Search - 2003

 
 
Features / LIFE OR DEATH
Apr 25, 2004

Haunted by visions of a 'horrifying act'

It is the staircase of doom. Who knows what goes through a person's mind as they ascend those steps to the scaffold. Are they consumed with dread? Filled with thoughts of their loved ones? Or are they burdened with thoughts of their crime? No one knows because no one comes back down those stairs alive....
COMMENTARY
Apr 25, 2004

Denying terror a moral gain

LONDON -- The terrorist attacks on trains in Madrid in March, which killed more than 200 people and maimed or wounded hundreds more, were planned and executed by Islamic extremists from Morocco, probably with connections to al-Qaeda. It has been claimed that the attacks were inspired by opposition to...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Apr 25, 2004

Kanji curves and strokes

DESIGNING WITH KANJI: Japanese Character Motifs for Surface, Skin & Spirit, by Shogo Oketani and Leza Lowitz. Stone Bridge Press, 2003, 144 pp., $14.95 (paper). If there are a thousand different ways to learn kanji, there are almost as many ways, and excuses, for giving up on the study.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Apr 25, 2004

Agent orange: a weapon of untold destruction

AGENT ORANGE: Collateral Damage in Viet Nam, by Philip Jones Griffiths. London: Trolley Ltd., 2003, 176 pp., £24.95 (cloth). Philip Jones Griffiths' haunting images will sear a space in that part of your memory bank reserved for nightmares and denial. They are powerful and gruesome reminders of what...
EDITORIALS
Apr 24, 2004

Observing the Earth as it is

As the human world is embroiled in seemingly endless conflict, the global environment that supports our continued existence -- the Earth system -- apparently continues to deteriorate. To sustain the system, we must first understand it better. And understanding is promoted through observation.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2004

Japan still playing catchup on kids' measles vaccinations

Japan launched a campaign to get more children vaccinated against the measles in 2001, looking to catch up with other advanced nations that combat the disease in a much more aggressive fashion.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 24, 2004

The Catch in publishing posters, cards, calendars

Meeting Frances Koston in May 2003 after a gap of years, she presented me with a clutch of postcards bearing beautifully printed images of early hand-tinted Japanese photographs. Just last month she came up with a collection of greeting cards of century-old textile prints, again originating in Japan....
BUSINESS
Apr 24, 2004

China dominant player in seafood markets

China is fast expanding its presence in fisheries markets in Japan and elsewhere, a government report said Friday.
EDITORIALS
Apr 23, 2004

Mr. Vajpayee has reason to smile

India ushered in the world's largest democratic pageant this week as it began the first phase of national elections. The vote will stretch out over three weeks, with counting and final results set for May 13. Blistering economic growth appears to be the springboard for yet another parliamentary majority...
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2004

Beltway ruling backs residents

The Tokyo District Court on Thursday backed claims by residents in western Tokyo that the expropriation of their land for the construction of a new expressway was illegal, ruling that the project will not generate the public benefits touted by the government.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 23, 2004

Matsuda smashes national record

Takeshi Matsuda rewrote a national record in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle when he clocked 15 minutes, 9.52 seconds in a qualifying race at the National Championships on Thursday.
OLYMPICS
Apr 22, 2004

Kitajima books Athens spot

World record holder Kosuke Kitajima secured a spot in the Athens Olympics with a victory in the 100-meter breaststroke final Wednesday at Japan's national swimming championships.
BUSINESS
Apr 21, 2004

Mitsubishi Fuso vice president becomes chairman

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. has appointed Vice President Michio Hori as chairman, effective Tuesday, the firm said.
JAPAN
Apr 20, 2004

VBACs led to three uterine rupture cases

Three women in their 30s suffered uterine ruptures during a vaginal birth after a cesarean section between 2001 and 2003 at a hospital in the Chubu region, a doctor said Monday on condition of anonymity.
JAPAN
Apr 20, 2004

Industry wants reactor-check intervals extended

The power utility industry will urge the government to extend the interval between regular checkups of nuclear reactors by up to five months to raise their operation rates and competitiveness against low-cost new suppliers, industry sources said Monday.
BUSINESS
Apr 20, 2004

Kanebo to probe alleged illegalities

Kanebo Ltd. said Monday it has formed an investigative panel -- led by legal experts -- to probe alleged illegalities in the company's past accounting practices and business transactions.
JAPAN
Apr 20, 2004

Rightist admits harassing Chongryun

An ultra-rightist pleaded guilty Monday to being involved in six acts of intimidation targeting North Korea-related organizations and other entities in 2002 and 2003.
JAPAN
Apr 19, 2004

JT Readers' Fund gives 1.48 million yen to charities

The 2003 Japan Times Readers' Fund has distributed 1,480,782 yen to five organizations to help finance projects for Asian people in need.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 18, 2004

Seoul should offer Bush a dose of reality

WASHINGTON -- "A friend in need is a friend indeed," a saying goes. South Korea's decision on April 2 to send some 3,600 troops to Iraq is a fitting illustration of the adage. The deployment will make South Korea the largest U.S. coalition partner in Iraq after Britain.
Japan Times
Features
Apr 18, 2004

New rich fashion a Shanghai style of sorts

SHANGHAI -- "There is nothing the Cantonese will refuse to eat, and nothing the Shanghainese will refuse to wear" is a popular Chinese adage harking back to Shanghai's 1930s heyday when it had a worldwide reputation for decadence and glamour.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 17, 2004

Oko to join Hall of Fame in U.S.

The Japan Volleyball Association said Thursday that Seiji Oko, who was the ace spiker on the gold-winning men's team in the 1972 Munich Olympics, will be inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2004

Daiei exceeded earnings target for 2003

Struggling retailer Daiei Inc. said Friday it beat its earnings target for the year that ended Feb. 29, helped by sales campaigns cashing in on its professional baseball team's national championship.
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2004

Pension scheme 8.13 trillion yen in arrears

National pension premiums were in arrears to the tune of a total 8.13 trillion yen for fiscal 1986 through fiscal 2002, the government said during a Cabinet meeting Friday.
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2004

Mitsubishi Fuso chief steps down in disgrace

Takashi Usami, chairman of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp., resigned Friday to take the blame for wheel hub problems that caused numerous accidents, including one fatality, and led to a mass vehicle recall.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Apr 16, 2004

Return of Keane to Irish team stirs mixed emotions

LONDON -- Roy Keane's comeback with the Republic of Ireland was as messy as the confirmation of his international football retirement 14 months ago.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2004

Roots of quake wizardry explored

The Japanese construction industry is known for developing the world's most advanced and sophisticated quake-resistant technology for high-rise buildings.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes