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COMMENTARY / World
Sep 5, 2005

Crucial time for U.S.-China-Japan ties

SINGAPORE -- This week will be crucial for the U.S.-China-Japan relationship as U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao begin their summit in Washington on Wednesday, five days ahead of a key general election for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Bush's closest ally in...
COMMENTARY
Sep 5, 2005

A historic scramble to rule

The Sept. 11 Lower House election will test Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's politics, giving voters a chance to choose the nation's leadership between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan.
Japan Times
Features
Sep 4, 2005

Nagano's champion of change

He is perhaps the most well-known governor in Japan, largely because he has been breaking with tradition ever since he took office in Nagano Prefecture in October 2000.
JAPAN
Sep 3, 2005

South Korean surrogates on offer

Tokyo-based Excellence has been offering to match Japanese with surrogate mothers in South Korea since the beginning of the year, with two clients signed up, the head of the firm said Friday.
JAPAN
Sep 3, 2005

Women-only salons offer refuge after last trains

There is good news for weary women in Tokyo who stay out late and miss their last trains after working long hours or hanging out with friends.
BUSINESS
Sep 3, 2005

Tepco, Fuji Heavy plan electric auto, quick charge

Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the maker of Subaru vehicles, said Friday they will jointly develop an environmentally friendly electric vehicle based on Fuji Heavy's Subaru R1e prototype EV.
JAPAN
Sep 2, 2005

German wine promo ex-exec held

A former senior official with the Japanese unit of a German government wine promotion institute was arrested Thursday on suspicion of defrauding the organization of 15 million, yen police said.
BUSINESS
Sep 2, 2005

Koizumi gets some high marks but must do more: Doyukai

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's administration should be given high marks for having addressed issues untouched by its predecessors, but there is still more to do, according to the chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai).
LIFE / Language
Sep 1, 2005

Peace scholarship looks to resourceful students

The Rotary Foundation, a century-old, worldwide benevolent group of over one million business and professional leaders, has a new scholarship on offer. Rotarians have long provided a variety of international exchange opportunities, but their newest project, the Rotary World Peace Scholarship, is committed...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 1, 2005

Where is the German vision?

WASHINGTON -- When German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder precipitated early elections in Germany, the decision to seek electoral guidance appeared appealing. Since then, the choices on Sept. 18 have been remarkable mainly for their paucity and obscurity. Unless the parties and their candidates are able...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Sep 1, 2005

Three cheers for cheerleaders

Male cheerleaders jump out of closets, burst into ramen shops and join the daily Japanese rat race -- in a bid to save humanity.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2005

It's spoilers vs. holdouts against change

Tuesday's start of campaigning for the Sept. 11 Lower House election marked the beginning of fierce battles not only among party leaders but also candidates under the spotlight.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2005

1,132 candidates face off for Lower House election

Campaigning for the Sept. 11 House of Representatives election officially kicked off Tuesday with 1,132 candidates throwing their hats in the ring for 480 seats.
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2005

Nihon Aim, Apex eye chip machinery

Nihon Aim Co., which provides production-line work to semiconductor firms, and Apex Inc., which sells used semiconductor-making equipment, announced Tuesday they will set up a firm to offer machine maintenance work for chip-making factories.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2005

Koizumi reinvents race as issue-specific affair

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is changing the face of election campaigns, and one place this is being felt is the Liberal Democratic Party's Kyoto prefectural chapter, which traditionally has been the LDP's nerve center for local candidates.
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2005

NEC, Hitachi to sell some Elpida shares

Elpida Memory Inc. said Tuesday its two largest shareholders, NEC Corp. and Hitachi Ltd., will sell part of their stakes in the sole supplier of dynamic random access memory chips in Japan by March 31.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Aug 31, 2005

Porcelain horizons, modern monoliths

There are works of art that, maybe only once in our lifetime, may define an era and capture life's boundless spirit with a beauty that both moves the heart and deepens the experience of existence.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Aug 30, 2005

Spoiled pooches live the good life

Whether it's "wan-wan," "bow-wow" or "ruff-ruff," dogs in Japan are all speaking the same language: life here ain't too dog-gone bad.
COMMENTARY
Aug 29, 2005

Watershed election for Japan

LONDON -- The results of the Japanese general election on Sept. 11 will be important not only for the future of Japanese parliamentary democracy but also for the Japanese economy and Japan's foreign relations.
COMMENTARY
Aug 29, 2005

Japan's green economic edge

There are two meanings to the axiom that the 21st century is the century of the environment: (1) Global environmental problems will become more serious, and (2) environmental problems will be the driving force of economic development.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Aug 29, 2005

Choice is no longer choice when showbiz 'assassins' terminate voters' rights

When is a choice not a choice?
EDITORIALS
Aug 28, 2005

Win-win in a downloading culture

The start of Apple Computer Inc.'s music-downloading service Aug. 4 heralds big changes in the landscape of Japan's music business and culture. Music lovers can now choose their favorite songs from among 1 million songs offered by iTunes Music Store. With Apple's entry into the Japanese market, an increasing...
Features
Aug 28, 2005

Surrender seen close up

Col. Hervey Bennett Whipple was made logistics officer for U.S. Forces in the Southwest Pacific, operating from bases in Australia, in February 1942. In the following month he came to work for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who had arrived in Australia after a daring escape from Corregidor in Manila Bay.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 28, 2005

Postal reform gets stamp of approval from celeb politicians

Opponents of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's postal reform plans have a number of complaints, but the point they tend to harp on about, presumably because it's the only one the average citizen can appreciate, is the downsizing of post offices in far-flung regions.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Aug 28, 2005

TV Asahi's "Matthew's Best Hit TV" devotes whole program to Japanese dialects, and more

Advanced students of Japanese language might want to tune in to the late-night comedy show "Matthew's Best Hit TV" this week (TV Asahi, Wednesday, 11:15 p.m.). One of the show's regular features is a segment called "Namari Tei," which translates as "Dialect Theater." Guest celebrities, who in most cases...
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2005

BTM worker plundered deposits for 12 years

A female worker at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi embezzled nearly 1 billion yen over 12 years, and the bank was oblivious to the theft for the entire period, it was learned Friday.
BUSINESS
Aug 27, 2005

Yumeshin president steps down

Yumeshin Holdings Co. said Friday that Hiroshi Kamada has resigned as president and left the construction management firm for personal reasons, sparking speculation that he is taking responsibility for the failed takeover bid for a construction consultancy firm.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Aug 27, 2005

Hiroji Koide

When he was barely turned 30, Hiroji Koide became vice chairman of the International Exchange Committee of the Japan Chamber of Commerce. That marked the beginning of his active participation in public affairs, which still continues more than 46 years later. He is a jovial, outward-looking Nagano man,...

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear