Tag - kansai-perspective

 
 

KANSAI PERSPECTIVE

Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Feb 21, 2016
As residents and reactors age, Fukui's fortunes fade
On a gray winter day late last month alternating between rain and sleet, many in the Sea of Japan town of Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, were feeling sunny. For the restart of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama plant No. 3 reactor means not only a return to nuclear power, but a return of the money stream that flows from it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Jan 24, 2016
Politics heating up over Hokuriku Shinkansen Line's undecided last leg
The opening last March of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line extension to Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, brought the Hokuriku region closer to Nagano and Tokyo than ever before, and similar efforts are underway to connect the region with Kansai.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Jan 24, 2016
Barring the unforeseen, Kyoto's dwindling voters look set to keep kimono-clad mayor
Given Kyoto's prosperous domestic and international tourism industry, the mayoral election on Feb. 7 is widely expected to be an easy win for incumbent Daisaku Kadokawa, 65, who is backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito and the Democratic Party of Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Dec 27, 2015
Fukui defies critics of nuclear evacuation plan
Last week's approval by Fukui Gov. Issei Nishikawa to restart two Takahama nuclear reactors, followed by the Fukui District Court's lifting of a provisional injunction, means Japan will soon fire up its third and fourth reactors since 2012.
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.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Nov 22, 2015
Osaka group preps Kansai solution to Futenma base row
If a group of Osaka residents has its way, the U.S. Marine Corps base at Futenma in Okinawa may not end up in the northern part of the island, but in one of five spots in their prefecture.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Oct 25, 2015
Osaka elections pull LDP closer to old foes
The Osaka chapter of the Japanese Communist Party calls on its members to back LDP candidates in November's mayoral and gubernatorial elections.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Oct 25, 2015
Kyoto advances nuclear-free agenda with Alaska LNG pact
The Kyoto Prefectural Government signed an agreement with Alaska last month to explore the possibility of importing liquid natural gas from the state to Maizuru, a port city on the Sea of Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Sep 27, 2015
For Hashimoto, much at stake in name of new national party
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, who is trying to form a new national party to represent the Kansai region, is tasked with deciding on a suitable name.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Sep 27, 2015
Will bureaucrats stymie Kyoto's bid to lure central government bodies out of Tokyo?
Every decade or so, it seems talk arises in Japan about relocating the functions of the central government outside the capital.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Aug 23, 2015
Top-heavy, nuke-clinging Kepco faces liberated electricity market
News that 7-Eleven stores in the Kansai region will trade Kansai Electric Power Co.'s electricity in favor of cheaper electricity from Tokyo Electric Power Co. has locals wondering if Kepco's six-decade monopoly over Kansai's electricity supply might be ending.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Aug 23, 2015
As Hashimoto's reign nears end, a divisive legacy remains
Assuming he does not once again change his mind and seek re-election, the curtain on Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's local political career falls on Nov. 22, when voters elect a new mayor and governor.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Jul 26, 2015
Hashimoto's proposed Kansai-centric party no easy sell in region, where rivalries limit appeal
No stranger to making headlines and raising eyebrows in politics, the fiery Toru Hashimoto did it again on July 4.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Jun 15, 2015
Osaka's assault on ethnic invective stalls
With last week's decision by the Osaka Municipal Assembly to delay a decision on what would have been Japan's first city ordinance to combat hate speech and to issue a nonbinding statement instead, local legal efforts to crack down on racist rhetoric have slowed.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Jun 15, 2015
Hate speech may lack clear definition but Kansai trying to squelch it
More than two years after the anti-Korean group Zaitokukai made international headlines with racial slurs and threats of violence, local governments around Japan are making it far more difficult for any group attacking minorities to operate.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
May 24, 2015
Cities outshine Tokyo on energy mix with ambitious goal for renewables
The government is preparing to announce its 'best energy mix' for 2030, but its cost projections for nuclear power and renewable energy are raising eyebrows.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Apr 26, 2015
Unlike elections, referendums are a PR free-for-all
With less than three weeks until the May 17 referendum on whether to consolidate the city of Osaka into five semi-autonomous wards, supporters and opponents of the plan are engaged in an intense and unprecedented media and public relations campaign to win over voters.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Apr 26, 2015
Cycling the Kyoto maze could get easier
As Kyoto residents know, bicycles are the best way to get around the congested city, which is taking steps to make it more amenable to foreign cyclists.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Mar 22, 2015
Election results in Kansai will weigh on Abe's plans
In Kansai, the outcome of the national unified local elections on April 12 and 26 might change Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's budget and policy priorities.
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Mar 22, 2015
First wave of April elections litmus test for Osaka merger plan
For most prefectures, cities and towns, April's quadrennial unified elections will be the last opportunity for the next few years to vote on local matters.

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree