Below The Beltway

I believe in the free speech that liberals used to believe in, the economic freedom that conservatives used to believe in, and the personal freedom that America used to believe in.

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Archive for the 'Japan' Category

Demography And Destiny

by Doug Mataconis @ Tuesday, May 6th, 2008. Filed under Japan

Yesterday was apparently Children’s Day in Japan, but, in reality, there aren’t that many children around to celebrate:
TOKYO, May 5 — Japan celebrated a national holiday on Monday in honor of its children. But Children’s Day might just as easily have been a national day of mourning.
For this is the land of disappearing children and […]

Is Japan Dying ? And What Does That Mean For America ?

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, April 7th, 2008. Filed under Foreign Affairs, Immigration, Japan, Politics

One blogger seems to think there is a lesson to be learned:
Japan is doomed. It’s partly a problem that other developed countries are facing, but partly a consequence of decades of inflexibility, racism and formality.
The agent of Japan’s death is simple: depopulation.
The fertility rate in Japan is 1.29. That is 1.29 children per woman, whereas […]

The Old Japan Is New Again

by Doug Mataconis @ Saturday, December 16th, 2006. Filed under Foreign Affairs, Japan

It’s taken more than sixty years, but it seems that Japan is preparing to assert itself as a regional power:
TOKYO, Dec. 15 — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government pushed through landmark laws Friday requiring Japanese schools to encourage patriotism in the classroom and elevating the Defense Agency to the status of a full ministry for […]

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