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CULTURE / Art
Oct 31, 2001

The gift of Ghibli

When I first heard that Hayao Miyazaki was planning a museum in Mitaka dedicated to the films that his Studio Ghibli animators and he had created over the years, I imagined animation cels framed on beige walls. Save for dedicated fans, it wasn't the most thrilling prospect for a Saturday afternoon, especially...
CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE
Oct 31, 2001

Hey, world, meet Hasebe

DJ Hasebe looks set to become the latest Japanese platter-spinner to make a name for himself internationally, following in the footsteps of DJ Krush, DJ Honda, Ken Ishii and Captain Funk.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 31, 2001

Backward and forward

Director Christopher Nolan's "Memento" has turned out to be the runaway indie hit of 2001, so the local press were out in force for his press conference. It's not every day that a talent blindsides viewers with such an accomplished and innovative work. In person, Nolan seemed a bit dry for someone who...
BUSINESS
Oct 31, 2001

Takenaka hints at contraction in '02

Heizo Takenaka, minister of economic and fiscal policy, said Tuesday that the economy may also contract in fiscal 2002.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 31, 2001

Todaiji's Imperial legacy of treasures beyond counting

NARA -- Almost every year since 1946, the treasures of the Shosoin, storehouse of Nara's famed Todaiji Temple, have been put on display for all to see. These treasures have survived from the eighth century, preserved and protected by both Imperial favor and the unusual structure of the Shosoin, which...
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Oct 31, 2001

Pulp: 'We Love Life'

Surely Pulp vocalist Jarvis Cocker hasn't turned into a hippie? Note the title of the new album, "We Love Life." Note that it's produced by '60s maverick Scott Walker. And, above all, note that it's all about . . . nature. A Pulp album not about sex? Well, there's bits of sex in it, of course, but basically...
BUSINESS
Oct 31, 2001

Major electronics makers suffer first-half losses

Five electronics makers swung into losses in the first half of the 2001 business year, plagued by the global slump in the information technology industry, according to interim earnings reports released Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Oct 30, 2001

Teijin, Enron begin study on electricity sales

Major textile maker Teijin Ltd. said Monday it has begun a feasibility study with the Enron group of the United States to improve the output of Teijin's private power generator and sell the excess to other corporate users.
BUSINESS
Oct 30, 2001

New liquidation rules sought for hopeless firms

OSAKA -- Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa proposed Monday that rules be established to liquidate companies whose debts exceed assets and whose rehabilitation is deemed impossible so that banks' disposal of soured loans can be accelerated.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2001

Single mothers left out in financial cold

Every morning, Yuko, a 33-year-old resident of Kanagawa Prefecture, gets up at 4 a.m., does the housework, prepares the evening meal, takes the three children to a nursery, and then goes to work.
Events
Oct 30, 2001

Forum holds up Omi feudal merchants as models of corporate responsibility

OMI-HACHIMAN, Shiga Pref. -- The 20th century socioeconomic system saw most people consumed with the pursuit of profit. Today's businesspeople, however, must re-examine their raison d'etre as the idea of corporate responsibility takes hold.
COMMUNITY
Oct 30, 2001

Hosts with the most, ma'am, at your service

BANGKOK -- Bangkok may be the sex capital of the world for men, but what do Thai women do for kicks? It's Saturday night and I am in an underground parking garage in central Bangkok trying to find out. It is damp and somewhat desolate, but across the ill-lit tarmac I see a promising neon sign that reads...
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2001

SDF bill passage by no means ends constitutional debate

Diet debate on allowing the Self-Defense Forces to provide logistic support to U.S.-led retaliation against the Sept. 11 attacks has highlighted unanswered questions on the constitutionality of the planned move.
Events
Oct 30, 2001

House of noble poets displays treasures from ancient Japan

KYOTO -- Tucked away near the southeast corner of Doshisha University in Kyoto is the last surviving house of Japanese nobility. Home to the Reizei family, it is now occupied by 54-year-old Kimiko Reizei and her husband, Tamehito, head of Tamao Kai, a school that teaches traditional "waka" poetry.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2001

Two people die, five hurt in Kabukicho massage parlor fire

Two people were killed and five others, including a firefighter, were injured in a Monday morning blaze in the Kabukicho entertainment district of Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, the Tokyo Fire Department said.
Events
Oct 30, 2001

Scare stops Kobe beef in its tracks

KOBE -- It's a warm, sunny day at the Okaba cattle ranch in Kobe's Kita Ward.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2001

Rice growers set to harvest 2001 bumper crop

The 2001 rice crop will be "fairly good," with the harvest index standing at 103 against the base of 100 for an average year, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry has announced.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2001

School loans soar to kids orphaned by fathers

The number of youths receiving student loans for their high school studies because their fathers committed suicide has increased rapidly in recent years amid the economic downturn, a Tokyo-based private scholarship group said.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2001

SDF antiterrorism bill wins quick Diet passage

An antiterrorism bill allowing the Self-Defense Forces to lend an unprecedented level of support to U.S.-led forces overseas cleared the Diet on Monday.
LIFE / Travel / NATURE TRAVEL
Oct 30, 2001

The holiday that never began . . .

Romania has more brown bears per square kilometer than any other country in the world. Unspoiled forest covers 80 percent of the Carpathian mountains. Transylvania is home to thousands of wolves and 30 percent of Europe's lynx population. Wild boar, chamois, eagles and red deer abound.
LIFE / Travel
Oct 30, 2001

Where conflict meets contemplation

There is much to be said for Japan's provincial towns. As they rarely host more than a trickle of visitors, the spoils from tourism are never quite enough to disfigure them or completely vulgarize their heritage.
SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH
Oct 30, 2001

Nakata not doing the business for Parma

Hidetoshi Nakata is in serious danger of turning into the "Plonker of Parma." Or worse still, the Japanese Nigel Clough.
BUSINESS
Oct 30, 2001

BOJ foresees 2001 contraction

Amid growing uncertainty about the future of the global economy, the Bank of Japan on Monday forecast that Japan's economy will show contraction for fiscal 2001 and that any recovery in 2002 will be slight.
BUSINESS
Oct 29, 2001

Companies recall beef-related products

About 160 Japanese companies have recalled more than 1,500 products made from cow parts as a precaution against mad cow disease, a government survey shows.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2001

Postal unit fined for not declaring income

An affiliate of the Postal Services Agency failed to declare about 120 million yen in income over a three-year period up to March this year, informed sources said.
LIFE
Oct 29, 2001

Revolution and evolution mark motorcycle lineup at Tokyo Motor Show

Tired of being jammed into a packed train every morning? Sick of being stuck in the city every weekend? Bummed out because high parking fees rule out owning a car? If you answered yes to these questions, you might want to consider buying a motorcycle. They're affordable, running costs are reasonable...
JAPAN
Oct 28, 2001

Jar sheds light on ancient mystery

OSAKA -- Shards of a large jar dating from around the mid-fifth century have been found at Japan's largest mounded tomb in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, which the Imperial Household Agency designates as the mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku, Kyodo News reported Saturday.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
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