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JAPAN
Apr 27, 2001

Koizumi chooses his top party officials

Junichiro Koizumi, the newly elected Liberal Democratic Party president, set about putting the party's house in order Wednesday by selecting the three lawmakers who will hold the top LDP slots.
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2001

Panda returns from fizzled mating fling

Ling Ling, 15, a male giant panda loaned to Mexico City's Chapultepec Zoo in late January, returned Wednesday to Tokyo's Ueno Zoo after his mission to mate with three female pandas there.
BUSINESS
Apr 27, 2001

Saitama to get cheap, fast Internet service on May 25

SpeedNet Inc. announced Thursday that it will start offering a high-speed wireless Internet service based on Tokyo Power Electric Co.'s optical fiber networks in parts of Saitama Prefecture on May 25.
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2001

Court upholds sentence for Tokyo Sagawa chief

The Tokyo High Court on Thursday upheld the seven-year prison sentence imposed by a lower court on Hiroyasu Watanabe, former president of the now-defunct Tokyo Sagawa Kyubin Co., for aggravated breach of trust that caused the trucking company to suffer huge losses.
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2001

Tanaka outlines foreign policy goals in maiden speech

Newly appointed Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said Thursday that Tokyo should avoid actions that could lead to a deterioration in ties between Taiwan and China, an apparent refernce to Tokyo's approval of a visit by former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui.
LIFE / Lifestyle / JET STREAM
Apr 27, 2001

I know! Let's put on a show in the barn!

Peals of laughter erupt in the audience as the performers onstage go through their routines. It's not every day that the residents of Kitagawa, a village outside of Kochi, have the opportunity to see a musical performed entirely in the local Tosa dialect, and they're relishing every minute of it -- especially...
BUSINESS
Apr 27, 2001

BOJ, Tokyo differ on growth

Economic projections for fiscal 2001 made by the Bank of Japan's Policy Board members range from a contraction of 0.1 percent to a growth of 1 percent, all of which are below the government's 1.7 percent growth forecast.
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2001

Impact of hotter planet seen locally

The effects of global warming have become visible in ecosystems around the country, according to the latest research released Thursday by an advisory group to the Environment Ministry.
BUSINESS
Apr 27, 2001

Construction orders fell 6% in '00

Construction orders received by Japan's 64 major contractors in fiscal 2000 fell 6 percent from the previous 12 months to 15.37 trillion yen, the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors Inc. said Thursday.
SUMO
Apr 26, 2001

Mongolia's Asashoryu promoted to komusubi

Mongolia's wrestling thoroughbred Asashoryu, less than 12 months after winning the junior division makushita title, was promoted to sumo's fourth-highest rank of komusubi for the upcoming Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo. The Japan Sumo Association on Wednesday released the rankings for the May...
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2001

Hijackers' daughters to get visas

The Foreign Ministry will issue visas to three women who have been living under political asylum in North Korea due to their parents' activities in the former Red Army Faction, their support group said Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Apr 26, 2001

A bold new start for the LDP

Mr. Junichiro Koizumi, who has long been regarded as an eccentric but reform-minded politician, has been elected president of the governing Liberal Democratic Party. When the four-way race started, former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto was the front-runner and odds-on favorite. Yet Mr. Koizumi caught...
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2001

China postpones legislative chief's visit to Japan

China on Wednesday said it will postpone a planned visit to Japan by legislative chief Li Peng in apparent retaliation against Japan's granting a visa to former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui.
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2001

Pork ban eased for three EU nations

Japan on Wednesday lifted an import suspension on pork and pork products from Denmark, Finland and Sweden because there is little possibility the products are affected by foot-and-mouth disease, the Agriculture Ministry said.
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2001

Koizumi's choices break from norm

Junichiro Koizumi, newly elected president of the dominant LDP, broke with tradition Wednesday and awarded the top three party spots to lawmakers outside of the largest faction.
ENVIRONMENT / IN BLOOM
Apr 26, 2001

Tsutsuji (azalea)

Presently two nuns clad in dark robes were seen making their way slowly and painfully down through the rough rocks of the mountainside. The Priestly Sovereign asked who they were, and the nun replied, "The one carrying a basket of mountain azaleas on her arm is the former Empress and the other,...
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2001

Court upholds Nakamura ruling

The Tokyo High Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling in which former Construction Minister Kishiro Nakamura was handed an 18-month prison term and fined 10 million yen for accepting a bribe of the same amount from a construction company.
CULTURE / Film
Apr 25, 2001

Reel world

When "based on a true story" flashes on the screen, many moviegoers are left cold, knowing that Hollywood obliterates so much of the truth in pursuit of dramatic arc and tried-and-true narrative formulas. Documentary film allows a much smaller margin for manipulation, and the best ones prove that truth...
BUSINESS
Apr 25, 2001

Moody's may cut Itochu, Marubeni credit ratings

Moody's Investors Service Inc. on Tuesday took rating action against two of Japan's giant trading houses, Itochu Corp. and Marubeni Corp., in a move that could cut their credit ratings.
JAPAN
Apr 25, 2001

Skiing visits to Hokkaido go downhill

The number of skiers who hit the slopes in Hokkaido last winter fell 10.7 percent from a year earlier, according to a local resort group.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 25, 2001

A-Cab gettin' it done for Seibu

Boomer Wells, former slugger with the Hankyu Braves, Orix Braves, Orix BlueWave and Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (1983-92) used to say his goal was to hit 10 home runs by Golden Week. More often than not, he would reach double figures before the April 29 Emperor's Birthday (now Greenery Day) start of the seven-day...
JAPAN
Apr 25, 2001

Koizumi promises to base appointments on ability

New LDP President Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday pledged to fill his Cabinet and party posts according to ability rather than factional concerns.
BUSINESS
Apr 25, 2001

Toyota tackles China desertification

Toyota Motor Corp. and the Green Earth Center, a Tokyo-based nongovernmental organization, said Tuesday they will launch this month a three-year joint reforestation project in China to hinder the expansion of its deserts.
SOCCER / World cup
Apr 25, 2001

Japan hopes Spain match will get it back on course

Japan will play against Spain in Cordoba on Wednesday night (Thursday morning Japan time) in its second friendly this year as it continues its preparations for the 2002 World Cup.
CULTURE / Film
Apr 25, 2001

Novel ideas

Some great books have made great movies. It's a safe bet that many people, asked to reel off their top five, would name one of the following: "The Godfather" (Mario Puzo); "A Clockwork Orange" (Anthony Burgess); "Blade Runner" (from Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"); and "2001:...
CULTURE / Film
Apr 25, 2001

Drugs, lies and policy debate

Traffic Rating: * * * * Director: Steven Soderbergh Running time: 148 minutes Language: English and Spanish (with subtitles in Japanese and English)Now showing It's rare enough that Hollywood makes an issue film, rarer still when it's an ongoing debate and not one where history has already decided...

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’