Showing 1 - 5 of 5
End Japan's loans to Myanmar's Tatmadaw
News, Yuka Kiguchi, Published on 26/11/2024
» More than 3.5 years after the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) attempted to seize control of the country through a coup, the Japanese government continues to provide Official Development Assistance (ODA) and public funds that benefit the military junta. Despite the sacrifices of the Myanmar people to end the Myanmar military's decades-long oppression, Japan's "assistance" risks burdening survivors with enormous loans that potentially enable the military to continue its atrocities against the very people it is meant to aid.
Monetary policy really needs to tighten in Japan
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 12/11/2024
» Last month, returning to Japan for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, I was struck by how significantly prices had increased. In February 2020, a simple lunch in downtown Tokyo cost about JP¥1,000, then the equivalent of about $10 (324 baht); today, it costs more like JP¥2,000. To some extent, this mirrors the experience in the US, where, even as inflation moderates, prices remain well above their pre-pandemic levels. The difference is that Japan has also experienced a sharp currency depreciation, which benefits foreign visitors: that JP¥2,000 bill translated to just $13.
Japan faces upheaval as LDP bloc loses majority
News, Alastair Gale & Yuki Hagiwara & Yoshiaki Nohara, Published on 29/10/2024
» Japan faces a period of political instability after the ruling coalition failed to win a majority in parliament for the first time since 2009, setting up a race among two main blocs to form a government.
Shigeru Ishiba's premiership could be short
News, Taniguchi Tomohiko, Published on 02/10/2024
» After a 15-day election campaign, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has elected Shigeru Ishiba as its president. Since the ruling party holds a majority in the National Diet (parliament), Mr Ishiba will be Japan's next prime minister. For the 67-year-old Mr Ishiba, long a leading rival of the late Shinzo Abe, ascending to the post is the realisation of a long-held dream. But Mr Ishiba's political star will likely soon fall.
137 years of Japanese-Thai ties
Oped, OTAKA Masato, Published on 26/09/2024
» Today marks the 137th anniversary of the signing of the "Declaration of Amity and Commerce between Japan and Siam", which established modern diplomatic relations between the two countries.