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JAPAN
Sep 26, 2002

Japan Atomic Power hid cracks

Japan Atomic Power Co. kept running a nuclear reactor in Fukui Prefecture without reporting to the government that it had detected cracks in the core's shroud, company sources said Wednesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 26, 2002

Tigers rally for second straight victory over hung over Giants

Osamu Hamanaka drove home the go-ahead run with a two-run triple and Kei Igawa got his first win since July 30 as the Hanshin Tigers rallied to beat the Yomiuri Giants 3-2 for the second straight night on Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CLOSE NEIGHBORS
Sep 26, 2002

Ailing tourism sector seeking to lure more Asians

ATAMI, Shizuoka Pref. -- Ryuichiro Mori, sales manager at Hotel New Akao, sees one emerging ray of hope for this hot-spring city mired in a long-term slump: a group tourism boom in Taiwan, South Korea and China.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2002

'Nursing taxis' popular but status shaky

As taxi driver Hirohisa Mitsuda washes his vehicle prior to a day's work, he tries to make sure the windows are spotless because his passengers hardly ever get to enjoy the outdoors.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2002

It's not the economy, stupid!

Gerhard Schroeder will remain the German Chancellor after Germany's recent elections, but his majority in Parliament has become extremely narrow. His Social Democrats (SPD) got 38.5 percent of the vote, and so did the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) of his rival, Edmund Stoiber. The main reason Schroeder...
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2002

Fact-finding mission to track abductees in North Korea

The government will send a fact-finding mission to North Korea for four days beginning Saturday to gather information on Japanese nationals abducted to the Stalinist state.
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2002

Publisher to be fined over tax dodge

Shiki Publishing Inc. failed to declare about 290 million yen in income over a three-year period to April 2001 and dodged some 90 million yen in corporate taxes, sources said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2002

Sanyo unit sues BYD over patent

Corp., an arm of Sanyo Electric Co., has filed a lawsuit against Chinese firm BYD Co., accusing the company of infringing on patented battery technology, Sanyo Electric said Wednesday. The lawsuit, also directed at the Chinese firm's U.S. arm, BYD America Corp., was filed at the U.S. federal district...
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2002

Sakura Friend, Meiko National plan merger

Sakura Friend Securities Co. and Meiko National Securities Co. plan to merge in a bid to boost cost effectiveness amid continuing stock market woes, officials of the midsize securities firms said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2002

Extra Diet session eyed in October

Secretaries general of the three ruling parties agreed Wednesday that an extraordinary Diet session should be convened either Oct. 18 or Oct. 21 and run through the middle of December.
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2002

Noda rejects offer of DPJ policy post

Yoshihiko Noda, a Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker who ran in this week's party leadership race representing young DPJ legislators, rejected Wednesday an offer from party leader Yukio Hatoyama to assume the post of policy chief.
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2002

Limited voting rights for foreigners

OSAKA -- Foreigners with permanent resident status will get to vote in a plebiscite approved Wednesday by the Takaishi Municipal Assembly in Osaka Prefecture on whether the municipality should merge with the neighboring city of Sakai.
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2002

Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi see acceleration in overseas output

Four of Japan's five major automakers hiked overseas output in August from a year earlier, with Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. booking double-digit growth, according to data released Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2002

A sustainable recovery for developing Asia?

The strong global recovery that was widely expected to take place in the latter half of 2002 has not materialized. On the contrary, increasing uncertainties are undermining the confidence of consumers and investors worldwide, and the speed of economic recovery in the industrialized world is likely to...
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2002

Aso rejects latest plan for RCC to pay more

A key LDP policymaker balked Wednesday at a proposal to allow the state-run Resolution and Collection Corp. buy collateral-backed bad loans at effective book value.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2002

Indonesia's poor pay too high a price to receive Japan's ODA

Have you ever experienced a day without food? How about losing your land or losing your culture, or losing your income? The worst is losing your family, or having your sweet daughter forced into becoming as a prostitute because, lacking money and a decent education, she can't find a proper job.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Sep 26, 2002

Trees that tower over the past and present

An visitor to Kyoto's world-famous gardens and temples could not fail to be awed by the stands and avenues of towering Kitayama sugi (Japanese red cedar, or peacock pine; Cryptomeria japonica).
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Sep 26, 2002

Neither here nor there: recipe for mayhem

Swimming against the current in Japan has never been a good idea, even if you are armed to the teeth with logic and common sense.
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2002

August trade surplus leaps to 644 billion yen

Japan's merchandise trade surplus grew 107.9 percent in August from a year earlier to 644.1 billion yen, the sixth straight month of year-on-year growth, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by the Finance Ministry.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2002

Strike a balance in the Security Council

SEOUL -- While virtually all countries are agreed on the danger posed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's surreptitious efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD), this is not the only -- or even the main danger -- facing the international community over how to respond to Iraq's noncompliance...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Sep 26, 2002

U.K. comic is drawn eastward once again

As a lad in Liverpool, comedian Simon Bligh knew it was just a matter of time before he'd end up in Japan. Even the most English of culinary treats was being subjected to Orientation, drawing him Eastward.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Sep 26, 2002

Iraq dominates Washington's agenda

WASHINGTON -- The Oct. 4 target date for the adjournment of Congress is fast approaching. The top priority for President George W. Bush is to convince Congress to give him some form of support for his crusade against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Sep 26, 2002

Mario milks aesthetic basics as a baby on Yoshi's Island

Mario is usually the star of Mario Bros. adventures; but in the case of "Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island" for Game Boy Advance, the little plumber literally comes off as a crybaby.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Sep 26, 2002

Oral hygiene, oral history and aural pollution

Flouride in Japan The queries we get! About looking after our teeth, for example. Nancy Ridenour, who lives in Gifu, recalls being told a decade ago by a Colgate rep that fluoride is not introduced into Japanese toothpaste, nor is it legal in water here. As a result, she's been bringing in supplies...

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear