William Pesek - The Japan Times

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William Pesek

COMMENTARY / Japan

Nov 20, 2014

Japan needs to begin thinking outside the box

Unless Japan gets truly imaginative, its 'lost' decade will persist for many years to come.

COMMENTARY / Japan

Nov 18, 2014

Japan needs action, not a general election

It's time for Abe to show some teeth and enact his restructuring program.

COMMENTARY / Japan

Nov 16, 2014

Takata case shows Abe faces an uphill battle

if Abe is going to get traction with policies to make corporate Japan more vibrant and productive, executives have to drop the ignore-deny-obfuscate mindset of old.

COMMENTARY / World

Nov 12, 2014

Beijing changes the subject in Hong Kong

To maintain its pivotal role, Hong Kong needs greater accountability to the people, not less.

Japan Times

COMMENTARY / Japan

Nov 10, 2014

GOP takeover could mean trouble for Japan

Perhaps no one in Asia is happier than Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party to see Republicans take over control of the U.S. Congress. In fact, Japan's plummeting currency and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal put Abe in a tough corner.

COMMENTARY / World

Nov 4, 2014

BOJ money no substitute for tapping China's market

As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks for new growth engines to reinvigorate Japan, he's ignoring obvious ones — like making bolder structural reforms and tapping China's market.

COMMENTARY / Japan

Oct 31, 2014

Six ways to give 'Abenomics' a boost

While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policies and proposed tax cuts favor companies that employ tens of thousands, they offer little for young Japanese with a laptop and a dream.

COMMENTARY

Oct 21, 2014

Abe's 'womenomics' is little more than skin deep

The sudden resignations of two female Cabinet ministers over separate spending scandals suggest that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prefers to appoint warm, telegenic figures to help him sell unpopular policies rather than strong, independent-minded women.

Japan Times

COMMENTARY / World

Oct 17, 2014

China should act as umbrella revolution folds

If Beijing learns anything from the biggest protests against its authority since the British returned the keys to Hong Kong in 1997, it should be that Hong Kongers want competent leaders, not cronies.

COMMENTARY / World

Oct 16, 2014

China's next export could be deflationary spiral

Given China's darkening data, it's looking like the global financial system will need all the liquidity it can muster, not less.

COMMENTARY / Japan

Oct 14, 2014

Japan's Nobel win should spur Abe to action

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been quiet on one reform that truly would encourage the risk-taking culture Japan needs so badly: making sure employees get paid for their inventions.

COMMENTARY / Japan

Oct 7, 2014

Tragic wake-up call as Abe pushes reactor restarts

The tragic eruption at Mount Ontake is a timely reminder that Japan is more blessed than cursed when it comes to natural resources. It possesses an enviable mix of water, wind and, most importantly, geothermal resources to fulfill its energy needs. It still has a chance to change course from the risky nuclear-energy road.

BUSINESS

Oct 4, 2014

Beijing at crossroads with H.K. protests

China views the fate of Hong Kong as a purely internal affair. But how its leaders resolve the ongoing confrontation on the streets of the former British colony will determine China's external reputation for years to come.

COMMENTARY / World

Oct 3, 2014

Don't look to Shanghai as next financial hub

If there's any likely winner from China's unprecedented clampdown on Hong Kong, it's Singapore. All it needs to do to attract the giant banks, hedge funds and multinational firms is sit back quietly as Beijing's henchmen do their worst.

COMMENTARY / World

Aug 29, 2014

Will South Korea's tax on cash bring prosperity?

South Korean President Park Geun-hye's idea of taxing companies for holding on to excessive cash piles is one that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would do well to consider.

COMMENTARY / Japan

Aug 22, 2014

Put Japan's casinos where they're most needed

Japan would do better to steer gargantuan casino projects to regions that really need them — like economically depressed Okinawa or Tohoku, the northeast region that still hasn't recovered from the March 2011 earthquake.

BUSINESS / Economy

Aug 14, 2014

Stagflation stalks 'Abenomics' as pattern sets in

Maybe it's time to stop dismissing the risk of stagflation in Japan.

COMMENTARY / World

Aug 5, 2014

Weak yen policy grounds an Internet high-flyer

Prime Minister Abe's devaluation of the yen is routinely couched as smart economic policy, but it has been disastrous for companies such as airlines that buy fuel and aircraft.

COMMENTARY / Japan

Jul 30, 2014

Sony's fall could be great news for Abenomics

Once the pride of Japan, Sony is now a cautionary case study in complacency and mismanagement. But its latest stumble could turn out to be great news for the world's No. 3 economy.

COMMENTARY / World

Jul 25, 2014

Malaysian Air should learn from JAL's revival

With Malaysian Airlines losing its second Boeing 777 in four months, many passengers are sure to declare it a personal no-fly zone. Privatization is the main option being considered.

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The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'

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