More Commentary Articles - The Japan Times

January 22, 2025

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COMMENTARY

Jun 13, 2003

A sharper U.S.-ROK alliance

By Ralph Cossa

HONOLULU -- Why is the United States pulling its forces away from the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on the Korean Peninsula? Will the lack of a "tripwire" mean a reduced U.S. commitment to South Korea's security? Or, is Washington moving its forces out of harm's way in anticipation of a preemptive strike...

COMMENTARY

Jun 12, 2003

Britons fear euro's underside

By David Howell

LONDON -- Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl often used to say the euro would only work properly if and when Europe had a full political union -- in other words if there was a single government for Europe with a large central budget. He was, of course, completely right, and this explains why the British...

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 12, 2003

S. Korea emerges from Japan's shadow

By Christopher Lingle

NEW DELHI -- Despite resentment against Japan for its colonial domination of the Korean Peninsula (1910-1945), South Korea followed Japan in its model of postwar economic development. In both countries, the central government established close links between commercial banks and companies while ensuring...

COMMENTARY

Jun 11, 2003

Peace will prove very difficult to find on Mideast 'road map'

By David Howell

LONDON -- One of the stronger arguments for regime change in Iraq was that it would pave the way for a settlement, at last, in the unending dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, and that this in turn would remove one of the main motivations for global terrorism.

COMMENTARY

Jun 11, 2003

Hu sends a message to the world that China is under new management

By Frank Ching

HONG KONG -- Chinese President Hu Jintao's first overseas journey has served to reassure the international community that China's new leadership has a steady hand on the nation's helm and can be counted on as a constructive partner in such problem areas as terrorism, North Korea's nuclear ambitions and...

COMMENTARY

Jun 10, 2003

'Soviet-style' reforms won't improve national universities

By Takamitsu Sawa

The Upper House of the Diet is debating legislation aimed at turning national universities into "independent agencies."

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 8, 2003

The ebb and flow of the Group summit

By Jonathan Fenby

LONDON — When then-French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing organized the first meeting of world leaders in the form of the Group of Seven in 1975, the idea was that they would conduct a relaxed private dialogue about settling major problems facing the world, with the emphasis on joint economic programs....

COMMENTARY

Jun 8, 2003

Diplomacy buoys Koizumi

By Kenzo Uchida

The administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi became 2 years old at the end of April. At its inception, his Cabinet enjoyed a public approval rating of more than 80 percent, the highest ever for a postwar administration. Around the beginning of last month, it still maintained a high level of...

COMMENTARY

Jun 7, 2003

Do G8 summits have value?

By Hugh Cortazzi

LONDON — The Group of Eight summit in Evian, France, cost a great deal in terms of time, effort and money. Was it worth it? Critics argue that nothing worthwhile emerged from the summit, that the communiques that had been drafted in advance were generally platitudinous and flatulent.

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 6, 2003

State of the 'empire'

By Kevin Rafferty

BANGKOK — China has suffered most from the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus with thousands of victims, a few hundred deaths and new cases being uncovered daily as the disease spreads from major cities to the countryside.

COMMENTARY

Jun 6, 2003

Force restructuring anxiety

By Ralph Cossa

SINGAPORE -- There was a time when the Pentagon saw "relieving regional anxiety" as one of its primary alliance maintenance tasks in East Asia. Today, it seems more adept at creating this anxiety, rather than providing the reassurance that lies at the heart of sustaining America's critical alliances...

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 5, 2003

Breakwalls against U.S. tide

By Eric Teo Chu Cheow

SINGAPORE — Big-power rapprochement was high on the agenda in both St. Petersburg, Russia, and Evian, France, this past week a month after U.S. President George W. Bush declared victory in Iraq aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. But how does this rapprochement mesh with perceived American unilateralism?...

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says there is a “sense of urgency” when it comes to Japan’s efforts in manufacturing semiconductors. “We have to make sure we are successful,” he says.

Atsuyoshi Koike’s big game: Fourth down and 2 nanometers to go

By Kazuaki Nagata and Richard Meyer

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