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January 24, 2025

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EDITORIALS

Dec 30, 2012

2012: a year of low points

For many people in Japan, the past year felt like a doubly busy year. In 2011, life here seemed to be on hold, waiting for the next earthquake, tsunami or radiation disaster. But by the end of 2012, the regular rhythms, worries and needs of the country started to return to normal. The past year was a...

EDITORIALS

Dec 29, 2012

Probation system needs a boost

Volunteer probation officers (VPOs), known as hogo-shi, are playing an important role in helping rehabilitate convicts and minors released from prison or juvenile reformatories on probation, and adults and minors who have been placed on probation without going to prison or reformatories.

EDITORIALS

Dec 29, 2012

Reconstruction efforts lagging

More than 21 months have passed since the massive earthquake and tsunami devastated the Pacific coastal areas of the Tohoku region. The central government and citizens outside the disaster-hit areas should remember that the lives of many victims remain shattered and that the reconstruction of local economies...

EDITORIALS

Dec 27, 2012

Mr. Abe has his work cut out

Liberal Democratic Party leader Mr. Shinzo Abe on Wednesday formed his Cabinet after the Diet nominated him as Japan's new prime minister. This is his second tenure as prime minister, with the LDP returning to power after an absence of three years and three months.

EDITORIALS

Dec 26, 2012

LDP's vague nuclear energy policy

In their policy agreement, the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito have failed to declare that they will aim to eventually end nuclear power generation in Japan. They have agreed only to gradually decrease Japan's reliance on it, without indicating the year in which all of Japan's...

EDITORIALS

Dec 26, 2012

The facts on Fukushima's fish

The catastrophe at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant not only affected people directly in Fukushima Prefecture but also harmed the local economy. Sales of products from the prefecture have suffered, and tourist spots have lost business, because of rumors or misinformation about...

EDITORIALS

Dec 25, 2012

Asbestos victims need more help

The Tokyo District Court has ordered the state to award some ¥1.06 billion in compensation to 158 workers who suffered lung diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos dust. This is a significant ruling in that it decided that the state's inadequate regulations were responsible...

EDITORIALS

Dec 25, 2012

Tough times for graduating students

The job-hunting season for university students went into full swing on Dec. 1 as major enterprises started recruiting students who are scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2014. Students are likely to increase their chances of finding good jobs if they explore employment opportunities at small and...

EDITORIALS

Dec 24, 2012

Risks of Mr. Abe's economic policy

Financial markets and people appear to hope that the economic policy to be adopted by the incoming administration of Liberal Democratic Party chief Shinzo Abe will improve the Japanese economy. Clearly people want deflation to end, the economy to pick up and the reconstruction from the effects of the...

EDITORIALS

Dec 24, 2012

Resuscitating the DPJ

The Democratic Party of Japan, which suffered a devastating defeat in the Dec. 16 Lower House election, is in the throes of a crisis characterized by apathy and loss of direction. Its Lower House seats dwindled from the pre-election 230 to 57. Eight members of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Yoshihiko...

EDITORIALS

Dec 23, 2012

Facedown over privacy

In and around Tokyo, face-recognition cameras have started to take photos of passersby at various locations. Supermarket chains, shopping malls and vending machines inside JR East stations all have been using face-recognition software to identify the sex and age of individuals who come within line of...

EDITORIALS

Dec 22, 2012

How desperate is Damascus?

In diplomacy, red lines are problematic. While they are needed to signal resolve, they can also invite trouble. "Red lines often become red carpets," showing that what governments do to challenge their adversaries and test their credibility turns into an indication of how far they can go without inviting...

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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Challenging spirit and teamwork keep ANA flying high

Challenging spirit and teamwork keep ANA flying high

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