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COMMENTARY / World
Mar 15, 2012

Europe's trust deficit undermines crisis resolution

There is no shortage of talk nowadays about Europe's deficits and the need to correct them. Critics point to governments' gaping budget deficits. They cite the southern European countries' chronic external deficits. They highlight the eurozone's institutional deficits — a single currency and a central...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2012

Fugitive's harborer faces two years

Former Aum Shinrikyo member Akemi Saito pleaded guilty in court Tuesday to harboring fugitive cultist Makoto Hirata for 14 years, while prosecutors demanded a two-year jail term.
Japan Times
JAPAN / QUEST FOR RECOVERY
Mar 7, 2012

Fukushima farmers in two-front war

Both the reality of radiation and the rumors surrounding it continue to plague farmers in Fukushima Prefecture a year into the crisis that started last March 11 when a megaquake and monster tsunami put a local nuclear plant on a path to three reactor meltdowns.
JAPAN
Feb 16, 2012

Nuclear safety boss faults agency, utilities

Nuclear Safety Commission chief Haruki Madarame apologized Wednesday for mistakes and safety shortcomings that surfaced during the triple-meltdown crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant and blamed them on bureaucrats and utilities that failed to heed calls for better disaster preparedness.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Feb 12, 2012

The idol's mom, the underage boy and the media

The recent arrest of the mother of a Japanese pop idol for sex with a minor raises questions on how the media here handles such high-profile cases.
EDITORIALS
Feb 10, 2012

Imperial Family talking point

The government this month starts hearing opinions from knowledgeable people on the idea of allowing female members of the Imperial Family to remain in the family even if they marry commoners and to become the heads of branches within the family. Behind the move is a fear that as long as the current Imperial...
EDITORIALS
Feb 5, 2012

Unethical meddling in Okinawa

The chief of the Okinawa Defense Bureau was found to have given lectures on the coming mayoral election in Ginowan on Okinawa Island, the site of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, to bureau workers.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 2, 2012

What does Egypt's military leadership want?

"Whatever the majority in the People's Assembly, they are very welcome, because they won't have the ability to impose anything that the people don't want."
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 31, 2012

Facing up to alcoholism in foreign land can help or hinder recovery

A reader has a query about alcoholism in Japan: "How is it generally perceived and what kind of help is available for foreign alcoholics who speak little to no Japanese?"
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 24, 2012

Nadeshiko Japan eyes London Olympic gold

Japan's overtime defeat of the United States in the 2011 women's World Cup soccer finals inspired a nation suffering from the March 11 disaster and ensuing nuclear crisis. This year will see the club dubbed Nadeshiko Japan attempt to repeat their success at the Summer Olympics in London. Following are...
EDITORIALS
Jan 17, 2012

The Syrian charade

There have been 300 days of protest against the government of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad. They have made no dent in the government's resolve. Even the presence of an Arab League observer group has had no impact on Damascus's readiness to bring all its firepower to bear against civilian protestors....
COMMENTARY
Jan 16, 2012

British influence and the EU

At the European crisis summit in December, David Cameron was snubbed by his European colleagues. His "veto" on accepting treaty changes believed by other members to be necessary to save European economies left Britain isolated.
EDITORIALS
Jan 12, 2012

Bureaucratic cling

In December 2010, the government adopted an action plan to transfer regional bureaus of central government ministries to local governments to help the latter carry out "comprehensive" administrative work for local residents. But it is unclear whether the proposal made in late December by the government's...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 12, 2012

Execs' exit 'turning point' for Nomura

The resignation of two former Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. executives from Nomura Holdings Inc. may allow the nation's biggest brokerage to revamp a business that has stumbled since it bought assets of the failed U.S. firm in 2008.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 6, 2012

'Good'

As far as movies about Nazi Germany go, "Good" belies its title and sits fidgeting on a terrain somewhere between so-so and inoffensive. But 15 years ago a story like "Good" would have been called daring — even revolutionary — for it ventures beyond caricatured depictions of monstrous Nazis and the...
Japan Times
JAPAN / NUCLEAR AWAKENING
Jan 4, 2012

Mothers first to shed food-safety complacency

The disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant and the threat of radioactive fallout changed the lives of many people, including Mizuho Nakayama and other mothers of young children whose primary goal suddenly became that of keeping their kids out of harm's way.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NUCLEAR AWAKENING
Jan 3, 2012

Fukushima meltdowns set nuclear energy debate on its ear

The Fukushima nuclear crisis changed the national debate over energy policy almost overnight.

Longform

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