Search - 2014

 
 
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 28, 2014

Warming or not, this is the best climate for liberals

Bleak judgments about stimulus spending in the U.S. miss the main point of it, which was to funnel a substantial share of the money to unionized, dues-paying, Democratic-voting government employees. In this way, the stimulus succeeded.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 28, 2014

Ukrainian coup is not a revolution

In a real revolution, the core mission and organizational structure of a country's military are radically altered. The leadership changes in Ukraine and Egypt don't signify revolutions.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 28, 2014

Russia's Crimean shore?

Today's Crimea, the traditional playground of czars and Soviet comissars, does not want independence from Ukraine; it wants continued dependence on Russia.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 28, 2014

U.S. strategy on Russia under fire

Days after his ally Viktor Yanukovych was ousted as Ukraine's leader, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 150,000-troop Russian military exercise on Ukraine's border. The fall of Yanukovych — and Putin's potential response to it — has reignited a debate in Washington on how to respond to the...
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 28, 2014

Record budget clears Lower House

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gets his draft budget for fiscal 2014, worth a record ¥95.88 trillion, through the Lower House, giving him more time to focus on the contentious issue of collective self-defense.
SOCCER / J. League / 2014 J. LEAGUE PREVIEW
Feb 28, 2014

Cerezo looking to end Sanfrecce stranglehold

The following is the second of a two-part preview for the upcoming J. League season. Team-by-team previews of the nine highest-ranking teams competing in the first division are listed.
EDITORIALS
Feb 27, 2014

Postponing toll-free expressways

A new government bill pushes back the deadline for eliminating expressways tolls from 2050 to 2065 — because of the need to borrow more money to repair and renovate aging bridges and tunnels.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2014

'Comfort women' statues spur debate

In the northern Los Angeles suburb of Glendale, population 192,000, sits a public park with a simple statue that has become a lightning rod in the brewing political storm among the United States, Japan and South Korea over the past few months.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 26, 2014

Popovic trying to keep lid on Forlan hype as Cerezo eye title

The arrival of star Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan has transformed Cerezo Osaka into runaway favorites for the J. League title in the minds of many, but if manager Ranko Popovic agrees with them, he is keeping quiet.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 26, 2014

Wind power on verge of taking off

Japan hasn't seen an appreciable increase in wind power in the past few years despite the start of the feed-in tariff system designed to boost renewable energy, but it still has potential and the market will grow in the next several years.
COMMENTARY
Feb 25, 2014

Breaking the United Auto Workers union's grip

The most important U.S. election this year will not be in November, when more than 90 million votes will be cast for governors and national legislators. The most important one occurred in Tennessee last week when factory workers' rejected representation by the United Auto Workers union.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 25, 2014

Olympic fanfare can't hide Russia's ills

Behind the swagger after the Winter Olympics lie serious doubts about Russia's future. Long-term price trends for the mineral resources upon which the economy depends, together with Russia's history, suggest that President Vladimir Putin's luck may well be about to run out.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 25, 2014

Europe's Mideast mission: neutral mediation

America's gradual withdrawal from the Middle East puts increasing pressure on Europeans to help foster peace in the region. Their starting point in states like Syria and Iraq is not to take sides.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 25, 2014

How we lose our marbles — and get them back

A remark by American actor George Clooney has reignited the debate over whether removing the Parthenon Marbles (aka Elgin Marbles) from the British Museum and returning them to their ancient home in Athens would be the right thing to do.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / NOTES ON A SCORECARD
Feb 25, 2014

Sochi Olympics delivered wonderful drama, priceless memories

Final thoughts and parting shots on the Sochi Games:
OLYMPICS
Feb 25, 2014

Olympic stars return to Japan from Sochi

Men's figure skating gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu has already put his triumph at the Sochi Olympics behind him and while he's already looking ahead to the upcoming world championships, he isn't looking far enough into the future to consider the possibility of adding a second consecutive gold medal at the...
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 25, 2014

Okinawa assembly probes why Nakaima reversed base stance

A special investigative committee of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly met last week and early this week to determine why Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima reversed his campaign pledge to get U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma moved outside Okinawa.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 25, 2014

Mao gives measured response to Mori's criticism, defends use of triple axel

Just back from Russia, figure skater Mao Asada chides Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizing committee chief Yoshiro Mori for criticizing her effort at the Sochi Games.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 24, 2014

Shinzo Abe isn't a nationalist in the traditionalist mold

Japan is still a country where its conservative leaders can't survive without showing glimpses of nationalism even as they advocate international cooperation. No way is Prime Minister Shinzo Abe nationalistic in the 'traditional' mold.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 24, 2014

Good reasons to loathe Big Tech

Not only have Americans been reamed by Big Tech — they know they've been reamed. Which has set the stage for big-time resentment.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 24, 2014

Future looks dull from Washington

Absent an event that upends the country, Washington seems likely to be a lot less important over the next few years than it was over the past few years.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 24, 2014

Ukraine's agony may be final Cold War episode

Ukraine's agony is a reverberation of the protracted process of cleaning up after the Soviet Union 'experiment.' So, this is perhaps the final episode of the Cold War.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / ICE TIME
Feb 24, 2014

IOC deserting duty with failure to act on skating scandal

IOC president Thomas Bach seemed to dismiss concerns about the huge controversy caused by the judging in the women’s singles at the Sochi Games at a news conference on Sunday.
MULTIMEDIA
Feb 24, 2014

2014 Sochi Olympics closing ceremony

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.