Search - 2002

 
 
EDITORIALS
Jan 7, 2003

Mr. Putin's resurgent Russia

Remember Russia? The government in Moscow no longer commands the international respect -- or fear -- that it did during the Cold War days, but a decade after the collapse of its empire, Russia appears ready for a comeback. President Vladimir Putin has revealed a deft touch at home and abroad, besting...
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2003

New Year's road-death toll hits low

The nationwide road-death toll during the New Year's period between Dec. 29 and Friday was the lowest in more than 30 years, according to the National Police Agency.
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003

New-vehicle sales decline for second straight year

Sales of new motor vehicles in Japan, excluding minivehicles, fell 2.3 percent in 2002 from the previous year to 3,966,095 units for the second straight yearly decline, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Monday.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 7, 2003

Japan considers a flutter on casinos

It was a rare taste of Las Vegas in Tokyo, and for two days the casino crowds -- hosted by Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara -- pumped the handles of slot machines and betted feverishly on the roulette wheel.
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003

Stocks rise sharply in first '03 session

Tokyo stocks rose sharply Monday on the year's first trading day as buying was stirred by stock gains in overseas markets last week.
EDITORIALS
Jan 6, 2003

Prevent runaway human cloning

A n American cloning company associated with the Raelian religious sect has announced the birth of a human clone. We will have to wait until the results of tests to see whether the baby girl really is a clone, but the company says that another four baby clones are scheduled to be born in the next couple...
COMMENTARY
Jan 6, 2003

Time to rock economic boat

After remaining in the doldrums for more than 10 years, the Japanese economy is now plagued by deflation. The Tokyo Stock Exchange's benchmark Nikkei index has fallen to the 8,500 level, and the nation's unemployment rate remains high. Last fall the government announced a policy package for expediting...
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jan 5, 2003

Milner the hottest new kid on the block

LONDON -- James Milner will celebrate his 17th birthday on Saturday by signing a new contract with Leeds United that will earn the forward £800 a week -- 10 times his current apprentice salary of £80.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 5, 2003

Author reveals the human face of Japan's kamikaze pilots

KAMIKAZE, CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND NATIONALISMS: The Militarization of Aesthetics in Japanese History, by Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney. Chicago/London: The University of Chicago Press, 2002, 412 pp., nine black-and-white photos, cloth ($45)/paper ($20) How is state nationalism developed? Why do individuals sacrifice...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jan 5, 2003

Staging stellar shows at bargain prices

As the commercial networks wind up their holiday offerings of low-budget blooper specials and celebrity-heavy quiz shows, regular programming slowly returns. However, things don't really get back to "normal" until next week.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 4, 2003

Stuttering reform drive prompts election whispers

Speculation is mounting that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will call a general election this year, as old guard politicians continue to hamper his reform drive and leave him appearing increasingly forlorn.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jan 3, 2003

Buffs rule out giving Otsuka his release

OSAKA -- Kintetsu Buffaloes manager Masataka Nashida on Thursday ruled out the possibility that the Pacific League club will release right-hander Akinori Otsuka to enable him to negotiate with major-league clubs during the offseason.
COMMENTARY
Jan 3, 2003

Little love lost in year of discord

HONG KONG -- Once again, it is time to give away the Asian Institute of Discord Analysis (Aida) "awards" for the just concluded Year of the Horse, an offbeat listing made exclusively for The Japan Times.
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2003

Koizumi reiterates his determination

The government is determined to push structural reforms forward on various policy fronts in 2003 to achieve a long-desired economic recovery, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said in a New Year's Day statement.
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2003

Parties prepare for snap election

Although no date has been set for the next general election for the House of Representatives, the ruling and opposition parties have already decided to field a total of 811 candidates, believing it will be held this year.
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2003

New university to join bioscience race

KYOTO -- Although the government is aware that bio-related businesses are important for revitalizing the economy, this field has yet to develop in Japan at the level seen in other countries.
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2003

Quest for disputed islands snarled by Suzuki scandals

Japan's efforts to get back the four Russian-held islands off northeast Hokkaido suffered an apparent setback last year.
CULTURE / Music
Jan 1, 2003

Heard, but not scene

Only a few years ago, Japanese music was the hype. At South by Southwest, the tony annual music confab, consecutive years saw Cornelius, Number Girl and Ex-Girl wow audiences. Rolling Stone ran a feature on upcoming Japanese bands like The Zoobombs, Takako Minekawa and Buffalo Daughter that heralded...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 1, 2003

These things take time

Jazz fans have long taken scratches, hisses, poor miking and wobbly mixing as signs of hidden truths and authenticity in recordings of their legends. In 2002, though, they had to deal with a little cleanliness. Last year's releases of freshly remastered classics showed off extended sonic depth and range,...
MORE SPORTS
Dec 31, 2002

'Sappu' phenomenon captures imagination of Japanese public

A beast will send chills down the spine of the bravest of men.
COMMENTARY
Dec 31, 2002

Koizumi losing ability to lead

The most striking impression about 2002 is that the world has become increasingly insecure. When two jetliners hijacked by suicide terrorists crashed into New York's World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, old-fashioned big-power games ended and a new struggle between civilized society and international...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Dec 29, 2002

Stymied by a myopic military

THE SHADOW WARRIORS OF NAKANO: A History of the Imperial Japanese Army's Elite Intelligence School, by Stephen C. Mercado. Brassey's: Washington, D.C., 2002, 331 pp., $27.95 (cloth) This is the groundbreaking story of Japan's World War II intelligence agents, an elite cadre of approximately 2,500 men...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Dec 29, 2002

A practical politician with his eyes fixed firmly on the stars

SPARKY: Warrior, Peacemaker, Poet, Patriot. A Portrait of Senator Spark M. Matsunaga, by Richard Halloran. Honolulu: Matsunaga Charitable Foundation, 2002, 259 pp., paper ($16.95) At a reception for a visiting Japanese prime minister held at the White House in 1981, Alexander Haig, recently confirmed...

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami