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Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 13, 2007

Little public sympathy for Abe's downfall

It came out of the blue, but people walking the streets of Tokyo were not especially disappointed to hear Wednesday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was resigning.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2007

Hatoyama a hawk on death penalty, illegal immigrants

." A close friend to LDP Secretary General Taro Aso, Hatoyama promised not only to "become a good justice minister" but also support Abe and his Cabinet in the wake of the LDP-New Komeito ruling bloc's loss of its majority in the July Upper House election.
EDITORIALS
Aug 22, 2007

Confusion at the Defense Ministry

The confusion in the Defense Ministry that accompanied the selection of the ministry's new administrative vice minister appears to have been settled. But the unfortunate episode revealed a lack of prudence on the part of Defense Minister Yuriko Koike and a lack of leadership on the part of Prime Minister...
EDITORIALS
Jul 31, 2007

A devastating defeat for Mr. Abe

In Sunday's Upper House election, Japanese voters expressed their dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party, which has been embroiled in a pension-records fiasco, political-funds scandals and gaffes by Cabinet ministers. The votes have made the opposition Democratic...
Japan Times
JAPAN / UPPER HOUSE SHOWDOWN
Jul 30, 2007

One thing's sure: Status quo doesn't cut it

An electorate dismayed by a seemingly endless series of scandals involving the ruling bloc went to the polls Sunday to decide the fate of the current leadership in the House of Councilors.
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2007

Opposition leaders lash Abe over scandals, consumption tax

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ruling bloc drew heavy fire Wednesday over a spate of scandals during a debate with the leaders of five opposition parties on the eve of the official start of campaigning for the July 29 Upper House election.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2007

Sales tax hike would need voter OK via Lower House poll

If the government hopes to raise the 5 percent consumption tax, it will have to gain voter approval in the next House of Representatives election, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said Friday.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2007

Abe advances pension cleanup dates as public fumes

Embattled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Thursday that he would move up the timetable for taking care of the public pension record-keeping debacle as public fury builds ahead of the crucial House of Councilors election later this month.
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2007

Abe, two of his ministers to forgo bonus

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki and Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Hakuo Yanagisawa will forgo their summer bonuses as Cabinet ministers to take responsibility for the pension record fiasco, it was announced Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 31, 2007

Ruling bloc steamrolls pension bill

The ruling bloc rammed a hastily compiled bill through the Lower House welfare committee on Wednesday, steamrolling testy opposition lawmakers as it raced to put a lid on the explosive pension data fiasco.
EDITORIALS
May 29, 2007

Basic Law of the Sea

A s an island nation, Japan owes its economic prosperity largely to trade via sea routes. The United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, which stipulates a 12-nautical mile territorial limit and a 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone, went into effect in 1994 and Japan ratified it in 1996.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 11, 2007

Muraoka's JDA funds acquittal overturned

The Tokyo High Court on Thursday overturned a lower court acquittal and gave one-time Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Kanezo Muraoka a suspended 10-month prison term for hiding a 100 million yen 2001 donation from the Japan Dental Association to the LDP's then top faction headed by the late Prime...
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Mar 27, 2007

'Multicultural Japan' remains a pipe dream

In February, education minister Bunmei Ibuki called Japan "an extremely homogenous country." Eighteen months earlier, now Foreign Minister Taro Aso described Japan as having "one nation, one civilization, one language, one culture, and one race." What was notable about these comments is that they were...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 22, 2007

Local elections to test depth of voter despondence

Held every four years, the polls will produce a new mix of governors, prefectural assembly members, mayors and other heads of towns, villages and wards.The official campaign period for the gubernatorial elections, including Tokyo's, kicks off Thursday.Along with the mayors for four ordinance-designated...
EDITORIALS
Mar 8, 2007

Is the opposition ready for battle?

The Lower House passed an 82.91 trillion yen budget for fiscal 2007 in a plenary session over the weekend. The budget, the first compiled under the Abe administration, is now in the Upper House's Budget Committee. Fierce Diet battles are expected to ensue between the ruling and opposition forces since...
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2007

Panel endorses formation of new security council

The formation of a Japanese version of the U.S. National Security Council designed to respond quickly to fast-developing threats ranging from terrorism to North Korea's nuclear ambitions was endorsed Tuesday by a government panel in its final report.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Feb 20, 2007

Upping the fear factor

The government and media would have you believe that Japan has lost its mantle as a safe country. Apparently we live amidst a spree of heinous crimes. Accurate? Not very, according to a new academic study. But before we get to that, let's take stock of one alleged cause of this "crime wave," this decade's...

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Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?