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January 20, 2025

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EDITORIALS

Dec 16, 2003

With these words, Iraq's U.S. administrator Paul Bremer announced on Sunday that American military forces had captured former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. His arrest symbolizes the end of an era in Iraq. It also could break the back of a resistance that has stymied efforts to bring peace and stability...

EDITORIALS

Dec 14, 2003

What the Wright brothers wrought

History is rife with illustrations of those rueful conditional verbs "could have," "would have" or "should have" -- and never more so than when a momentous anniversary rolls around. The latest example is the 100th anniversary this Wednesday of the huge accomplishment of the American Wright brothers,...

EDITORIALS

Dec 13, 2003

A triumph for Mr. Wen

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is a happy man -- and with good reason. His four-day visit to the United States this week was a huge success, a personal triumph for the premier as well as a trip that helped advance his nation's relations with the U.S. His host, U.S. President George W. Bush, is probably less...

EDITORIALS

Dec 12, 2003

Russian reality test for Kyoto

It is still unclear whether Russia has decided to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. But reports that Moscow had rejected the proposal refocused international attention on the appalling lack of progress since the agreement was negotiated more than five years ago. Despite the now considerable...

EDITORIALS

Dec 11, 2003

The most risky mission yet

Japan is preparing to send Self-Defense Force troops to Iraq for a period ending one year from Monday. Their dispatch, which is expected to begin early next year, is based on the assumption that they will operate in noncombat areas to help rebuild the war-torn country. According to the plan approved...

EDITORIALS

Dec 10, 2003

Continuing with nuclear energy

Half a century ago, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed the creation of an international organization to promote the peaceful use of atomic information and materials. That "atoms for peace" address, delivered to the U.N. General Assembly on Dec. 8, 1953, bore fruit in 1957 when the International...

EDITORIALS

Dec 9, 2003

Outmaneuvered in Taipei

Shrewd maneuvering by Taiwan's opposition parties have denied President Chen Shui-bian a political victory in the runup to the election that will be held next spring. Parliament has approved a bill, proposed by Mr. Chen, that permits referendums on critical issues. But the final version of the legislation...

EDITORIALS

Dec 8, 2003

A disquieting waste of money

A national audit report makes for dismal reading, since it is always a reminder of waste in government. So it is with the latest report, which says that government offices and agencies "mismanaged" about 45 billion yen in 2002 -- the largest amount in 20 years. That is particularly disquieting at a time...

EDITORIALS

Dec 7, 2003

Christmas in Japan

It's the end of the first week of December, which means the odd annual festival of Christmas in Japan is once again in full swing. In fact, it's inescapable: bells ringing, carols tinkling, lights twinkling, shoppers jostling, cakes a-baking everywhere you look.

EDITORIALS

Dec 6, 2003

Go slow on troop relocation

The United States, in an attempt to realign its military forces abroad, is planning to relocate its troops in South Korea. However, talks between the two countries do not appear to be going smoothly. A recent meeting in Seoul between U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and South Korean Defense...

EDITORIALS

Dec 5, 2003

Wiretap charges clip highflier

Takefuji Corp., Japan's largest consumer finance company, is at the center of an unfolding wiretap scandal. Earlier this week, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested the company's founding chairman, Mr. Yasuo Takei, on charges of ordering his employees to wiretap a freelance journalist who had criticized...

EDITORIALS

Dec 4, 2003

Returning a bank to health

The collapse of Ashikaga Bank, a major regional bank in Tochigi Prefecture, shows that Japan's debt-heavy banking system is not yet out of the woods. The government, which has nationalized the bank temporarily, is expected to provide a cash injection of more than 1 trillion yen. The bank will be sold...

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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