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January 20, 2025

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EDITORIALS

Nov 10, 2003

Being prepared for SARS

We must fully prepared for any new outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome this winter. Four months have passed since the World Health Organization declared that SARS was under control. The WHO is of the opinion that even if SARS flares up again, infection will not spread as long as countries take...

EDITORIALS

Nov 9, 2003

Two paths to justice

On opposite sides of the world, two trials have been winding their way to justice along very different paths. In each case, the guilt or innocence of the defendants is not seriously at issue. These trials are hardly "whodunits." In a sense, each has been a ritual rather than a substantive procedure,...

EDITORIALS

Nov 8, 2003

A sense of diplomatic uncertainty

During his two and half years in office, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has faced a series of major diplomatic challenges, including the U.S. strike on Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, the nuclear-weapons program in North Korea and the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents. In a way,...

EDITORIALS

Nov 7, 2003

Another keyword in campaign

What should be done to rebuild Japan's tightly-knit, bureaucrat-led society? The question is gaining urgency as local governments clamor for greater autonomy. In response, the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is moving toward streamlining the complex system of grants and subsidies,...

EDITORIALS

Nov 6, 2003

Proper management of Iraqi aid

The International Conference of Donors for Iraq's Reconstruction, held in Madrid last month, pledged assistance totaling nearly $40 billion (about 4.4 trillion yen), with direct financial contributions alone amounting to $33 billion. The World Bank estimates that Iraq will require $56 billion (about...

EDITORIALS

Nov 5, 2003

Tax debates at cross-purposes

As the campaigning for the Sunday general election draws to a close, the debate on the consumption tax remains low key. The simple reason is that a tax increase is always politically unpalatable, especially at election time. Nonetheless, the fact that practically all parties are making it a campaign...

EDITORIALS

Nov 4, 2003

Mr. Chen's travel schedule

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian made a brief visit to New York City last weekend. Ostensibly, Mr. Chen was traveling via the United States, on his way to Panama. It was not the sort of transit most international passengers enjoy. His took a couple of days, during which he received an award, made a speech,...

EDITORIALS

Nov 3, 2003

Better prospects for detente

In a fresh sign of diplomatic realism, North Korea has agreed to resume six-nation talks on defusing a nuclear-arms crisis. This is the most encouraging result of last week's visit to Pyongyang by Mr. Wu Bangguo, head of China's legislature and No. 2 in the Chinese Communist Party. In a meeting with...

EDITORIALS

Nov 2, 2003

Long words for a short bear

'I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother me," Winnie-the-Pooh once famously said. Words like "merchandising" would certainly have Bothered him, or "licensing rights" or even "royalties." Those were all buzzing around the Pooh legacy like bees around a honey pot last week, after a U.S....

EDITORIALS

Nov 1, 2003

Last man standing

The arrest of the richest man in any country is always an earthshaking event, and the jailing of Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the premier among Russia's oligarchs, is no exception. There are a number of explanations for Mr. Khodorkovsky's arrest, but there is no mistaking the chief beneficiary of the move:...

EDITORIALS

Oct 31, 2003

Malaysia's strongman steps down

Today, Mr. Mahathir bin Mohamad steps down as prime minister of Malaysia. It has been a remarkable 22 years in office, and his departure marks the end of an era for Malaysia and for Southeast Asia. Mr. Mahathir has been the rarest of species: a visionary and a savvy political realist. He frog-marched...

EDITORIALS

Oct 30, 2003

Gearing up for a decisive election

Campaigning for the Nov. 9 general election, the first in the 21st century, officially kicked off Tuesday. The focal question is whether power will switch from the three-way coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party to the enlarged and emboldened Democratic Party of Japan. Put it another way, the...

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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