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COMMENTARY / World
May 10, 2002

Learn the lessons, then let go of the past

The first step of Myanmar's democratization has begun following the bold step of the military regime, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), to free Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday. Though it was a small step, it was a giant leap for the victimized people of Myanmar, who will now be able to live...
SOCCER / World cup / EXCERPTS FROM PHILIPPE TROUSSIER'S BOOK
May 6, 2002

Resistance is useless! Morioka matures

"Passion" is the story of Japan soccer team coach Philippe Troussier, his struggle to make it as a player and manager and his travels around France, Africa and Japan. In the book, Troussier also details his philosophy and thinking as he prepares for the World Cup in June. In this, the eight of 10 exclusive...
COMMENTARY / JAPAN IN THE GLOBAL ERA
May 6, 2002

Le Pen's philosophy is all too familiar

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- The results in the first round of the French presidential elections on April 21 hit like a seismic shock. Veteran rightwing extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen took second place. There are many reasons why. Some are statistical: Sixteen candidates across the spectrum split the votes...
COMMUNITY
May 5, 2002

What is terrorism?

Two weeks after the attacks on New York and Washington, an article by Susan Sontag, novelist, essayist, director, playwright and easily America's most provocative public intellectual, appeared in the now-famous black-cover issue of the New Yorker magazine. In it, Sontag excoriated Americans for their...
COMMENTARY / World
May 5, 2002

Why it must be Bush vs. Gore in 2004

NEW YORK -- It is impossible to overstate the importance of tossing U.S. President George W. Bush back onto the unemployment lines in 2004. His illegitimate presidency isn't even half-over, yet Bush's disreputable Cabinet of tin-pot gangsters has already succeeded in causing irreparable harm to our great...
EDITORIALS
May 4, 2002

The general wins his vote

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has won overwhelming endorsement for five more years in office. The government claims that the vote gives the regime, which seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, a democratic stamp of approval. It does not: The election offers a veneer of legitimacy to a usurper....
SOCCER / World cup
May 4, 2002

Hondurans give Japan squad wakeup call with 3-3 draw

KOBE -- If Japan manager Philippe Troussier needed to be reminded of his side's defensive frailties, then he should be grateful to Honduras, which pushed the home side to a 3-3 draw in the Kirin Cup at Kobe Wing Stadium on Thursday.
SOCCER / World cup
May 3, 2002

Hondurans hold Japan

KOBE -- If Japan manager Philippe Troussier needed to be reminded of his side's defensive frailties, then he should be grateful to Honduras, which pushed the home side to a 3-3 draw in the Kirin Cup at Kobe Wing Stadium on Thursday.
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
May 2, 2002

Don't cast out 'Outcast'

"Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" will be released in the United States next month and a lot of movie goers have clearly got Jedi fever.
LIFE / Digital
Apr 25, 2002

Lie detection infiltrating everyday life

When Bill Clinton first said, "I never had sexual relations with that woman . . ." back in 1998, a report flushed that a new Israeli lie detector figured he was being truthful.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 24, 2002

Mixed messages follow love at first sight

Love is complex enough at the best of times, but when it crosses cultural borders, things can get really confusing. Opening April 24 at the Shimokitazawa Geki Shogekijo is "John-kun and Yoko-chan," a play co-written by American Michael Naishtut and Japanese Yoko Narahashi that takes a seriocomic look...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 24, 2002

Fashion's painful pursuit of beauty

When did French women first coin the phrase, "Il faut suffrir pour être belle (One must suffer to be beautiful)"? Judging by the historic costumes and illustrations on display at the Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum, it could have been any time in the last three centuries. Here are fashions that demand (literally)...
SOCCER / World cup / EXCERPTS FROM PHILIPPE TROUSSIER'S BOOK
Apr 22, 2002

Media drove me to hell

"Passion" is the story of Japan soccer team coach Philippe Troussier, his struggle to make it as a player and manager and his travels around France, Africa and Japan. In the book, Troussier also details his philosophy and thinking as he prepares for the World Cup in June. In this, the sixth of 10 exclusive...
COMMENTARY
Apr 22, 2002

Role remains for British royalty

LONDON -- On March 31, the Saturday before Easter Sunday, Elizabeth, the queen mother, passed away peacefully at the age of 101.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE
Apr 17, 2002

Happy End all over again

British rock band Oasis will be playing live in Tokyo on May 23. But exactly where is a mystery.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 7, 2002

Guess who's coming to dinner?

Thanks to a series of scandals, Snow Brand Dairy Products has seen one subsidiary fall and its image seriously damaged, but that's not the worst of it. Last Sunday, "Ryori Banzai," one of Japanese TV's longest-running cooking shows, signed off forever with a long, tearful thank-you speech. Ever since...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 7, 2002

A profitable day at the races

The year was 1948: Japan was still recovering from the ravages of war. Bombed-out bridges needed rebuilding, cratered roads needed repaving and railroads had to be relaid. It would cost a fortune, but who would foot the bill?
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 31, 2002

Who can blame U.S. for going it alone?

ATHENS -- It was a curious political moment in the cradle of democracy. A recent visit by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami sparked a flood of favorable media coverage about Iran -- and an avalanche of condemnation of America.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 31, 2002

The human face of migration to Japan

FOREIGN MIGRANTS IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN, by Hiroshi Komai, translated by Jens Wilkinson. Melbourne: Trans Pacific Press, 2001, 230 pp., AU$44.95 (paper) The Japanese economy has been in all but permanent recession for more than a decade. Yet, the number of foreign migrants has not diminished. What seemed...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Mar 28, 2002

Zen gardens wondrous to behold, and not

I like nothing better than to go and explore gardens and to let my imagination ponder on what's to be seen. Kyoto has plenty of places just waiting to be discovered, and the best way to go and see its gardens and temples is either on foot or by local bus.
EDITORIALS
Mar 26, 2002

Double-edged law for juveniles

The Liberal Democratic Party is preparing a bill designed to deal with "social conditions detrimental to the sound development of juveniles" -- conditions that induce or encourage sex and violence on the part of children. Although there is no question about the need to promote the healthy development...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 24, 2002

A greener shade of gray

Ever since Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, people have been trying to climb back over the fence, because, whatever the attractions of city living, there is nothing like a garden to refresh both body and soul.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 24, 2002

Shimoda sounds a literary lament

SAN FRANCISCO -- A foreigner in Japan is an outsider by default, a fact foreign residents have lamented for centuries in what is now a ritualized barstool grievance: "I've lived here for so long, learned the language, love my natto, but still . . . "
BUSINESS
Mar 23, 2002

Peru no longer a favored destination of Japanese ODA

Japanese official development assistance for Peru has plunged sharply amid a chill in diplomatic ties over the fate of Alberto Fujimori, the former Peruvian president of Japanese descent.
ENVIRONMENT
Mar 21, 2002

Blooms tell curious tale of two cities

Ninet years ago, on March 27, 1912, passersby on the northern bank of the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. may have been surprised to see two elegant ladies digging holes. They may have been even more surprised had they known that the women were Helen Taft, wife of U.S. President William Howard Taft,...
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Mar 14, 2002

You win some and you lose some . . .

Ten years ago, on March 12, 1992, this column began its life on these pages. Though it's still "green," when compared with colleagues who have graced The Japan Times for several decades, Our Planet Earth has now appeared more than 245 times.
BUSINESS
Mar 11, 2002

Airline consolidation taking off

BANGKOK -- The lingering impact of Sept. 11 is prompting airline companies to "integrate deeper and quicker" into the safety of alliances, and these groups will form the basis of future competition in the industry, a top airline executive said in a recent interview with Japan Times.
COMMUNITY
Mar 10, 2002

The state of trance

Trance: It has seeped deep into this city's ambience. Aside from the clubs, where you'll likely find four or five trance events every weekend, and the massive summertime outdoor festivals, it's always in the air, and unmistakable. Wander into any Roppongi watering hole or strip club; pop into any funky...
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 4, 2002

JEF United's win is Soo wonderful

ICHIHARA, Chiba Pref. -- JEF United and South Korea forward Choi Yong Soo struck two goals to give Ichihara a convincing 2-1 win over promoted Kyoto Purple Sanga at Ichihara Seaside Stadium in Division One action on Sunday.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 3, 2002

Fish-friendly angling may not be the answer

Since Japan's first catch-and-release area opened on Yamagata Prefecture's Sagae River in July 1997, the number of such areas has grown to more than 30 across the country. In these areas, anglers generally report bigger, more satisfying catches, as by releasing the fish they are being allowed to live...

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.