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For Eric Johnston's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

JAPAN

Feb 26, 2001

IOC inspectors arrive in Osaka

OSAKA -- Members of the International Olympic Committee's bid-city evaluation committee arrived in Osaka on Sunday evening to begin a four-day inspection tour of sports and other facilities.

JAPAN

Feb 26, 2001

IOC inspectors arrive in Osaka

OSAKA -- Members of the International Olympic Committee's bid-city evaluation committee arrived in Osaka on Sunday evening to begin a four-day inspection tour of sports and other facilities.

JAPAN

Feb 18, 2001

Osaka leaders' talk fest serves up more than usual platitudes

KYOTO -- When the Kansai region's leaders gather here every year for a two-day seminar to discuss the regional economy, corporate heads, economists and local government officials pontificate on issues ranging from information technology to employment.

BUSINESS

Feb 9, 2001

Public incentives urged to help Kansai economy

KYOTO -- Kansai region business leaders on Thursday called for increased local government involvement in business promotion, strengthened relations with Asia and better understanding of the security arrangement with the U.S. during their annual seminar here.

JAPAN

Feb 4, 2001

Osaka prepares for visit from IOC

OSAKA -- In a few weeks, International Olympic Committee officials will visit Osaka to assess the city's 2008 Olympic Games bid.

JAPAN

Feb 4, 2001

Osaka prepares for visit from IOC

OSAKA -- In a few weeks, International Olympic Committee officials will visit Osaka to assess the city's 2008 Olympic Games bid.

JAPAN

Jan 21, 2001

Osaka homeless find they must help selves

OSAKA -- Visit Yoshisune Nagamine at his office beside Osaka Castle and you're in for a surprise.

JAPAN

Jan 18, 2001

Kobe remembers '95 quake, but focus shifts to moving on

KOBE -- This city marked the sixth anniversary of the earthquake that resulted in the loss of 6,432 lives with prayers and remembrance services Wednesday, but also with a sense that the temblor is fading into history and that the recovery is almost complete.

JAPAN

Jan 7, 2001

Ex-mob boss, cop critic sue police, claim freedom of speech violations

OTSU, Shiga Pref. -- In what may be the first case of its kind in Japan, a retired yakuza boss and a vocal police critic are suing Shiga Prefectural Police for what they consider a violation of their constitutional rights.

JAPAN

Dec 13, 2000

Kobe man says he was a spy for Pyongyang for 20 years

KOBE -- For nearly 20 years, Cho Ryu Un, a Korean resident of Japan born and raised in Kobe, lived a double life. To friends and business partners, he was a normal businessman, albeit connected with the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).

JAPAN

Dec 10, 2000

Osaka's Olympic slogan in English won't be winning any gold medals

OSAKA -- The English-language slogan that the city of Osaka will use to promote its 2008 Olympic bid is silly, meaningless and unnatural.

JAPAN

Dec 8, 2000

Monju touts safety campaign in restart bid

TSURUGA, Fukui Pref. -- Five years after a sodium leak and fire shut down the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor here, the battle over whether it should be put back into operation still rages.

JAPAN

Nov 26, 2000

Hase killer still at large, lawyer fears

KOBE -- The May 1997 murder of 11-year-old Jun Hase in Suma Ward here shocked Japan and made world headlines for the sensational nature of the crime.

JAPAN

Nov 15, 2000

Costly Kansai airport plagued by pullouts, rivals, debts, sea

OSAKA -- Six years after opening, Kansai International Airport is struggling to stay above water -- literally and figuratively.

JAPAN

Nov 12, 2000

Park-area locals want plebiscite to halt plan for homeless shelters

OSAKA -- Tensions continue to rise between Osaka officials and residents living near Nagai Park over a municipal plan to build shelters for the park's homeless, with those opposed calling for a plebiscite on the issue.

JAPAN

Nov 2, 2000

Fighting system is folly: Tanaka

OSAKA -- Nagano Gov. Yasuo Tanaka said he has learned from the mistakes of other populist governors who took on the bureaucracy and lost, emphasizing that the age of traditional confrontational politics between small citizens' groups and bureaucrats is over.

JAPAN

Oct 29, 2000

Once 'golf course heaven,' Hyogo now at opposite extreme

KOBE -- Hyogo Prefecture, with the largest number of golf courses on Honshu, has a reputation as the country's golf heaven.

JAPAN

Oct 1, 2000

Shelter plan for park's homeless hit

OSAKA -- A municipal government plan to build temporary shelters for homeless people living in a park that will host next year's East Asian Games has received heated criticism from area residents, who have gathered over 22,000 signatures in protest.

JAPAN

Sep 29, 2000

Abductees' kin slam Pyongyang aid

JAPAN

Sep 17, 2000

Drought leaves Lake Biwa low, dry

OSAKA -- A prolonged drought in western Japan that forced local authorities to order a reduction in water taken from Lake Biwa appears to have ended, but officials warn that water levels are still low.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.

How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan

By Mai Yoshikawa

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Vol. 35: Travel in time — and stay there

Vol. 35: Travel in time — and stay there

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