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LIFE / Travel
Nov 22, 2000

An evening out in Hua Hin, the classiest beach town in Thailand

HUA HIN, Thailand -- Like any town in Thailand, Hua Hin has its share of stray dogs, especially near the temple grounds. In this proud provincial town of sandy beaches, sea breezes and clean streets, however, even the stray mutts look healthier.
LIFE / Digital / CYBERIA
Nov 22, 2000

Connecting the dots

It's hard to believe, but there is some organization to the Internet. The libertarianism that seems to be the dominant ethos rests not-too-lightly atop a neatly organized technical foundation. It has to be this way: The Net is a network of addresses and someone somewhere has to make sure that they hook...
LIFE / Travel
Nov 22, 2000

Catching air in the Namibian dunes

I stood atop the sand dunes looking out across the waterless sea, wondering where the winds are leading the Namib Desert. Pools of shadow collected in the troughs of the curvaceous vista, inspiring reverence for the world's oldest wilderness of sand. Forty-five seconds and a great big granular grin later,...
LIFE / Digital / SURFERSPUD
Nov 22, 2000

One more time

www.allgore.com "This day in Gore history: 1978 -- Al and Tipper go roller skating at the Y." OK, so it's not easy to parody someone void of personality.
JAPAN
Nov 22, 2000

Agency drafts new rules for 'green' reports from firms

The Environment Agency on Tuesday released a draft for overhauling its environmental reporting guidelines to help a growing number of corporations publish their environmental reports under a standardized format.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 21, 2000

Free agent Shinjo talks to Swallows

Free agent Tsuyoshi Shinjo met with officials of the Yakult Swallows on Monday to hear what the Central League club has to offer if the All-Star outfielder were to leave the Hanshin Tigers for the Tokyo team.
EDITORIALS
Nov 21, 2000

An electoral tremor in Tochigi

Yet another basic change has jolted Japan's established regional power structure. This time around, it occurred in Sunday's gubernatorial election in Tochigi Prefecture, in which "floating voters" succeeded in demonstrating their political power. Riding on the strength of such unorganized voters, a 52-year-old...
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2000

No-confidence motion crippled after Kato withdraws support

A no-confidence motion against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori was expected to be voted down early this morning in the Lower House after Koichi Kato, the leader of a rebel faction in the ruling party, decided to abstain at the last minute.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2000

Panel releases judicial reform report

A government council on judicial reforms unveiled an interim report Monday that proposes drastic legal changes -- such as boosting the number of judicial personnel and allowing regular citizens to play a more pivotal role in trials.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2000

Japan to propose culture exchange with South Korea, China

Japan will propose to China and South Korea this week that the three neighbors designate 2002 a special year of cultural and personnel exchanges in an effort to promote mutual understanding and friendship, government sources said Monday.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2000

Village whittled down to just four elderly souls

ITAIBARA, Tottori Pref. -- The death of this village's sister looms large in the collective memory of its residents.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2000

Yokota counts itself as abacus capital

YOKOTA, Shimane Pref. -- The curator of this town's abacus museum must have a sense of black humor to have included one of the first Sharp calculators in the display.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2000

Fujimori confirms resignation intent

Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori Monday confirmed he intends to resign within 48 hours, just hours after all 14 members of his Cabinet tendered their resignations in protest of his surprise decision.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2000

Mideast peace said 'unavoidable'

Peace is "unavoidable" in the Middle East, and Israel wants to work together with the Palestinians to put an end to the violence, the new Israeli ambassador-designate said of his country's position Monday.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2000

Law takes effect to curb child abuse

A new law that took effect Monday will allow authorities in Japan for the first time to forcibly take into care children who have been physically or sexually abused or neglected by their parents.
CULTURE / Books
Nov 21, 2000

Beautiful poetry from the ashes of Hiroshima

BLACK FLOWER IN THE SKY: Poems of a Korean Bridegroom in Hiroshima, by Chong Ki-Sheok. Katydid Books, distributed by the University of Hawai'i, 2000, 79 pp., $20 (paper). As the war generation grows older, casting glances back on life, poetry of witness has become increasingly urgent. Perhaps time...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Nov 21, 2000

Glimpses of long-lost Tokyo

MY ASAKUSA: Coming of Age in Prewar Tokyo. A Memoir, by Sadako Sawamura, translated by Norman E. Stafford and Yasuhiro Kawamura, with an author's note and a foreword by Taichi Yamada. Boston/Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000, 270 pp., $16.95 Sadako Sawamura was one of Japan's leading character actresses....
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2000

Owada to vie for U.N. judgeship

Japan will field former Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations Hisashi Owada as a candidate judge in the 2002 election for the U.N. International Court of Justice, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2000

Prosperity helps town tolerate atomic plant

KASHIMA, Shimane Pref. -- For 50 years, she has lived on a dead-end street at the foot of a hill.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 21, 2000

WTO falling victim to its own success

The World Trade Organization is headquartered, like its predecessor, the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trades, in the placid Swiss city of Geneva. These days, however, the WTO is more often associated with Seattle, Washington, and the images that come to mind when the organization is mentioned aren't...
CULTURE / Books
Nov 21, 2000

From the mouths of babes: a myth

SPITTING IMAGE: Myth, Memory and the Legacy of Vietnam, by Jerry Lembcke. New York University Press, 2000, 280 pp., $18.95 (paper). My most lasting memory of the Vietnam War is the divisiveness it created in the small American town where I grew up. The nation was divided at every level. Even junior...
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 21, 2000

Kabuki greats show their faces in new season

During the month of November, the Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo is offering its annual kaomise program in two parts.
EDITORIALS
Nov 20, 2000

Mr. Kato throws down the gauntlet

Infighting in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is intensifying. Former Secretary General Koichi Kato is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, citing his low approval ratings. Tension is also building outside the LDP now that major opposition parties are set to present a no-confidence...
SUMO
Nov 20, 2000

Akebono king of Kyushu

Akebono, facing a potential playoff with No. 9 maegashira Kotomitsuki, overwhelmed fellow-yokozuna Musashimaru in the final bout of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday at Fukuoka International Center to take his 11th yusho with a 14-1 record.

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