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JAPAN
Dec 4, 2009

Futenma goes or we exit ruling bloc: SDP

The Social Democratic Party may leave the three-party ruling bloc if U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma remains in Okinawa as agreed to under a 2006 relocation accord between Tokyo and Washington, SDP President Mizuho Fukushima indicated Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2009

Tokyo says U.S. surge in Afghanistan won't affect aid plan

Japan welcomed the new U.S. military strategy in Afghanistan but will stick with its $5 billion pledge to aid to the war-torn country and has no immediate plans to expand its assistance, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Nov 16, 2009

Does Ozawa run the show as Hatoyama foots the bill?

Only two months in office, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama appears to be losing his political influence primarily because of (1) his failure to exercise leadership in foreign diplomacy and on the domestic agenda, and (2) the extraordinary concentration of power vested in Ichiro Ozawa, whom Hatoyama has...
EDITORIALS
Nov 10, 2009

Top-down approach won't work

The Hatoyama administration has made one decision after another with direct effects on local governments. Among them is the move to scrap projects worth nearly ¥3 trillion included in the fiscal 2009 supplementary budget, and the decision to halt the Yanba dam project in Gunma Prefecture. As part of...
BUSINESS
Nov 7, 2009

Key index up for sixth month straight

The broadest indicator of economic health rose for a sixth month in September as government measures at home and abroad spurred a recovery in exports and production.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 6, 2009

The human rights outlook and new justice minister

Ever since the historic landslide victory of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in the Lower House elections, we have wondered how the new government will wield its power. In the area of human rights protection, at least, there is cause to expect dramatic change. One of the more startling appointments...
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2009

Hatoyama hints he exceeded limit on political funds, calls it a loan

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama indicated Wednesday he may have overbankrolled his political fund management body but claimed it was his understanding that funds in excess of the ¥10 million limit he can personally kick in constituted a loan he would later get back.
EDITORIALS
Nov 3, 2009

Freeing up local government

The government panel on devolution has submitted its third set of recommendations to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, calling for the relaxation or abolition of 892 items, most of them related to administrative service standards for local residents. These standards are imposed by the central government...
BUSINESS / Q&A
Oct 29, 2009

Japan Post, with new boss, returning to public roots

Bowing to calls to resign, most adamantly by Shizuka Kamei, state minister in charge of postal services, charismatic former banker Yoshifumi Nishikawa officially stepped down Wednesday as president of Japan Post Holdings Co. and was replaced by former Vice Finance Minister Jiro Saito.
EDITORIALS
Oct 23, 2009

Makeover of postal privatization

The Cabinet this week decided to revamp the two-year-old privatization process for Japan Post group. The decision, which responds to fears among some people that Japan Post group may curtail services in the countryside, emphasizes the public role of Japan Post group.
EDITORIALS
Oct 19, 2009

New look at Japanese taxes

The government has started the new Tax System Council. Headed by Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii, it consists only of Cabinet ministers and senior vice ministers — a sharp contrast to the days of the Liberal Democratic Party's rule, when the council was composed mainly of scholars and business leaders....
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 18, 2009

How Japan can regain its vitality

Last November, two months after the inauguration of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso, I predicted, in an opinion piece for the American magazine Science, that a sweeping change in Japanese government was imminent.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 7, 2009

Press club faithful fight change

Since its landmark victory in the Aug. 30 general election, the Democratic Party of Japan has continued efforts to shake up the power structure to make good on its promise to create an accountable administration.

Longform

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