Rudd's foreign policy made on the run - and it's showing Nov 17, 2009
Key relationships with China, Japan and India have been badly bruised ... Australia's relationship with Japan was also damaged, when the Rudd Government chose political expediency over sticking by a trusted friend ... Citing China's concerns Australia's Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, pulled out of the quadrilateral dialogue that saw us line up with Japan, India and the US.. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Japans national debt Nov 17, 2009
FT.com / UK - Insight: The ugly side of Japans balance sheet ... Insight: The ugly side of Japans balance sheet ... Japan is rarely at the forefront of discussions about stimulus, national debt burdens and global economic recovery but, in financial markets, chatter about potential future weakness in the Japanese yen and Japanese government bonds is growing. (FT.com -- Markets)
Outrage in Washington over Obama's Japan bow... Nov 17, 2009
Outrage in Washington over Obama's Japan bow ... Obama on Monday was in China, having wrapped up the Japan leg of his Asia trip two days earlier ... But Washington's punditocracy was still weighing whether or not the US president had disgraced his country two days earlier by having taken a deep bow at the waist while meeting Japan's Emperor Akihito. (The Drudge Report)
DPJ Considers Paring Election Pledges to Prevent Increase in Debt Burden Nov 17, 2009
Japan Government Considers Paring Election Pledges (Update3) - Bloomberg ... Japan Government Considers Paring Election Pledges (Update3) ... Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Japans government is considering trimming some of its campaign spending pledges to prevent an increase in debt issuance next year that might send yields higher and damp the economic recovery. (Bloomberg -- Japan)
Japan's Trade Minister Apologizes for Leaking GDP Nov 16, 2009
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's trade minister apologized on Monday for disclosing market-sensitive GDP figures in a speech to business executives ahead of their official release, raising questions about the new government's handling of sensitive information. The third-quarter growth figures were much stronger than expected and caused Japanese bond prices to dip, although they later recovered as analysts warned the outlook less than rosy ... The figures showed Japan's economy grew 1. (ABC News -- Wire)
Obama to Myanmar: Free Suu Kyi Nov 16, 2009
Obama reiterated his stance in a speech Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. "Despite years of good intentions, neither sanctions by the United States nor engagement by others succeeded in improving the lives of the Burmese people," he said. (CNN)
Waugh insists Wallabies career not over Nov 16, 2009
The 79-times capped back rower missed out on the current Wallabies tour of Japan and the United Kingdom after suffering a quadriceps injury in the Sydney club grand final. In his absence, long standing rival George Smith and rising Western Force youngster David Pocock have been vying for the starting openside position on tour. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
* FEATURE : Japans Ainu fight for their cultural survival Nov 16, 2009
FEATURE : Japans Ainu fight for their cultural survival ... Japans native people, the Ainu, once hunted bears and fished for salmon in the wild forests of the countrys far north, but today they are an ethnic minority fighting for their cultural survival ... Like Aboriginals elsewhere, the Ainu suffered through an era of forced assimilation that took a heavy toll on their customs, language and way of life, leaving them a disadvantaged minority in modern Japan. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Global village moves to U.S. campuses Nov 16, 2009
Japan was fifth despite a 14 percent decline to 29,264 students, its fourth consecutive yearly loss that experts say is the result of declines in both the country's economy and number of high school graduates. Besides China, countries with increases greater than 20 percent were Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Nepal. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
2011 APEC meeting to be held in Honolulu Nov 16, 2009
Hawaii officials have been lobbying aggressively for more than a year to snag the APEC meeting, which brings together leaders from 21 nations, including the U.S., China, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, Mexico, Russia and Korea to discuss trade, investment and other economic issues. "Hawaii has never had anything remotely approaching an international meeting" of this scope, said Chalres Morrison, president of the East-West Center in Honolulu. (Pacific Business News, HI)
Trade Minister Naoshima Announced Japan's GDP Figures 50 Minutes Early Nov 16, 2009
Trade Minister Naoshima Leaked Japan GDP Data Early (Update2) - Bloomberg ... Trade Minister Naoshima Leaked Japan GDP Data Early (Update2) ... Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese Trade Minister leaked the countrys third-quarter economic growth figures to oil industry executives almost an hour before the numbers were announced today. (Bloomberg -- Japan)
Africa: UN Transports Voters Lists for Upcoming Poll Nov 15, 2009
The organization is managing a 34 million USD basket fund with contributions from the European Union, Japan, France, Great-Britain, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Germany and UNDP.. The elections were planned for 29 November but have been once more postponed. (allAfrica.com)
The bold decision to try 9/11 terrorists in NYC Nov 15, 2009
Also, I guess Barry s just trying to patch things up with Japan. OBAMA BOWS BEFORE JAPAN S EMPEROR. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Another View: Vietnam, Afghanistan and learning from history Nov 14, 2009
Vietnam has never been successfully dominated by foreign powers, defeating China, France, Japan and the United States. Afghanistan, similarly, has earned its reputation as the "graveyard of empires" for subverting the imperial ambitions of Alexander the Great, the British and the Soviet Union. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Japan: A new battle over Okinawa Nov 14, 2009
Asia Times Online :: Japan News and Japanese Business and Economy ... In Japan, it's often said you can gauge social undercurrents by looking at advertising billboards on trains, as they mirror society ... popular Japanese weekly magazine, currently hung in crowded commuter trains in Tokyo. (Asia Times Online)
Pakistan willing to be flexible on Kashmir: Shaukat Aziz Nov 14, 2009
Tokyo - US President Barack Obama on Saturday met with Japanese Emperor Akihito, the final event of the US leader's first visit to Japan. Obama had lunch with Akihito and Empress Michiko at the imperial palace in Tokyo, Japanese media reported. (Yahoo News -- Kashmir Dispute)
* Obama begins four-nation Asian tour in Japan Nov 14, 2009
Obama begins four-nation Asian tour in Japan ... The alliance between the United States and Japan is a foundation for security and prosperity, not just for our two countries, but for the Asian-Pacific region, Obama said at a press conference alongside Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama ... In Japan, where a new government took power two months ago, both sides are seeking to smooth over a row on US bases and stress shared goals on climate change, the war in Afghanistan and nuclear weapons. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
Obama Eyes Budget Freezes to Fight Deficit Nov 14, 2009
While President Obama departs for a four-nation trip to Asia, Katie Couric notes that his diplomatic visit could help to re-strengthen ties between the U.S. and Japan, which have recently been stained. Photo Essay. (CBS News -- Politics)
Obama meets Japan's Hatoyama, stressing equal partnership Nov 14, 2009
President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama walk in together before the start of their joint news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on Friday ... Despite recent tensions, Obamamania is still strong in Japan ... Tokyo - President Barack Obama's first trip to Asia as head of state began with a warm welcome Friday in the highly guarded Japanese capital, where excitement over the president persists despite recent tensions over the two nations'... (Christian Science Monitor)
Obama: Afghanistan Troop Decision Soon Nov 14, 2009
President, in Japan, Promises that New Plan for War will be Transparent to U.S. Public ... Opening a weeklong trip to Asia, Mr. Obama said the United States and Japan must "find ways to renew and refresh the alliance for the 21st century." ... Hatoyama noted that Japan will no longer refuel ships that supply Afghanistan, but he promised aid for Afghan civilian needs such as schools, agriculture and police. (CBS News -- World)
Obama vows to deepen US engagement in Pacific region Nov 14, 2009
" But Hatoyama, who ended half a century of conservative political domination, has vowed that Japan will be more assertive in its US alliance and said he may scrap an unpopular plan to relocate a US military base on Okinawa. "This is an issue with difficulties. But it will get more difficult to solve as time goes by," said the premier, who has been in office for just two months. Opposition to the US bases has simmered for decades, with locals complaining about aircraft noise, pollution, the risk... (Channelnewsasia.com)
Obama: Decision soon on troops for Afghanist... Nov 14, 2009
In a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Obama also said he was bent on "getting this right." He denied that his administration has been dithering and said that whatever policy change he announces must be aimed at protecting America from terrorist networks. Opening a weeklong trip to Asia, Obama said the United States and Japan must "find ways to renew and refresh the alliance for the 21st century." ... With Obama weighing a new strategy for Afghanistan, Hatoyama... (San Diego Union-Tribune)
UK 'backs Taliban reintegration' Nov 13, 2009
Page last updated at 08:07 GMT, Friday, 13 November 2009. UK 'backs Taliban reintegration. (BBC News -- UK)
Myanmar up close Nov 13, 2009
Last year, China overtook the US in becoming Southeast Asia's third-biggest trading partner - after Japan and the European Union - with US$193 billion in trade. "For the time being, the Obama administration's increased attention to the region should restore some confidence in the US. If the administration can sustain the effort, this may reduce the sense of urgency in the region to find a new structure that bends to China's growing influence there, while trying to strike a balance with a... (Asia Times Online)
Liberia's Taylor trial adjourned Nov 13, 2009
Obama seeks to ease Japan tension. Weekly world news quiz. (Yahoo News -- Liberia)
Castro as commentator on US politics Nov 13, 2009
The trip is scheduled to take the president to Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea for bilateral meetings with world leaders and to participate in two regional summits. "Perhaps no other U.S. president would be capable of committing to such an intense schedule," said Castro, who was known in his youth for his extraordinary stamina _ particularly when on the stump. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
Pacifying Afghanistan: a dangerous dream Nov 13, 2009
"Decades" is a long time for an American public that watched its troops beat back both Nazi Germany and imperial Japan in just four years. Americans turned against the war in Vietnam as the years wore on. (Christian Science Monitor)
Obama Kicks Off Asia Tour in Japan Nov 13, 2009
While President Obama departs for a four-nation trip to Asia, Katie Couric notes that his diplomatic visit could help to re-strengthen ties between the U.S. and Japan, which have recently been stained ... President Obama is greeted by a welcome party during his arrival at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 13, 2009 ... (CBS/ AP) President Obama aimed Friday to shore up relations with a new Japanese government vowing to be more assertive with its U.S. ally, even as he grapples with sending more... (CBS News)
Obama hits Japan mulling war options Nov 13, 2009
Obama visits Japan mulling Afghan war options - USATODAY.com ... Obama visits Japan mulling Afghan war options ... TOKYO (AP) President Obama aimed Friday to shore up relations with a new Japanese government vowing to be more assertive with its U.S. ally, even as he grapples with sending more U.S. troops to. (USA Today)
Obama arrives in Japan at start of first Asia tour Nov 13, 2009
" Japan's top government spokesman Hirofumi Hirano said the summit would be "an opportunity to enhance relations in trust between our prime minister and the president ... "At the same time, we would like to reach concrete agreements. The environment and economic issues, as well as our long-term perspective for Japan-US relations will be on the agenda." ... A senior Obama administration official said that the president was sensitive to the dynamics of the transition of power in Japan. (Channelnewsasia.com)
Obama comes to Japan mulling Afghan war options Nov 13, 2009
U.S. President Barack Obama waves upon his arrival at Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan, Friday, Nov. 13, 2009 ... Obama opens Japan visit with the alliance under strain and shadowed by Afghan war options ... TOKYO -- President Barack Obama arrived in Tokyo on Friday, aiming to shore up relations with a new Japanese government that vows to be more assertive with its U.S. ally, even as he grapples with sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. (Albany Times Union)
Obama faces strains in Japan, first stop in Asia Nov 13, 2009
TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Tokyo on Friday for a summit in which the two allies will seek to ease strained security ties as they adjust to a rising China, set to overtake Japan as the world's No.2 economy ... Washington's relations with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's government, which has promised to oversee a diplomatic course less dependent on its long-time ally and forge closer ties with Asia, are frayed by a dispute over a U.S. military base ... The... (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
To solve Turkey's culture clash, old elite must yield to free speech Nov 12, 2009
You write about this class with a mocking tone, suggesting, as Haruki Murakami does with reference to Japan's Westernization, that it is a culture of "borrowed surfaces." ... Gardels: I was surprised to hear you say in a conversation with the Japanese Nobel laureate, Kenzaburo Oe, that you thought Japan was more Western than Turkey because it is more tolerant. (Christian Science Monitor)
The Folly Of A `Drone War' Nov 12, 2009
Rather, it only increases their sense of unity, as in London during the Blitz under Winston Churchill, in Germany under Adolf Hitler, Imperial Japan under Emperor Hirohito, North Korea under Kim Il Sung, North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh, and of course (though we never put ourselves in such company, being the exceptions to all history), the United States after 9/11 under George W. Bush. Why should the peoples of rural Afghanistan and the Pakistani borderlands be any different. (CBS News)
Which big countrywill default first? Nov 11, 2009
So which major country, the United States, Japan or Britain, will default first on its foreign debt ... Britain has two additional problems not shared by the United States and Japan ... Growth was negative in the third quarter of 2009, unlike the modest positive growth in the US and the sharp uptick in Japan. (Asia Times Online)
The week ahead Nov 11, 2009
Barack Obama travels to Asia, taking in visits to Japan and China ... A visit to Japan could prove to be frosty, even though the country is America's most important ally in the region, as the newly elected government has seemed unwilling to back American foreign policy, for example in Afghanistan. (The Economist)
Tokyo Lawmakers Limit Waist Sizes Nov 11, 2009
Are you too fat for Japan ... TOKYO, Japan In Japan, being thin isn t just the price you pay for fashion or social acceptance ... In Japan, already the slimmest industrialized nation, people are fighting fat to ward off dreaded metabolic syndrome and comply with a government-imposed waistline standard. (Newsmax)
From the archive: Jon Stone Nov 11, 2009
Two of them were travelogues showing the show's characters in China and Japan. Their message was racial harmony. (The Economist)
Writing through the rubble Nov 10, 2009
Steele writes, "If analogies were relevant when Washington's war planners prepared their attack on Iraq, it was Israel and Palestine that should have been the template, not Germany or Japan. Sending US and British troops to occupy an Arab country in the 21st century was bound to be as difficult as it has been for Israeli troops to occupy the West Bank for the last 40 years." ... Now, however, many major trading countries -- among them China, Russia, Japan, Brazil and the Persian Gulf oil... (Salon)
Japan pledges US$5b in aid for Afghanistan over five years Nov 10, 2009
com - Japan pledges US#dollar;5b in aid for Afghanistan over five years ... Japan pledges US 5b in aid for Afghanistan over five years Posted: 10 November 2009 1016 hrs. (Channelnewsasia.com)
Fitch Ratings Says Japan's Economic Recovery Will Be `Modest and Fragile' Nov 10, 2009
Fitch Says Japan Recovery to Be Modest and Fragile (Update1) - Bloomberg ... Fitch Says Japan Recovery to Be Modest and Fragile (Update1) ... Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Japan is unlikely to experience a rapid economic recovery as a stronger yen, falling prices and unemployment weigh on growth, Fitch Ratings said. (Bloomberg -- Japan)
Obama confronts an Asia reshaped by China's rise Nov 10, 2009
BEIJING (AP) -- Days after coming to power in September, Japan's new prime minister broached forming a new East Asian trading bloc with rival China -- one that would exclude the United States ... Obama stops first in Japan, a traditional U.S. stalwart now looking toward closer engagement with China and the rest of Asia ... "This is not the kind of Asia or Asia-Pacific of America's traditional understanding. That old understanding is that America is dominant but friendly to the developing nations... (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
Japan Protests U.S. Military Ahead of Obama Visit Nov 10, 2009
Japan Protests U.S. Military Bases Ahead of Obama Visit - TIME ... While more police officers patrol Tokyo's subway and train stations in preparation for U.S. President Barack Obama's two-day trip to Japan this week, people in other parts of the country have already sent the American President a message ... On Sunday, thousands of Japanese with estimates ranging from 6,000 to 21,000 gathered in the Okinawan city of Nago to demand that U.S. military personnel, who have been continuously stationed... (Time.com)
America's South Korean Trade Policy... Nov 10, 2009
Wendy Cutler, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan and Korea reiterated Kirk s statements last month. There is no timeline assigned to this;a careful scrutiny of [the] agreement will be important for us. (Suite101.com)
Japan to boost aid to Afghanistan Nov 10, 2009
Japan hosts many US troops but is pulling out of the Afghanistan naval mission. Japan's government has pledged $5bn (3bn) in new aid to Afghanistan over the next five years ... Japan's centre-left government has said it will end a naval refuelling mission in support of US-led efforts in Afghanistan. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Country profile: South Korea Nov 10, 2009
He has promised to boost growth, cut high youth unemployment and raise competitiveness in the face of challenges from China and Japan. His Grand National Party won control of parliament in elections in April 2008, which observers predicted would allow him to push through his economic reforms. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
* Okinawans demand removal of US base Nov 9, 2009
AP AND REUTERS, TOKYO AND GINOWAN, JAPAN Monday, Nov 09, 2009, Page 1 ... Thousands of Japanese gathered in sweltering heat on the southern island of Okinawa yesterday to demand that a US Marine base be moved out of the region, days ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama ... Meanwhile, Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said yesterday that no deal on relocating US troops can be expected during Obamas visit this week, saying the issue needs more time to resolve. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
Future gazing Nov 9, 2009
Futuristic gadgets out of Japan. Africans finding success in China. (BBC News -- Americas)
Japanese protest against US base Nov 9, 2009
Thousands of people have protested on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa demanding the removal of a US military base there ... Japan and the US agreed in 2006 to relocate the Futenma base from an urban area to reclaimed land but the PM's election has rekindled opposition ... The BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo says the row over the relocation of the base threatens to sour relations between Japan's new government and the country's key security ally. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Obama visit postponed a day Nov 8, 2009
The president is scheduled to visit Alaska en route to a multi-day journey to Asia that includes stops in Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore. He is now scheduled to stop Thursday at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage to refuel Air Force One. (Anchorage Daily News)
"The September Issue" Nov 8, 2009
This odd, breathtaking high-seas adventure follows the eco-pirates of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (originally a Greenpeace splinter group) as they pursue the Japanese whaling fleet in the ocean off Antarctica ... Villain: You can debate the semantics, but the Japanese have found a loophole in the international whaling moratorium that permits them to flout the law's spirit, if not its letter, and stock the sushi bars of Tokyo with whale meat ... Could be that scene where we watch... (Salon)
The White House and Abramoff: 70 more contacts revealed Nov 8, 2009
Dual containment meant that the U.S. contained both the Soviet Union and communist China and its conquered, demilitarized allies West Germany and Japan, which could not be allowed to reemerge as independent military powers rather than U.S. satellites. To keep West Germany and Japan as satisfied client-states, the U.S. promised not only to protect their vital security interests but also to practice unilateral free trade, opening its markets to their exports ... Throughout the Cold War and beyond,... (Salon)
Danish student 'arrested in Iran' Nov 7, 2009
A Canadian, a Japanese and an Iranian journalist are also being held for covering the protests without permits, the semi-official Fars agency reports ... Futuristic gadgets out of Japan. (BBC News -- Africa)
Power review sought by contender Nov 7, 2009
Page last updated at 08:45 GMT, Saturday, 7 November 2009. Carwyn Jones says he would consult Welsh Labour about a referendum. (BBC News -- UK)
Dogs vs. SUVs vs. the earth, debunked Nov 7, 2009
" Take the first half of that sentence: No nation can dominate another. There is no 8-year-old who would say that -- it's so absurd. And the second half? That is adolescent utopianism. Obama talks in platitudes, but offers a vision to the world of America diminished or constrained, and willing to share leadership in a way that no other presidency and no other great power would. Could you imagine if the Russians were hegemonic, or the Chinese, or the Germans -- that they would speak like this? Is... (Salon)
The Forgotten Battle of World War II: Remembering the Aleutian Campaign Nov 7, 2009
On June 3, 1942, the Japanese bombed Dutch Harbor, located at the Aleutian Islands, west of the Alaskan peninsula ... The Americans stationed there "kept the Japanese from the West Coast and from invading the U.S. mainland.... From a strategic point of view, you can't underestimate the situation there. Look at a map! The Aleutians aren't very far from Seattle." ... In the Aleutians, American troops battled not only the Japanese, but debilitating weather and boredom. (Townhall.com)
Worlds collide in The Magician & the Geisha Nov 7, 2009
The title characters love is tested when the magician must deal with Japanese traditions ... The part in Japan is right on, he says. (Fresno Bee)
Peak oil? Don't worry -- Obama's on the job Nov 6, 2009
The IEO report hints at other geopolitical changes in the global energy landscape, especially an expected stunning increase in the share of the global energy supply consumed in Asia and a corresponding decline by the United States, Japan and other first-world powers ... With about the same standard of living, we use twice as much energy per person as do other countries like Germany, Japan and Sweden. (Salon)
United States Claims #1 Spot For First Time as World's Top Country Brand Nov 6, 2009
- Canada Holds on to Second Spot and Australia Slips to Number Three - - Global Study Expanded to Cover Regional Rankings Including Asia Pacific, Sub-Sahara Africa and the Americas. This category remains one with tremendous potential not only for tourism but investment, trade and policy. (Canada Newswire)
Buttonwood: Exit, followed by a bear Nov 6, 2009
An increase in Japan s consumption tax in 1997 was widely blamed for sabotaging a recovery. The future path of quantitative easing (QE) runs into similar dilemmas. (The Economist)
The geek in charge at the Department of Energy Nov 6, 2009
You may or may not be aware that since March giant robots have been defending the port city of Hakodate, Japan from an invasion of alien squids ... Giant robots, as everyone knows, are a staple of Japanese life ... Why, you may ask, are the alien squid so intent on reducing Hakodate to rubble -- a city that, despite serving as one of Japan's major ports, mostly managed to avoid the destruction wrought elsewhere in Japan during World War II. (Salon)
* NSC blames beef panic on poor communication Nov 6, 2009
The OIE lists Taiwan and the US in the same category of controlled BSE risk, along with Japan, Canada and France. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHIH HSIU-CHUAN This story has been viewed 641 times. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
Meet the evil new copyright treaty Nov 5, 2009
Here's a quote from Ron Kirk's article of June, 2009: "Negotiations on the ACTA began in June 2008. The objective of the ACTA negotiations is to create a new, state-of-the art agreement to combat counterfeiting and piracy. The United States has been working with several trading partners, including Australia, Canada, the European Union and its 27 member states, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Switzerland, to negotiate the agreement. When it is finalized, the ACTA... (Harper's Magazine)
1983: Year of Toys for Children and Adults Nov 5, 2009
And much to the delight of boys everywhere, the first Nintendo console, Famicom, the original Nintendo, was released in Japan. Initially deemed a failure, it wasn't until the launch of the iconic video game "Super Mario Brothers" that Nintendo became a worldwide sensation. (CBS News -- Early Show)
Japan To Speed Decision On Relocation Of US Base Nov 5, 2009
With Obama Visit Looming, Japan Promises To Speed Up Review Of Deal To Relocate US Base ... (AP) TOKYO (AP) - Japan will speed up its review of a deal to move a major U.S. military base on the southern island of Okinawa, officials said Thursday, but no final decision was expected in time for President Barack Obama's visit to Tokyo next week ... To smooth the way for the visit, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Washington's top envoy in Asia, was in Tokyo on Thursday to meet with... (CBS News -- World)
