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January 23, 2025

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EDITORIALS

Feb 23, 2007

BOJ lifts its expectations

In a turnaround from its decision not to raise the key short-term interest rate in January, the Bank of Japan raised it to 0.5 percent from 0.25 percent Wednesday. The decision is based on the judgment that the Japanese economy is likely to continue to expand gradually. The decision should be taken as...

EDITORIALS

Feb 23, 2007

Reaffirming a commitment

Nothing dramatic happened -- no new demands or agreements -- during U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's meetings with Japanese leaders this week. His visit should be interpreted as a U.S. effort to reaffirm its close ties with Japan and thus help enhance its image as a world leader as it faces difficult...

EDITORIALS

Feb 22, 2007

'Secrets' with a public interest

The Self-Defense Forces' investigation of an SDF member in connection with a news report of an accident in a Chinese Navy submarine in 2005 raises concerns regarding people's right to know and the freedom of the press. It could lead to limits on basic rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution....

EDITORIALS

Feb 21, 2007

And now, on to Iran?

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. That adage is uppermost in the minds of critics of U.S. foreign policy amid warnings by the Bush administration that Iran is actively working to destabilize Iraq. U.S. credibility has been badly damaged by the mishandling of intelligence prior to...

EDITORIALS

Feb 20, 2007

New hearts for dying cities

The current economic recovery in Japan has been marred by imbalances. One imbalance is between the corporate and household sectors. While the corporate sector is prospering, much of the household sector is missing out on the fruit of the nation's longest postwar economic expansion. Stagnant wage growth...

EDITORIALS

Feb 19, 2007

A viable farming sector

This year will be important for Japan in developing policy for creating a viable agricultural sector without inviting criticism of protectionism from abroad. Among the reasons for tackling this issue is that, although the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations has stalled, the liberalization...

EDITORIALS

Feb 18, 2007

Face of the lay judge system

By May 2009, Japan will introduce a lay judge system in which ordinary citizens will take part in criminal proceedings as judges to help decide the outcomes of trials. The system is gradually taking shape as the Supreme Court has made public a simulation for the process of choosing candidates for lay...

EDITORIALS

Feb 17, 2007

Qualified GDP growth

The government has announced that Japan's economy continued to grow for the eighth consecutive quarter in the October-December period. Gross domestic product in the quarter registered 1.2 percent growth in real terms from the previous quarter, translating to an annualized 4.8 percent. This growth rate...

EDITORIALS

Feb 16, 2007

JAL's last chance at revival

The medium-term restructuring plan announced last week by Japan Airlines Corp. is a plan for the survival of the nation's flag carrier. The group is saddled with 1.7 trillion yen in debt. JAL President and CEO Haruka Nishimatsu summarized the importance of achieving the goals when he said, "We must keep...

EDITORIALS

Feb 16, 2007

Yen traveling on thin ice

The joint statement issued last weekend by the Group of Seven finance ministers and central bank governors did not directly refer to the Japanese yen. But criticism of the currency's weakness appears likely to mount. After the G7 meeting, the yen briefly hit a record low against the euro and a four-year...

EDITORIALS

Feb 15, 2007

Breakthrough with North Korea

After tumultuous negotiations, the six-party talks reached agreement on a deal that would end North Korea's nuclear-weapons program and end the country's international isolation. The agreement took three and a half years to conclude, during which the North exploded a nuclear weapon. There is no guarantee...

EDITORIALS

Feb 14, 2007

Dignity for disabled people

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities on Dec. 13. The convention, which covers rights to education, health, work, cultural activities, etc., is the first human-rights treaty of the 21st century....

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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