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JAPAN
Jun 17, 2005

Suspended sentence of racy comics publisher switched to fine

The Tokyo High Court on Thursday reduced the sentence imposed by a lower court on a comic book publisher who was convicted of distributing obscene comic books featuring graphic sex scenes.
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2005

More Diet time eyed for postal reform bills

The ruling coalition sought Thursday to extend the current ordinary Diet session by 55 days through Aug. 13, seeking more time to enact contentious postal privatization bills.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2005

Tsutsumi accepts guilt as trial starts

Former real estate and resort tycoon Yoshiaki Tsutsumi pleaded guilty Thursday to insider trading and falsification of financial reports concerning Seibu Railway Co. shareholdings.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 17, 2005

Tribes: An African heart beats in Kagurazaka

Not so long ago, Kagurazaka was one of this city's most traditional neighborhoods, its alleys still echoing from the days when it was an important geisha district. Though some of its old character survives, these days it has much more of an international nature -- especially when it comes to dining out....
COMMENTARY
Jun 16, 2005

The gulf between Bush, Roh

LOS ANGELES -- I'm sorry, but President George W. Bush just doesn't get South Korea and he doesn't understand its president, Roh Moo Hyun, either. And I doubt he ever will.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / U.S. BUSINESS SCHOOL SYMPOSIUM
Jun 16, 2005

The unfinished business of recovery

Japan needs to keep up the momentum of economic reforms and accelerate them in the face of long-term challenges such as an aging population and increased global competition, scholars from U.S. business schools said at a recent symposium in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
Jun 16, 2005

Spam scams net suspension for connected Kyoto firms

Two Kyoto firms have been ordered to suspend business for three months because they failed to identify themselves or the nature of their e-mail when transmitting unsolicited commercial missives, a government official said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 16, 2005

Altimeter-setting snafu puts ANA jet at wrong level

An All Nippon Airways plane flew 1,600 meters higher than instructed by air traffic controllers for about 40 minutes during a flight from Nagasaki to Tokyo this month due to an altimeter adjustment error.
JAPAN
Jun 16, 2005

Authorities given power to close abusive pet shops

The Diet passed a bill Wednesday allowing authorities to close down pet shops that mistreat their animals.
BUSINESS
Jun 15, 2005

ADB chief urges China anew to ease rigid currency regime -- gradually

Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda repeated his call Tuesday for Beijing to adopt a less rigid currency regime at an early date because it would benefit China and the rest of the world.
BUSINESS
Jun 15, 2005

Shareholders' meetings poised for takeover debates

The season for general shareholders' meetings is just around the corner, and a growing number of companies plan to use them to propose measures against hostile takeovers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 15, 2005

Spying for the Kims — ex-agent tells a bit

OSAKA — A 62-year-old man who lives in Kobe claims he spent a quarter century as a North Korean spy.
EDITORIALS
Jun 14, 2005

The G8 agrees on debt relief

Group of Eight finance ministers agreed last weekend to write off more than $40 billion in debt owed by the world's poorest countries. The agreement is a critical first step in efforts to help lift these nations out of grinding and enduring poverty. The deal is only a beginning, however. Success will...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2005

'Yafoo' site nets first 'phishing' arrest

A computer-system engineer was arrested Monday on suspicion of creating a bogus version of Yahoo Japan Corp.'s Web site to steal personal information from users of the nation's largest portal site, police said.
BUSINESS
Jun 14, 2005

TSE won't drop regulatory role

The Tokyo Stock Exchange on Monday told the Financial Services Agency it plans to retain its ability to regulate the market even after it goes public, despite concerns over potential conflicts of interest.
EDITORIALS
Jun 12, 2005

Deciding on the best defense

Thanks to the recent high-profile battle between Fuji Television Network Inc. and Internet service provider Livedoor Co. over control of Nippon Broadcasting System Inc., the phrase "poison pill" has become a household word even in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 12, 2005

Stereophonics

When the Stereophonics became the first band signed to Richard Branson's second label V2, the U.K. rock press greeted the Welsh power trio with comparisons to Manic Street Preachers. However, as the group released one hit single after another during the late 1990s, most comparisons fell by the wayside....
JAPAN
Jun 12, 2005

War-dead families ask Koizumi to consider Asia

An association of families of the war dead on Saturday asked Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to show more consideration for Japan's Asian neighbors over his contentious visits to Yasukuni Shrine.
Japan Times
Features
Jun 12, 2005

Feast your eyes and more

When it comes to food in the Kansai region, Kyoto is not the first place that springs to mind. Kyoto folk, the saying goes, spend their money on good clothes, whereas people from Osaka spend their money on good food.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jun 12, 2005

Thanks to the efforts of many, baseball remains intact despite merger

You may be reading this column between 7 a.m and 8 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Japan Times
Features
Jun 12, 2005

Retro points to a rosy retail future

When the four floors of the Nakano Broadway shotengai opened for business in October 1966, resident retailers went for a high-class image in the hopes of attracting a wealthy clientele.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 12, 2005

TBS's "Red Suspicion," "Downtown DX" on NTV and more

More than a few critics have taken exception to the Korean TV drama boom that has swept Japan in the past few years, saying that many of the plots were lifted almost directly from Japanese TV dramas of the 1970s, especially the "Red" serials that always starred idol Momoe Yamaguchi and which invariably...
COMMENTARY
Jun 11, 2005

Slots, cops, and deception

LAS VEGAS -- The Japanese have been kicking around the idea of building American-style casinos in Japan for four years now. The Parliament Committee on Casinos with 100 Diet members has been gathering information on casinos, and Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara has been a major proponent of the idea. In...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Jun 11, 2005

Up in knots over natto

A reader from jolly ol' England recently sent this question:
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Jun 11, 2005

Kiyomi Okukubo

Masaki Nakano, honorary professor of the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, described Kiyomi Okukubo as "unique, with shyness and flamboyancy existing together. Her rusticity is her quality." He guided her graduation thesis on Kiso lunch boxes. Her chosen theme becomes less surprising as Kiyomi...
COMMENTARY
Jun 11, 2005

Poor losers fan Filipino disenchantment

MANILA -- To characterize the public mood in the Philippines as depressed is no exaggeration. According to recent surveys, pessimism about economic prospects is on the rise, and a majority of Filipinos believe their quality of life has deteriorated in the past year. A recent Asian Development Bank survey...

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