‘Chinese-style’ poll deprived H.K. residents from expressing their will

There is no legitimacy at all to a “Chinese-style” election, where only candidates who pledge loyalty to the authorities can run for office. The histo...

December 21, 2021

Japan must take measures to prevent spread of drug addiction, overdoses

A growing number of young people and others are becoming addicted, taking large quantities of over-the-counter and other readily available drugs to es...

December 21, 2021

Communities, workplaces should help foreign residents get inoculated in Japan

To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, it is necessary to raise the COVID-19 inoculation rate within society as a whole, including foreign na...

December 20, 2021

Japan should take lead in creating international rules on space debris

Space development is entering a new era in which private companies are taking the lead, but the establishment of relevant rules has not caught up with...

December 20, 2021

Lower house panel on Constitution must meet often to deepen debate

The ruling and opposition parties have raised many issues concerning the Constitution, including how to respond to contingencies and what the Diet sho...

December 19, 2021

Should oversight of private universities be the task of outside appointees?

Scandals involving private universities have continued to emerge in recent years. The management system of private universities needs to be strengthen...

December 19, 2021

Circumstances of tragic Osaka fire should be uncovered and acted on

What happened at this multitenant building in a bustling district that was frequented by countless people? The police and fire authorities must clarif...

December 18, 2021

Federal Reserve urged to curb inflation by speeding up pace of tapering

Controlling inflation has become a major challenge in the United States. The Federal Reserve Board, which is responsible for stabilizing prices, shoul...

December 18, 2021

Ministry’s egregious disregard for integrity of statistics is intolerable

Government statistics are important because they influence the government’s own policymaking and the management decisions of businesses, among many ot...

December 17, 2021

Patent case shows need to deepen industry-academia collaboration

To bring innovative new drugs to market, excellent basic research and development capabilities for commercialization are indispensable. It is vital to...

December 17, 2021

Japan must learn from recent destructive tornadoes in U.S.

A series of tornadoes in the United States has caused extensive damage. There have been tornadoes in Japan as well, though not on the scale seen in th...

December 16, 2021

Will Shinsei be able to repay public funds after it becomes a unit of SBI?

Major online financial services provider SBI Holdings Inc. has successfully completed a tender offer for Shinsei Bank that was launched in September t...

December 15, 2021

Govt’s rush to offer child benefits led to confusion at municipalities

The hasty decision by the government to provide benefits without clarifying its policy objectives may be behind the confusion. Prime Minister Fumio Ki...