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JAPAN
Aug 15, 2000

Ministry to offer computer courses for seniors

The Education Ministry will offer computer courses for senior citizens at about 2,500 community centers across Japan starting in fiscal 2001, ministry sources said Monday.
CULTURE / Music / FUZZY LOGIC
Aug 15, 2000

Knife-wielding nutters, karate chop cocktails and ueberbabes

"There's nothing for kids to do in Nagoya except sit around all day drinking and taking drugs," says pal Hiroshi, who spent three years there at college.
EDITORIALS
Aug 13, 2000

Not-so-lonely planet

Sometimes we forget how recently we Earthlings thought our planet was the center of the universe, which up until the 17th century ended at Saturn and used the "fixed" stars as a mere decorative backdrop. It was only in 1610 -- barely 400 years ago -- that Galileo looked at the heavens through a telescope,...
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2000

'Bon' holiday season plays bedlam with transport

Long lines of cars clogged expressways leading out from the Tokyo metropolitan area Saturday as the rush to leave the capital for the "Bon" midsummer holiday reached its peak.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2000

Sleaze market festers with rip-off artists

The promise is too good to be true -- all you can drink and "excellent service" provided by "companions" for 6,000 yen in Tokyo's adult entertainment central.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2000

Fish agency allows catching of entire bluefin tuna quota

The Fisheries Agency will allow catches of southern bluefin tuna up to Japan's original quota of 6,065 tons this year following an international tribunal decision nullifying an interim ruling that cut the quota by about 1,500 tons, agency officials said Saturday.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2000

Ping-pong parlors are bouncing back

Frustrated groans and whoops of excitement echo around the ninth floor of a Shibuya game center. Surprisingly, there's not a video or arcade game in sight.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2000

Izu islands brace for mudslides as typhoon nears

Typhoon Ewiniar began dumping rain Saturday afternoon on the quake-hit Izu island chain in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo, the Meteorological Agency said.
BUSINESS
Aug 13, 2000

Woman finds dead lizard in Calbee potato chips

Calbee Foods Co. started recalling 62,000 bags of potato chips and suspended operations at its affiliate's factory Saturday after a customer reported finding a dead lizard in the company's product, the major confectionery maker said.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2000

Students to participate in social service activities

The Education Ministry plans to initiate a nationwide pilot program from fiscal 2001 in which schoolchildren will participate in short-term volunteer activities, ministry sources said Saturday.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2000

Takadanobaba: A lot of history and a bit of romance

Waseda Dori near JR Takadanobaba Station is dotted with budget restaurants, bars, book shops and travel agencies, all ready to cater to Waseda University students.
COMMUNITY
Aug 13, 2000

Women! Enhance your lifestyles with Webgrrls

Talking with American Khristine (Khris) Schaffner lowered the heat in Tokyo's Nishi-Shinjuku by several degrees. She has that kind of tall, willowy, pale blonde beauty that acts as a psychological cooler even if she is talking 10 to the dozen and making a complete fool of herself over a Starbucks chocolate...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 13, 2000

Beijing boils over Chen's U.S. stopover

China doesn't like it that the United States has given Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian a visa for a stopover in Los Angeles today on his way to the Caribbean.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 13, 2000

Rash media prolonging hostage crises

HONG KONG -- Recent hostage crises in Fiji and Sulu have been made more protracted by unprincipled journalism.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Aug 13, 2000

David A. Quarmby

LONDON -- People generally agree that the weather is not a selling point for tourism in Britain. Sport is. The summer calendar here highlights the dates of Ascot racing, Wimbledon tennis, cricket at Lord's, golf, rowing, athletics. These popular events draw crowds of supporters growing ever more enthusiastic...
CULTURE / Art
Aug 13, 2000

Getting interconnected at Kim's

Interconnectivity is a technology buzzword, but Kim Gordon -- rock star of Sonic Youth fame, originator of the X Girl label, and now artist and curator of "Kim's Bedroom," currently at Parco Gallery -- has presented it as the locus of her first curatorial foray. Gordon has assembled an eclectic group...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Aug 13, 2000

Seven key ways to enjoy the rest of your days

I've finally figured out why Japanese people don't take more vacations -- they don't want to. Work is comfortable and safe for them. Vacations offer too much adventure. Japanese people try to avoid using the "f" word: Fun.
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 13, 2000

A Dance of hope: Rediscovering the artistry and power of Choi Seung-Hee

On March 20, 1926, a 14-year-old Korean girl was in Seoul, watching a performance of the internationally renowned dancer Baku Ishii and his troupe.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 13, 2000

Nishiguchi helps Lions to narrow win over Lotte

Ace hurler Fumiya Nishiguchi allowed one run on five hits over 8 2/3 innings and picked up his ninth win as the Seibu Lions edged the Lotte Marines 2-1 at the Seibu Dome on Saturday.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2000

Subway platform gates sought by the visually impaired

A group of visually impaired people will launch a petition drive calling on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to install protective gates on platforms of the newly opened Oedo subway line to help prevent accidents.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 13, 2000

Asahina still tall on the podium at 92

Osaka Philharmonie Kokyo Gakudan
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2000

Base cuts beyond SACO sought

ITAMI, Osaka Pref. -- In order for the U.S. and Japan to maintain friendly relations, America must reduce its military presence on Okinawa, which is little more than a colonial outpost controlled by the U.S. military, said leading Okinawa politician Tokushin Yamauchi during a recent symposium.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2000

Japan, Singapore to begin formal free-trade talks soon

In a significant departure from its traditional trade policy, Japan will open formal negotiations with Singapore by the end of this year on concluding a free-trade agreement between the two Asian countries, according to government sources.
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2000

Police think they've caught i-mode's e-mail prankster

Police believe they have tracked down the prankster responsible for sending e-mail to subscribers of NTT DoCoMo's i-mode mobile phone service that causes the phones to automatically dial the police, investigative sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2000

Not our fault: health ministry

The Health and Welfare Ministry on Friday denied responsibility for the widespread use of imported dura mater -- it estimates 200,000 transplants of the human tissue have taken place nationwide -- which has been linked to the contraction of the deadly Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

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