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Japan Times
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Jun 4, 2004

Insatiable thirst for English boosts language schools

You have probably come across a goofy rabbit waving a flag, a grim-faced businessman looking upward into the sky, or a smiling trio comprising a Japanese and two foreigners giving the thumbs up.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jun 4, 2004

Mourinho not lacking in confidence and not afraid to show it

LONDON -- On the face of it English football should be delighted that the coaches of the Champions League and UEFA Cup winner are coming to the Premiership.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 4, 2004

Zen-modern cuisine on a higher plane

Like a lotus growing from the mud of a murky pond, Gesshinkyo is a still point of serenity amid the hubbub of Harajuku. Its simple wooden door lies just steps away from Omotesando's fashion boutiques and preening temples to high-end spending. But when you step past the the coarse-woven hempen noren you...
BUSINESS
Jun 2, 2004

Oil group eyes Saudi staff evacuation

A Japanese oil research group might evacuate 15 staff from Saudi Arabia due to rising concerns over terrorist attacks in the kingdom and other oil-producing nations in the Middle East, an official said Tuesday.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jun 1, 2004

More on bilingualism and cricket

Background English Referring to Kanagawa Rod's contribution on bilingualism (Lifelines: May 18), John Edward Philips recommends "an even better source of background English, if you can afford it."
COMMENTARY
Jun 1, 2004

Koizumi took the right risks

The success or failure of summit diplomacy depends primarily on whether it promotes the pursuit of medium- and long-term national interests -- not on whether it yields short-term, specific results. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's May 22 meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il should be evaluated...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
May 31, 2004

Numbers show road to recovery fraught with inflationary risk

The preliminary GDP figures Japan released May 18 show that the gross domestic product in the January-March quarter expanded 1.4 percent (5.6 percent annualized) in real terms over the previous quarter. Compared with the same period in 2003, first-quarter GDP grew a robust 5.4 percent. The GDP has now...
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
May 31, 2004

The buck for abuse once stopped at the top

NEW YORK -- One of the early explanations proffered for "Iraq prison abuse" was the U.S. military's failure to foresee the large numbers of Iraqis they would round up. This explanation (included in the May 9 New York Times article "In Abuse, a Picture of G.I.'s Ill Prepared and Overwhelmed") lost credibility...
EDITORIALS
May 30, 2004

Unsung heroism

The Abu Ghraib prison scandal, still far from over, has prompted a lot of reflection and a fair degree of consensus in the United States. Some, like U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, may quibble over whether the treatment meted out to Iraqi prisoners constituted "abuse" rather than "torture,"...
EDITORIALS
May 29, 2004

Reinstating a jury system

Japan is set to introduce a new criminal trial system by the end of this decade, in which professional and lay judges will deal with major cases on an equal footing. A judicial reform bill calling for the creation of the saiban-in (citizen judge) system passed the Upper House last week, making it certain...
JAPAN
May 29, 2004

Attack on journalists prompts chorus of 'responsibility' mantras

Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers again banged the drum of "self-responsibility" on Friday, following an overnight attack on a vehicle carrying two freelance Japanese journalists in Iraq.
JAPAN
May 29, 2004

Aum cultist to hang for role in sarin gas attack

The Tokyo High Court sentenced former senior Aum Shinrikyo member Yoshihiro Inoue to death on Friday, overturning a lower court ruling of life in prison.
JAPAN
May 29, 2004

British ambassador looks to deepen global partnership

Japan and Britain should deepen their partnership on global matters, including dispute settlements, British Ambassador to Japan Stephen Gomersall said in a recent speech in Tokyo.
COMMUNITY
May 29, 2004

Evolutionary astrologer charts your life and soul

Days that suggest difficulty can flow with ease, and those that appear simple and uncomplicated leave one spinning in puzzlement.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
May 28, 2004

World Sports Awards a great but flawed concept

Don't you hate it when you are presented with something that is sold as being all-encompassing, only to find out is it not?
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / BEST BAR NONE
May 28, 2004

Rockin' till dawn in the heart of suburbia

Kichijoji is a good 20 minutes west of Shibuya on an express train, which places it smack dab in the middle of Tokyo's suburban belt. As such, it's the last place one would think of finding a bar dedicated to rock culture -- let alone one with a pedigree spanning a quarter of a century and with a provocative...
JAPAN
May 28, 2004

Diet cracks down on overstayers, widens door for refugees

The Diet on Thursday enacted a law that toughens penalties imposed on illegal aliens in Japan -- but expands the window of opportunity for prospective asylum-seekers.
JAPAN
May 28, 2004

Visiting Iraqis thank Japan, criticize Foreign Ministry

A group of Iraqis visiting from the southern Iraqi city of Samawah thanked Japan on Thursday for the reconstruction work carried out by the Ground Self-Defense Force troops.
COMMENTARY / World
May 28, 2004

New democracy masters coalition-building

HONG KONG -- Ironically, at a time when the United States is trying to bring instant democracy to the Middle East, Indonesia, the largest Muslim nation in the world, is undergoing a complex, three-tiered democratic election virtually unnoticed.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 27, 2004

Soaring soybean prices hurt tofu makers

A historic rise in soybean prices driven by soaring demand in China is dealing a heavy blow to Japanese makers of traditional staples such as tofu and soy sauce.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
May 27, 2004

Wood-boring beetle

* Japanese name: Ubatamamushi * Scientific name: Chalcophora japonica * Description: This beetle belongs to a group called the Buprestids. They are bullet-shaped and are often metallic-colored, though this species has brown and black stripes running the length of the body, which is flecked with gold....
JAPAN
May 27, 2004

Group sues over embryo diagnosis ban

Maternity clinic doctors and their clients on Wednesday sued the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology for curbing the controversial preimplantation diagnosis of embryos to prevent transmission of genetic diseases.

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