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January 23, 2025

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EDITORIALS

Mar 21, 2007

Close expenditure loophole

If a lawmaker locates his or her political funds management body in an official Diet office, rent and utilities are free. Now it has come to light that two lawmakers' funding bodies reported unusually high utility expenditures. Earlier, it was found that the political funds reports of education minister...

EDITORIALS

Mar 21, 2007

Educators need support, not orders

A report presented by the Central Council for Education to education minister Bunmei Ibuki on revisions to three education-related laws favors increased government control over education. Regrettably, under pressure from the education ministry, the council spent only about a month on discussions that...

EDITORIALS

Mar 20, 2007

Inadequate quake evacuation plans

Each local government has an evacuation plan to cope with major earthquakes. But there is a blind spot. Evacuation plans for individual large buildings are almost lacking. The government plans to revise the Fire Service Law to make it mandatory for owners of facilities such as hotels, department stores...

EDITORIALS

Mar 20, 2007

Care for unwanted babies

In November, a Catholic hospital in Kumamoto disclosed a plan to create a "baby hatch," where women or parents could anonymously leave newborn babies for any reason. But the plan has faced opposition from the Abe administration. Before passing a moral judgment on people who might drop off their babies,...

EDITORIALS

Mar 19, 2007

Residual roots of collusion

In December 2005, major general contractors declared that they would abandon bid-rigging practices. But the recent arrest of five officials from five companies shows the declaration to have been a sham. A thorough investigation is called for to eradicate such collusion. The five officials -- from Obayashi...

EDITORIALS

Mar 19, 2007

Suspects who take flight overseas

At the Japanese government's request, Brazil has indicted two Brazilian nationals in connection with crimes committed in Japan. Brazilian authorities have been sent the investigation materials needed to proceed with trials. If the suspects are found guilty, they will be punished under the Brazilian penal...

EDITORIALS

Mar 18, 2007

Former mogul gets prison term

Mr. Takafumi Horie, a former Internet mogul known for his defiance of the old-guard business establishment, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Friday for violating the Securities and Exchange Law. The sentence by the Tokyo District Court is extremely rare in view of the fact that people convicted...

EDITORIALS

Mar 18, 2007

Who's playing by the rules?

The United States has ended an investigation of a Macau-based bank suspected of helping North Korea launder money from illicit activities. In wrapping up its investigations, the U.S. banned U.S. banks from doing business with the bank, but left up to Macau authorities the decision on what to do with...

EDITORIALS

Mar 17, 2007

A little more fruit for labor

Most of the nation's leading automakers and electronics firms have agreed to raise base wages and bonuses for their employees for the second consecutive year on the strength of improved earnings. But the wage raises are lower than the amounts demanded by the labor unions, and the difference in the margin...

EDITORIALS

Mar 16, 2007

Zimbabwe closer to the brink

Zimbabwe appears to be continuing its slide toward the abyss. Its economy has virtually seized up. The government of President Robert Mugabe adopts increasingly harsh measures to block protests over economic mismanagement and to crush any political opposition. Reportedly Zimbabwe is now a threat to its...

EDITORIALS

Mar 15, 2007

Off the TSE hook

The Tokyo Stock Exchange has decided not to delist Nikko Cordial Corp., the nation's third-largest brokerage, from the Tokyo bourse despite its false reporting of earnings. The TSE's explanation -- that the brokerage's misconduct was "not black enough" -- makes the public wonder whether the exchange...

EDITORIALS

Mar 15, 2007

Expanding security ties south

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Australian counterpart Mr. John Howard have signed a joint declaration to expand security cooperation between Japan and Australia. It has been unheard of up to now for Japan to issue a joint declaration on security matters with a country other than the United States....

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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SWCC keeps changing with keyword ‘new challenges’

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