Japan
Japanese PM calls crisis election
By Mike Head, July 16, 2009
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has called an early election for August 30, even though his LDP-led coalition seems almost certain to lose.
Japan: Ruling LDP in disarray
By John Chan, July 9, 2009
Japanese prime minister Taro Aso appointed two new cabinet ministers in the latest move to shore up his government.
Japan’s economy suffers record contraction
By Peter Symonds, May 22, 2009
The Japanese economy shrank by 4 percent in the first quarter of 2009 or an annualised rate of 15.2 percent. The plunge in GDP was the worst since records began in 1955 and the largest of any major in...
Japan’s alarmist reaction to North Korean missile test
By John Chan, April 16, 2009
One aspect of North Korea’s missile launch has been the Japanese government’s reaction. With his popularity at record lows, Prime Minister Taro Aso exaggerated the threat to divert attention from ...
Poverty, unemployment and homelessness hit Japanese workers
By Carol Divjak, March 26, 2009
With the Japanese economy hit hard by plummeting exports and a deep recession, hundreds of thousands of people are facing unemployment and poverty.
Japanese opposition party in crisis
By John Chan, March 20, 2009
A fund-raising scandal has exposed the fragility of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), once thought to be marching unstoppably toward office.
Economic slump deepens in Japan as exports collapse
By Peter Symonds, February 26, 2009
The collapse of Japanese exports last month underscores just how rapidly economic recession is turning into a full-blown depression—and not just in Japan.
Japanese government in crisis as recession deepens
By John Chan, February 23, 2009
As Japan confronts its worst recession since World War II, the government is in disarray, with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heading toward defeat in general elections due by September.
Record slump in Japan: a sign of deepening global recession
By Peter Symonds, February 18, 2009
Economic data released on Monday revealed that the world’s second largest economy contracted at an annualised rate of 12.7 percent for the final quarter of 2008—the steepest decline since 1974. De...
Former Japanese air force chief justifies colonialism and militarism
By John Chan, January 8, 2009
Last year’s scandal involving the Japan Air Self-Defence Force chief of staff Toshio Tamogami has highlighted the resurgence of militarism within sections of the political establishment. Tamogami wa...
Japanese government flounders amid worsening recession
By John Chan, December 18, 2008
Less than three months after assuming office, the future of Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso is in doubt as both the economy and his government’s approval ratings have plunged sharply.
North Asian summit: an empty show of unity
December 13, 2008
The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea will meet today for their first-ever joint summit. While the meeting is billed as a show of Asian unity in the face of the deepening global economic crisis,...
