Search - people

 
 
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.
EDITORIALS
Jul 6, 2007

Lessons from the '97 crash

Ten years ago Monday, Asia was hit by an economic "bug" that wiped out billions of dollars of wealth, cost millions of jobs and shattered the confidence of a region. Those losses have largely been made up, and Asia today is in many ways stronger than it was in 1997. Although lessons have been learned,...
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 Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 6, 2007

'Confession of Pain'

There are some things at which the Asian male excels and that includes looking exceptionally fatigued. Not attractively or glamorously so but plain, I-just-got-off-a-16-hour-shift fatigue enhanced by the discomfort of public transportation and too much nicotine.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 6, 2007

An American Idol takes direct action for charity

Taking place this weekend in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, International Heart Expo 2007 is a charity event that aims to take "direct action" to support children in developing countries. Volunteers from Japan and abroad will participate.
JAPAN
Jul 5, 2007

Kyuma incident rekindles A-bomb debate

Fumio Kyuma's resignation Tuesday as defense minister over his remarks on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has spotlighted the still sharply divided perception gap between Japan and the United States over what some see as one of the most horrific war atrocities in history.
JAPAN
Jul 5, 2007

Koike takes defense helm, condemns '45 A-bombings

Newly appointed Defense Minister Yuriko Koike pledged Wednesday to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. military alliance but also denounced the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of Japan as "unacceptable from a humanitarian viewpoint."
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2007

Kyuma exits over A-bomb gaffe

made a grave decision as a politician and a Cabinet minister," Abe told reporters. "I respect his decision." Kyuma's resignation comes as the already beleaguered Abe prepares to lead his Liberal Democratic Party into the July 29 House of Councilors election.
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2007

Don't dredge for nuclear carrier, suit by group says

A citizens' group opposed to stationing a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Japan has sued the government to halt harbor work to accommodate the warship, a lawyer said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2007

Kyuma's gaffe sure to hurt Abe's bid to woo voters, experts say

Already facing a tough Upper House election, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent attempts to woo voters will almost certainly come to naught amid the uproar over Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma's controversial statement, experts say.
EDITORIALS
Jul 4, 2007

A corporate culture turned fatal

The final report of the government's Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission on the April 25, 2005, West Japan Railway accident in Hyogo Prefecture — which killed the train driver and 106 passengers and injured 562 people — has blamed the railway company's corporate culture for the...
Reader Mail
Jul 4, 2007

How dare China criticize Japan

Regarding the June 22 article "Don't deny Nanjing death toll: Beijing": I find it cynical for China to say that Japanese lawmakers show a lack courage for claiming that the "Rape of Nanking" death toll has been grossly inflated. Beijing demands that Japan face historical facts, but as a complete outsider,...
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 4, 2007

Human dignity and the death penalty

FLORENCE, Italy — China's decision to execute the head of its drug regulatory agency has rekindled international debate about capital punishment. It is an age-old question, one that harks back to Plato, who in his "Laws" saw the need to punish by death those who commit egregious crimes.
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Jul 4, 2007

R2D2 shapes up as the real gadget star

In the 70-odd years since the advent of talkies, how big a movie star you are has been measured by how many lines of dialogue you get. Presumably these need to be uttered in a language known to at least some members of humanity. R2D2, the robot droid of Star Wars legend, defied that convention to grab...
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2007

UBS opens branch in bustling Nagoya aimed at wealthy retirees

UBS AG, the world's biggest money manager, opened an office Tuesday in Nagoya to sell wealth-management services, aiming to grab a bigger share of the savings of the country's affluent.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2007

With 'faith' in police, Hawkers return home

, and daughter Louise. JUN HONGO PHOTO
EDITORIALS
Jul 3, 2007

Protection of tunnel workers

A group of former tunnel-construction workers who contracted a lung disease after laboring on public works projects have reached a settlement in their damage suit filed with Tokyo High Court against the government. It is the first court-mediated settlement for a cluster of damage suits initially filed...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 3, 2007

How Japanese tax-payers' money is lost in bid-rigging

Every few years, politicians, bureaucrats and construction company bigwigs get embroiled in bid-rigging scandals — and the public's faith in government sinks deeper.
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2007

'Tankan' shows big makers still optimistic

Business sentiment for big manufacturers remained optimistic in the Bank of Japan's latest "tankan" survey released Monday, fueling market speculation the central bank will raise the interest rate as early as next month.
Reader Mail
Jul 1, 2007

Considerations of a troublemaker

I assent from the bottom of my heart to Roger Pulvers' description of compulsive reverence toward others in his June 10 Counterpoint column, "In Japan show reverence where it's due." There is nothing that alienates me more from this country and its people than what I would call "the double-edged sword...

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji