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COMMENTARY
Jul 26, 2003

Timing on dispatch of SDF turns up Koizumi weak spot

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was brimming with confidence after a bill proposing special measures to support the reconstruction of Iraq passed the House of Representatives in the National Diet. A likely political scenario for the fall -- one that anticipated a long-term...
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2003

Foreigners' war-redress battles rage on

For many elderly foreigners who were victims of Japanese prewar and wartime aggression and occupation, the fighting continues.
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2003

Koizumi eyes permanent SDF rules, slams short-term approach

Japan should consider implementing a permanent law that stipulates the principles under which the Self-Defense Forces can be dispatched overseas, rather than drawing up sunset legislation every time the need arises, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2003

Koizumi eyes permanent SDF rules, slams short-term approach

Japan should consider implementing a permanent law that stipulates the principles under which the Self-Defense Forces can be dispatched overseas, rather than drawing up sunset legislation every time the need arises, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2003

Koizumi eyes permanent SDF rules, slams short-term approach

Japan should consider implementing a permanent law that stipulates the principles under which the Self-Defense Forces can be dispatched overseas, rather than drawing up sunset legislation every time the need arises, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 19, 2003

History will credit Shinseki

WASHINGTON -- As he stepped down from office this week as the U.S. Army chief of staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki probably breathed a big sigh of relief. He had been put through the meat grinder in his job, particularly during Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's tenure.
BUSINESS
Jun 7, 2003

Tokyo, Osaka chiefs push for tax powers

The governors of Tokyo and Osaka demanded Friday that the central government hand some of its tax-raising powers over to local governments in light of its plans to slash fiscal assistance for local authorities.
COMMENTARY
May 4, 2003

Rare chance for U.S. to fix tort lottery

WASHINGTON -- Trial attorney and U.S. Sen. John Edwards is well-liked by the plaintiff's bar. Too well-liked perhaps, since the Justice Department is investigating apparently illegal contributions to his presidential campaign -- which have since been returned -- from an Arkansas law firm. Although Edwards...
JAPAN
Apr 19, 2003

Panel drops plan to identify ideal size for municipalities

An advisory panel to the prime minister examining the future of local governments has decided not to specify a desirable population level as a factor in deciding the scope of administrative powers for local authorities, according to panel sources.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2003

Sumo head stung for elder rights

The Tokyo District Court on Monday ordered the current head of the Tatsunami sumo stable to pay 175 million yen to his predecessor in return for receiving his rights to operate the stable.
COMMENTARY
Feb 5, 2003

New life for de Gaulle's old dream

PARIS -- France and Germany have solemnly celebrated the 40th anniversary of the so-called Elysee Treaty, signed by French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer on Jan. 22, 1963. Last month governments and parliaments in both Paris and Berlin held joint meetings, as French...
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2003

Condo owners win compensation

The Tokyo District Court on Monday ordered Urban Development Corp. to pay 67 million yen to a group of residents demanding compensation over the public entity's decision to lower the prices of condominiums after they had bought theirs.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 10, 2002

Mitsuyo Ohira : Lessons in life

High-flying lawyer Mitsuyo Ohira doesn't have the kind of past you'd expect. After falling victim to bullying at junior high school, she attempted suicide by disembowelment, dropped out of school and hung out with drug-using delinquents. All that before, at age 16, becoming the wife of a gang boss.
LIFE / Food & Drink / VINELAND
Nov 3, 2002

How a winery's rep can become tainted

One of the hottest stories sweeping the California wine industry focuses on "sick cellar syndrome," a subject of dread to all winemakers. Wine Spectator magazine recently revealed that Napa Valley stalwart Beaulieu Vineyard suffers from a systemic taint problem, which could lead to musty, moldy flavors...
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2002

N. Korean aid depends on abductions' resolution

Japanese economic aid to North Korea must be based on the settlement of the abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents, a Japanese official said Sunday.
BUSINESS
Sep 19, 2002

Association helps end the health insurance limbo

Pressed by an ever-increasing number of people working as temps, both the government and temp agencies are trying to increase measures to make life more secure for the workers in this category.
Japan Times
JAPAN / BABY BUST
Sep 19, 2002

Birthrate suffers as women face unattractive choices

Mayumi Shinde, 40, has worked for seven years as a system engineer at a Tokyo firm, at one stage attaining a job capability assessment of S -- one special level higher than A, the normal top ranking.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2002

A role for Japan in Korean peace process

There are high expectations that Prime Minister Junichiro Kozumi's Sept. 18 summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will produce a breakthrough regarding the normalization of Japanese-North Korean relations. In addition to achieving this breakthrough in a manner that the Japanese people and...
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2002

Koizumi, Hiranuma blast Tepco over alleged nuclear-hazard coverup

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi slammed Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Friday for allegedly falsifying reports on problems discovered at its nuclear plants.
COMMENTARY
Jul 22, 2002

Tokyo, Seoul narrowing gap

The Japanese people's sense of Japan-South Korea friendship has heightened following the World Cup soccer tournament cohosted last month by the two countries. After South Korea advanced to the semifinals, many Japanese cheered the team on to an extent that puzzled some South Koreans.
EDITORIALS
Jul 22, 2002

A nuclear conundrum

The world is increasing its reliance on nuclear energy. For many people, that is a dangerous development. For many others, it is the only responsible choice. The truth is energy-policy decisions are becoming increasingly difficult. A national debate -- in Japan and elsewhere -- is a necessity. Ultimately,...
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 30, 2002

Tricky laws cap emotional powder keg

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- After so much controversy surrounding two recent asylum incidents in Beijing, a change of focus may be in order -- from the emotional to the legal dimension. We should begin with the reminder that asylum and inviolability issues, in general, are extremely complicated and can never...
COMMENTARY
Jun 20, 2002

Asian caveat on U.S. moves

HONOLULU -- The United States continues to make the war against terrorism its top priority. To keep the world focused on the battle, it is focusing on Southeast Asia, opening what some call "a second front" in the region. This agenda makes sense in Washington, but its single-minded focus could undermine...
JAPAN
Jun 8, 2002

Diet mulls fate of mentally ill criminals

The Diet is now debating a bill that would create a system whereby medical doctors and judges would decide together whether someone with a psychiatric disorder who commits a serious crime should be hospitalized.
JAPAN
May 11, 2002

Japan cranks up pressure on China

Japan on Friday ratcheted up the pressure on China to hand over five North Korean asylum seekers who were dragged out of the Japanese consulate in Shenyang two days earlier by trespassing Chinese police.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 5, 2002

Something for the little people

When it comes to the media, children haven't really been given much scope for expression. There are television programs and magazines designed for kids, but very few in which the target audience is also a part of the creation process. Some people want to change that.
JAPAN / THE OKINAWA FACTOR
May 2, 2002

Nago ponders base-for-cash community conundrum

NAGO, Okinawa Pref. -- A prefabricated building behind Jisei Asato's home in the Toyohara district of Nago used to be an office occupied by the Kube Area Economic Promotion Council. It is now closed and bears "for rent" signs.

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.