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COMMENTARY
Apr 18, 2001

The crew's home; now what?

HONOLULU -- The release of the crew of the American EP-3E reconnaissance plane from Chinese "protective custody" may have defused the crisis but hardly represents the end of this affair. Meetings are now under way between U.S. and Chinese officials to deal with the aftereffects. While both sides agree...
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2001

Japan to lobby U.S. at green talks

Members of Japan's delegation heading to New York on Thursday for closed-door climate change talks said Tuesday that they will continue to urge the United States back to the Kyoto Protocol negotiating table.
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2001

1,900 join spring bash with Imperial Couple

About 1,900 people, including Olympic judo gold medalist Ryoko Tamura and Nobel Prize winner Hideki Shirakawa, on Tuesday attended a spring garden party hosted by the Emperor and Empress.
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2001

Whales consuming five times global fisheries yield: Japan

The Fisheries Ministry defended its "research" whaling in an annual report released Tuesday, countering criticism from the United States and other antiwhaling countries.
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2001

Cabinet imposes emergency curbs, tariffs on Chinese farm imports

The Cabinet decided on Tuesday to impose emergency import curbs on three agricultural products, starting Monday.
COMMENTARY
Apr 18, 2001

Mistaken cures for the Japanese economy

The debate over economic reform in Japan, especially the alleged need to force banks to dispose of bad loans, resembles the story about the hospital patient on life support because of a serious blood-circulation problem. One result of that problem is badly swollen feet. But the doctors can only focus...
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2001

Japan faces dilemma over Kyoto Protocol

Japan should start focusing more diplomatic attention on Russia if it wants to put the Kyoto Protocol climate change agreement into force -- with or without the United States.
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2001

Stock market incentives won't be considered until May

The Tax Commission, an advisory panel to the prime minister, agreed Tuesday to establish a subcommittee in mid-May to discuss proposed tax revisions that would encourage individuals to invest in the stock market, panel chairman Hiromitsu Ishi said.
CULTURE / Film
Apr 18, 2001

Europe goes Hollywood

Enemy at the Gates Rating: * * * 1/2 Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud Running time: 132 minutes Language: EnglishNow showing You could probably count on one hand the number of European directors with the budgets and grand vision to compete directly with Hollywood films. Somewhere between Luc Besson and...
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2001

Muraoka irked by son's election loss

Liberal Democratic Party bigwig Kanezo Muraoka said Tuesday he offered to resign over his son's defeat in Sunday's gubernatorial race in Akita but was prevented from doing so by party elders. Muraoka heads the LDP's decision-making Executive Council.
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2001

Ministry to nudge NTT to cut stake in DoCoMo

Telecommunications Minister Toranosuke Katayama said Tuesday he will urge Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. to voluntarily craft and submit a business plan to increase competition among its group firms.
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2001

LDP leadership shift key to market cheer

The Tokyo stock market is counting on an imminent change in Liberal Democratic Party leadership to provide impetus for a positive tone through this month and beyond.
CULTURE / Film
Apr 18, 2001

Hollywood goes indie . . .

The Mexican Rating: * * Director: Gore Verbinski Running time: 123 minutes Language: EnglishNow showing "Brad, meet Julia." And with that, the makers of "The Mexican" probably sat back smugly and started dreaming of box-office dominance. With casting like that, you could make a film called "Steaming...
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2001

Venture to create No. 2 wafer maker

Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd. and Mitsubishi Materials Corp. announced Tuesday they will fully integrate their silicon wafer operations by forming a new joint venture in January.
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2001

Bad loans are not the problem, says banking bigwig

The head of the Japanese Bankers Association on Tuesday denied international and domestic assertions that banks' bad loans are responsible for the nation's economic woes.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 18, 2001

The pursuit of faith through art

An exhibition of paintings by Japanese-American artist Makoto Fujimura is now on show at Sen Gallery in Tokyo's Setagawa Ward.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 18, 2001

Growing in new directions: Yanobe's star rises again

Just in case you didn't know already: Kenji Yanobe is back.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 18, 2001

Sensual curves and serendipitous color

KOBE -- What do the ancient ceramics center of Shigaraki and suburban New Jersey have in common?
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Apr 18, 2001

Natalie Choquette

Believe it or not, opera can be fun and you don't need to deplete your bank account to pay for tickets. On June 24, Natalie Choquette is coming to Tokyo to prove it.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 18, 2001

Swallows rip Giants

Roberto Petagine and Katsuyuki Dobashi both had two-run homers to lead Yakult's 15-hit attack as the Swallows routed the Yomiuri Giants 10-2 Tuesday at the Tokyo Dome. Yakult took a 2-0 lead on Atsunori Inaba's run-scoring triple and Atsuya Furuta's RBI single in the top of the first inning.
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2001

Train accident victims win workers' compensation bid

Labor standards inspection offices in Tokyo will allow workers' insurance to cover the deaths of a South Korean student and a Japanese photographer who were killed by a train Jan. 26 while trying to rescue a drunken man who fell onto the tracks at JR Shin-Okubo Station, the Labor Ministry said Tuesday....
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Apr 18, 2001

Tight

Event preview by SUZANNAH TARTAN Turntablists are to the new century what lead guitarists were to the last: explorers of new sonic frontiers. The edginess comes not from gangsta rap-style posing but the heady exuberance of beats cut fast and fine.
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Apr 18, 2001

The Japan Blues Carnival

Some things in life are constant: the power of good music, the satisfaction of spicy food, the cathartic effect of a plainly told story. The annual Japan Blues Carnival will bring all that wrapped up in the blues for two great, long outdoor shows, plus three gigs at smaller indoor venues.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji