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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 3, 2004

Tokyo venture plans to market humanoid robots

A venture business in Tokyo said Tuesday it will market at the end of 2004 a doll-size humanoid robot for roughly 500,000 yen as one of the first humanoid robots to be offered to general consumers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 3, 2004

Edo craftsmanship in full flower

Located in Kitanomaru Park, a famous cherry blossom viewing spot in Kudanshita, central Tokyo, is the National Museum of Modern Art's Crafts Gallery. It seems appropriate that during the flowering seasons of ume (plum) and cherry the gallery should be hosting a show titled "Flower Design." The exhibition,...
COMMENTARY
Mar 3, 2004

Secret operations rock Blair's boat

LONDON -- From the moment Tony Blair let it be known that he had decided to send troops to Iraq, his days of smooth government were over. The decision unleashed all the dark forces of suspicion and a sense of illegality that are usually contained by democratic institutions. As the prime minister battles...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 3, 2004

And never the twain shall meet, on canvas

Modernism, which was born in Paris and came of age in New York after World War II, was one of Europe's most successful cultural exports of the 20th century, making it to South Africa, Vietnam, Brazil . . . and Japan.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Mar 3, 2004

Giants' Latham aiming for big season after 'nice camp'

Every baseball fan knows the term "nice catch." But in Japanese sports, the use of the word "nice" to praise just about any fine play has become common.
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2004

Northrop Grumman chief doesn't expect Japan competition

A U.S. defense industry leader said Tuesday in Tokyo that Japanese weapons manufacturers are unlikely to emerge as major competitors to their American rivals, even if Tokyo lifts its decades-old embargo on arms exports.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Feb 29, 2004

A past becoming urban myth

JAPANESE CAPITALS IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Place, Power and Memory in Kyoto and Tokyo, edited by Nicolas Fieve and Paul Waley. London: Routledge/Curzon, 2003, 418 pp., 75 plates, £65.00 (cloth). Japanese cities are unusual. Compared to those in Europe or even the United States, there are few physical...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 29, 2004

Iraqi residents of Japan to visit Samawah to support SDF

Sarmad Ali, a college student from Iraq who lives in Japan, is planning to visit the southern Iraqi city of Samawah in early March to help locals communicate with Japanese troops stationed there with a phrase book he published in Japan last year.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 29, 2004

Romania takes high road in AIDS fight

NEW YORK -- The Romanian government's serious commitment to improve access to treatment, increase outreach activities, build an effective partnership with the private sector and improve health infrastructure has led to dramatic progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
BUSINESS
Feb 28, 2004

January sees jobless rate inch back up to 5%

The nation's unemployment rate hit 5 percent in January after falling to its lowest level in two years the month before, but the government said Friday it was a temporary setback in a bigger move toward recovery.
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2004

Eight prefectures now have antiterror units

Almost a decade after Aum Shinrikyo members released sarin on Tokyo subway trains, police in eight prefectures now have dedicated antiterrorism units to respond to nuclear, biological and chemical attacks.
COMMENTARY
Feb 28, 2004

Rough sailing ahead for EU

PARIS -- On May 1, eight former communist countries, plus the islands of Malta and Cyprus, will join the European Union, expanding its membership from 15 to 25 countries.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Feb 28, 2004

David Neale

"I love doing many different things. That is a theme that dominates my life," David Neale said.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2004

Kansai in dire need of airport guidance

OSAKA -- With Kobe airport due to open next year, joining Kansai International Airport and the domestic hub in Itami, Kansai's business and government leaders have formed a committee to figure out how to effectively operate the region's three airports.
BUSINESS
Feb 27, 2004

Honda fuel cell overcomes the cold

Honda Motor Co. said Thursday it has successfully tested its next-generation cold-resistant fuel cell for cars, which it said overcomes a major problem of past models and can operate at freezing temperatures.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2004

For Marshall Islands, nuclear legacy lives on

The people of the Marshall Islands, the site of 67 U.S. nuclear tests between 1946 and 1958, have their own Bikini stories.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Feb 27, 2004

Pantani's passing shows how fragile sports stars can be

The recent death of Italian cyclist Marco Pantani, at the age of 34 from an apparent drug overdose, was the final act in a life which had been spiraling out of control for the past 4 1/2 years.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2004

U.N. envoy says free elections in Iraq 'difficult'

Visiting U.N. special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said Wednesday that holding completely free elections in Iraq would be a "daunting exercise."
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 26, 2004

Japan misses the big picture

Japan needs to see its strategic security through a wider lens than the resource concerns of its powerful economic ministries. Japan's decision to fund the development of Iranian oil "against Washington's objections" ignores this principle.
CULTURE / Film
Feb 25, 2004

'Our Town' put through the wringer

Dogville Rating: * * * (out of 5) Director: Lars von Trier Running time: 179 minutes Language: English Currently showing [See Japan Times movie listings] There are directors I love, directors I hate, and then there's Lars von Trier, the guy who's going to give me bipolar disorder. Go...
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2004

Asahara a social fiend or doting guru?

Over the course of Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara's eight-year criminal trial, Tokyo prosecutors have portrayed him as a religious charlatan who used his teachings only to feed his lust for power and fame.
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2004

Sweetener patent to cost Ajinomoto 189 million yen

The Tokyo District Court ordered seasoning maker Ajinomoto Co. on Tuesday to pay 189.35 million yen to a former employee for the transfer of patents on a production method for an artificial sweetener.
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2004

Japan to ink tobacco control treaty

Japan will sign the first global treaty aimed at reducing the health hazards of smoking.
MORE SPORTS
Feb 25, 2004

Trio clinches berths for Athens

Defending champion Makiko Sakamoto won a decision over Chiharu Icho in the 48-kg weight class final at the Japan Queens Cup women's wrestling tournament Tuesday, forcing a playoff in April to decide a berth for this summer's Athens Olympics.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 25, 2004

Funny how things work out

Uptown Girls Rating: * * 1/2(out of 5) Director: Boaz Yakin Running time: 92 minutes Language: English Currently showing [See Japan Times movie listings] "Living isn't worth it if you're not gonna have fun!" declares bubbly 22-year-old Molly. "Fundamentals are the building blocks of...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2004

U.N. forces may go to Iraq after power transfer: Annan

The United Nations Security Council may send multinational forces to Iraq to help stabilize the security situation after sovereignty is transferred to a provisional government at the end of June, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said Tuesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2004

Final bills on attack response await OK

The government on Tuesday released the details of seven bills that would govern the legal procedures Japan must follow to respond to an armed attack.

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