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November 27, 2024

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EDITORIALS

Apr 23, 2002

Mr. Gusmao's next fight

East Timor has its first president. To no one's surprise, Mr. Xanana Gusmao won last week's election by a landslide. He will need every bit of that popularity as his country deals with the difficult times ahead. East Timor starts from scratch; it will need the help and patience of the world, and the...

COMMENTARY

Apr 23, 2002

A path through the smoke

By Kiroku Hanai

Japan indisputably is the top smokers' paradise in the industrial world, as well as in East Asia, where China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan are tightening restrictions on smoking. In Japan, smoking is allowed in many government and company offices, restaurants and taxis. Some hospitals do not restrict...

EDITORIALS

Apr 22, 2002

The IRA takes a second step

Little noticed amid the deteriorating situation in the Middle East has been substantial progress in another long-standing international conflict. The Irish Republican Army last week announced that it had completed a second round of arms "decommissioning" -- the phrase the group uses to describe putting...

COMMENTARY

Apr 22, 2002

Role remains for British royalty

By Hugh Cortazzi

LONDON -- On March 31, the Saturday before Easter Sunday, Elizabeth, the queen mother, passed away peacefully at the age of 101.

COMMENTARY

Apr 22, 2002

Defense bills only a first step

By Keizo Nabeshima

Japan has moved a step closer to enacting emergency security legislation to deal with direct military attacks on the nation. Last Wednesday, the government introduced in the Diet a package of three bills for such emergencies.

COMMENTARY / JAPAN IN THE GLOBAL ERA

Apr 22, 2002

Gerontocracy and its perks sap resources

By Jean-pierre Lehmann

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- In 1999 I was invited to participate at a conference held in Tokyo under the title of "Management Challenges for the 21st Century." The first and keynote speaker was Jack Welch, former chief executive officer of General Electric, followed by about a dozen CEOs of major Japanese...

EDITORIALS

Apr 21, 2002

Upper House needs reform, too

There appears to be no end to the money scandals involving politicians and their aides. On Friday, Mr. Yutaka Inoue, president of the Upper House, resigned amid allegations that his aide took a huge bribe from a construction company. In this year alone, two other legislators surrendered their Diet seats...

COMMENTARY / World

Apr 21, 2002

ASEAN's time to strengthen Indian ties

By George Sioris

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- In a series of previous articles on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, a certain vacuum has been noted: Although this regional organization has managed through the years to establish meaningful connections with various countries of the world, its links with...

COMMENTARY / World

Apr 21, 2002

Koizumi trade pitch misses

By David Wall

CAMBRIDGE, England -- At the Baoa Forum for Asia that met on Hainan Island in China earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made yet another proposal for a greater economic cooperation agreement for East Asia. This time Japan's focus is on an ASEAN-plus-five formula, as announced...

COMMENTARY

Apr 20, 2002

Comedy on the heels of traged

By Kenzo Uchida

As the saying goes, "tragedy at first, followed by comedy." Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's dismissal of Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka on Jan. 29 was a tragic event in the political world. The collapse of the Koizumi-Tanaka team, at the forefront of the government that emerged in April 2001 to tremendous...

COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE

Apr 20, 2002

Gore begins long march to election 2004

By Bob Keefe

WASHINGTON -- The Florida Democratic Convention provided the platform for the return of former Vice President Albert Gore to the national political scene last weekend. He jumped in with both feet in Florida, accusing President George W. Bush of a litany of misconceived policies, from the economy to the...

EDITORIALS

Apr 20, 2002

Fighting words in the Mideast

Not much happened this past week as a result of U.S. efforts to douse the flames in the Middle East. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell left the region without having brokered a ceasefire, an outcome he himself had predicted. Israel continued to ignore Washington's stern pleas that it start pulling...

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

Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’

Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’

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