Search - 2003

 
 
BUSINESS
Mar 5, 2005

Toyota Vitz reclaims pole position in vehicle sales battle

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Vitz was the best-selling new car in Japan in February, returning to the top spot for the first time since July 2000.
EDITORIALS
Mar 4, 2005

Ailment needs a national response

For sufferers of kafunshou (pollen allergy) or hay fever, this is shaping up into a really bad year. Because of last summer's sweltering heat, the amount of cedar pollen in the air is forecast to rise two or three times above average, possibly exceeding the worst-ever level of 1995. Reports say that,...
BUSINESS
Mar 4, 2005

Marui plots generational power shift

Department store chain Marui Co. said Thursday it has nominated Executive Vice President Hiroshi Aoi, 44, to replace his father, Tadao, as president on April 1, marking the first change in the top post in 33 years.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 2, 2005

Defender Nakazawa honored by soccer writers

Yokohama F. Marinos and Japan defender Yuji Nakazawa on Tuesday was named the 2004 Footballer of the Year in a poll of Japanese soccer writers.
EDITORIALS
Mar 1, 2005

Slow response to AIDS

One of the world's worst disasters is under way in Africa. AIDS is devastating sub-Saharan Africa, and South Africa has been especially hard hit. The government in Pretoria, however, has played down the scale of the crisis and, consequently, has been slow to respond to it.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 28, 2005

Nepal's king under pressure inside and out

MADRAS, India -- Recently Nepal's King Gyanendra dismissed his democratically elected prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and took over the Hindu kingdom's administration. This was a dictatorial and primitive move.
COMMENTARY
Feb 28, 2005

Police have let trust escape

The Japanese police system was once regarded as one of the best in the world, but that is no longer true. In a spate of scandals, some officers are said to have created slush funds with public money while others have falsified internal reports to improve their performance records.
Rugby
Feb 27, 2005

Rugby legends Johnson, Eales to visit Tokyo

Two giants of rugby union -- both in terms of ability and stature -- are heading to Tokyo in June.
BUSINESS
Feb 26, 2005

Mad cow panel prodded to reach decision on tests

Farm minister Yoshinobu Shimamura urged a government panel Friday to draw a conclusion quickly on whether to terminate the blanket testing for mad cow disease, in order to lift Japan's 14-month-old import ban on U.S. beef.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Feb 26, 2005

Special Olympics bridges Japan, Arab nations

Madeleine Jalil Umewaka, of MJU public relations, was at Narita Airport early Wednesday morning. She was there to welcome the Special Olympics team of 12 athletes from her native Lebanon, and travel with them to Iida in Nagano Prefecture.
COMMENTARY
Feb 25, 2005

Spots on Russia's shiny orb

MOSCOW -- By normal standards Russia should be a happy and contented country. Moscow is awash with money, mostly flowing in from the giant energy sector and hugely boosted by the doubling in oil prices the past year. Shops and restaurants are booming. Cinemas and theaters are multiplying and play to...
Rugby
Feb 24, 2005

IRB chairman points the way forward for Japanese rugby

When Dr. Syd Millar talks rugby, people generally stop and listen.
SUMO
Feb 24, 2005

Futagoyama waging battle against cancer

Sumo stablemaster Futagoyama is waging a battle with mouth cancer, his son and former grand champion Takanohana revealed Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 24, 2005

China can't use its leverage

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts -- In the North Korean nuclear crisis, there is a major difference between having leverage and the ability to use it. China has the former, but not the latter. North Korea has both.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 23, 2005

Foreign stars to battle Japan stars in March 14 charity game

Kudos: To Bobby Valentine, Trey Hillman, Tsutomu Ito, Kazuhiko Ushijima and all the players who will participate in the Pro Yakyu Charity Game at Tokyo Dome on Monday, March 14.
COMMENTARY
Feb 20, 2005

Nightmare choice set to confront China

HONG KONG -- North Korea's surprise announcement last week that it possesses nuclear weapons and would indefinitely boycott the six-party talks immensely complicates the Korean nuclear problem and puts additional pressure on China as host of the multilateral talks to get them started again.
BUSINESS
Feb 19, 2005

Toshiba names Nishida to be next president

Toshiba Corp. plans to appoint Senior Managing Director Atsutoshi Nishida, 61, as the company's new president to succeed Tadashi Okamura, 66, who will assume the chairmanship, sources said Friday.
EDITORIALS
Feb 19, 2005

Missile defense and civilian control

The Cabinet earlier this week approved a bill that would provide a legal framework for a missile defense (MD) system. During the current regular session of the Diet, the government is seeking approval of the proposed amendment to the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) Law plus a bill for creating an integrated...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Feb 19, 2005

Cosmopolitan stands for cultural understanding

A gaggle of students leaving Cosmopolitan Consultancy in Kawasaki's Shin-Yurigaoka point the way to the front door. "Up, up," they urge, to the third floor, where Suzan Matkin awaits with slippers and English tea.
MORE SPORTS
Feb 18, 2005

Sakamoto earns worlds berth

Ryusuke Sakamoto, who partnered Ai Fukuhara to a mixed doubles victory at the national championships last month, has earned a singles berth for this spring's World Table Tennis Championships through the men's qualifying meet on Thursday.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Feb 18, 2005

Outcry over Arsenal's all-foreign squad is misguided

LONDON -- Arsenal became L'Arsenal or El Arsenal last Monday after Arsene Wenger chose an all-foreign squad of 16 for the 5-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Feb 18, 2005

Pristine paradise an hour from Tokyo

Thanks to the newly opened Noto International Airport, Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture is now just a one-hour flight from Tokyo, making one of the Hokuriku region's most popular tourist spots -- famed for its hot springs, local festivals, beaches and mountain scenery -- far more accessible.

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