February 19, 2013
About 70 percent of voters want to see an end to nuclear power generation in Japan, according to an Asahi Shimbun opinion poll conducted on Feb. 16 and 17.
February 18, 2013
On the instructions of the Abe Cabinet, a panel of experts has started discussing a proposal to establish the headquarters for Japan’s policy efforts to deal with diplomatic and security challenges.
February 16, 2013
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has set up a council of experts to discuss whether online and telephone sales of over-the-counter drugs should be allowed and what kind of rules should be created for such non-store, online- and telephone-based sales of pharmaceuticals.
February 15, 2013
The Bank of Japan upgraded its economic outlook on Feb. 14. While the growth rate for the October-December 2012 period in real terms dropped from the previous quarter, the small size of the contraction confirmed that the economic slowdown was minimal.
February 14, 2013
Japan's police force needs to raise its game in confronting cybercrime.
February 13, 2013
How long will North Korea repeat such folly?
February 12, 2013
The supplementary budget plan for fiscal 2012, which ends next month, and the initial budget plan for fiscal 2013, which starts in April, contain a raft of programs in which the government will provide funds in cooperation with private companies to promote industries.
February 11, 2013
The change in leadership of the All Japan Judo Federation cannot end the problem of violence and harassment against members of the Japanese women’s national judo team. The organization must reply in earnest to the “desperate determination” of the 15 female judoka who raised the issue and create a safe and secure environment for athletes.
February 09, 2013
The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has taken a first step toward allowing Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense. At Abe's request, an advisory council of experts has begun to discuss the issue.
February 08, 2013
An unbelievable act of folly has come to light.
February 07, 2013
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera revealed Feb. 5 that a Chinese warship locked its fire-control radar on a Japanese destroyer operating in the East China Sea last month. In doing so, the Chinese vessel essentially signaled it was preparing to open fire.
February 06, 2013
The seabed has tectonic plates that can cause devastating earthquakes, but it is also a treasure trove of natural resources. New discoveries concerning the seabed were made after the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011. Japan, a scientific and technological powerhouse surrounded by the sea, should more aggressively research and develop the seabed.
February 05, 2013
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet plans to allow exports of Japanese-made parts for Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 stealth fighter jet, which will be the Self-Defense Forces’ next mainstay combat plane.
February 04, 2013
The government’s decision to cut welfare benefits has raised concerns about an endless decline in “the minimum standards of living,” which is guaranteed by the Constitution.
February 02, 2013
An independent committee investigating the suicide of a 13-year-old junior high school student in Otsu who was brutally bullied by classmates has released a report criticizing teachers for failing to respond effectively to the abuse they knew was going on.
February 01, 2013
The Nuclear Regulation Authority released a draft outline of new safety standards to deal with serious accidents at nuclear power plants.
January 31, 2013
The Abe administration has set out to review Japan's defense policy.
January 30, 2013
Dense, toxic smog often blankets wide areas of Beijing and other Chinese cities. Air pollution in China is a serious problem.
January 29, 2013
This year’s ordinary Diet session opened Jan. 28, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered his first policy speech since assuming the top post last month for a second time.
January 28, 2013
When the ordinary Diet session starts on Jan. 28, debate between the ruling and opposition parties can finally resume after the Dec. 16 Lower House election that resulted in landslide victories for the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito.