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Japan Times
JAPAN / WHALE WATCHING
May 16, 2002

Legal mechanism flawed: wildlife expert

Japanese laws are ill-equipped to protect marine mammals and need an overhaul if these animals are to receive attention akin to their terrestrial counterparts, according to a leading wildlife expert.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2002

AIG to deal in securities in Japan

American International Group Inc. said Wednesday it will launch a securities business in Japan next week targeting institutional investors.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
May 16, 2002

Summer's serenaders of the moon, sun and stars

Summer really is here. It has spread north so rapidly that June- and July-like temperatures were reported in Hokkaido even before the end of April. The cherry blossom wave rushed northward, too, at such a pace it was as if it were trying to take a running jump at Sakhalin.
JAPAN
May 16, 2002

Ministry warns of drastic increase in pension premiums

Company employees will be forced to pay about a quarter of their salaries as pension premiums in fiscal 2025 if current pension levels are maintained, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2002

Sharp to form AC tieup in Egypt

OSAKA -- Sharp Corp. will form a technology tieup with an Egyptian company to produce air conditioners for sale in the Middle East and Africa, Sharp officials said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2002

Mazda returns to profitability

Mazda Motor Corp. said Wednesday it returned to the black in the 2001 business year thanks to cost-cutting measures and a weakened yen.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2002

Travel advisories for the next generation

WASHINGTON -- How does America's global role affect the lives of individuals? Currently, momentous international policy decisions are being taken; they encompass war, peace, freedom and the projection of power. It is important to step back and develop a vision of the long-term outcome of those policies...
BUSINESS
May 16, 2002

Nikon, six others tie up on chip-making gear

Nikon Corp. and six other firms in the semiconductor sector plan to collaborate on the development of next-generation steppers, Nikon officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
May 16, 2002

Narita passengers lose no-fuss check-in service

Passport-control services at Tokyo City Air Terminal will soon be discontinued for passengers departing from Narita airport because of reduced traffic and more stringent security measures in the wake of Sept. 11, immigration officials have warned.
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
May 16, 2002

Put your Spidey skills to the test

This summer, Spider-Man is the luckiest superhero alive. Not only does he have a hit movie that has left critics and audiences impressed, he's also in a very good new game for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and especially Xbox.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
May 16, 2002

Lifelines

Hello there! My name's Ken Joseph Jr.
ENVIRONMENT
May 16, 2002

Home sweet Nagoya Port home

It would probably come as a surprise to most Nagoya residents to learn that a sizable population of finless porpoises resides in the dark, extremely polluted waters of Nagoya Port -- even in its busy heart near Kinjofuto, the Meijo Bridge, the shipbuilding dock and among the enormous ships that carry...
EDITORIALS
May 15, 2002

A big role for small firms

Small firms in Japan face a growing need for self-reliance, a need to shed or trim their status as permanent subcontractors for large companies. This is especially true of small manufacturers. With domestic production moving increasingly to low-cost overseas locations, they have no choice but to develop...
COMMENTARY
May 15, 2002

Myanmar moves forward, China takes a step back

LOS ANGELES -- Fleeting images can become perceived realities. For example, images viewed positively by the American public allow U.S. political leaders to unlock foreign-aid funds -- and business leaders to go forward with ambitious foreign-investment schemes. From this perspective, Myanmar, long-spurned...
BUSINESS / ON THE FRONT LINE
May 15, 2002

Is yen any safer than roller-coaster dollar?

Restless trading is continuing on the currency market, keeping the dollar on its recent roller-coaster ride.
Japan Times
JAPAN / THE OKINAWA FACTOR
May 15, 2002

Nuclear pact ensured smooth Okinawa reversion

On Nov. 21, 1969, President Richard Nixon met with Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in Washington to discuss an extremely delicate issue.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 15, 2002

Japan's modern master of 100,000 brush-strokes

If, as the Chinese adage goes, a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, then for Japanese artist Morio Matsui, a masterpiece of 100,000 brush strokes begins with the first sweep of the bristles on canvas.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2002

Nippon Life, T&D to be UFJ agents

The UFJ financial group is expected to appoint Nippon Life Insurance Co. and T&D Financial Life Insurance Co. as agents tasked with carrying out paperwork and other administrative duties related to UFJ's sales of life insurance policies, industry officials said Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
May 15, 2002

Weird science, but great art

It's the old quantity-versus-quality problem. Though there are only a couple of private contemporary-art museums in Tokyo (the Watari-Um and the Hara), their shows are almost always good and focus on providing authoritative coverage of some of the domestic and international art scenes' most important...
COMMENTARY
May 15, 2002

EU's costly quest for world leadership

LONDON -- Nowadays the European Union and the United States seem to be locked in almost permanent quarrels. One moment it's bananas, then it's steel, land mines, the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, European defense arrangements and NATO. Then it's the question of whether there should be a permanent...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
May 15, 2002

Cornershop: 'Handcream for a Generation'

Repetition is both the substance and the curse of pop music. It doesn't take much for even the most delicious hook to become a nagging bore once it's had a chance to pass a certain saturation point.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 15, 2002

Just a word in your ear

A visitor to "Sesshu -- Master of Ink and Brush" at the Tokyo National Museum, Ueno, stops in front of one of the paintings. She has just been told to do so by the audio guide she's holding in her hand, which then launches into a detailed explanation of the painting's historical background and notable...
SUMO
May 15, 2002

Maru, leading grapplers maintain perfect records

Yokozuna Musashimaru played the playground bully beating up Aminishiki on Tuesday but ozeki Kaio was flipped to his second loss of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
JAPAN
May 15, 2002

Respirator errors left seven dead last year

Seven people died and two were left comatose in 11 accidents involving respirators at 10 medical institutions nationwide in fiscal 2001, according to a health ministry report released Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
May 15, 2002

Still treading the boards after 1,100 years

To commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the death of Sugawara no Michizane, the celebrated Heian-Period scholar-politician, the National Theater is presenting "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (Sugawara Certifies a Disowned Disciple to Perpetuate His Line of Calligraphy)." One of three bunraku masterpieces...

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