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EDITORIALS
Apr 6, 2002

Law for Okinawa's prosperity

Thirty years after its return to Japanese control in May 1972, Okinawa continues to struggle with its twin problems: the heavy presence of U.S. military bases and the relatively low level of industrial development. While the base problem is likely to persist for a long time to come, the drive for economic...
JAPAN
Aug 10, 2001

Yasukuni awaits as minefield for Koizumi

and TOSHI MAEDA Staff writers One might wonder why Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is so bent on visiting Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender, amid a steady outcry from Seoul and Beijing and opposition from inside his ruling camp.
CULTURE / Music
Feb 6, 2000

Tokyo's musical riches are many, mighty and marvelous

The year end is filled with performances of the beloved Beethoven Ninth, known familiarly as the "Choral" symphony, prized for its message of hope in the lofty poetry of Schiller's "Ode to Joy."
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 17, 2000

Cut U.S. military presence

Japan faces intense pressure to settle uncertainties regarding the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps heliport now at the Futenma Air Station in Okinawa before July, when it hosts a Group of Eight summit. Unless the problems are settled by then, U.S. President Bill Clinton is likely to face a firestorm...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 30, 2023

'We are not ready': An interview with Taiwan's former military chief

Beijing says it wants a peaceful unification but refuses to rule out force, prompting Taiwan to ramp up defenses and fortify alliances with the democratic leaders around the world.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 23, 2023

The cherry blossoms are here and business is blooming

Kathleen Benoza explains what's at stake during the hanami season, while Thu-Huong Ha and Alyssa I. Smith discuss the science, symbolism and culture of sakura in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 31, 2022

Kishida to call for nuke-free world in historic address at U.N. treaty conference

The prime minister, who represents a district in Hiroshima, is also expected to call for greater transparency among nuclear powers regarding their stockpiles and capabilities.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Apr 27, 2022

Japan is losing people, but is it all bad?

Staff writer Alex Martin joins to discuss Japan's declining population, and why one town in Saitama thinks it's not all bad news.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 28, 2019

'Sometimes you just have to walk': Trump and Kim fail to reach nuke deal at second summit

“It was about the sanctions,” the U.S. president said. “Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that.”
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 10, 2018

Trump welcomes three Americans freed by North Korea in diplomatic win for U.S. president

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed home three Americans who had been detained by North Korea, greeting the trio at an air base outside Washington early Thursday after they were released hours earlier by Pyongyang. The release gives Trump a key diplomatic victory ahead of a highly anticipated summit...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 25, 2018

On North Korea's Kim, Trump shifts from 'Little Rocket Man' to 'very honorable' man

Ditching his derisive "Rocket Man" label for North Korea's leader, U.S. President Donald Trump shifted his assessment of Kim Jong Un on Tuesday, calling the dictator — whose country is said to operate a system of gulags — a "very honorable" man.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2014

Japan outlines sanctions reward for N. Korea's action on abductions

Japan will lift some of its sanctions on North Korea to reward the progress it has made in setting up an “unprecedented” panel to reinvestigate the abduction issue.
EDITORIALS
Mar 3, 2013

Improving relations with Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori have set the stage for talks over the sovereignty of the Northern Territories.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 25, 2011

When will the Japanese media stop avoiding antinuke sentiment?

On Dec. 15, freelance journalist Tomohiko Suzuki held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan about his new book, "Yakuza and Nuclear Power," which describes Suzuki's stint as a worker on cleanup detail at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear reactor last summer. Though the book...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / JAPAN-U.S. SEMINAR
Sep 24, 2010

New vision of Japan-U.S. ties needed at key turning point

Japan-U.S. relations are at a turning point and the Futenma base dispute — which has strained bilateral ties since the Democratic Party of Japan took power a year ago — is also symbolic of the broader and longer-term changes that affect the alliance, American experts said at a recent seminar in Tokyo....
EDITORIALS
Nov 15, 2009

Knitting the alliance

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and U.S. President Barack Obama held a summit and a joint news conference Friday in Tokyo, their second meeting following their first in September on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly meetings. They reaffirmed that the Japan-U.S. alliance is the basis for...
EDITORIALS
Jan 20, 2005

Unfinished tasks for Mr. Koizumi

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, speaking at the Liberal Democratic Party's annual convention Tuesday, again expressed his resolve to privatize postal services, saying that "without constant efforts for reform, possibilities for Japan's development will be closed." Mr. Koizumi defines postal privatization...
EDITORIALS
Oct 4, 2002

Clarifying the whole truth

The government's investigation into the fate of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s has made some progress, although the findings include shocking details. Credit goes to an 11-member fact-finding mission that returned Tuesday from two days of difficult activities...
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2002

Koizumi-Kim talks a year in the works

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's stated intention to visit Pyongyang is the result of a year of assessment by Tokyo of whether North Korea is serious about improving bilateral ties.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 2002

Asian issues carry much weight on global stability

NAGO, Okinawa Pref. -- There were times when relations between the European Union and Japan suffered from having a narrow focus, centered on economic matters.
COMMENTARY
Jul 13, 1999

Break deadlock on base issues

U.S. President Bill Clinton expressed hope June 25 that all pending issues concerning U.S. military bases in Okinawa, including the issue of the Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, will be resolved before he attends a Group of Eight summit there in July 2000. "I don't want to go over there and have all...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jun 29, 2023

Democracy-minded Yoon faces challenges in dealing with China

A recent thawing of ties between Tokyo and Seoul could help enhance economic security and keep Beijing in check.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 11, 2023

Japan needs to reassure neighbors on release and safety of treated radioactive water

Scientists have concluded that the plan to discharge the ALPS-treated water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant into the ocean is the most realistic solution to the storage issue.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 11, 2022

Japan to allow prefectures to declare medical state of emergency if COVID cases hit records

The government announced it will let prefectures enact stronger measures if infections soar above the level of the last wave and their health care system is threatened.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 4, 2022

Key meetings may offer clues on China’s economic path forward

Top of mind for investors is whether Beijing will begin easing up on its zero-tolerance approach to combating COVID-19 outbreaks.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 24, 2022

Next-gen activists take on nukes

2022 has been an important turning point as many countries around the world renewed their determination to cooperate with each other to abolish nuclear weapons in the face of the looming nuclear threat arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Longform

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