Search - 2004

 
 
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 Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 21, 2004

A balancing act of inspiration

"Othello" director Gregory Doran, 45, has been hailed by London critics as "the redeemer of the RSC." He joined the company in 1987 as an actor, but soon turned to directing and often works in collaboration with his partner, Antony Sher. Last year he received Britain's top theater honor, an Olivier...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 20, 2004

Cost, language barrier still keeping tourists away

Independent tourists pride themselves on being able to plot out and partake in adventures of their own design -- rising to challenges known and unknown.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Apr 18, 2004

Beijing Ripper goes chop-chop; New York whodunit has a rap

CHINESE WHISPERS, by Peter May. London: Coronet Books, 2004, 402 pp., £6.99 (paper). MURDER IN CHINA RED, by Dean Barrett. New York: Village East Books, 2003, 260 pp., $11.95 (paper). Honolulu Detective Charlie Chan made his literary debut in Earl Derr Biggers' 1925 novel "The House Without a Key."...
COMMENTARY
Apr 18, 2004

Death of Deng's triangular relationship

HONG KONG -- One certainty emerges amid the democratic turmoil in Taiwan and Hong Kong and amid the authoritarian turmoil in the higher reaches of the Chinese Communist Party, which is skilled at concealing its innate factionalism: The triangular relationship between China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, as envisaged...
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2004

Postal privatization might hurt Japanese government bonds: economists

Privatize post offices and you may risk damaging the most trusted financial vehicle in Japan: the government bond.
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2004

Journalists mull Asia integration outside the EU box

FUKUOKA -- It was Mahatma Gandhi who said friendship that insists upon agreement on all matters is not worth the name.
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 15, 2004

Jubilo stays perfect by defeating Reysol

Leader Jubilo Iwata brushed aside 10-man Kashiwa Reysol 3-1 in Kashiwa on Wednesday to make it five wins out of five and maintain pole position in the standings in the J. League first division.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2004

Koizumi swipe at 'terrorists' downplayed

Government officials tried to play down allegations Wednesday that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has prolonged the crisis over three Japanese being held hostage in Iraq by calling their captors "terrorists."
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2004

Nonresidents buy stocks at record level

Nonresident investors were net buyers of Japanese stocks in fiscal 2003, with purchases exceeding sales by a record 14.041 trillion yen.
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2004

Communities vie to be site of new Tokyo Tower

Local governments in the Tokyo area are vying to host the world's tallest broadcasting tower in hopes of attracting tourist revenues.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Apr 11, 2004

The struggle to find a collective identity

JAPAN UNBOUND: A Volatile Nation's Quest for Pride and Purpose, by John Nathan. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2004, 271 pp., $25 (cloth). In this engaging book, largely based on extensive interviews, John Nathan probes the pathologies, contradictions and search for identity in contemporary Japan. He ranges...
BUSINESS
Apr 10, 2004

Research group foresees better year for market

The current fiscal year is expected to see the stock market in Japan supported not only by improving economic activity but also by dwindling pressure from the two main culprits behind stock weakness the previous year, according to a recent estimate by a private-sector think tank.
BUSINESS
Apr 10, 2004

Yoshinoya sees profit slide 34%

Yoshinoya D&C Co. said Friday its sales and profits fell in the year that ended Feb. 29 and it anticipates even steeper declines for the current business year due to the ongoing ban on U.S. beef imports.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 9, 2004

International Street Performers Festival: Hit the streets and party!

The International Street Performers Festival was hatched in Papa John. In 1984, Ikuo Mitsuhashi -- a mime artist just back in Yokohama from a decade-long French sojourn -- dropped by the venerable jazz shot bar and listened to the proprietor describe the Association for Fostering Noge Culture. He was...
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Apr 8, 2004

The campaign-finance floodgates open

WASHINGTON -- Only 208 days are left in this presidential campaign. From the intensity that both President George W. Bush and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry are going at it, you would think that decision day is next week. The advertising is pouring out over the airwaves at mid-October frequency and the...
BUSINESS
Apr 6, 2004

Nissan to raise stakes in Thai joint ventures

Nissan Motor Co. said Monday it will raise its stakes in two Thai joint ventures to 75 percent from 25 percent to expand its operations in the growing Southeast Asian market.
EDITORIALS
Apr 6, 2004

NATO expands, Russia worries

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization took another step forward in its post-Cold War evolution last week when it officially inducted seven new members. While there were celebrations in NATO capitals, political leaders in Moscow voiced concern about a move that brings the organization to Russia's borders....
JAPAN
Apr 6, 2004

U.S. wants access to SDF radar data

The United States wants Japan to either provide full access to radar data collected by the Self-Defense Forces or allow the U.S. military to build a radar station in Japan as part of information-sharing for missile defense, a senior Defense Agency official said Monday.
BUSINESS
Apr 6, 2004

McDonald's customers overcharged

McDonald's Co. (Japan) said Monday that some of its outlets subjected consumers to double the correct level of consumption tax on Thursday after failing to modify their cash registers following the introduction of a new pricing system.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2004

Amid increase, 'karoshi' recognition to be faster

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has decided to shorten the period for acknowledging death or suicide from overwork to a maximum of six months after relatives apply for workers' compensation, ministry sources said Sunday.
EDITORIALS
Apr 4, 2004

The U.S. pastime in Tokyo Dome

Major League Baseball's decision to stage Opening Day 2004 in Tokyo has apparently caused some heartburn back home in the United States, even though it is hardly the first time the U.S. season has opened abroad.
EDITORIALS
Apr 3, 2004

Nurturing the sprouts of recovery

Japan's economic recovery, supported chiefly by large, export-oriented manufacturers, is spreading to other sectors, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly survey on business sentiment. However, it is premature to conclude that the economy is headed for a self-sustaining recovery led by domestic...
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Apr 3, 2004

F.A. gives Eriksson new deal, but how long will he stay?

LONDON -- "Ladies and gentlemen, we got him."

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