DPJ’s prospects with upper hand in Upper House
The July 29 House of Councilors election brought a landslide victory to the Democratic Party of Japan, which together with the other opposition forces gained a majority in the chamber. In addition, the...
View ArticleAll eyes on Japan Post as privatization begins
Japan Post will be reorganized Monday, paving the way for it to become a private company for the first time in its more than 130-year history. The following are questions and answers on how the...
View ArticleNova failure: Can teachers recoup lost pay, keep jobs?
When Japan’s largest employer of foreigners effectively went bankrupt last week, thousands of instructors at the foreign-language school giant were left without jobs. Many now face complicated legal...
View ArticleG8 summit to showcase environment technologies
Known for its cool summers and snowy winters, Hokkaido, the venue of the Group of Eight summit in July, is blessed with a rich natural environment and vast landscapes. It is a popular destination for...
View ArticleRoad taxes: Pork-barrel or necessity?
The government submitted a tax reform bill to the Diet Jan. 23 that includes a clause to continue the provisional higher rates imposed on auto-related levies for another 10 years, drawing opposition...
View ArticleI.D. cards for cigarette machines set to debut
People buying cigarettes out of vending machines will soon have to use a taspo integrated circuit card to verify their age. Following are questions and answers about the new card: What is taspo and how...
View ArticleCounting the cost of a weak dollar on the economy
This week saw the dollar slip to its lowest level against the yen in over 12 1/2 years. Despite bouncing back Wednesday, economists expect the greenback to keep trending downward. The prospect of a...
View ArticleIs it throwing good money after bad to keep Shinginko Tokyo afloat?
Shinginko Tokyo, Japan’s first bank created by a local government, was set up by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in April 2004 and started operations a year later to realize Tokyo Gov. Shintaro...
View ArticleJapan must put TICAD ball in play
Japan held the first Tokyo International Conference on African Development in 1993 to get the international community to reengage with poverty-stricken Africa. Since then, Japan has hosted the TICAD...
View ArticleNew insurance plan ups burden on ‘later-stage’ seniors
Following are questions and answers about the new health insurance plan the government introduced in April for people aged 75 and above: What is the new health insurance system the government...
View ArticleSteady now: quick tips on quake preparation
Earthquakes are a fact of life in Japan. Only one month ago, a 7.2-magnitude temblor and a number of aftershocks struck the Tohoku region, killing 13 in Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate prefectures and...
View ArticleIsle row with Seoul a longtime affair
Japan announced this week that a new supplementary education guideline will describe South Korea-controlled islets in the Sea of Japan, which Seoul calls the East Sea, as part of Japanese territory....
View ArticleAso’s team digging for ‘buried funds’
With Prime Minister Taro Aso’s government and ruling coalition lawmakers busy compiling a second economic stimulus package by the end of this month, the latest political catchphrase has become...
View ArticleLowdown on bank-aid bill
The credit crunch brought about by the collapse of the U.S. housing market is spreading throughout the world and has begun choking off funding to small and midsize Japanese companies. Fearing the...
View ArticleTamogami — history again retold
Ousted Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Gen. Toshio Tamogami’s war essay justifying Japan’s aggression in China and colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula has stirred controversy both at home and...
View ArticleImport food: Do inspections allay fears?
Public concern over imported food is on the rise, especially produce from China. Even if consumers want to avoid imported food, they have few options: Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate is only 40...
View ArticleNew U.S. entry requirement
The United States will launch a new immigration system starting Jan. 12 to try to prevent terrorists entering the country. This will require foreign short-stay visitors from 34 countries participating...
View ArticleTemps a threatened species as job cuts bite
Last of two parts Temporary workers are bearing the brunt of cost-cutting measures taken by businesses, especially in the manufacturing sector, to weather the recession. In November, the Health, Labor...
View ArticlePostal hotel ‘fire sale’ draws flak
Orix Corp.’s purchase of 70 Kampo no Yado hotels from Japan Post Holdings Co. for the fire sale price of ¥10.9 billion has been making headlines for the past month and drawing the scorn of internal...
View ArticleThe debate over government notes
Scholars and Liberal Democratic Party members have been urging the government to print its own money to counter the once-in-a-century crisis buffeting Japan. While advocates claim the measure should at...
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