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COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Dec 6, 2004

Battle looms over Supreme Court justices

WASHINGTON -- The recently announced illness of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist confirms the prospect of turnover soon at the court. Rehnquist turned 80 last month and seems to have a serious, debilitating cancer. He continues to be absent from the court.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 6, 2004

No witch hunt for North Koreans in China

BEIJING -- North Korean "refugees," economic migrants or defectors -- take your pick -- in China have been in the news again. Staged video film of dozens of them storming embassies in Beijing has been circulated globally by South Korean and Western political activists who arrange for these incidents....
JAPAN
Dec 5, 2004

GSDF officer involved in LDP's draft for constitutional revision

A senior officer in the Ground Self-Defense Force has compiled a draft plan for revising the Constitution to authorize the existence of a "military force" and enable the nation to engage in collective defense, it was learned Saturday.
JAPAN
Dec 4, 2004

Trafficking victims to be given better treatment

As part of efforts to combat human trafficking, Japan plans to revise immigration legislation next year to exempt trafficking victims from being deported in the same way as foreigners who overstay their visas or illegally enter Japan, it was learned Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 4, 2004

Ex-teacher indicted over anthem

A retired Tokyo high school teacher was indicted Friday for allegedly urging parents to stay seated while "Kimigayo" was played at a graduation ceremony in March.
BUSINESS
Dec 4, 2004

Seibu group considers end to North America operations

The scandal-tainted Seibu business group needs to consider pulling the plug on money-losing operations in Hawaii and North America, the chairman of an advisory panel to the group said Friday.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Dec 3, 2004

Tigers sending wrong message with Tsujimoto signing

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2004

Ruling bloc pair's plan to visit Samawah riles ministry

The Foreign Ministry is baffled by the reported plans by New Komeito Secretary General Tetsuzo Fuyushiba -- and possibly his Liberal Democratic Party counterpart, Tsutomu Takebe -- to visit the area in southern Iraq where Ground Self-Defense Force troops are deployed.
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2004

Crime victims may get key role in trials

The Justice Ministry is considering introducing legislation that would allow victims of crime to play a greater role in the trials of their accused offenders, ministry sources said Wednesday.
Rugby
Dec 2, 2004

Tokyo's rugby community honors former teammate

Rugby players haven't always enjoyed the best of reputations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2004

Opening of new Haneda terminal heats up air war

With the Wednesday opening of a new terminal at Tokyo's Haneda airport, the nation's two main airlines have launched yet another fierce battle to woo domestic passengers with new services.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 1, 2004

Kiyohara to play for Giants in 2005

Disgruntled veteran slugger Kazuhiro Kiyohara said Tuesday he has reached middle ground with the Yomiuri Giants and will play for the Central League club next season, the final year of his four-year deal.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2004

Softbank gets Hawks for 20 billion yen

Softbank Corp. said Tuesday it has agreed to pay 20 billion yen for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and its gaming rights, capping years of speculation on the fate of the athletically sound but financially ailing baseball team.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2004

Hashimoto admits taking JDA donation

Former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, speaking Tuesday to a closed Diet panel session, effectively acknowledged that he received an unreported 100 million yen donation from the Japan Dental Association in July 2001.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2004

Arms export shift turns low key

The government will not stipulate the planned lifting of its self-imposed ban on arms exports when in the next week or so it adopts a new basic defense policy, according to politicians who attended the ruling coalition's security panel meeting Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2004

Winny file-sharer gets suspended term

A man arrested last year on copyright charges for disseminating films on the Internet was given a three-year suspended sentence Tuesday -- averting a jail term in one of the first crackdowns on file-sharing in Japan.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2004

Princess Nori's engagement to be declared Dec. 18

The Imperial Household Agency said Tuesday it will officially announce the engagement of Princess Nori -- the 35-year-old daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko -- to Tokyo Metropolitan Government employee Yoshiki Kuroda on Dec. 18.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2004

Taking public pulse on Iraq mission turns up disturbing information gap

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said he will take into account public opinion, along with various other factors, when he decides whether to extend the one-year Self-Defense Forces mission in Iraq, which expires Dec. 14.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2004

For visa violators, it pays to come clean

In June 2000, Mohammad Mizanur Rahman was deported from Japan for overstaying his visa. Shortly after he was forced back to his native Bangladesh, his Japanese girlfriend joined him and they married.
BUSINESS
Dec 1, 2004

DoCoMo, mm02 to provide i-mode services in Europe

NTT DoCoMo Inc. and major British mobile carrier mm02 have agreed on a deal to allow mobile telephone users in Britain, Germany and Ireland to surf the Internet on their handsets, DoCoMo said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Nov 30, 2004

Four Hollywood studios back Toshiba's HD DVD

In what could be a major coup in a fierce format war, Toshiba Corp. and its partners said Monday they have won support from four major Hollywood movie studios for their next-generation DVD.
BUSINESS
Nov 30, 2004

Daihatsu launches Mira Gino minivehicle

Daihatsu Motor Co. on Monday launched its new Mira Gino minivehicle, fully remodeled for the first time in five years.
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2004

Asahara lawyers seek suspended trial

Lawyers for Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara said Monday they have asked the Tokyo High Court to suspend his appeal case on the grounds that he is incompetent to stand trial.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 29, 2004

A new dawn for Myanmar?

Many Myanmar watchers might have been surprised when they got news of the pending release of nearly 4,000 prisoners who had been inappropriately jailed by the notorious Military Intelligence (MI) wing of former Prime Minister Gen. Khin Nyunt's regime.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight