More Opinion Articles - The Japan Times

November 29, 2024

Today's print edition

Subscribe for more access

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 21, 2003

A breakthrough for Thaksin

By Michael J. Montesano

BANGKOK -- Nearly 2 1/2 years after his Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party's unprecedented electoral victory, recent weeks have seen Thailand's Premier Thaksin Shinawatra score an unmistakable psychological breakthrough. The change has nothing to do with Thaksin's own psychology; his supreme self-confidence seems...

COMMENTARY

Jun 21, 2003

Isolation strategy working

By Ralph Cossa

HONOLULU -- Washington's strategy of applying international pressure to further isolate North Korea appears to be working, thanks in large part to the actions of one country in particular.

EDITORIALS

Jun 20, 2003

Iraq remains a dangerous place

When the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein collapsed more than two months ago, many thought that peace would return to Iraq in short order. That was wishful thinking. Much of the country is still a combat zone, with U.S. troops fighting Hussein loyalists, Islamic militants and other opponents. This is hampering...

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 20, 2003

Foreign aggressors target N. Korea again

By David Wall

CAMBRIDGE, England — The war of words goes on. U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has warned the North Korean government that any aggressive activity on the Korean Peninsula sponsored by North Korea would be met by a "devastating response."

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 19, 2003

Arab 'democrats' vie against nationalists in wake of Iraq war

By David Hirst

BEIRUT -- Ever since the Anglo-American armies went to war against Iraq, the Arabs have been wondering whether the conquest of one of their major states will lead to success or the most catastrophic of failures. Can the Americans really make Iraq into a platform for a strategic, economic and cultural...

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 19, 2003

History will credit Shinseki

By Michael O'Hanlon

WASHINGTON -- As he stepped down from office this week as the U.S. Army chief of staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki probably breathed a big sigh of relief. He had been put through the meat grinder in his job, particularly during Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's tenure.

EDITORIALS

Jun 19, 2003

A good month for the EU

It has been a good month for the European Union. Both Poles and Czechs voted to join the EU last weekend. Despite fears that apathy would invalidate the results, a comfortable majority in both countries cast ballots in favor of EU membership. The votes signal a break with the Cold War past and herald...

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 18, 2003

Blair may be down but he's far from out

By Jonathan Fenby

LONDON -- Since the European community of nations began to take shape 52 years ago, Britain has taken an ambivalent view of the Continent's moves toward greater unity. It did not join the coal and steel community that began the process in 1951, and, six years later, did not sign the Treaty of Rome that...

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 18, 2003

U.S. occupation of Iraq recalls failure in Korea

By John Barry Kotch

SEOUL -- The spectacle of political confusion in Iraq today provides a window into the past. Rather than emulating the successful occupation of Germany or Japan as originally envisaged by U.S. policy planners, it is increasingly a carbon copy of the occupation that failed in Korea. And as Yale historian...

EDITORIALS

Jun 18, 2003

The pension system in peril

Japan's protracted economic slump, combined with the accelerated aging of the population, is putting increasing strains on the public pension system. The government-managed corporate-sector pension program, which now has 30 million subscribers, registered a large deficit in fiscal 2001. For the first...

EDITORIALS

Jun 17, 2003

Clamp down on illegal exports

The Metropolitan Police Department last week arrested executives of a Japanese engineering company, Seishin Enterprise Co., on suspicion of illegally exporting to Iran sensitive military-related equipment that could be used in the manufacture of solid fuel for missiles. Investigations have also revealed...

EDITORIALS

Jun 16, 2003

Controversial bill reaches Diet floor

There is no question that Japan should do what it can to help bring stability and democracy to Iraq. Although the world remains divided over whether the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was justified, rebuilding the country is an international undertaking that should be supported by as many nations as possible...

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.

Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat

By Greg Dvorak

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

The celebrated artist ‘updating’ the kimono

The celebrated artist ‘updating’ the kimono

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

international-reports