Search - 2003

 
 
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Nov 28, 2004

So many deities for still many troubled lives

EIGHT MILLION GODS AND DEMONS, by Hiroko Sherwin. Plume Books, 2003, 320 pp., $14 (paper). When "The Name of the Rose" transformed Umberto Eco from obscure Italian academic to international best-selling author, a common complaint among readers of his dark novel was that only after wading through the...
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 27, 2004

JEF Utd striker arrested on suspicion of rape attempt

Brazilian-born striker Sandro Cardoso Dos Santos is in police custody on suspicion of attempting to rape a Japanese woman visiting his home in May, an official said Friday.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2004

Major life insurers post declines in new contracts

Japan's major life insurers continued to post declines in individual life insurance and annuity contracts for the six months to Sept. 30, reflecting consumer reluctance to increase spending amid persistent deflation, according to their earnings reports released as of Friday.
JAPAN / BY THE NUMBERS
Nov 25, 2004

Why recycle PET bottles if China will buy them?

Every PET bottle bears a triangle of arrows with the message: "Yes! to recycling. No! to littering." But it doesn't show where the bottles go.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 25, 2004

Ramirez, Swallows set to ink new deal

The Yakult Swallows are set to sign a new deal with outfielder Alex Ramirez, who has turned down an offer from the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, Yakult officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2004

Fuso trucks made this month to join recall for faulty hubs

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. announced Wednesday it will issue recalls possibly in mid-December for about 130,000 large vehicles to replace front- and rear-wheel hubs, including vehicles produced this month.
BUSINESS
Nov 25, 2004

Teenager request for shorter classes among public ideas for deregulation

A teenager's request for shorter classes was one of many ideas proposed by members of the public in the latest round of suggestions for deregulation, the government said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2004

Faction treasurer fingers Muraoka

A former treasurer of the Liberal Democratic Party's largest faction pleaded guilty Wednesday to failing to report a 100 million yen political donation in 2001 but said former Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanezo Muraoka played a key role in the coverup.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 25, 2004

Consumers starting to take notice of Japanese wine

Despite a wide selection of imported wines available at stores nationwide, domestic wines are reportedly beginning to appear on connoisseurs' tables.
EDITORIALS
Nov 24, 2004

Yasukuni's shadow darkens summit

Sunday's meeting between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao -- the first in more than a year -- proved once again that history remains the biggest thorn in the side of Japan-China relations. Unless historical disputes are resolved from a broad perspective, mistrust between...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 24, 2004

Photos take on a life all of their own

When you enter "Frei schwimmer," the Wolfgang Tillmans exhibition currently at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery (TOC), one of the first things you notice is that the photographs on display are attached to the walls with tape or paper clips.
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2004

Watchdog group raps proposed defense policy

A group that monitors Japan's defense policy warned Monday that a new security policy recommended last month by an advisory panel to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi could violate agreements under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, as it would allow nuclear retaliation against use of other weapons...
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2004

Suspended term for royal nuptial scam

The Tokyo District Court sentenced a 43-year-old man on Monday to a suspended 18-month prison term for his role in a fake Imperial wedding reception in which some 6.87 million yen in cash and a valuable painting were collected from guests.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2004

More effort urged to curb youth drug use

The man was 17 when he took speed for the first time, experimenting with a high school friend by inhaling the amphetamine in smoke form.
EDITORIALS
Nov 22, 2004

Rebuilding a safe society

This year's white paper on crime opens, on the first page, with the proclaimed aim of restoring Japan as "the safest country in the world" and closes, on the final page, with the expressed determination to achieve this goal. The report seems to convey the Ministry of Justice's concern and sense of tension...
BUSINESS
Nov 22, 2004

Latest EU expansion poses more economic problems than benefits

Despite the political significance of completing the reunification of Cold War-divided Europe, this year's enlargement of the European Union creates few near-term economic benefits and poses major challenges for the region, an expert with a British institute told a recent symposium in Tokyo.
Features / WEEK 3
Nov 21, 2004

Lolitas' bard is sitting pretty

The morgue-like, air-conditioned lobby of Tokyo's Keio Plaza Hotel is the haunt of businessmen in crisp black suits who sip $10 coffees and nod along to conversations that never rise above a murmur. But the studied cool is broken when Novala Takemoto swishes in, drawing faces in his direction like sunflowers...
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2004

Metro government plans 300-inmate jail near Harajuku

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced Friday that it plans to build a new police station near JR Harajuku Station that will have a jail capable of holding 300 people.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2004

Koizumi faces heavy APEC weekend

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi left Friday for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Chile, where he will have to juggle a wide range of diplomatic issues that span the Pacific.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2004

Asbestos use still widespread in Asia, as are its ills: expert

Asia needs to ban the use of asbestos and conduct studies on people who have become ill from exposure or asbestos-related diseases will never end, according to a specialist.
BUSINESS
Nov 19, 2004

Sanrio to issue BTM 20 billion yen in new shares

Sanrio Co. said Thursday it will issue about 20 billion yen worth of new shares to Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and other firms to prop up its capital base.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2004

Derailment mars shinkansen safety myth

Reverberations from the bullet train derailment in Niigata Prefecture on Oct. 23 continue to echo across Japan, as experts debate whether it was luck or skill that saved the day for the passengers roughed up by the series of strong earthquakes.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2004

Bribery nets ex-dental exec suspended term

The Tokyo District Court sentenced a former executive of the scandal-tainted Japan Dental Association to a suspended one-year prison term Thursday for bribing members of a government panel.

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