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COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Apr 6, 2003

Will Hussein go out quietly?

MOSCOW -- Last week a number of American officials were saying that the war in Iraq was not unfolding as quickly as had been hoped. The remarks sound like excessive modesty because the war has actually proceeded much more smoothly than its opponents predicted.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / NATURE TRAVEL
Apr 6, 2003

Like no other country on earth

"Bom . . . bash . . . bom . . . bash . . ." The savage thud of big drums echoed off the alley walls, shook the cobbles and rattled the wonky Belgian shutters.
EDITORIALS
Apr 5, 2003

A partially changing land-price map

Falling land prices are symptomatic of Japan's deflationary economy. Banks sell collateralized land to write off dud loans. Companies dump their land holdings to pay off debts. Land prices drop further as the property market weakens. As things stand, there seems to be no way to halt this vicious circle....
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Apr 5, 2003

Real Madrid vs. Manchester United as good as it gets

LONDON -- Arsene Wenger did not need a second to think about his answer.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2003

Adviser to check needs of Iraq neighbors

Yukio Okamoto, the Cabinet's foreign policy adviser, will visit areas neighboring Iraq next week to discuss what kind of humanitarian aid Japan can offer in connection with the war there, the government announced Friday.
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2003

Sumitomo Mitsui expects 470 billion yen loss

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. said Friday it has cut its group earnings forecast for fiscal 2002 due to much larger losses in its securities holdings and bad loans.
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2003

Pack of Marlboros and a JGB, please

The government is trying to make it easier for you to buy its bonds and finance its deficits.
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2003

Asahi Mutual freezes dividend payouts

Asahi Mutual Life Insurance Co. will suspend dividend payments on group insurance policies for corporate clients due to declines in capital from large unrealized losses on stockholdings, company officials said Friday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 5, 2003

Tokyo's fastest copywriter on the run for TELL

Bob Poulson is a runner. He runs for fun, and when a good cause comes along that he believes is worth running for, he will run for that too.
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2003

Cabinet bickers over autonomy of local bodies

A dispute continued Friday among Cabinet members over who said what on the question of ways to increase local authorities' independence, with the public management minister criticizing the finance chief.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 5, 2003

In a second tongue, mistakes are nature

I taught all of Japan English yesterday. At least it seemed that way. I started out in the morning teaching 3- and 4-year-olds and ended teaching 75-year-olds.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Apr 5, 2003

The hardest adjustment to Japan: a slippery topic

I don't mind putting my foot in my mouth. That's one way to keep it clean.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 5, 2003

Handicapping the Iraq war's outcome

Back in autumn, there were reports that some people were betting on when war would start. Now that it's begun, it's worthwhile thinking about how it might end. Here are some thoughts on five possible outcomes, from worst to best, and the likelihood of each:
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 5, 2003

Daiei spoils Hillman's home debut as Hawks beat up Fighters

Kazumi Saito went the distance, scattering six hits and notching eight strikeouts, as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks spoiled Nippon Ham manager Trey Hillman's home debut with a 5-1 win Friday night before a crowd of 24,000 at Tokyo Dome.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2003

Ishiba won't rule out upgrade for Patriot defense system

Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba refused Friday to rule out the possibility of Japan deploying the Patriot PAC-3, the latest version of the U.S.-developed air-defense missile system.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Apr 5, 2003

Peter Coney

Out of five sons in the Coney family of Melbourne, Australia, two are lawyers. Peter Coney said: "I realized from legal studies in high school how pervasive the law is in society. It's something intangible that shapes the way people behave. The influence of my brother, who was already practicing, encouraged...
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2003

Top patent attorney pursuing new policy

As companies pursue technological progress and develop value-added products, patent attorneys must keep up with the advances and meet the demands of corporate customers, according to Sumiko Shimosaka, new president of the Japan Patent Attorneys Association.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2003

Koizumi open to upgrade of air-defense missile system

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi indicated Thursday his government and the ruling bloc should discuss upgrading the nation's air-defense missile system, including possible deployment of an advanced version of the Patriot system.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2003

Narita is deluged with calls over SARS

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's quarantine office at Narita airport was flooded Thursday with inquiries over the outbreak of a new type of deadly pneumonia virus, officials said.
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2003

Kumagai to integrate with Tobishima

Ailing construction firm Kumagai Gumi Co. is planning to integrate operations with Tobishima Corp. next April under a revamped restructuring program in which it will spin off its loss-making real estate business into a new company, sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2003

Japan issues travel warning over SARS

Following the World Health Organization's lead, Japan issued a travel warning Thursday for Hong Kong and China's Guangdong Province and stepped up quarantine efforts at airports to guard against the spread of a deadly respiratory virus.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE WAY OF WASHOKU
Apr 4, 2003

You win some, you lose some

Last Saturday I cooked behind the counter of my friend Kiyomi's small restaurant on the outskirts of Kyoto City. One of his good customers was having a birthday gathering and Kiyomi's mother, who typically helps out on days like this, was in the hospital with pneumonia.
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2003

Tokyo Electron looks to trim fat

Tokyo Electron Ltd., the country's largest manufacturer of chip-making equipment, said Thursday it will slash about 10 percent of its group workforce to weather bleak semiconductor demand.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2003

Racket in public places is fraying nerves

Sounds abound in Tokyo, from the blaring advertisements in busy shopping areas like Shinjuku to the stream of announcements on trains.
COMMENTARY
Apr 4, 2003

Give China reason to pressure Pyongyang

WASHINGTON -- North Korea is a Potemkin country. When I visited, it had an airport without airplanes, roads without cars and streets without street signs.

Longform

Members of the nonprofit group Japan Youth Memorial Association search for the remains of dead soldiers in a cave in Okinawa Prefecture in February.
The long search for Japan’s lost soldiers