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JAPAN
Jan 13, 2000

Dam opposition group rallies for vote in plebiscite

Staff writer TOKUSHIMA -- The group smiled and waved as they jogged through the city of Tokushima earlier this week, calling on local residents to go to the polls. Theirs is no usual campaign. The men and women on this two-day "sacred run" are part of an effort by local citizens' groups to rally residents...
JAPAN
Jan 11, 2000

Aum will leave when ready, Joyu says

YOKOHAMA -- People living near a Yokohama condominium containing an Aum Shinrikyo office demanded Tuesday that former cult spokesman Fumihiro Joyu and other followers immediately leave the area. The written demand by a town council, shop owners and local residents came after the neighborhood was thrown...
CULTURE / Music
Jan 9, 2000

Tokyo's own Met settles in under new music director

Tokyo-to Kokyo Gakudan, Nov. 18, Gary Bertini conducting in Tokyo Geijutsu Gekijo -- Symphonic Suite "Printemps," Cantata "La Demoiselle Elue" with Emi Suwahata, Satomi Kano and the Shinyukai Chorus; Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun," Three Symphonic Sketches "La Mer" (Achille-Claude Debussy, 1862-1918)...
JAPAN
Jan 9, 2000

Tent city gone but common bonds remain

KOBE -- The idyllic image of a father and son flying a kite in Minami Komae Park bears no resemblance to the scenes visited on this place during the devastating 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.
CULTURE / Art
Jan 8, 2000

Ceramic greats spotlighted

New Year's Greetings to all Ceramic Scene readers! In Japan there are innumerable artistic groups that allow their members to exchange ideas or research, sponsor lectures or workshops and to acknowledge outstanding work in their respective fields. The Japan Ceramic Society (Nihon Toji Kyokai) is one...
EDITORIALS
Jan 7, 2000

Pyongyang on the offensive

The new year is starting out well for North Korea. On Wednesday, the country announced a breakthrough — the opening of diplomatic relations with Italy — and Pyongyang returned to the offensive in its dealings with its chief interlocutors in the region — Japan, South Korea and the United States....
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2000

LDP junior quits over gifts to voters

SENDAI -- A Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker elected from Miyagi Prefecture announced Thursday that he will resign to take responsibility for illegal distribution of gifts to voters.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2000

Nursing home in China advertising for Japanese

A Tokyo-based organization is advertising on the Internet a nursing care home in China that will take in elderly Japanese suffering from senile dementia, it was learned Friday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 5, 2000

Japan and the animal kingdom

The year 2000 is the year of the dragon in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiacal symbols adopted long ago by Japan. The dragon, of course, is a mythical beast. Unlike Western lore, ancient Asian legend features the dragon using its many extraordinary powers for the ultimate benefit of humanity. Asian...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE
Jan 5, 2000

Good deeds

I wrote this column before Y2K became a reality instead of a speculation. I had water, a charcoal stove, six cans of tuna, batteries, and the hope that since I was ready, nothing would happen. But I didn't know. Now I do: Being prepared pays off again. Perhaps there was a hint of disappointment. We were...
ENVIRONMENT
Jan 5, 2000

We are the walrus of the Chukchi Sea

An ethereal mist, hanging over the Chukchi Sea, lent a magical air to a seemingly endless expanse of broken sea ice making it difficult to judge sizes. A distant gull seemed huge; a dark lump on the edge of an ice floe seemed like a small stain on the snow -- at first. As the "World Discoverer" closed...
JAPAN
Jan 5, 2000

Rural regions accentuate their pluses to lure city dwellers

Staff writer AYA, Miyazaki Pref. -- A small window on the upper floor of a two-story log house offers a magnificent view of mountains covered in dense deciduous forests of various color gradations. This landscape, coupled with the area's policy of promoting organic agriculture, prompted Teruhiko and...
EDITORIALS
Jan 4, 2000

A new era for Russia

Russian President Boris Yeltsin will be remembered, among other things, for his sense of drama. Last Friday's announcement that he would be stepping down as president was perfectly in character. It focused international attention on him -- at least momentarily -- as the world prepared to meet the new...
BUSINESS
Jan 4, 2000

ACCJ chief aims to fortify bilateral bridge

While major elections are likely to consume Tokyo and Washington in 2000, trade disputes are simmering beneath the relatively calm surface of Japan-U.S. economic relations.
COMMENTARY
Jan 3, 2000

Building peace in a new era

As we greet the new millennium, we should ask ourselves what Japan should do to contribution to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, establish military and nonmilitary security, help solve global problems and prevent conflicts.
JAPAN
Dec 31, 1999

Pyongyang 'spy' tied to hijackers

A man believed to be detained in North Korea entered the country as part of a group organized by a former leader of the Red Army faction, according to sources close to Tokyo-Pyongyang relations. The sources said a five-member group led by Takaya Shiomi, 60, left Narita airport Nov. 30 and arrived in...
JAPAN
Dec 31, 1999

Another Century: Pollution legacy may linger

This is the first installment in a yearlong series on the blueprints of Japanese society in the 21st century. Staff writer Japan's beaches may be little more than a memory when the end of the 21st century rolls around. Conservative estimates predict it will be sayonara for about half of them, while...
JAPAN
Dec 30, 1999

Japan urged to consider free-trade pacts

Staff writer Japan should keep its commitment to trade liberalization under the World Trade Organization, but this must not prevent it from seeking free-trade agreements with its trading partners, according to Noboru Hatakeyama, chairman of the Japan External Trade Organization. Earlier this month,...
LIFE / Digital / CYBERIA
Dec 29, 1999

An open ethOS

The latest tale of cyber-riches involves the Linux crowd. A recent string of IPOs earned shareholders obscene amounts of money. Red Hat, a distributor of the Linux operating system, is worth about $15 billion. VA Linux, a company that sells computers that use Linux, made history: Its shares leaped 700...
JAPAN
Dec 28, 1999

Joyu might disband Aum in order duck new law: expert

Staff writer After he is freed today from a Hiroshima prison, senior Aum Shinrikyo member Fumihiro Joyu will probably announce the voluntary dissolution of the cult, according to a freelance journalist who has extensively covered the sect. It would be a move to avoid a new law designed to curb the cult's...
JAPAN
Dec 24, 1999

Aum officer faces death sentence

Prosecutors demanded the death penalty Friday for Aum Shinrikyo's former intelligence chief for conspiring in the March 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, which killed 12 people and injured thousands. Yoshihiro Inoue, 29, also stands accused of being involved in nine other criminal cases,...
JAPAN
Dec 23, 1999

Carmakers jockey for inroads in slow-growing China market

Staff writer GUANGZHOU, China -- Browsing through glossy catalogs, a couple of men chat with dealers over the counter of a spacious car showroom. Beside them sit three brand-new cars. What appears to be an ordinary scene at any roadside dealership, however, is not run-of-the-mill; one of the cars --...
JAPAN
Dec 23, 1999

IOC says Osaka must not push Olympic bid abroad

OSAKA -- This city's 2008 Olympic bid will undergo a preliminary review by the International OlympicCommittee sometime between March and September, during which time it must not promote the bid internationally, IOC officials have told Osaka. "Under the new guidelines, cities wishing to bid for the 2008...
JAPAN
Dec 23, 1999

Nago approves relocation of U.S. Marines' heliport

NAGO, Okinawa Pref. -- The Nago Municipal Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday that supports the relocation of a key U.S. Marine Corps heliport to the city, setting the stage for Mayor Tateo Kishimoto to officially accept the project as early as Monday. The resolution, submitted by members of the...
EDITORIALS
Dec 22, 1999

The Kremlin wins, for now

Russia's parliamentary elections, held last weekend, were a victory for the government. Pro-Kremlin parties appear -- and the qualifier is important -- to have won a commanding share of seats in the 450-member Duma. The immediate benefactors of the vote are President Boris Yeltsin and his prime minister,...
JAPAN
Dec 22, 1999

Walking Queen contestants take pride in stride

Staff writer Chest out, stomach in! Forget that chic Private Label suit, the 20-cm platform boots, cowgirl hat or bleached hair. If you want to truly express yourself, take pride in how you regulate your gait. That was the message sent out at the '99 International Walking Contest held last Sunday at...
JAPAN
Dec 22, 1999

Kidnapped girl freed without payment of ransom

OSAKA -- An 8-year-old girl was safely reunited with her parents Wednesday morning, 42 hours after she was apparently kidnapped while on her way home from school. Sayaka Teranishi had been held for a 42 million yen ransom, but was reunited with her parents outside a convenience store near her home in...
JAPAN
Dec 22, 1999

Judicial Reform: Change vital to elite training process

Last of three parts Staff writer The push for judicial reform in Japan is prompting universities and bar associations to consider introducing postgraduate programs that will not only increase the number of legal professionals but also improve their skills. Unlike the United States, Japan does not have...
JAPAN
Dec 21, 1999

'Knock' undone by calling victim a liar

Staff writer OSAKA -- The game is finally up for Osaka Gov. "Knock" Yokoyama. Yokoyama announced his resignation Tuesday morning, just hours before prosecutors indicted him over a criminal complaint filed by a 21-year-old university student, accusing Yokoyama of groping her inside a campaign van in...
JAPAN
Dec 21, 1999

Citizens tout proof U.S. base in mid-Tokyo is trespassing

Citizens demanding the return of a U.S. base in central Tokyo cited a written agreement Monday that they claim proves the heliport section of the compound is trespassing on Japanese soil. The Executive Committee for the Removal of the Azabu Heliport released a statement on an accord regarding the 4,300-sq.-meter...

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?