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COMMENTARY / World
Jul 8, 2010

Japan's economic fantasy

HONG KONG — Belatedly, Japan's leading politicians are waking from their coma and realizing that the country's economy is in a massive mess hit by a triple whammy of low growth, heavy debts and an increasingly aging population.
JAPAN / DECISION 2010
Jun 25, 2010

Showdown could reshape political scene

The last House of Councilors election in 2007 heralded a change of regime, with the then ruling Liberal Democratic Party losing control of the chamber. That loss was followed by the swift resignations of two LDP prime ministers, before a crushing defeat in the House of Representatives poll last August...
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jun 19, 2010

Aichi industry groups unsure which way to vote

Vote-gathering moves by industry groups are likely to draw much attention in the July House of Councilors election as it is widely said "gaining the organizational support is the key" to winning the vote.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 17, 2010

DPJ's Diet handling gets low marks

Last Christmas, then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama led the Democratic Party of Japan into its first ordinary Diet session, telling reporters he wanted to give the public a "sense of hope" as a gift and vowing "tangible results" to improve their livelihoods.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
May 29, 2010

Futenma blame game in full swing

OSAKA — In the end, the only thing Friday's agreement between the United States and Japan on relocating the Futenma air base does is to yet again avoid fundamental questions and problems that both sides have long ignored in favor of a face-saving political agreement for Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama....
COMMENTARY / World
May 15, 2010

Don't write Labour Party off

In an ironic twist, just as the Democratic Party of Japan government is considering importing elements of the Westminster model, British politics begins turning Japanese.
COMMENTARY / World
May 12, 2010

A dangerous deficit of democracy in Britain

HONG KONG — In spite of the United Kingdom's robust and rumbustious election campaign, once the votes were counted and the winning members of Parliament (MPs) were declared, it was clear that the U.K. is suffering a dangerous and growing democratic deficit.
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
Apr 27, 2010

Hatoyama, credibility of Japan is at stake

Dear Prime Minister Hatoyama,
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2010

Ishiba laments LDP's divisions

The Liberal Democratic Party should focus on creating clear policies and restructuring and end its internal bickering, LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 3, 2010

Decks cleared, DPJ focuses on poll

With Tuesday's Lower House passage of the fiscal 2010 budget securing the way for its enactment by the end of March, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan will now focus on passing as many key policies as it can to bring visible results to voters before the summer Upper House election.
COMMENTARY
Feb 16, 2010

China's reaction raises doubt about its intent

HONG KONG — China's reaction to the announcement by Washington of a large arms sales package to Taiwan suggests that, 20 months after Taiwan replaced hostility with cooperation in its dealings with the mainland, Beijing still believes it will ultimately need to use force to bring about unification....
JAPAN
Feb 11, 2010

LDP struggling in vain to rebuild

Taking the podium last month at the Liberal Democratic Party's first convention since its fall from power at the hands of voters last summer, Katsuya Nomura, former manager of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles baseball team, had a few words of advice for the LDP.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Feb 5, 2010

Prosecutors let Ozawa go, for now

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has for now avoided the nightmare of losing a key aide and arguably the government's most powerful string-puller, now that Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa has dodged criminal charges over a shady land deal.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2010

LDP tries to build steam before poll

The opposition-leading Liberal Democratic Party held its annual convention Sunday, promising party reform and victory in the July Upper House election while assailing the ruling Democratic Party of Japan over recent money scandals dogging Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa....
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 8, 2009

Inside Thailand's hidden separatist war

LEEDS, England — Thailand's former prime minister, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, recently ignited a furor when he proposed that the separatist campaign in his country's Muslim-majority southern provinces might be solved politically, with a form of self-rule. Thailand's ruling Democrat Party immediately called...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 19, 2009

Obama's Vietnam syndrome

NEW HAVEN — There can be no military resolution to the war in Afghanistan, only a political one. Writing that sentence almost makes me faint with boredom. As U.S. President Barack Obama ponders what to do about the war, who wants to repeat a point that's been made thousands of times? Is there anyone...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2009

A good time to remember the ANZUS alliance's fate

HONOLULU — The headlines associated with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' recent visit to Japan notwithstanding, relations between Washington and Tokyo are not as strained as they may appear . . . at least not yet. But there is no question that improper handling of a number of sensitive issues...
Japan Times
LIFE
Nov 8, 2009

JFW bucks the trend

For six flurried days from Oct. 19, Tokyo's ritzy Midtown complex area hosted a flock of excited fashionistas for the ninth biannual Japan Fashion Week.
JAPAN
Nov 7, 2009

DPJ exec eyes suffrage bill this term

The Democratic Party of Japan may submit a bill during the current extraordinary Diet session that would grant permanent foreign residents the right to vote in local-level elections, DPJ Diet affairs chief Kenji Yamaoka told reporters Friday, noting the session may also have to be extended.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 6, 2009

The human rights outlook and new justice minister

Ever since the historic landslide victory of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in the Lower House elections, we have wondered how the new government will wield its power. In the area of human rights protection, at least, there is cause to expect dramatic change. One of the more startling appointments...
COMMENTARY
Oct 21, 2009

Fading trust in the political class

LONDON — The world is clearly passing through a crisis of political legitimacy. People in growing numbers do not trust their governments or their governing classes. In many cases they despise them.
EDITORIALS
Sep 22, 2009

Less than sterling democracy

A month after the ballot was held, preliminary results for the Afghan presidential election are in. According to that tally — and to the surprise of no one — incumbent President Hamid Karzai has won. With more than 50 percent of the votes counted, his margin of victory allows him to skip a runoff...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 19, 2009

JRP grads bridge cultures

A group of young foreigners who visited Japan as part of a study program and mastered the language announced their favorite Japanese words Tuesday to an admiring domestic crowd.
COMMENTARY
Sep 12, 2009

DPP scoring political points at Taiwan's expense

What's going on in Taiwan? A year ago, there were serious concerns about the viability of Taiwan democracy. The Nationalist Party (KMT) had achieved an overwhelming majority with a sweeping victory in Legislative Yuan elections and had regained the presidency as a result of a landslide victory by its...
COMMENTARY
Aug 23, 2009

Japan has plenty of work to do in transforming how it governs

The world is changing dramatically and political governance is at stake.
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.

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