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COMMENTARY / World
Aug 20, 2004

Broken promises a blot on Myanmar's regime

A s Myanmar's government prepares to take over the chairmanship of ASEAN for 1996, opposition groups have stepped up their campaign for reform in the country by appealing to the bloc's leaders, reminding them that the regime in Yangon has violated all its promises, including human rights reform, better...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 20, 2004

Chilling out with noodles in summertime

These are days of heat and tribulation. For 40 days and 40 nights we sweltered and sweated through that record heat wave -- and there's plenty more of the summer yet to come. Not surprisingly, given these almost biblical weather conditions, our main source of solace and sustenance has been noodles --...
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2004

Cell phone-based system to track products

The farm ministry will begin creating a system in fiscal 2005 that will enable consumers to trace the history of tagged farm products by scanning them with their mobile phones, ministry officials said Wednesday.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Aug 19, 2004

Down in the grim intertidal zone

A coffee-shop friend of mine recently summed up his appreciation of our local lowland forest just outside Sapporo, saying: "You know, it's wonderful here; every season is the best season." And, you know, he has a powerful point.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 18, 2004

Minds lost over teenage murderer

The United States of Leland Rating: * * * (out of 5) Director: Matthew Ryan Hoge Running time: 108 minutes Language: English Currently showing [See Japan Times movie listings] "The United States of Leland" has a difficult story to tell, but first-time director Matthew Ryan Hoge tries...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 18, 2004

Violence and swordplay in wild, wild Edo

Izo Rating: * * * (out of 5) Director: Takashi Miike Running time: 128 minutes Language: Japanese Opens on Aug. 21 [See Japan Times movie listings] Swords are coming out all over. That's the impression I get watching recent swashbucklers from not only genre veterans like Kihachi Okamoto,...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 18, 2004

Tokyo's 'heat island' keeps breezes at bay

Japan is unusually hot this summer. But Tokyo is hotter.
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 18, 2004

Shakespeare speaks for modern times

A struggle for control at the heart of a state followed by the assassination of the leader; division between rival noblemen and their factions; the resulting civil war; the death of a nobleman's wife by suicide; and lastly the ritual suicide of all the original conspirators against the leader. Sound...
COMMENTARY
Aug 18, 2004

Democracy depends on modernization

MANILA -- For all practical purposes, the internal affairs in most countries have ceased to be purely domestic affairs. Whether we like it or not, one of the consequences of globalization has been the erosion of national sovereignty. In economic matters, national boundaries have long ceased to exist....
BUSINESS
Aug 17, 2004

Equity fund might invest in Daiei

A private equity fund headed by a former executive of the Fast Retailing Co. casual clothing chain has emerged as a possible investor in troubled retailer Daiei Inc., the Financial Times reported Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2004

Mihama accident latest in long string of nuclear plant woes

OSAKA -- In early 1999, a group of German nuclear scientists and engineers had just returned to Osaka after visiting nuclear power facilities in Fukui Prefecture. Sitting in a bar in the Hotel New Otani, they were deeply disturbed.
LIFE / Travel / NATURE TRAVEL
Aug 15, 2004

Mad Max and a mango make for a mind-bendingly memorable city tour

After half an hour of clinging to the back of Mr. Tuc's scooter, the question needs to be asked. It really does.
JAPAN
Aug 15, 2004

Tokyo clinic kept fetuses from abortions in freezer

A maternity clinic in Tokyo has stored aborted fetuses in its freezer, according to Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials who have inspected the clinic.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 15, 2004

Free spirit moves between jazz and classical

Jazz pianist Makoto Ozone has spent the last 20 years moving between Japan and the United States, so it is perhaps no surprise that his most recent release, New Spirit, moves comfortably between two musical worlds classical and jazz. Though Ozone could rest on a remarkable career in jazz, becoming one...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Aug 14, 2004

Just a lighter shade of bland

Hello. My name is Tom Dillon and I'm a tofu-holic.
OLYMPICS
Aug 13, 2004

Kitajima no lock for gold

Japanese breaststroke specialist Kosuke Kitajima saw a huge block appear between him and his goal of winning the gold medal at the Athens Olympics when Brendan Hansen of the United States broke his two world records.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Aug 13, 2004

Time to put distractions aside and get season under way

LONDON -- The buildup to what promises to be the closest, most exciting Premiership ever has been overshadowed by the Football Association soap opera, the Patrick Vieira saga and more recently Michael Owen's propoesed move to Real Madrid.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2004

Net sites cater to quest for Russian brides

Attractive Russian women with blonde hair and green eyes smile invitingly from the computer screen.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Aug 12, 2004

Sensitive science in the race for glory in athletic pursuits

With the 28th Olympic Games about to start, who would put a bet on a white athlete winning the 100 meters? Certainly not the American writer Jon Entine. "The complete domination of the 100 meters by people of West African origin means no white man will ever again win the event. It simply won't happen,"...
EDITORIALS
Aug 11, 2004

Time for diplomacy to step in

The recent Asian Cup soccer tournament, which Japan's national team won, witnessed an eruption of anti-Japanese sentiment among Chinese fans, including booing during the playing of the Japanese national anthem. The Chinese government tightened security for Saturday's final in Beijing, but anti-Japanese...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 11, 2004

In love with a beautiful woman

L'Histoire de Marie et Julien Rating: * * * * (out of 5) Director: Jacques Rivette Running time: 150 minutes Language: French Currently showing [See Japan Times movie listings] Among French directors, Jacques Rivette seems to have an enduring fascination for la femme -- and that's saying...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 11, 2004

UA: Fluid beauty

UA is not your average pop star. She arrives at an interview in the western Tokyo suburb that is her home on her bike. In a cut-off T-shirt and long, billowing peasant skirt, she looks like a hipster mama, and after the interview in this ordinary cafe, she's off to pick up her son from elementary school....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 10, 2004

Nuclear fuel plant not biz as usual

ROKKASHO, Aomori Pref. -- Despite safety concerns and local anger over allegations raised in July that the government hid a report showing that reprocessing spent atomic fuel costs more than burying it, officials at Rokkasho say they hope to begin uranium testing soon in preparation for the opening of...

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