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Thursday, August 20, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
POLITICS-JAPAN: Abductions Upset Tokyo’s Focus on Its Role in Iraq
Just as Japan has focused its foreign policy on its involvement in the reconstruction of Iraq, this week's abduction of three of its volunteers there has jarred a largely pacifist population - and may well undercut Tokyo's attempt to play a bigger role in international affairs.SOUTH KOREA: April Vote a Tussle between Old and New Politics
South Korea's hotly contested parliamentary elections this month poses a problem for Lee Jeong-ju, the owner of a large shop selling ladies' handbags in central Seoul and who describes himself as a die-hard democrat.SOUTH KOREA: April Vote a Tussle between Old and New Politics
South Korea's hotly contested parliamentary elections this month poses a problem for Lee Jeong-ju, the owner of a large shop selling ladies' handbags in central Seoul and who describes himself as a die-hard democrat.RIGHTS-JAPAN: Amid Terrorism Fears, Activists See More Repression
Japan's social harmony has not encouraged grassroots activism but the rise in global terrorism is fast slamming the door shut, say human rights groups here.RIGHTS-JAPAN: Amid Terrorism Fears, Activists See More Repression
Japan's social harmony is not known for encouraging grassroots activism, but the rise in global terrorism is fast slamming the door shut on what little room they have, say human rights groups here.ENVIRONMENT-JAPAN: Big Business Warms to Energy Savings Plan
Environmentalists have long struggled to convince businesses to invest in energy conservation, but their hopes of succeeding are being raised by the growing appeal of a trading system in which companies can install expensive energy saving technology - and pay for it later.JAPAN: Child Abuse Forces Tough Look at Isolated Society
A rising tide of child abuse cases is forcing the Japanese government to boost efforts to prevent adults from inflicting gross physical and emotional harm on children, a trend that experts link to increasing isolation in an affluent, modern society.POLITICS: Japan Pushes ‘Inclusive’ Approach to Burma – Analysts
Through events like its hosting of a visit by the U.N. special envoy on Burma, Japan may well signal Tokyo's desire to expand its traditional role as Asia's key aid donor and become a more active player in regional diplomacy, say experts here./ARTS WEEKLY/ART-JAPAN: Nostalgia for Showa Period Is In
Nostalgic for the heady fifties and sixties when Japan embarked on its post-war economic miracle, 68-year-old Hidetoshi Yokokawa goes back to the past through his Showa Retro Products Museum, which displays collections of items from that era.LABOUR-JAPAN: Human Rights Activists Assail Anti-Migrant Measures
Japan has started to further tighten its immigration policies, a move that officials say is driven by security concerns but which activists assail as violating the human rights of non-Japanese.SOCIETY-JAPAN: Young Drug Addicts Lack Support
Ryo recalls how he started inhaling paint thinner when he was 10 years old, at a time when he was trying to cope after his parents divorced and he was forced to live with his strict Japanese father.ECONOMY-JAPAN: Finally, Tokyo Takes Notice of India
After years of pushing India to the sidelines, Japan is now changing its tune and actively courting the world's largest democracy, lured by its growing international economic and political prowess.ECONOMY-JAPAN: Some Good Figures Buoy Hopes for Recovery
A dramatic jump in corporate productivity rates has raised hopes here that the long-awaited turnaround in Japan's economy, the second largest in the world, has finally begun.ECONOMY-JAPAN: Some Good Figures Buoy Hopes for Recovery
A dramatic jump in corporate productivity rates has raised hopes here that the long-awaited turnaround in Japan's economy, the second largest in the world, has finally begun.JAPAN: Conviction of Cult Leader Ends Wait, But Concern Remains
Friday's death sentence meted out to the founder of a Japanese doomsday cult that carried out murder and gas attacks years ago ends a long, tortuous wait for justice by thousands of survivors, but concern remains over the susceptibility of youngsters to joining such groups.RIGHTS-JAPAN: Changes Add Teeth to Law on Domestic Violence
A bill that strengthens the law on domestic violence - by offering better protection for victims - has boosted the morale of Japanese women and groups that have long lobbied against spousal abuse in this patriarchial society.JAPAN: Ban on U.S. Beef a Reminder of Dependence on Food Imports
The closure across Japan of hundreds of stores selling 'gyudon' - the immensely popular bowls of beef on rice - has sent a distasteful reminder to many of the precariousness of their food supply, analysts here say.ECONOMY-JAPAN: Measures Urged to Help Workers Expose Corrupt Business
When Toshiaki Kushioka, 58, decided to reveal secret price rigging at the transportation company for which he worked, little did he know he was in for a nightmare.LABOUR-JAPAN: Women Part-Time Workers Eye Gains as Job System Changes
Displaying sheer grit, part-timer Kyoko Numata, 54, worked her way for 17 years in a steak restaurant to be successfully appointed as manager last April.SOCIETY-JAPAN: Adulthood Brings Job, Other Worries to Youth
Adult's Day in Japan, which falls on Jan. 12, may not be something all youngsters in this country are looking forward to.POLITICS-JAPAN: Debate of Changing Constitution Gathers New Steam
As it prepares for the second dispatch of military troops to Iraq next week, Japan's long simmering debate on changing its post-war 'Peace' constitution, written by the U.S. occupation forces in 1947, is gathering new steam.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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