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Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jul 25, 2002

When the 'Big One' hits, help will be close at hand

Recently, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Howard Baker wrote to Mr. Minoru Mori, President of Mori Building Company to thank him, "on behalf of those in Japan for (his) kindness in providing a storage location for disaster relief supplies. . .and essential items such as bottled water,blankets, clothing...
BUSINESS / ON THE FRONT LINE
Jul 25, 2002

U.S. bubble hangover looks set to continue

Recent U.S. economic data do not seem bad enough to push down share prices this much, but the fall seems unstoppable.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2002

Theme parks fail to buoy domestic leisure market

Japan's leisure market shrank 2.3 percent in 2001 to 83.07 trillion yen, the third consecutive year of contraction, a semipublic institute said Wednesday in an annual report.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2002

Watered-down postal services legislation becomes law

The Diet enacted into law Wednesday a legislative package that will turn the Postal Services Agency into a government-run corporation and allow private firms to enter the mail delivery market.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Jul 25, 2002

Expense no object at Meiji jewel in Kobe's crown

Though it's neither very large nor very old, Sorakuen Garden in Kobe is one of the best-designed pond-strolling gardens (kaiyushiki-sensui-teien) I know, with many interesting features and plants of exceptionally high quality.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Jul 25, 2002

Drive to halt pork 'n' ride tide

The rivers of Nagano Prefecture still flowing as nature intended may yet survive. If they do, it will be largely due to former (and perhaps soon to be re-elected) Gov. Yasuo Tanaka, whose "no more dams" policy directly challenges pork-barrel politicians who for decades appear to have put construction-industry...
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 25, 2002

Tigers edge Giants on 'sayonara' homer

Osamu Hamanaka drilled a "sayonara" solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as the Hanshin Tigers put a halt to the Yomiuri Giants' win streak at six with a 4-3 victory at Koshien Stadium on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2002

DoCoMo to license i-mode service to Telefonica Moviles

Cellular giant NTT DoCoMo Inc. said Wednesday it has agreed to license its i-mode mobile Internet access technology to Spain's Telefonica Moviles group.
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Jul 25, 2002

Long 'Neverwinter Nights'

Many role-playing games are long, in-depth, and intricate. The most popular settings for these contests seem to be medieval worlds populated with wizards, noble kings, and dragons.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jul 25, 2002

Debunking strange myths about Asia, Part I

In 1980, I traveled through the United States just after the TV miniseries "Shogun" ended its run. Any time I mentioned to someone that I was living in Japan, he or she would invariably ask me one of two questions related to the program. One was, "Is it true that back then a samurai could chop off somebody's...
EDITORIALS
Jul 24, 2002

It's now or never

The Foreign Ministry, its public image badly tarnished by a string of corruption scandals and policy blunders, is set to work out an action plan to clean up its act. The plan will be based more or less on the recommendations submitted on Monday to Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi by her advisory panel....
COMMENTARY
Jul 24, 2002

Chinese media's coverage of U.S. proves balanced

HONG KONG -- A study of the Chinese media, commissioned by a bipartisan American congressional panel -- the U.S. China Security Review Commission -- has found that the controlled Chinese press, in its reporting on the United States, appears to be relatively balanced overall.
COMMENTARY
Jul 24, 2002

Chirac sets out to win voters' hearts

PARIS -- Once again, some 150,000 people lined the Champs Elysees on July 14 to watch the Bastille Day parade. At noon, President Jacques Chirac received 6,000 guests at the traditional party held in the palace gardens. At 1 p.m., as he has always done since his first election in 1995, he gave an interview...
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2002

LDP group pursues SOFA changes

Lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party established a group Tuesday to push for revisions of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2002

Kawaguchi faces uphill battle over reform effort

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi is set to map out her plan on ministry reform in August, but she faces a tough job satisfying a weary public and proposals from diverse circles on how to put the scandal-tainted ministry on track.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2002

Government to outline law to protect citizens in case of attack on Japan

The government on Tuesday expressed its intention to outline legislation aimed to protect the life and property of citizens in the event of a foreign attack on Japan, government officials said.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2002

Probe reveals corruption in Japan-Russia panel

A Foreign Ministry in-house probe has found that the Japan-Russia Committee for Youth Exchange misappropriated government funds, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2002

Explosion in child abuse reported

The number of reported child-abuse cases increased 16-fold between fiscal 1990 and 2000, according to a government report released Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Jul 24, 2002

Consumer sentiment improved in June

Consumer confidence improved in June from three months earlier for the second quarter in a row in a sign that the nation's export-driven upswing is improving sentiment, a government survey showed Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2002

Five species set to be added to nation's endangered list of flora and fauna

Five species are to be added to the current list of 57 endangered Japanese plants and animals on Aug. 2.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2002

Koizumi slams 'amakudari' gravy train

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi ordered his Cabinet ministers Tuesday to take steps to halt "amakudari," the practice of senior bureaucrats retiring early to join government-affiliated organizations as highly paid executives, because of the corruption that can result.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2002

Suzuki aides arrested over funds scandal

Public prosecutors said Tuesday they have served arrest warrants on three aides to indicted lawmaker Muneo Suzuki on suspicion of failing to declare around 100 million yen in donations to Suzuki's fund management body.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2002

Nation at crime and punishment crossroad

Eight inmates share a cell designed for six in Fuchu Prison in western Tokyo, following a recent explosion in the ranks of the incarcerated.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 24, 2002

Linares gets it done in Dragons debut

Cuban slugger Omar Linares ripped a two-run go-ahead single in his debut game in Japan's top league Tuesday as the Chunichi Dragons beat the Hiroshima Carp 5-1 at the Nagoya Dome to halt their losing streak at three games.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 24, 2002

Ennosuke still dogged by spirit of 'Hakkenden'

July is the month that Ichikawa Ennosuke and his troupe of young actors take over the Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo; this year marks their 32nd season. It also sees Ennosuke, 62, the prolific mastermind behind the new-style "Super Kabuki," return to a story that has fascinated him down the years: "Satomi...
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2002

Russia ready for 'action plan': Losyukov

Visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Losyukov told Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi on Tuesday that he wants to discuss the agenda for a bilateral "action plan" of cooperation measures during their talks this week, according to a Foreign Ministry official.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’