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COMMENTARY
Aug 5, 2002

U.S. needs Powell now more than ever

LOS ANGELES -- The job of U.S. secretary of state requires skating on ice -- sometimes thin -- and dodging diplomatic bullets -- even if they later are found to be blanks. From this standpoint, could the United States do any better than Colin Powell?
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 5, 2002

Risks preclude nuclear option for Japan

WASHINGTON -- "Just like the Constitution . . . the amendment of (Japan's nonnuclear principles) is also likely."
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2002

Greater accountability for malpractice sought

The health ministry is considering the introduction of a system that would allow prefectural governors to sack heads of hospitals that neglect to take preventive measures for malpractice, it was learned Sunday.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2002

State has let in three from North Korea

At least three people have been allowed to enter Japan from North Korea with the direct involvement of the Japanese government through secret channels since 1996, it was learned Sunday.
COMMENTARY
Aug 5, 2002

Virtues that bolster China

I traveled to China July 11-16 to deliver a lecture at a congress of econometrics at Jilin University. It was my first visit to China in three years.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Aug 5, 2002

Failure to cap deposit insurance means banking system will fester

Starting in April 2003, the government will no longer protect deposits when banks fail and instead introduce a "payoff" scheme offering partial protection of up to 10 million yen per depositor per bank.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2002

Osaka to seek USJ disclosure

OSAKA -- In the wake of a spate of problems at the Universal Studios Japan theme park, the Osaka Municipal Government will call for greater disclosure of information and a review of the park's public relations, it was learned Sunday.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2002

Man shoots brother with improvised model gun

The 56-year-old owner of a Tokyo soba noodle shop was shot in the chest Sunday by his younger brother, who used a a retooled Italian model gun with a handmade bullet, police said.
BUSINESS
Aug 5, 2002

False logic of 'Koizumispeak' hinders economic progress

"A cat has four legs. My dog has four legs. Therefore my dog is a cat." False logic cannot get much better than this. False logic is music to the ear of those who wish to be deceived and honey on the tongues of those who wish to deceive.
EDITORIALS
Aug 4, 2002

No exemptions for U.S.

Once again, Washington's single-minded protection of its freedom of action is raising eyebrows and jeopardizing international law. This time, concern about visits to U.S. civilian and military prisons has led the United States to block a United Nations vote on a plan to enforce a convention on torture....
MORE SPORTS
Aug 4, 2002

Kawaguchi, Amaya to stay on with NFL teams

OSAKA -- Two Japanese football players participating in the American Bowl have taken a big step toward making their dreams come true.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2002

Suzuki allegedly helped contractor by limiting competition on projects

Arrested lawmaker Muneo Suzuki attempted to ensure that a favored contractor won bids on public works projects by excluding competitors, sources said Saturday.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2002

Drug deals fund Pyongyang: agent

A former high-ranking North Korean intelligence agent who sought refuge in Japan a few years ago claims that drug smuggling is an important source of foreign currency for Pyongyang, a Japanese daily reported Saturday.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2002

Obituary: Shinkichi Ito

Shinkichi Ito, a prize-winning poet and critic known for his writing on his mentor Sakutaro Hagiwara (1886-1942), died of pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital on Saturday, his family said. He was 95.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2002

Beef prices rebound after mad cow fears

Beef prices are returning to levels last seen before the outbreak of mad cow disease last September, thanks in part to beef eaters ordering more as a way to increase stamina and ward off the oppressive heat, according to industry officials.
EDITORIALS
Aug 4, 2002

High standards to uphold

Veteran diplomat Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello has been named the new U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mr. Vieira de Mello takes the job as questions rise about the wisdom of the commitment to human rights. The main causes of this "new thinking" are the war against terrorism and economic difficulties...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 4, 2002

Japan playing a vital role in Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi has completed two successful and delightful long-distance inland political journeys since her release from a second house arrest about 10 weeks ago. The State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC, the military regime, has provided full security for her travels in Mandalay and Mon states....
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 4, 2002

Matsui homers again as Giants top Carp in slugfest

Yomiuri slugger Hideki Matsui went 3-for-4 and smashed his Central League-leading 28th homer as the Giants beat the Hiroshima Carp 9-7 in a six-homer slugfest at Hiroshima Stadium on Saturday.
JAPAN / WEEKEND WISDOM
Aug 4, 2002

Salaryman quits to devote time to family name: Tokugawa

Tsunenari Tokugawa drew a salary for more than 38 years, climbing the corporate ladder to become executive vice president of major marine shipping company Nippon Yusen K.K.
COMMUNITY
Aug 4, 2002

Stars in your eyes: fireworks in Japan

Living with Tokyo Disney Resort in their midst, residents of Urayasu in Chiba Prefecture can enjoy its fireworks displays every night in summer. Even for them, though, the annual Noryo Fireworks Festival is something else altogether.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past