2022

Toyota to unveil new Prius as hybrids lose luster to battery EVs

Even though the gas-sipping hatchback paved the way for Teslas and other fully electric vehicles, it's the less-hip option these days.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Nov 15, 2022

Cristiano Ronaldo accuses Manchester United of betrayal

The Portuguese star's blistering comments against his current club come after he refused to play as a substitute in a Premier League game against Tottenham last month.
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2022

With new group, prefectural governors take aim at Tokyo's dominance

Nearly half of Japan's 47 prefectural governors formed the group amid frustration with the government's slow progress in reducing the concentration of people and firms in the capital.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Longform
Nov 14, 2022

Could Roki Sasaki become the future face of Japanese baseball?

Chiba Lotte Marines starting pitcher reflects on the highs and lows of his breakout season.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 14, 2022

If you’ve had COVID-19, watch out for stroke symptoms

Several studies now show an elevated risk of serious blood vessel inflammation during and after an infection.
Japan Times
Rugby
Nov 12, 2022

France not interested in being tagged as Rugby World Cup favorite

'The notion of favorites is so subjective,' France team manager Raphael Ibanez told reporters this week. 'We leave other nations the statute of favorites.'
Peak of fossil fuel consumption may be approaching, but the post-peak period may not lead to a rapid decline, which could impact global efforts to combat climate change.
COMMENTARY
Oct 8, 2023

With fossil fuels, ‘peak demand’ isn’t what it sounds like

Peak fossil-fuel consumption will be a cause for celebration. But we should remain skeptical it’s as near as the IEA has said, especially for gas.
Iranians gather in Tehran on Saturday to show support for Palestinians after Hamas' attack on Israel.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 10, 2023

Gauging Iran’s culpability in the Israel conflict

Tehran has a lot of layers to sift through as it determines the extent of its support and the possible repercussions.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's administration faces discontent within the ruling coalition, mounting frustration from conservative elements in the LDP and persistently low public approval ratings.
COMMENTARY
Oct 10, 2023

As cracks form, Kishida’s political ship takes on water

The Kishida administration faces discontent within the ruling coalition, frustration from LDP conservatives and and low public approval ratings.
Israeli flags flutter at Ofer Park in Petah Tikva, Israel.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Oct 11, 2023

War threatens funding recovery in Israel's vital tech industry

A global slowdown and the Israeli government's divisive judicial reforms had prompted a sharp drop in funding earlier this year.
A group of Chinese tourists arrive at Haneda Airport in Tokyo in August.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 11, 2023

Japan public opinion turns most negative on China in nine years

More than 92% of respondents to the Japanese section of the poll said their impression of China was "not good,” up from 87% last year.
Alma Zadic, Austria's justice minister, during an interview in Vienna on Sept. 26
WORLD / Politics
Oct 11, 2023

In Europe's politics, disinformation and hate pose growing threat

Austrian Justice Minister Alma Zadic believes public institutions simply don’t have the resources to match the output of bad actors.
The U.K.'s decision to cut back on its HS2 high-speed rail network runs contrary to the path taken by Japan, which stuck to a long-term infrastructure plan.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2023

U.K. effort to imitate Japan's shinkansen falls short

There is value of sticking to a long-term infrastructure plan, as Japan has done for almost 50 years with its high-speed rail system.
Most projections show the world will hit peak humanity in the 21st century as people choose to have smaller families and women gain power over their own reproduction.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2023

Don’t worry about global population collapse

While environmentalists have long warned of a planet with too many people, now some economists are warning of a future with too few.
South Korean soldiers stand guard at the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 12, 2023

Halting inter-Korean military deal may increase security risks for Seoul

South Korea's new defense minister is calling to suspend parts of a 2018 agreement in order to increase Seoul's surveillance capabilities.
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has worked to make sure all the Springboks have a voice on the pitch.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 13, 2023

South Africa benefiting from Siya Kolisi's leadership at World Cup

"I think what sets Siya aside from other leaders is how he includes everyone's opinions in the team," center Jesse Kriel explained.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban meet in Budapest in October 2021. Modern autocrats focus on manipulating public opinion while gradually weakening the democratic institutions from which they claim legitimacy.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 5, 2023

No, the world's democracies are not 'backsliding'

Fears that we're turning the clock back on democracy are inaccurate — and unhelpful for dealing with new shades of authoritarianism.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem in July 2017.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2023

India’s realism comes of age in response to Israel-Hamas war

Unlike other Global South country leaders, Modi wasted no time expressing solidarity with Israel, an ally of India.
Voters fill out ballot papers at a polling station on Sydney's Bondi Beach on Saturday as polls open in Australia's historic Indigenous rights referendum.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 14, 2023

Australian voters reject greater Indigenous rights

The result will be a setback to reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Australians and a political blow to the center-left Labor government.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at Parliament House in Canberra on Saturday following the defeat of the Voice referendum.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 15, 2023

Australia referendum failure may mean more divisive politics

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese misread the public mood, analysts said, as he took responsibility for the referendum result.
Residents of Shaar HaGolan, Israel, attend a ceremony Thursday to pay tribute to the Israelis killed during the Hamas militant attack on Oct. 7.
WORLD
Oct 15, 2023

Hamas attacks shatter Israel's kibbutz ideal

When the sirens wail at the Sha'ar HaGolan kibbutz, there is total panic — and not just from those who live there permanently.
A demonstration in support of Ukraine in Tel Aviv in March 2022
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 13, 2023

Israel and Ukraine are linked, and the U.S. must stand with both

Ukraine and Israel are at the forefront of the battle between freedom and tyranny.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes