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Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jun 23, 2002

The unbearable enlightenment of being

Bells. Lights. The sound of -- an earthquake? Galloping horses? No -- I'm oriented now. It's monks running through the corridors.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 23, 2002

Following in the footsteps of Alexander and Marco Polo

AN UNEXPECTED LIGHT: Travels in Afghanistan, by Jason Elliot. Picador, 2001, 473 pp, 3,420 yen (paper) Jason Elliot's "An Unexpected Light" has been pigeon-holed in that genre of literature known as travelogue, but it is a great deal more. An account of the author's two visits to Afghanistan -- the first...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE WAY OF WASHOKU
Jun 23, 2002

You too can take the natto challenge

Several years ago NHK broadcast an exhaustive special on natto, containing more than you ever cared to know about that much-maligned sticky, stinky dish of fermented soybeans. One of the exciting pieces of information that NHK's crack investigative journalism revealed was the number of times required...
COMMENTARY
Jun 22, 2002

Media: bulwark of democracy

LONDON -- The British prime minister's chief of communications has publicly accepted that the overuse of "spin" in government has led to cynicism and that the emphasis should now be on policy and delivery. Most British observers would agree. But government ministers, who have spent much of their life...
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 22, 2002

Germany edges past valiant U.S.

ULSAN, South Korea -- A single goal by Michael Ballack was enough to see Germany squeeze past a spirited United States team here Friday evening, although not without several nasty scares from a U.S. side who refused to be over-awed by its opponents' reputation.
BUSINESS / ON THE FRONT LINE
Jun 20, 2002

Tokyo stock prospects peachy

Favorable corporate earnings and economic prospects have not yet been factored into share prices, and price moves on the chart show that the Tokyo stock market has overcorrected itself.
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2002

Youth sex on rise, as are serious infections

Sex education expert Atsuko Yoshida is alarmed by the increasingly decadent lifestyle of youth that has made them more susceptible than ever to sexually transmitted infections.
COMMENTARY
Jun 17, 2002

Cracks in a nonnuclear core

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda's comment on Japan's three nonnuclear principles caused political confusion at home and deepened misunderstanding abroad.
EDITORIALS
Jun 17, 2002

Key to corporate survival

Recent revelations about the mislabeling of foods and the use of illegal food additives by Japanese companies suggest a collapse of corporate ethics. The latest incident -- mislabeling of chicken by Zen-Noh Chicken Foods, an affiliate of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jun 16, 2002

The accessory of the season

Tsuyu. It's that wet and dismal time of year, the rainy season, when no matter what the skies look like, you have to prepare for the inevitable.
JAPAN
Jun 16, 2002

Misumi's 'management of emptiness' anything but hollow

At Misumi Corp., the president makes no beginning-of-the-year speeches. There are no long-term sales goals, praise or scoldings.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2002

NPO questions safety of electric cookers

A nonprofit organization's discovery in March that the radiation emitted by some portable induction-heating cooking stoves greatly exceed international limits has raised questions about the products' safety and what is being done about it.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2002

Consumer empowerment key to saving energy, expert says

Japan should reduce energy consumption and establish an environmentally sustainable society, according to a Danish energy conservation expert.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Jun 13, 2002

'Dark Side' proved a lightning rod for readers' ire

Being a columnist can be lonely. Apart from doing interviews, researching and writing are pretty solitary activities and feedback is limited. Getting a handful of e-mails, be they cranky, critical or supportive, marks a successful column.
SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH
Jun 11, 2002

World Cup brings out worst in Dachshund Ron

So far so weird, then. France on the brink of elimination, England beating Argentina 1-0 and Rivaldo being fined for cheating were just some of the biggest headlines to come out of the first week and a bit of the World Cup.
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2002

Rakuten eyes full shopping via mobiles

Rakuten Inc., operator of Japan's largest Internet shopping site, Rakuten Ichiba, plans to make its full online shopping service available on mobile phones by the end of the year, company officials said Saturday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2002

Sometimes 'open' schools are more secure

OSAKA — The main gate of Hakata Elementary School in the city of Fukuoka is kept wide open.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 4, 2002

The Palestinian intifada: a very American struggle

AL-BIREH, West Bank -- The Palestinian people have no grudge against the American public. We never did. As a matter of fact, if one resists the media spin and takes a closer look at what the Palestinians have been struggling for, it will be revealed that the Palestinian intifada is a very American struggle....
COMMUNITY
Jun 2, 2002

See you at Almond

Earlier this year, the Dentsu Research Institute predicted that Japan's co-hosting of the World Cup would benefit the economy to the tune of 3.182 trillion yen. While Tokyo isn't hosting any of the games, its glitzy Roppongi district will likely play host to thousands of soccer fans from around the world...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CLOSE NEIGHBORS
May 31, 2002

Tourism offers one path to better understanding

The pamphlets lined up at tourist centers scream, "Experience the real Korean-style aesthetic treatment and make your skin smooth!" "Spend three full days in Seoul sightseeing and shopping!"
BUSINESS
May 27, 2002

Northwest ties fortunes to Japan

MINNEAPOLIS -- Northwest Airlines Inc. remains committed to Japan despite the prolonged recession and the fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and is busy expanding operations at Narita airport, executives of the airline said.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 26, 2002

Pro-whalers living on a harpoon and a prayer

The increasing media flurry over the upcoming World Cup must be frustrating to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, which had been preparing for a year to make sure that this past week would be their moment in the spotlight. As the de facto hosts of the 54th annual plenary session of the...
COMMUNITY
May 26, 2002

Tea to soothe the soul

Outside, evening commuters splash through the Tokyo rain and a train conductor is shouting to be heard above the rush-hour din.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 25, 2002

Petunia diet: key to a long, slender body

Are you a city dweller living in a high-rise apartment block? Do you miss having trees as neighbors? Have the few plants you tried to grow on the veranda died of asthma? I offer all you smog dwellers my garden: a virtual garden where you too can grow tomatoes and even pick off the worms. Or just be glad...
SOCCER / J. League / ON THE BALL
May 21, 2002

Fans getting feisty at World Cup ticket no show

With the World Cup getting ever closer, soccer fans are getting increasingly worried about the whereabouts of their tickets.
SOCCER / World cup / COHOSTING
May 20, 2002

Coming to terms with cohosting

In the year 2000, Belgium and the Netherlands became the first countries to cohost a major, FIFA-sanctioned football tournament when they staged the 2000 European Championship finals. It was an all-around success and pointed the way forward for other cohosted tournaments.
ENVIRONMENT
May 19, 2002

Thar she blew!

TAIJI, Wakayama Pref. -- From the lead boat it was difficult to see the spray rising from the waters off Tomyo Point. The onshore breeze dispersed it before it could rise too high and the choppy waters forced the rowers to concentrate on their task. Nonetheless, the sign was there.
SOCCER / World cup / COHOSTING
May 18, 2002

Beyond the limits of normalcy

Can Japan and South Korea work together to put on the 2002 World Cup?
Japan Times
JAPAN / WHALE WATCHING
May 17, 2002

Ecotoxicologist warns of pollutants hurting whales, dolphins, humans

While whaling experts and negotiators debate the future of whaling, some specialists worry that whale health and the safety of whale meat are not getting enough attention.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear