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JAPAN / ANCIENT TRADITIONS
Jan 1, 2002

Western eyes blind to spirituality in Japan

First of two parts
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2001

Conductor Asahina dies at 93

OSAKA -- Takashi Asahina, known as the world's oldest active conductor, died of old age at a Kobe hospital Saturday night, his family said Sunday. He was 93.
COMMUNITY
Dec 30, 2001

Starting anew through the ages

The world's most universally observed festival, New Year is also its most diverse, with timing, inspiration and celebration differing among countries, cultures and religions. For some, it is an occasion on which to give thanks for another year of survival; for others it's a vantage point from which to...
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2001

Hospital hid error after girl died

A 12-year-old girl died three days after undergoing heart surgery at a Tokyo hospital in March due to brain damage caused when an artificial heart-lung machine malfunctioned during the operation, sources close to the case said Saturday.
COMMENTARY
Dec 30, 2001

Clash of European visions

LONDON -- The odd situation seems to have been reached where the most dedicated enthusiasts for European unity fear that their dream is falling apart, while the skeptics fear that unity and integration are pushing Europe ahead faster than ever toward a super state.
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2001

Retiring politician's war memories spur his fight for peace

As Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi rose to power this year with pledges of radical reform, one 77-year-old Diet veteran made a brief return to the political arena before deciding to abandon his life's work.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Dec 29, 2001

Kitchen tips for the year's leftover snake

It's the end of the Year of the Snake and you're wondering what to do with that pet snake you bought last year to celebrate. You have just three days left to dispose of Sammy so you can make room in that aquarium for next year's animal -- the horse.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 26, 2001

When men were men -- and spies were spies

Spy Game Rating: * * * 1/2 Director: Tony Scott Running time: 128 minutes Language: English Now showing
SUMO
Dec 26, 2001

Tochiazuma begins life at new rank of ozeki

Tochiazuma, runnerup at last month's Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, will start a new adventure when he steps into the ring next month as his ozeki status was officially confirmed in the new rankings released Tuesday by the Japan Sumo Association.
BUSINESS
Dec 26, 2001

Nine state lenders draw FSA inspections

The government decided Tuesday to allow the Financial Services Agency to conduct inspections of nine governmental financial institutions beginning in fiscal 2003, according to government officials.
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Dec 26, 2001

Best of times, worst of times

The ominous statistics had been news for some time, but, being a slippery freelancer, I never thought Japan's worsening economic situation would affect me directly. The year 2001, however, proved this assumption wrong, as the mean old cutback beast reared up and hit me where it hurt the most -- right...
Japan Times
JAPAN / STAGING A COMEBACK
Dec 26, 2001

Reforms shake higher education's foundations

Scholars at Japan's universities have long been criticized for enjoying "splendid isolation" within their ivory towers.
CULTURE / Art
Dec 26, 2001

Primary sources breathe life into history

Onl the dates are fixed. Otherwise, history is a hotbed of debate -- and original documents, from edicts to secret diaries, contain a sea of information that historians trawl at their peril.
BUSINESS
Dec 25, 2001

End to full deposit guarantee sparks fear of regional banks

Dr. Masao Sekine can't stop the bankers from coming. They come with gifts, friendly conversation and advice. But what he really wants is peace of mind.
COMMENTARY
Dec 24, 2001

Challenges for Korean civic education

SEOUL -- Consensus is growing in the family of democratic nations that democratic civic education constitutes a pillar of democracy. I use the term "democratic civic education" because we know there exist less benevolent intentions behind "political education" than the promotion of democratic principles...
COMMUNITY
Dec 23, 2001

Jewelry collectors: guardians of a glittering past

At first glance, the visitor would hardly guess that the austere-looking building nestled in the beautiful, green mountains of Nasu Kogen, Tochigi Prefecture, is the Akiba Museum of Antique Jewellery -- Japan's first private museum specializing in European antique jewelry.
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2001

Engineer in hospital exposed to massive dose of radiation

A 34-year-old man has been exposed to roughly 1,000 times the annual amount of radiation permissible while installing radiotherapy equipment at a government-run hospital in Tokyo, officials at the science and technology ministry said.
COMMUNITY
Dec 23, 2001

'God of diamonds' a cut above the rest

Few guests at first notice the seven small stones, shimmering icily in the corner of this Ginza reception hall. The little shards catch a beam of light for the briefest instant, before flicking it gaily away.
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2001

Coast guard sinks suspect ship in East China Sea

An unidentified ship spotted within Japan's exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea sank Saturday night after being shot at by Japan Coast Guard vessels that had been pursuing it, coast guard officials said.
BUSINESS
Dec 22, 2001

Automakers happy, farmers angry

The domestic auto industry welcomed the compromise Friday between Japan and China on a trade dispute.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Dec 22, 2001

Thomas L. Wright

Part of the enduring fame of architect Frank Lloyd Wright stems from his having designed the old Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. His reputation was significantly enhanced when the Imperial Hotel, shortly after its 1923 opening, withstood the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that devastated Tokyo and Yokohama. Wright's...
JAPAN
Dec 22, 2001

Children of suicide victims seek help in alleviating social discrimination

Children who have lost one or both parents to suicide met with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi earlier this month to appeal for measures to curb the growing number of parental suicides, according to a private nonprofit group.
LIFE / Lifestyle / LEARNING BY HEART
Dec 21, 2001

Children learn life's hardest lesson

On a recent Friday, I swung open the gate to my daughter's school yard. I was expecting to find the usual crowd of mothers milling outside in the garden. But I knew something was dreadfully wrong when a teacher solemnly ushered me toward a full, but silent classroom. Inside, the mothers sat, wiping their...
BUSINESS
Dec 20, 2001

Sanyo to introduce work-share system

OSAKA -- Sanyo Electric Co. plans to introduce a work-sharing system in April in the first such move by a major consumer electronics maker in Japan, company officials said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 20, 2001

War 'back home' divides Jordan's Chechen community

ZARQA, Jordan -- When the wounded Chechen fighters arrived in Jordan in 1994, everything changed for Younis Ashab.
BUSINESS
Dec 20, 2001

BOJ to further ease its monetary policy

The Bank of Japan decided Wednesday to further ease its ultra-loose monetary policy, despite its past assertions that the move will do little to allay fundamental fears about the economy.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 19, 2001

Fun and family bonding

Spy KidsRating: * * * 1/2 Director: Robert Rodriguez Running time: 88 minutes Language: English Now showing
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 19, 2001

John Howard gets but a brief respite

SYDNEY -- Pangs of guilt are creeping into the Australian psyche in this self-indulgent time of year. The annual spending frenzy, known to some as Christmas, is being contrasted with the wretched life of hundreds of refugees detained on Australia's Indian Ocean territory, Christmas Island.
JAPAN
Dec 19, 2001

Pediatrics strained to breaking point

It was just after midnight one recent weekend in the emergency room of Showa University Hospital in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. Pediatrician Katsura Sugihara was treating his 12th patient of the night, when the phone rang.

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