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COMMENTARY
Dec 15, 2011

Sunny days ahead for the solar power industry

The solar power industry in Asia and other key growth markets is struggling in a competitive bloodbath. Companies are producing far more solar cells and panels than they can sell.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Dec 7, 2011

Toyota plug-in hybrids seen going to head of the class

Toyota Motor Corp.'s new plug-in Prius threatens to cast a shadow over competitors' hybrids.
COMMENTARY
Dec 6, 2011

Growth on austerity road

The British chancellor of the Exchequer (the finance minister) in his autumn statement to the House of Commons on Nov. 29 admitted that the British budget deficit will last beyond 2015 — when a general election has to take place. That means continuing cuts in government expenditures and in public sector...
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2011

Toyota, BMW tie up on green technologies

Toyota Motor Corp. and Germany's BMW said Thursday they are teaming up in the field of hybrid vehicle technologies, aiming to speed up development and lower the costs of producing "green" vehicles amid a stricter regulatory environment.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2011

Obama warns Senate on Guam funding cuts

The Obama administration warned Thursday that a Senate bill proposing funding cuts next year for infrastructure projects on Guam could harm U.S.-Japan relations.
EDITORIALS
Nov 19, 2011

Storing radioactive waste

Eight months since disaster struck Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the cleanup of areas contaminated by radioactive substances and the safe storage of contaminated soil and waste are pressing issues.
BUSINESS
Nov 17, 2011

Tepco employees' shares in firm rise

Among Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s biggest shareholders, only one has increased its holdings since the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant: Its employees.
EDITORIALS
Nov 12, 2011

Age of low-cost flights

It appears that Japan is finally entering the age of low-cost flights. All Nippon Airways has set up a joint venture, Peach Aviation, with a Chinese investment fund and plans to set up another joint venture, AirAsia Japan, with AirAsia of Malaysia, a leading low-coast carrier (LCC) in Asia. Japan Airlines,...
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Nov 12, 2011

Poppy row overshadows Spain visit

We should have been talking about Xavi, Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets and the other superstars of European and world champion Spain. One of the truly great teams of any era is playing England at Wembley on Saturday but the visit of the best international side on the planet...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / ICE TIME
Nov 9, 2011

Mao needs victory at NHK Trophy to regain confidence

Just over one year ago, Mao Asada entered the NHK Trophy coming off her second world title and a silver medal at the Vancouver Olympics. The stage was set for a triumphant return at the Grand Prix event in her hometown of Nagoya.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 2, 2011

Myanmar's new guardian?

Myanmar's one-time military generals, who have miraculously transformed themselves into benign politicians, really do seem to be taking remarkable steps to restructure both the domestic and foreign policy of that fragile nation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 30, 2011

Cyclists piste at Tokyo police crackdown

Last month, comedian Mitsunori Fukuda was stopped and cited for riding a fixed-gear racing bike on a public street in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward. These bicycles, also known as "piste bikes," have become popular in the past few years, not so much as a conveyance but more as a fashion statement. They usually...
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 24, 2011

Asian powers scrambling for regional space

Asia is witnessing a jostling among its major powers — China, Japan and India — for regional strategic space, and a flurry of activity by these countries is focused toward the Southeast Asia region, once a stable region but now a potential area for conflict. China, which is already a permanent member...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDIA-JAPAN SYMPOSIUM
Oct 24, 2011

India bids for closer East Asia ties for regional integration

India wants to play a role in the economic integration of Asia through closer ties with East Asian powers including China — despite a long history of political hostility — and Japan, journalists and experts from India said at a recent symposium in Tokyo.
COMMENTARY
Oct 19, 2011

A decade of Afghan tragedy

On July 1, 2002, the United States bombed an Afghan wedding in the small village of Deh Rawud. Located to the north of Kandahar, the village seemed fortified by the region's many mountains. For a few hours, its people thought they were safe from a war they had never invited. They celebrated, and as customs...
EDITORIALS
Oct 17, 2011

A decade of war in Afghanistan

Oct. 7 marked the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan. It has been a bitter decade. The initial success in driving the Taliban from power quickly turned to stalemate as U.S. attention shifted to Iraq. The hope that the war-torn country, a proxy battleground of great power...
EDITORIALS
Oct 13, 2011

Budgeting for reconstruction

The government ministries and agencies have made budget requests for fiscal 2012 that total a record ¥99 trillion, exceeding the fiscal 2011 initial budget of ¥96.746 trillion. Because the government has used up surplus funds to compile the third supplementary budget for fiscal 2011 for the reconstruction...
COMMENTARY
Oct 6, 2011

Few dare call it federal control of education

Obama Gives States a Voice In 'No Child' — New York Times, Sept. 24

Longform

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