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JAPAN
Nov 1, 2001

Young adults avoid JICA in wake of Sept. 11 attacks

Applications for Japan's version of the Peace Corps are running at extremely low levels due to security concerns raised by the Sept. 11 terror attacks, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
COMMENTARY
Nov 1, 2001

Is China the odd man out?

HONOLULU -- China seems very pleased with the outcome of the George W. Bush-Jiang Zemin presidential summit held Oct. 19 in Shanghai on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting -- not because a great deal was accomplished, but because Jiang's definition of what constituted...
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2001

Eight insurers to pay out over quake-related fire

OSAKA -- The Osaka High Court on Wednesday ordered seven nonlife insurance companies and an insurance group to pay a total of 12.15 million yen to 19 people whose homes were damaged in a fire caused by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.
BUSINESS / ON THE FRONT LINE
Nov 1, 2001

Matsui pacing traditional broker pack

As many online brokers are racing to their best year ever, traditional securities houses have seen mediocre earnings reports for the fiscal first half to September.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2001

Japan mulls search-and-rescue support for U.S.

Japanese officials are considering including the rescue of U.S. personnel operating in the Arabian Sea in the basic action plan for supporting the ongoing military operations in Afghanistan, government sources said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2001

Kimono makers target the young

Mariko Moriwaki, 39, a Web editor at publisher Shogakukan Inc., draws a lot of attention from visitors to her office.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2001

U.N. expects major role for Japan in Afghanistan

Japan is expected to play a major role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, ranging from community-based projects to large regional development, the visiting head of the United Nations Development Program said.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Nov 1, 2001

Meet Bob: The man fish fear

Can it still be called "sport" if the object of the exercise is to kill -- quite literally -- your opponent?
CULTURE / Film
Oct 31, 2001

No remembrance of things past

Memento Rating: * * * * * Director: Christopher Nolan Running time: 113 minutes Language: English Now showing
BUSINESS
Oct 31, 2001

Number of firms in black mark first rise in decade

The percentage of companies that showed a profit on their tax returns stood at 31.1 percent for the business year to June 30, up 0.4 percentage point from the previous year for the first increase in 10 years, the National Tax Agency said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2001

Jobless rate hits record 5.3%

The unemployment rate soared by 0.3 percentage point in September to a record 5.3 percent, the government reported Tuesday.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 31, 2001

The gift of Ghibli

When I first heard that Hayao Miyazaki was planning a museum in Mitaka dedicated to the films that his Studio Ghibli animators and he had created over the years, I imagined animation cels framed on beige walls. Save for dedicated fans, it wasn't the most thrilling prospect for a Saturday afternoon, especially...
CULTURE / Film
Oct 31, 2001

Backward and forward

Director Christopher Nolan's "Memento" has turned out to be the runaway indie hit of 2001, so the local press were out in force for his press conference. It's not every day that a talent blindsides viewers with such an accomplished and innovative work. In person, Nolan seemed a bit dry for someone who...
BUSINESS
Oct 31, 2001

Takenaka hints at contraction in '02

Heizo Takenaka, minister of economic and fiscal policy, said Tuesday that the economy may also contract in fiscal 2002.
BUSINESS
Oct 31, 2001

Major electronics makers suffer first-half losses

Five electronics makers swung into losses in the first half of the 2001 business year, plagued by the global slump in the information technology industry, according to interim earnings reports released Tuesday.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2001

Travel agency opens Web site catering to foreigners

Nippon Travel Agency Co. will launch an English-language Web site today offering low-price domestic package tours to non-Japanese travelers.
BUSINESS
Oct 30, 2001

Hikari Tsushin falls 56 billion yen into red

Cellular phone subscription agent Hikari Tsushin Inc. said Monday its group fell into the red during the business year that ended Aug. 31, posting net losses of 56.35 billion yen.
Events
Oct 30, 2001

Scare stops Kobe beef in its tracks

KOBE -- It's a warm, sunny day at the Okaba cattle ranch in Kobe's Kita Ward.
CULTURE / Music / PLAY BUTTON
Oct 28, 2001

A rough guide to the indies

Japan's indie music scene is a fractured miasma of competing and collaborating subgenres. The sheer number of bands is, as anyone who has looked at Pia's live house listings recently, overwhelming. Like a fan searching for a hidden venue in the twisted back streets of Shimokitazawa or Koenji, you can...
LIFE / Food & Drink / NIHONSHU
Oct 28, 2001

Despite tech advances, mature sake still worth the wait

Finally things are beginning to cool down as we segue into autumn. As well as being the time of turning leaves, cooler breezes and better food, autumn is when sake brewed the previous season traditionally goes on sale. Two types of sake you may come across in your autumnal perusing are aki-agari and...
BUSINESS
Oct 27, 2001

Sanyo sees first-half earnings fall

Sanyo Electric Co. said Friday its group net profit declined 68.4 percent in the April-September period from a year earlier to 6.40 billion yen amid economic deterioration worldwide.
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2001

Technology aids creation of new peace activism

Helmets, chanted slogans and clashes with police -- a common scene in Japan during demonstrations against the Vietnam War. Those days may be long gone, but after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States a new style of peace activism using the Internet and other technology has quietly been created....
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2001

Obituary: Father Thomas Immoos

Father Thomas Immoos, a Swiss scholar who taught German literature and other disciplines at various Japanese universities for 50 years, passed away on Oct. 19 in Immensee, Switzerland. He was 83.
BUSINESS
Oct 27, 2001

DaimlerChrysler to take advantage of present Asian alliances

MAKUHARI, Chiba Pref. -- After establishing a strong foothold in the European and North American markets, DaimlerChrysler AG is ready to increase its presence in Asia by taking advantage of its alliance with Japanese and South Korean partners, according to executives of the German-American auto giant....
BUSINESS
Oct 27, 2001

Toshiba, NEC report losses for first half of business year

Toshiba Corp. and NEC Corp. on Friday reported consolidated net losses for the first half of fiscal 2001, hit by the global slump in information technology and the worldwide economic slowdown.
JAPAN
Oct 26, 2001

Products using beef extract not exempt in mad cow scare

OSAKA -- Despite the government's repeated assurances, it is not clear how soon domestic beef consumption will recover to levels before the nation was hit by the mad cow scare in September. But consumer advocates have warned that the threat of the disease does not come from beef alone.
JAPAN
Oct 26, 2001

Mitsukoshi deal above board: Uetake

The senior vice foreign minister said Thursday he sees no problem with the business transactions between the Foreign Ministry and department store operator Mitsukoshi Ltd., despite suspicions raised by an opposition lawmaker at a Diet committee session the day before.
BUSINESS
Oct 25, 2001

Fujitsu announces additional job cuts

Fujitsu Ltd. plunged into the red for the first half of its business year as the global slump in information technology dealt a blow to its core communications and electronics businesses.
BUSINESS
Oct 25, 2001

Fuel cells, IT on stage at motor show

MAKUHARI, Chiba Pref. -- The 35th Tokyo Motor Show opened to the media Wednesday, showcasing concept cars, motorbikes and the latest auto parts at the Makuhari Messe international event hall.
BUSINESS
Oct 24, 2001

Students in North America prefer Sony

Sony Corp. is the employer of choice for Japanese students preparing to graduate from North American colleges and universities, according to a recent survey conducted by a U.S. human resources firm.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes