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November 22, 2024
 

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David Howell
COMMENTARY
Nov 26, 2007
U.K. liberties versus security
LONDON — The director general of the British Security Services (MI5) has been telling the world that there are at least 2,000 people inside Britain who are involved in terrorism-related activities, and there may be many more. Or to put it crudely, there are at least 2,000 individuals bent on killing...
COMMENTARY
Nov 3, 2007
End of the United Kingdom?
LONDON — Is Scotland on the way to separating from England, turning the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland into something different, maybe a federal kingdom?
COMMENTARY
Oct 26, 2007
Limits of EU centralization
LONDON — In Lisbon, yet another European Union Treaty has been signed, this one purporting to replace all previous treaties and to give Europe the pattern of governance it needs to meet the future.
COMMENTARY
Oct 9, 2007
The vanity in 'green' virtues
LONDON — When it comes to energy efficiency and a greener future, Japan has got itself very well-organized these days — some would even say over-organized.
COMMENTARY
Sep 27, 2007
Crunch: a question of trust
LONDON — Financial markets all round the world, from New York to London to Tokyo, have been rattled by the recent squeeze on credit and lending, which originated in the United States. All kinds of lessons have been drawn from the experience, many of which boil down to the simple adage that dubious...
COMMENTARY
Sep 13, 2007
Europe's quarreling crew
LONDON — The European Union is again entering stormy seas. Like a ship with a mutinous crew it is drifting dangerously while above and below decks arguments rage about how Europe should be run. The EU has weathered past crises and often emerged stronger, but this time the rocks ahead are very large,...
COMMENTARY
Aug 30, 2007
Happiness can't be legislated
LONDON — The question is topical because economists and other experts are increasingly doubting whether existing policies, such as steps to increase economic growth, really add to people's welfare and contentment.
COMMENTARY
Jun 27, 2007
Battle for the European Union's identity
LONDON -- The latest battle of Brussels is over and news of the outcome is circulating through the capitals of the European Union. But unlike the ferocious battles of past centuries on European soil, this appears to be an engagement that everyone has won.
COMMENTARY
May 26, 2007
Gordon Brown too arrogant?
LONDON — The new tenant of Number 10 Downing Street is now all set to move in. With remarkable ease the new British prime minister, Gordon Brown, replaces the old one, Tony Blair, and life goes on in Britain as before.
COMMENTARY
May 14, 2007
Cherry-picking an identity
LONDON — Political leaders nowadays are fond of talking about national identity and culture, but do we know what they mean by either identity or culture, and do they know themselves what they mean?
COMMENTARY
Apr 27, 2007
America the not so beautiful
LONDON -- It is becoming harder and harder to stay friends with the United States. Hands and hearts stretch out to the American people at this moment as they reel under the truly frightful trauma of the berserk Korean immigrant gunning down droves of students and teachers on a Virginian university campus....
COMMENTARY
Apr 5, 2007
Giving soft power some teeth
LONDON -- "Speak softly and carry a big stick" -- that was the advice of ebullient U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in the early part of the 20th century. It may still have some relevance today.
COMMENTARY
Mar 21, 2007
Crusading to cut carbon emissions
LONDON -- The obvious route is not always the best one. Throughout Europe the governments and political parties, as well as the central European Union Commission in Brussels, are all vying with each other to prove who is the greenest. The simplest way of doing this is to produce ever more ambitious plans...
COMMENTARY
Mar 8, 2007
Mideast's new tower of Babel
LONDON -- The turnaround in U.S. policy on Iraq is truly breathtaking. From firmly refusing to talk to Iraq's awkward neighbors, namely Iran and Syria, the Bush administration has suddenly changed its tack. It seems that talking to them -- without of course necessarily agreeing with them -- is now acceptable,...
COMMENTARY
Feb 23, 2007
Airports foretell the future
LONDON -- It is at airports that one can tell that most of East Asia is merging into one gigantic business and market entity, a crisscrossed latticework flow of people, goods, ideas, lifestyles, relationships -- of such size, speed and intensity that it is beyond the power of any governments to check...
COMMENTARY
Feb 8, 2007
Tony Blair's inglorious end
LONDON -- It is becoming impossible not to feel sorry for Tony Blair, Britain's departing prime minister.
COMMENTARY
Feb 3, 2007
Misplaced effort to cut carbon
LONDON -- Huge gales have been sweeping Britain, while temperatures have soared, leaving spring plants sprouting long before they should and wildlife bewildered. Its all part of global warming -- or so many people assert. Whether they are right will be impossible to judge for many years to come. Maybe...
COMMENTARY
Jan 11, 2007
Britain's nuclear dilemma
LONDON -- The issue of an independent nuclear deterrent has now once again become a prime topic of debate in Britain.
COMMENTARY
Dec 28, 2006
Turkey's gaze is shifting East
LONDON -- The ambiguous attitude of Western European countries toward Turkish entry into full membership of the European Union has produced a flood of comments, as well as a good deal of anger and confusion in Turkey.
COMMENTARY
Dec 14, 2006
Is U.S. set to lose Britain?
LONDON -- U.S. President George W. Bush must have drawn some comfort from having British Prime Minister Tony Blair stand beside him at the White House in Washington the other day. At least there was one friend left who was prepared to stick by him as the Iraq situation worsened.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?
By Kathryn Wortley

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SWCC keeps changing with keyword ‘new challenges’

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