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JAPAN
Oct 25, 2013

Tax hike may induce firms to use more temp workers

In what could be an unintended consequence, the sales tax hike set for next April may tempt companies to replace their regular workers with "haken" temporary workers, some tax law experts say.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 4, 2013

Japan can handle levy hike: 'Mr. Yen'

The nascent economic recovery is strong enough to weather an increase in the consumption tax to repair the government's finances, according to former senior Finance Ministry official Eisuke Sakakibara.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jul 8, 2013

Driven by regret over neighbor's death, first-time filmmaker declares war on suicide

Rene Duignan is passionate about life — so much so that he made an award-winning film about it. Yet Duignan, 42, is not a professional filmmaker; he's an Irish economist working for the European Union delegation to Japan. The documentary, titled "Saving 10,000 — Winning a War on Suicide in Japan,"...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 26, 2013

Nissan's female execs help drive strong sales

Among the 780,000 people employed in Japan's auto industry, only three are women responsible for the rollout of new models. They all work at Nissan Motor Co.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 19, 2012

Bolster energy, security ties: top French envoy

Japan and France can have a solid role to play in today's globalized world if the two countries share a common goal and pursue further cooperation, French Ambassador Christian Masset said recently in Tokyo.
BASKETBALL
Sep 22, 2012

Japan tops Qatar, advances to FIBA Asia Cup final

Entering the FIBA Asia Cup, Team Japan set a goal of advancing to the semifinals. Well, the last four is good, but at the same time it sounds like a compromising goal.
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.
BUSINESS
Mar 27, 2012

JGBs, not tax hikes, way to go, Sakakibara says

Japan should issue more bonds to help boost the economy instead of attempting tax hikes, which might stifle a recovery, said Eisuke Sakakibara, a former Finance Ministry official.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 26, 2011

The greater evil is to expect an Asia-Pacific war

Now that the war in Afghanistan appears to be reaching an end, President Barack Obama has indicated that the United States will shift focus toward the Asia-Pacific.
COMMENTARY
Nov 18, 2011

Partnership in the Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting in Hawaii underscored once again the importance of wide-ranging cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. This concept of cooperation was first advocated by Japan and Australia several decades ago.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 28, 2011

Aussie pronatal policy is not a model for Japan

Since reaching a total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.57 in 1989, Japan has been deeply concerned about demographic trends and future prospects. Below replacement fertility — measured as less than 2.1 children per woman — has been a feature of Japanese demography since 1974.
COMMENTARY
Aug 16, 2011

The Song of Chu and Japanese politics today

"Song of Chu all around" (si-mian-Chu-ge) is an old Chinese saying that means "being besieged or deserted on all sides."
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 10, 2011

What in the world happened to free trade?

These days nobody talks about free trade. It is widely believed that free trade is a relic of the past. Free trade, like the term globalization seems to be out of place in this world of polite environmentalism. Free trade has been replaced by the sensitive and caring "fair trade." In reality, the bedfellow...
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2011

Yen surge threatens to erase quake rebound

The yen's biggest monthly advance since 2008 is threatening profits of exporters from Toyota Motor Corp. to Nissan Motor Co., endangering the rebound from March's record earthquake.
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2011

'Mr. Yen' sees dollar in ¥75 range

The yen may strengthen to as high as 75 per dollar, former Finance Ministry official Eisuke Sakakibara said as policymakers voiced increased concern about the threat the strengthening currency poses on the economy.
COMMENTARY
Apr 8, 2011

Politics of crisis leadership

The mega-crisis engendered in Japan by the great earthquake and tsunami has brought to the surface the political problem of Japanese crisis management.
COMMENTARY
Feb 25, 2011

Deciphering Russian aims

The Russian prime minister's surprise visit to the Northern Territories and subsequent Russian hard position on the territorial issue have triggered a series of reactions in Japan, which in turn have hardened the Russian position and thereby spoiled Japan-Russia relations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 23, 2011

Yen to surge, boost M&As: Sakakibara

The yen will rise beyond its postwar high of 79.75 versus the dollar and stay stronger than 80 this year because of the structural weakness of the U.S. economy, according to Eisuke Sakakibara, who at one time was Japan's top currency official.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 18, 2011

Russian-held isles: So near, so far

On the morning of Nov. 1, Dmitry Medvedev became the first Russian leader to set foot on one of the four islands off Hokkaido seized by the Soviets at the end of World War II that Japan has long wanted returned.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Nov 16, 2010

Kan given low score for weekend

Pundits came away unimpressed over the weekend by Prime Minister Naoto Kan's bilateral meetings with his Chinese and Russian counterparts and his hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Yokohama.
COMMENTARY
Oct 7, 2010

Depth of the Japan-China rift

The row between Japan and China over the Senkaku Islands is, on the surface, a territorial issue. The root of the rift, however, is much deeper and wider.
COMMENTARY
Sep 6, 2010

The Australian 'distance'

"Beauty of Distance" is the title of this year's Sydney Biennale of modern arts. The title is obviously an echo and ironic association with the famous book written about Australia titled "Tyranny of Distance," which depicted the dilemma of Australia associating mentally with Europe (England) yet being...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2010

Sakakibara sees little gain in intervention

The government will struggle to halt the yen's advance toward a record high because the U.S. probably won't support any intervention to weaken it, said Eisuke Sakakibara, formerly Japan's top currency official.
COMMENTARY
Jun 13, 2010

Japan-U.S. relations cry out for new management, dialogue

Ripples, frictions, uneasiness, concern and even dismay — these are the words by which most of the Japanese mass-media commentaries characterize present Japan-U.S. relations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 9, 2010

Sakakibara says euro headed for parity with dollar

The euro may lose 20 percent or more against the dollar and fall below ¥100 as concern over Europe's debt crisis mounts, according to Eisuke Sakakibara, the former Finance Ministry official known as "Mr. Yen."
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
May 2, 2010

Renho: Japan's fiscal firebrand

Renho, a first-term Upper House member from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, shot to stardom in Japan last November when, as a member of a government committee tasked with screening ministries' budget requests, she had several fierce, face-to-face battles with bureaucrats.
COMMENTARY
Apr 14, 2010

Whither goes Chinese identity?

The former prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, is now called the minister mentor. He is indeed a great mentor to Singapore, as it is he who has led the nation to become one of the most affluent and most stable, disciplined societies in the world.
COMMENTARY
Feb 19, 2010

Japan, China, past, present

China's recent economic progress coupled with its growing assertiveness in international politics has, in Asia, Europe and the U.S., given rise to some concern and a number of commentaries about the role of China in international politics.
COMMENTARY
Oct 30, 2009

Significance of East Asia

There have been renewed debates over the pros and cons of forming an East Asia community ever since the Hatoyama Cabinet advocated its promotion. Such debates have triggered the argument in the United States (and among some Japanese journalists) that East Asia community building runs counter to U.S....

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji