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JAPAN
Oct 17, 2001

Three lawmakers linked to illegal donation scam

Three lawmakers received illegal political donations from corporations and other organizations during a three-month period in 2000 before punishments for taking such donations came into effect, according to a Tokyo Metropolitan Government report released Tuesday.
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2001

Beef safety to be stated Thursday before new cow tests

The government plans to issue a statement declaring the safety of Japanese beef on Thursday, when the health ministry is to begin more rigorous examinations for mad cow disease on all cows meant to be processed for human consumption.
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Oct 17, 2001

Money Mark: 'Change Is Coming'

Those familiar with Money Mark's funky, retro-keyboard dabbling might not initially notice the new direction hinted at in the title of his latest, third album. But rest assured, a second listen to "Change Is Coming" reveals subtle enhancements to his signature deep grooves and smooth vibes, making it...
CULTURE / Art
Oct 17, 2001

Unpeeling layers of meaning

Artist Karen Riley once surprised a suibokuga (ink painting) master by showing more interest in the back of the paper he was working on than the design itself.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 17, 2001

Uhfmm . . . wham, bam, thank you, ma'am

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Rating: * * 1/2 Director: Simon West Running time: 100 minutes Language: English Now showing
BUSINESS
Oct 17, 2001

Ashikaga head to quit as losses mount

The president of Ashikaga Bank, a Tochigi-based regional bank, said Tuesday he intends to resign next year to take responsibility for projected heavy losses.
BUSINESS
Oct 17, 2001

Seiyu posts net first-half profit

Supermarket chain operator Seiyu Ltd. on Tuesday posted consolidated net profits of 617 million yen for the first half of the 2001 business year through Aug. 31.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 17, 2001

Designing women

They are all based in Stockholm, aged in their 30s, established in their field and they are all women. For Christina Sollenberg Britton, editor in chief of international fashion, design and lifestyle magazine Stockholm New, they are representative of a welcome change and something worth sharing.
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2001

Press vows to uphold free speech

FUKUOKA -- Representatives of national media organizations said Tuesday that they would continue to carry out their duties and not be deterred by terrorism.
CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE
Oct 17, 2001

Where dreams come true

Those who can, do; those who can't, teach. Right? That was certainly true of the various losers and sociopaths who "taught" me when I was in school. But this hoary old adage doesn't apply to a showbiz school recently launched by leading Japanese record label Avex.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 17, 2001

The sounds of Sweden

The ongoing Swedish Style event in Tokyo covers everything from architecture to aromatherapy. The music alone, however, merits our full attention.
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2001

Stranded climbers rescued in Nepal

Rescuers found two Japanese climbers and a Sherpa on Monday evening who had been stranded near the peak of Mount Manaslu, an 8,163-meter mountain in Nepal's Himalaya range, according to reports a Tokyo-based climbing group received Tuesday.
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2001

Koizumi leaves SDF bill behind, puts focus on economic revival

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi cleared his biggest political hurdle in the ongoing Diet session Tuesday as the Lower House special committee approved a bill enabling the Self-Defense Forces to provide noncombat support to any U.S.-led response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 17, 2001

Wakamatsu named CL manager of year

The Central League has named Tsutomu Wakamatsu, who guided the Yakult Swallows to their first league title in four years, as the manager of the year for the 2001 season, league officials said Monday.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 17, 2001

Defining Style

In the 10,000 years since the Arctic icecap receded sufficiently to enable human inhabitation of the land we now know as Sweden, the curiously creative nation has gifted the world with the likes of Beowulf, Strindberg, Bergman and, well, Abba.
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 17, 2001

Revenge drama: keeping it in the family

During the 17th and 18th centuries, news of successful acts of revenge (katakiuchi) by samurai circulated fast among ordinary people in Japan. Many of these stories were highly dramatic and became sources of inspiration for kabuki and bunraku dramas.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 17, 2001

Beauty beheld in the past imperfect

Are the Japanese alone in their admiration of the imperfect? This is one of several questions arising from an odd exhibition now on at Tokyo's Shoto Museum of Art in Shibuya, a pleasant but puzzling "curiosity shop" selection of arts and crafts, ranging from colorful screen paintings to bamboo baskets....
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 17, 2001

Rock to the Beat that goes on

Jack Kerouac died a drinker's death Oct. 21, 1969, many years after reaching fame with his novels "On the Road" and "Dharma Bums," which inspired generations to follow. To mark his death and to celebrate his life, The Doors in Tokyo's Shinjuku district is hosting Bohemian Cafe, a night of music, theater...
CULTURE / Art
Oct 17, 2001

Sweden's other ambassador

Ewa Kumlin pondered the question, "What is Swedish style?" Then she set her mind to answering it.
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Oct 17, 2001

Festival Conda Lota

The lineup for the upcoming Festival Konda Lota, Tokyo's annual celebration of global roots music, is smaller than usual but no less potent for that.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 17, 2001

Celebrating childhood's wonder

It is quite common to hear nowadays that kids are spoilt and overindulged. Things were certainly different in the past -- or were they?
CULTURE / Music
Oct 17, 2001

Return of the sound and the furry

Super Furry Animals have been the most consistently great guitar band of the last 10 years, and I've got a stack of hard evidence to prove it.
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2001

Kids under 15 pushed as organ donors

An organ transplant promotion group Tuesday called on the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry to amend the organ transplant law to allow children younger than 15 to become organ donors, group officials said.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2001

Five-way mayoral campaign gets under way in Kobe

KOBE -- Campaigning for the Oct. 28 Kobe mayoral election officially began Sunday, with five candidates vying to replace Mayor Kazutoshi Sasayama.
BUSINESS
Oct 16, 2001

Trade balance for August down 27%

The current account surplus fell 27.1 percent in August from a year earlier to 708.6 billion yen, the Finance Ministry said Monday in a preliminary report.

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