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January 16, 2025

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COMMENTARY / World

Jan 23, 2000

Enhancing global security

By Steve Lee and Ramesh Thakur

The business of the world has changed almost beyond recognition over the course of the last 100 years. At the turn of the last century, Japan was the first country outside Europe to break into the ranks of the great powers. Yet even until World War II, international affairs were largely Eurocentric in...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 22, 2000

Vision, not structure, is key to recovery

By Garry Jacobs

This is a time of unprecedented opportunity for Japan. It may seem strange to speak of opportunity when the country's political and economic experts are struggling with the challenges of structural change. However, I believe the current pessimism in the country is the result of two misconceptions.

COMMENTARY

Jan 22, 2000

Close the bases, start again

By Minoru Tada

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's Cabinet deserves praise for changing Japan's policy stance regarding the Japan-U.S. security system. First, the Cabinet recently proposed a 15-year time limit on U.S. use of the facility that would take over operations of the U.S. Futenma Marine Air Station in Okinawa, which...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 20, 2000

Punishing compassion and medical advice

By Doug Bandow

It's hard to think of much positive to say about U.S. presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush. The best case for the latter is that he isn't the former. The best case for the former is that he isn't Bill Clinton.

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 18, 2000

Here comes Japan's e-boom

By Iwao Nakatani

Let me make some predictions about Japan's economic performance in and after 2000. I believe that recovery in the next 12 to 18 months will be slow but robust expansion will take place after that. The boom will not benefit everyone, as did the past expansion, however. It will be accompanied by the polarization...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 17, 2000

Information the key to Japan's revival

By Alex Stewart

What would most strike a foreign visitor returning to Japan after a gap of several years? Most likely it would be the gloom surrounding the future of Japan, and at street level, finding how many people from a distance look Western -- because their hair is dyed brown, blond or every other color you can...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 17, 2000

Cut U.S. military presence

By Keizo Nabeshima

Japan faces intense pressure to settle uncertainties regarding the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps heliport now at the Futenma Air Station in Okinawa before July, when it hosts a Group of Eight summit. Unless the problems are settled by then, U.S. President Bill Clinton is likely to face a firestorm...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 16, 2000

The U.N. should have its day in court

By Myint Zan

A report in the Jan. 10 issue of The Age newspaper stated that the National Post newspaper of Canada had editorialized that U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan should resign. The National Post editorial call was made in the light of the alleged inaction of Annan when he was chief of U.N. peacekeeping forces...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 15, 2000

World steps up fight in war against AIDS

By Cesar Chelala

In a historic session, the U.N. Security Council met Jan. 3 to address the AIDS epidemic. In that session, U.S. Vice President Al Gore indicated that the United States would add $150 million to next year's budget to help combat AIDS and other infectious diseases in the poor- est -- mainly sub-Saharan...

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 15, 2000

The buzz is all about Vladimir Putin, too

By Edward Neilan

Talk at the Balalaika restaurant in Tokyo's Kanda district these evenings, as at the 27 other restaurants specializing in Russian cuisine in the Japanese capital, is focused on Vladimir Putin.

COMMENTARY

Jan 14, 2000

Awaiting Diet dissolution

By Kenzo Uchida

Despite widespread anxieties about potential Y2K disasters, the world greeted the new millennium without trouble. Volatility in the New York and Tokyo stock markets since the beginning of the year should not cause undue concern about the economic future at home and abroad.

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 11, 2000

End the dangerous illusions

By Masamichi Inoki

In this final year of the 20th century, there are several key lessons we should learn from this turbulent period. First, as a Japanese I want to point out that Japan modernized with remarkable success in the first half of the century. Following its victory in the Russo-JapaneseWar (1904-05), the nation...

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

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

It's back to the classroom for some residents as municipal governments across the country conduct lessons to learn how to use new technologies.

Can aging Japan go digital without leaving anyone behind?

By Tomoko Otake

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SWCC keeps changing with keyword ‘new challenges’

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