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Reader Mail
Sep 26, 2007

Losses from forced retirement

The Sept. 13 Opinion page headline "Here's to the rise of the alpha geezer" caught my eye because I now occupy that age bracket. I don't mind the term "senior" because it allows me to see movies for ¥1,000 yen instead of ¥1,800. Geezers in rocking chairs are as out of date as rotary phones.
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2007

Fukuda elected prime minister in Diet faceoff

New Liberal Democratic Party President Yasuo Fukuda was elected prime minister by a divided Diet on Tuesday afternoon amid the political turmoil stemming from Shinzo Abe's sudden resignation announcement two weeks ago.
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2007

LDP appointments illustrate Fukuda's isolation

The appointments of four executives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party highlight a weakness of Yasuo Fukuda — the lack of close allies within his own party.
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2007

Safe picks mark new Cabinet lineup

and Shigeru Ishiba enter the Prime Minister's Official Residence on Tuesday evening after being tapped to serve as foreign minister and defense minister, respectively, by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. KYODO PHOTOS
Reader Mail
Sep 26, 2007

In defense of Japanese teachers

Japanese teachers who refuse to stand and face the Hinomaru national flag and to sing the "Kimigayo" anthem at school events should not be required to go through retraining or be fined. That they are should raise flags of concern for everyone.
JAPAN
Sep 25, 2007

Abe offers apology from hospital over political turmoil

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apologized to the nation Monday for suspending the crucial Diet session and damaging public trust in the government with his sudden Sept. 12 resignation announcement.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Sep 25, 2007

Is it all over for Nova?

"The dark clouds that have been hanging heavily over us will be cast aside," reads the English translation of Nova Corp. CEO Nozomu Sahashi's memo faxed to staff Friday. "I said previously 'the darkest time is before the dawn,' and finally the first light of dawn can be seen."
JAPAN
Sep 24, 2007

Fukuda elected new LDP president

joins his main contender, Taro Aso (left), and other members of the Liberal Democratic Party in shouting banzai after winning the party's presidential race Sunday. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Sep 24, 2007

Incoming prime minister's guide to closing 'winners-losers' gap

Yasuo Fukuda was elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party on Sunday and is certain to become Japan's next prime minister this week to replace Shinzo Abe, who surprised the nation Sept. 12 by suddenly announcing his intention to step down.
EDITORIALS
Sep 24, 2007

More mysteries in Russia

The appointment of Mr. Viktor Zubkov, an obscure official, as the new prime minister of Russia has many analysts yearning for the old days of Kremlinology. Then, at least, it was possible to figure out how powerful someone was by their relative position on the seating chart or the dais.
JAPAN
Sep 24, 2007

Public reaction mixed on nation's next leader

Aso lacks," Shuichi Minoike, a 29-year-old office worker from Chiba Prefecture, said at JR Akihabara Station. Minoike said he is optimistic Fukuda will "utilize his established skills" when he faces critical decisions as the next prime minister, including the debate over extending the Maritime Self-Defense...
Reader Mail
Sep 23, 2007

Incomprehensible abuse case

Regarding the Sept. 12 article "Life sentence upheld for fatal abuse of two kids": Just out of curiosity, how could the Hiroshima District Court rule that "there was no intent to murder because (Kenichi) Takao had confined the (6-year-old) boy in a plastic bag only to make him fear he would die"?
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Sep 23, 2007

Nomura deserves credit for making Eagles respectable

A few words of praise this week for the 2007 performance of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Sep 23, 2007

Yasodharapura, revived in literature

A Record of Cambodia: The Land and Its People, by Zhou Daguan, translated with an introduction and notes by Peter Harris, foreword by David Chandler, and photographs by Julian Circo. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books, 2007, 150 pp., 595 bhats (paper) In 1295, the same year that Marco Polo arrived back in Venice...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 23, 2007

Homes is where the native languages are

"My children are bilingual." How many parents would love to be able to say that — and believe it!
EDITORIALS
Sep 22, 2007

Aiming for the moon

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the "Kaguya" (Shining Princess) lunar exploration probe Sept. 14. It is now on its way to the moon, 380,000 km away. Kaguya marks the biggest moon mission since the 1969-72 U.S. Apollo flights. It is hoped that the probe, launched by an H-IIA rocket,...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 21, 2007

Ozawa dances around the U.S. alliance

Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) president Ichiro Ozawa's success in orchestrating the downfall of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is a major victory for his party. It is also arguably the first time since the resignation of Abe's grandfather, Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke in 1960, that a prime minister has...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 20, 2007

Worldwide bubble trouble

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut — The future of the housing boom, and the possible financial repercussions of a substantial price decline in coming years, are a matter of mounting concern among governments around the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 20, 2007

Aso hip with comic book crowd

Former Foreign Minister Taro Aso is the clear underdog in the race to become the next prime minister. But among young fans of pop culture, Aso is king.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 20, 2007

Filipinos respectful of a star's conviction

BANGKOK — Joseph Estrada, the disgraced former president of the Philippines, faces the prospect of spending his remaining years in prison after a special court in Manila found him guilty of amassing around $15 million in bribes and kickbacks. During the 30 months he ruled his country, from mid-1998...
COMMENTARY
Sep 20, 2007

Decline of the Liberal Democratic Party?

LONDON — Sixty-two years after Japan surrendered to the United States at the end of World War II, many things have changed, but not Japan's subordination to the U.S. Despite having the world's second-biggest economy, Japan is still a pygmy on the international stage, and its foreign policy is still...

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?