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LIFE / Travel
Apr 15, 2001

Grand Imperial Palace tour offered gratis

Cut off from the outside world by wide moats and high stone walls, the Imperial Palace is an especially mysterious place for us "commoners." But it doesn't have to be.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 15, 2001

Style as something you buy rather than cultivate

I always leaf through Katei Gaho in my dentist's waiting room. In fact, it's the only place I've ever had a chance to peruse it. Printed on the heaviest glossy paper money can buy, the magazine is more notable for its heft than its content, which is beautifully photographed clothing and household goods...
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2001

Gadget guy puts ideology over profit

On a cluttered desk in a dimly lit office in central Tokyo lies a golden, cylindrical object you can't find in any store. It's a combination lock that would take 3.2 trillion years to crack, about 160 times the age of the universe.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2001

LDP rivals back approval of textbook

All four candidates vying for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency are defending the government's recent approval of a junior high school history textbook that critics say glosses over Japan's wartime aggression in Asia.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2001

New rules to trim public organizations

The Cabinet on Friday approved a set of guidelines to reform public organizations financially aided by the government or conducting charity, academic or other work on behalf of the state.
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2001

Bankruptcies increase 12.1%

Corporate bankruptcies in Japan rose 12.1 percent in fiscal 2000 from a year earlier to 18,926 cases, while debts left behind surged 130.7 percent to 25.98 trillion yen, a record postwar high, a private research institute said Friday.
EDITORIALS
Apr 13, 2001

Diplomacy does the trick

The United States and China have resolved their crisis. Diplomats crafted a statement that allowed both sides to save face and permitted the 24 members of the U.S. spy plane to go home. The peaceful resolution of the standoff is a victory for diplomacy. Just as important, however, both governments now...
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2001

Tokyo families spend more on education in 2000

Despite the prolonged recession, Tokyo households spent more on their children's education during the 2000 academic year -- which ended last month -- than during the previous year, according to an annual survey by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government released Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apr 12, 2001

Investors sought for cancer probe

U.S. biotechnology venture is soliciting Japanese investors for what it claims is a next-generation medical device that can identify early-stage cancers with real-time analysis.
BUSINESS
Apr 12, 2001

U.S. plunge tips markets

Equity markets around the world continued to reverberate from the effects of plunges on Wall Street in the first quarter. Among developed markets, only Austria and New Zealand were overall positive, while year-to-date losses in dollar terms ranged from Spain's 2.8 percent fall to Finland's 42.8 percent...
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2001

Japan, China, South Korea take aim at smuggling

Japan will cooperate with China and South Korea to combat human and drug smuggling, Justice Minister Masahiko Komura said Tuesday.
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Apr 11, 2001

Abe's enchanted villa inspires sublime pottery

In peaceful hamlets throughout Japan, local potters work at their own pace while garnering a loyal local following. There are literally thousands of such ceramists, and the serene environment in which they work nurtures and supports their artistic endeavors in subtle ways.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 11, 2001

An eyeful of the best new contemporary art

The galleries of Tokyo don't exactly have an open-door policy when it comes to new art. In fact, many artists -- established or not -- have to shell out precious yen to exhibit here.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 11, 2001

K-pop, ya don't stop

BoA Last month, 500 members of the media gathered for the debut of singer BoA at the Roppongi club Velfarre.
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2001

Miura plans to scale Everest in '03 at 70

Kyodo News Refusing to rest on his laurels, professional skier and adventurer Yuichiro Miura plans to scale the world's highest mountain in 2003 after turning 70.
BUSINESS
Apr 10, 2001

BOJ branches report nationwide gloom

With unemployment high, capital expenditures slowing and exports and production entering the doldrums, the Bank of Japan had little good news to report after its quarterly meeting of branch offices Monday.
COMMENTARY
Apr 10, 2001

Reasons to thank Mr. Mori

Since he took office a year ago, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori has seen his popularity nosedive as a result of a series of gaffes he committed. Now that he is set to resign in late April, let me review the role the Mori administration has played.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 8, 2001

How to find your climbing inner child

"We enjoyed climbing trees as kids, but it's difficult to keep on doing that as an adult. Rock climbing is good because you can become a kid again and climb as much as you like," says Makoto Kitayama, president of the Japan Freeclimbing Association.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 8, 2001

Adventures unlimited

Still undecided about which direction to head in and what to do once you get there? If you seek English-language guidance or simply want to enjoy outings with like-minded people, then check out the International Adventure Club, a Tokyo-based voluntary club that hosts regular outings.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 2001

Digital legend aims to fill technology gap with $100 computer

Digital technology is evolving at stunning speed, slashing the prices of all sorts of digital gadgets and linking numerous countries through the ever-growing World Wide Web. But these developments fail to satisfy Kazuhiko Nishi, who wants tools created to tear down the technological and language barriers...
CULTURE / Music / MUSIC NOMAD
Apr 8, 2001

Moreno comes of age

Escaping paternal shadows can be tricky for a musician, especially if that musician's name happens to be Lennon, Marley or Dylan. Brazil's Moreno Veloso, however, probably shares more in common with Nigeria's Femi Kuti. Both are sons of superstars in their native countries who virtually created their...
JAPAN
Apr 7, 2001

Space agencies agree to unite rocket efforts

Three government-affiliated space agencies signed an agreement Friday to cooperate in technological development following mishaps with the government's launch of rockets in 1999 and 2000, officials said.
JAPAN
Apr 7, 2001

Spring is couple's harbinger of sorrow

Yukitomo and Mitsuko Hiraga do not anticipate the onset of spring with the same relish as most others. Each April, as cherry trees in full bloom welcome freshmen to colleges, the couple are reminded of their son who died soon after taking the first step toward his dream.
JAPAN
Apr 7, 2001

Joint effort urged on youth crime

An Education Ministry panel proposed Friday that parents and schools, police and other relevant bodies communicate with each other and work closely to try to detect early signs of juveniles contemplating crimes in a bid to stop them, ministry sources said.
BUSINESS
Apr 7, 2001

Firms expect sales to fall for U.S., Asia subsidiaries

An increasing number of Japanese-affiliated overseas manufacturing subsidiaries, particularly in Asia and the United States, expect their sales to decline in the January-June period, the Trade Ministry said Friday in its quarterly survey.
BUSINESS
Apr 7, 2001

Doubts linger over loan disposal

The emergency economic measures unveiled Friday, which focus on reducing banks' sour loans, leave unanswered the key questions that will determine their success.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 7, 2001

A bibliophile's whodunit: Who is killing the book?

Who is killing the book in Japan? That is the provocative question posed by veteran nonfiction writer Shin'ichi Sano in his recent book of the same title ("Dare ga 'hon' o korosu no ka," President Sha, 1,800 yen).

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