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January 20, 2025

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EDITORIALS

Mar 10, 2004

Security bills merit deliberation

For all the talk about defending the country against possible armed attacks from abroad, Japan has no legal framework for protecting civilian populations in these national emergencies. Now, belatedly but necessarily, the government is seeking Diet approval of such legislation as a followup to the military...

EDITORIALS

Mar 9, 2004

Diet's plate remains full

Diet deliberations have been proceeding fairly smoothly since the 150-day regular session opened on Jan. 19. This augurs well for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who wants to avoid a legislative gridlock before July's Upper House election. He cleared a major hurdle last month when the Diet approved...

EDITORIALS

Mar 8, 2004

No end to political scandals?

Once again, a lawmaker has had to resign from the Diet after admitting to having borrowed somebody's name to misappropriate the state-paid salary of a bogus secretary. This time, the scandal involves Mr. Kanju Sato of the Democratic Party of Japan, a former minister of home affairs and chairman of the...

EDITORIALS

Mar 7, 2004

Life lessons from Mars

In all the excitement over the NASA Mars rovers' various landings, photo shoots, malfunctions, recoveries and excursions, another aspect of their mission has been neglected: what could be called their teaching, as opposed to their learning, mission. As Spirit and Opportunity keep fit and busy on the...

EDITORIALS

Mar 6, 2004

Paying inventors their due

How much should a company pay an employee for his or her invention? The question has stirred controversy in Japan since January when a lower court ruled in favor of a mind-boggling 20 billion yen payment requested by Mr. Shuji Nakamura, a former chemical company employee and now a University of California...

EDITORIALS

Mar 5, 2004

Opportunity for mutual prosperity

In the not so distant future, China probably will eclipse the United States as Japan's largest trading partner. That could happen before 2008 when Beijing hosts the Summer Olympics. Setting the pace of China's economic growth is investment in infrastructure, whose momentum is expected to increase in...

EDITORIALS

Mar 4, 2004

Mr. Kerry gets the nod

If March 2 was "Super Tuesday" in the United States, then Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is "Superman." Mr. Kerry wrapped up the Democratic Party nomination for president Tuesday, capping a remarkable comeback and -- more remarkable still -- managed not to divide his party in the process. Mr. Kerry can...

EDITORIALS

Mar 3, 2004

Lapses in halting avian flu

The latest outbreak of avian flu in Japan, at a large chicken farm in Kyoto Prefecture, has come as a shock -- not only because of its magnitude but also because it has exposed glaring lapses in epidemic prevention. In both respects, it is far more serious than the previous two cases that hit earlier...

EDITORIALS

Mar 2, 2004

Lowering the bar in Beijing

One thing is very clear after last week's round of six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear crisis: No one wants the negotiations to fail. While that has spurred diplomacy to solve the problem, it also means that "progress" could become illusory. Apparently, agreement to continue working-level discussions...

EDITORIALS

Mar 1, 2004

China draws the line in Hong Kong

When Hong Kong reverted to China, Beijing pledged that there would be "one country, two systems." The capitalist redoubt would be part of "one China," but it would also keep its separate political and administrative order to maintain both stability and the vitality that transformed the city into a regional...

EDITORIALS

Feb 29, 2004

The guru's role in murder

The marathon trial of Chizuo Matsumoto, alias Shoko Asahara, the founder of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, reached a milestone on Friday when the Tokyo District Court sentenced him to death. But, to everyone's dismay, the trial left a crucial question largely unanswered: Why did the guru and a handful of his...

EDITORIALS

Feb 28, 2004

Give 'irregular' workers a fair shake

Continued corporate restructuring in Japan has taken a heavy toll on regular workers. One result of this is a sharp increase in the number of "irregular" workers, such as part-timers and temporaries. Now they number about 15 million, representing a third of the labor force; in the case of women, one...

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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