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ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Nov 22, 2001

Singing the praises of glorious mud flats

How's this for a writer with a bee in his shorts?: "Upon ratifying the Ramsar Convention, Japan agreed to 'promote the conservation of wetlands and waterfowl by establishing nature reserves in wetlands . . . and providing adequately for their wardening' [Article 4]. So far, Japan has made no effort to...
BUSINESS
Nov 22, 2001

Bill passes to relax stock option rules

The Diet passed a bill Wednesday to revise the Commercial Code to ease restrictions on the granting and exercising of stock options in a bid to stimulate business activity.
BUSINESS / ON MANAGEMENT
Nov 20, 2001

Getting in downtime

An executive returned from a weekend getaway in the Caribbean with a touch of sunburn, a sore shoulder from too much tennis, and a story. As he tells it, he'd been involved in an extremely tense negotiation for the better part of a year. "The principals knew they needed to do this deal, but they were...
BUSINESS / ON MANAGEMENT
Nov 20, 2001

Getting in downtime

An executive returned from a weekend getaway in the Caribbean with a touch of sunburn, a sore shoulder from too much tennis, and a story. As he tells it, he'd been involved in an extremely tense negotiation for the better part of a year. "The principals knew they needed to do this deal, but they were...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 19, 2001

Pitfalls litter Koizumi reform path

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi needs to place a bit more emphasis on growth-oriented economic policy if he wants to maximize the effect of his structural reform measures, British economic journalists said at a recent symposium in Tokyo.
LIFE / Food & Drink / BEST BAR NONE
Nov 18, 2001

Seriously, where are you?

Lately, I've found myself worrying about you. Yes, you -- my vicarious companions; my invisible tagalongs. You, who follow my adventures by remote control. You, whose presence is most notable by your absence. But that's not what's bothering me. It seems that your absence has also been noted in my absence,...
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Nov 18, 2001

Booksellers looking for competitive edge online

E-commerce ventures have been flourishing in Japan, and they are expected to bring dramatic changes to the nation's traditional book distribution business.
COMMENTARY
Nov 15, 2001

The dilemma at Doha: balancing security and commerce

HONOLULU -- Terrorism is very much on the minds of trade ministers meeting since the weekend in Doha, Qatar, to discuss a new round of global trade talks. Some are worried about personal safety: Many received security briefings from their national intelligence services on the possibility of a terror...
LIFE / Food & Drink / NIHONSHU
Nov 11, 2001

How mold grew to be so unique

There are two things that make nihonshu unique among the world's alcoholic beverages. One is the process known as heiko fukuhakko, or multiple parallel fermentation. In short, this means that saccharification and fermentation take place simultaneously in the same vat, as opposed to sequentially, as in...
COMMENTARY
Nov 10, 2001

Brace yourself for the new McCarthyism

NEW YORK -- According to The Wall Street Journal I'm "probably the most bitterly anti-American commentator in America." The National Review calls me "a big fat zero, an ignorant, talentless hack with a flair for recycling leftist pieties into snarky cartoons that inspired breakfast-table chuckles among...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 10, 2001

Exotic Japan found in mundane things

I had just purchased a sweat shirt at the Gap, picked up some shampoo at the Body Shop and ordered pizza from Pizza Hut when I received an e-mail saying: "You live in Japan? How exotic!"
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Nov 8, 2001

All the leaves are brown -- anyone know why?

In Japan, the beauty of leaves in autumn is revered with almost religious fervor. Part of the autumn weather forecast is devoted to showing the "leaf front" as the color change in trees moves across the country. Millions of tourists travel to marvel at the display.
BUSINESS
Nov 7, 2001

Lower House eases stock option law

The House of Representatives approved at a plenary session Tuesday an amendment to the Commercial Code aimed at easing regulations on granting and exercising stock options.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 2001

Blood banks help Chinese with rare type

OSAKA -- Two Red Cross blood banks in western Japan helped save the life of a woman in China by answering an international appeal for a rare blood type, blood bank officials said Saturday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / FUZZY LOGIC
Nov 4, 2001

Straight from the monkey's mouth

The Stone Roses are the most influential British rock band of the last 15 years, but since their long-drawn-out and frankly ludicrous demise five years ago, vocalist Ian Brown has taken a lot of playground flak.
JAPAN
Nov 3, 2001

Man charged with threatening girl

OSAKA -- A 34-year-old American man has been indicted for attempting to extort money from a high school girl he met via an Internet service, prosecutors said Friday.
EDITORIALS
Nov 1, 2001

Bad omen for nuclear disarmament

Washington's defense policy appears to be undergoing significant change as America wages a two-front war on terrorism at home and abroad. The missile defense plan, designed to intercept ballistic missiles from "rogue states," is gaining political support in the current extraordinary situation. There...
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2001

Cabinet moves to ratify antiterrorism treaties

The Cabinet approved a set of bills Tuesday that would allow Japan to ratify the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, government officials said.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 31, 2001

Like we didn't know already?

Someone Like You Rating: * * Director: Tony Goldwyn Running time: 97 minutes Language: English Now showing
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.
LIFE / Travel / NATURE TRAVEL
Oct 30, 2001

The holiday that never began . . .

Romania has more brown bears per square kilometer than any other country in the world. Unspoiled forest covers 80 percent of the Carpathian mountains. Transylvania is home to thousands of wolves and 30 percent of Europe's lynx population. Wild boar, chamois, eagles and red deer abound.
LIFE
Oct 29, 2001

A 'Stich in time saves nine

Riding defensively minimizes the chance of a motorcycle accident but unfortunately sometimes a get-off can't be avoided. That's when good riding gear can make the difference between a trip to the hospital or just a few aches.
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

Effect of mad cow scare shows in latest consumer price index

The key gauge of Tokyo consumer prices shed 0.1 percent in October from the month before, including a drop in beef prices stemming from the nation's first case of mad cow disease, the government said Friday.
LIFE / Food & Drink / VINELAND
Oct 21, 2001

A gem of a wine shop in the rough of Nerima

A good, little neighborhood wineshop is a rare treasure in Tokyo. Imagine a friendly place around the corner, where the owner is a passionate wine aficionado. A few times a week, you stop by after work and ask him or her for some tips on an affordable, delicious bottle to go with your home-cooked dinner....
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2001

Ex-Afghan ambassador fears statelessness

Former Afghan Ambassador to Japan Hassani Mohammad Asif says his greatest worry as U.S.-led forces pound his native land is that he and his family will be left stateless.
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Oct 18, 2001

Tomb raiders for racial equality

Today, Oct. 18, is the feast day of Luke the Evangelist: physician, saint, author of the book of Acts and companion of Paul. It is thanks to Luke, the most literary of the four gospel writers, that we learn about the human aspects of Christ's life -- such as the enduring Nativity scene.

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