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February 25, 2025
 

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COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2014
Is Berlin driving Paris to the brink?
By William Pfaff
President Franu00e7ois Hollande has instructed his prime minister to form a new government — without those troublemakers who want to stop the economic austerity in Europe, or at least apply some flexibility, before it is too late.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2014
Putin's bluff in Ukraine has become untenable
By Leonid Bershidsky
Despite increasingly surreal disavowals from Moscow, it is now apparent just how invested Russian President Vladimir Putin is in the outcome of the eastern Ukraine conflict. That investment terrifies Europe and the U.S., which have no desire to match it.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2014
Will South Korea's tax on cash bring prosperity?
By William Pesek
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 / World
Aug 29, 2014
Creative diplomacy required to resolve territorial disputes
By John Kemp
The coastal states around the South and East China Seas will have to agree to divide, share or pool their sovereignty in the interests of security and to permit the peaceful exploitation of the resources.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 28, 2014
Two-headed Russian eagle mulls moves at crossroads
By Andrey Borodaevskiy
The bicontinental nature of Russia is reflected in its national symbol, a double-headed eagle looking in two directions. That eagle finds itself in a precarious spot now that it must look around for as many non-Western partners and openings for business as possible.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 28, 2014
Xi using drug campaign as new political tool
By Adam Minter
The highly publicized arrests and confessions in President Xi JInping anti-drug use campaign play an important propaganda role, contrasting Xi's administration against the supposedly more permissive governments that preceded it.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 27, 2014
The difference between good and bad equality
By Michael Spence
The 'old' theory about inequality was that redistribution via the tax system weakened incentives and undermined economic growth. But the relationship between inequality and growth is far more complex and multi-dimensional than this simple trade-off suggests.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 26, 2014
The spawning of Islamic State
By Brahma Chellaney
It took just two years for Syria to descend into a Somalia-style failed state under the weight of the international jihad against Bashar Assad. This helped the Islamic State not only to flourish but also to use its control over northeastern Syria to stage a surprise blitzkrieg deep into Iraq this summer.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 26, 2014
Grading the Modi government
By Ramesh Thakur
By the way he talks, new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi might appear to be replicating his Gujarat state model of learning to walk before starting to run with headstrong solutions to the big problems facing the country. Even so, he will have to walk the walk sooner than later.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 26, 2014
Strong leaders in an increasingly fragile Asia
By Simon Tay
Stronger leaders are finally in place in fragile Asia — leaders who can deliver domestic reform and economic growth. But if these leaders assert their strength against each other or vis-a-vis the U.S. over security matters, regional stability could be upended.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 26, 2014
Brace for the coming CLASS war
By Andrew Sheng
The balkanization of global banking by the U.S.' requiring all foreign banks in the country to become subsidiary companies and international banks with U.S.-dollar clearing accounts to comply to some degree with U.S. foreign policy by refraining from trading with U.S. enemies defines a key threat facing the world today.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 26, 2014
A transformative global agenda for development
By Amina Mohammed
Following a year and a half of twists and turns, U.N. member states have completed a proposal for sustainable development goals to steer the international agenda once the Millennium Development Goals expire at the end of 2015.
Japan struggles to fend off a world without enough matcha
Once a boon to tea farmers' bottom lines, the global matcha craze is now pushing producers and distributors to their limits with few options to adequately meet demand.
U.S. Marines start to leave Japan, decades behind schedule
U.S. Marines during training in Okinawa last month.
Japan may ease privacy rules to aid AI development
Under the law, information such as race, social status, medical history and any criminal record is designated as sensitive personal information, and obtaining such information requires prior consent from the individuals concerned.
Who will speak for the trees?
Ancient trees and animals play crucial roles in ecosystems, carbon storage and even human health, yet their populations are dwindling due to deforestation, fishing and climate change.
Men, media and MAGA deepen South Korea’s split
A rally in support of South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Jan. 18. Young men have emerged as a key demographic that has come out in support of Yoon, in contrast to the many young women participating in protests opposing him.
Japan looks to save seafood and seaweed farming from warming oceans
Asian seabass are bred at the Songkhla Coastal Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Research and Development Center in southern Thailand.
Japan struggles to fend off a world without enough matcha
Once a boon to tea farmers' bottom lines, the global matcha craze is now pushing producers and distributors to their limits with few options to adequately meet demand.
As Ukraine rift emerges, Kyiv's envoy says Japan must take on bigger global role
Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky speaks during an interview at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tokyo on Monday.
Shimane and Tottori to bewitch tourists with supernatural charms
In Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, an entire street is dedicated to Japanese spirits, monsters and ghouls — a sign that the overall region is rich in spine-tingling tourist draws.
Japan release of Shiori Ito's documentary in limbo
Shiori Ito, who won a civil suit over a rape case against a TV reporter, in 2018. Her former lawyers claim her documentary includes footage used without the consent of sources.

Podcast

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

Longform

The building of new high-rise residential buildings has some alarmed that they could empty and fall into disrepair as Japan's population shrinks.
The high cost of letting Japan's condos crumble
By Tomoko Otake

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