Showing 1 - 8 of 8
Is Takaichi Sanae the 'Iron Lady' of Japan?
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 10/11/2025
» For the first time in its history, Japan's parliament has selected a woman, Takaichi Sanae of the Liberal Democratic Party, to be prime minister. In this sense, Ms Takaichi has already followed in the footsteps of her political idol, Margaret Thatcher -- the UK's first female PM. But whether she is remembered as Japan's own "Iron Lady" will depend on her ability to manage three key challenges: inflation, low female labour-force participation and a fraught geopolitical environment.
Trump's tariffs will end in tears all round
News, Koichi Hamada, Published on 24/03/2025
» If US President Donald Trump is skilled at anything, it is demagoguery. By stoking voters' fears and prejudices, he manages to win support for, or distract from, extreme policies that benefit himself, his family, and his (mostly ultra-rich) cronies, and cause serious harm to virtually everyone else. The key to his success is knowing which buttons to push.
The lasting legacy of Abenomics
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 31/05/2024
» After the 1985 Plaza Accord pushed the yen's exchange rate sharply upwards, Japan's economy suffered a severe slowdown that proved mightily difficult to reverse. In fact, the only prime minister to oversee a period of consistent growth and high employment in the past three decades was Shinzo Abe, during his second term, which began in 2012.
Why don't Japanese give to charity?
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 06/04/2024
» On Jan 1, as Japan celebrated the new year, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula, causing buildings to crumble, forcing mass evacuations, and leading to more than 200 deaths. But in the wake of the tragedy, something beautiful happened: an outpouring of support by philanthropic organisations and individuals, including support from beyond Japan's borders. More than 140,000 people donated US$5 million (183.7 million baht) through the Nippon Foundation alone.
Remembering Shinzo Abe, the real liberal
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 09/09/2022
» At former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's funeral in July, the streets were lined with people carrying flowers. His state funeral -- expected to be attended by world leaders -- will be held this Sept 27 in Tokyo.
When will inflation stop happening?
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 10/05/2022
» Until a few years ago, major economies were struggling to achieve even mild inflation, with policymakers in the United States, United Kingdom and eurozone struggling to meet their targets of 2% annual price growth. But with the arrival and persistence of Covid-19, the world changed dramatically. Two years later, everyone is worried about soaring inflation and how it can be contained.
What will Japan's Fumio Kishida do?
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 12/11/2021
» A month after becoming Japan's 100th prime minister, Fumio Kishida has another reason to celebrate. On Wednesday, he was re-elected as Japan's prime minister by parliament after the ruling coalition won the general election last month. The question now is how will he use this impressive result, and what his leadership will mean for Japan.
Why we really need globalisation
News, Koichi Hamada, Published on 02/05/2018
» From the Brexit vote to Donald Trump's election as US president to rising support for populist parties in countries like Germany and Italy, much of the electoral upheaval in Western democracies in recent years has been attributed at least partly to a backlash against globalisation. But globalisation does not deserve voters' ire.