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CULTURE / Art
Oct 17, 2001

Defining Style

In the 10,000 years since the Arctic icecap receded sufficiently to enable human inhabitation of the land we now know as Sweden, the curiously creative nation has gifted the world with the likes of Beowulf, Strindberg, Bergman and, well, Abba.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 17, 2001

Beauty beheld in the past imperfect

Are the Japanese alone in their admiration of the imperfect? This is one of several questions arising from an odd exhibition now on at Tokyo's Shoto Museum of Art in Shibuya, a pleasant but puzzling "curiosity shop" selection of arts and crafts, ranging from colorful screen paintings to bamboo baskets....
CULTURE / Music
Oct 17, 2001

Return of the sound and the furry

Super Furry Animals have been the most consistently great guitar band of the last 10 years, and I've got a stack of hard evidence to prove it.
Events
Oct 16, 2001

Ecotourism campaign spotlights Shiga area

MAIHARA, Shiga Pref -- In an effort to draw more visitors to this area, the Shiga Prefectural Government is running a one-month ecotourism campaign.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2001

Rescue effort resumes for three climbers in Himalayas

Rescue efforts resumed Monday for two Japanese climbers and a Sherpa stranded near the peak of Manaslu, an 8,163-meter mountain in Nepal's Himalaya range, after their summit attempt was halted Friday by strong winds.
BUSINESS / TAKING STOCK
Oct 16, 2001

U.S. on slide but not Japan?

Stock markets worldwide are likely to fall deeper into confusion as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. and U.S.-led military action against targets in Afghanistan increase economic uncertainties.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2001

Asylum-seekers face tough time in Japan

Gol Ahmad Bahador does not want to go back to Afghanistan.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2001

7-year-old boy freed soon after kidnapping

A 7-year-old elementary school boy was released unhurt Monday afternoon in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward about eight hours after he was kidnapped in the area and after his mother handed 5 million yen in ransom to a bicycle courier, police said.
Events
Oct 16, 2001

Forum eyes water management scenarios

KYOTO -- By 2025, it is predicted that nearly 5 billion people worldwide will face a severe shortage of water. A resource people take for granted may become as precious as diamonds or gold, according to a panel of experts who took part in a symposium last week in Kyoto.
JAPAN
Oct 14, 2001

New mad cow suspect tests negative

An animal that was believed to be Japan's second case of mad cow disease has tested negative after a more thorough inspection for the brain-wasting illness, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reported late Friday.
JAPAN
Oct 14, 2001

More than half of Japan's cities consider mergers

Slightly more than half of all municipalities in Japan are considering merging with another municipality to consolidate their administrative functions, a home affairs ministry report showed Saturday.
COMMUNITY
Oct 14, 2001

Dial yourself a new life

For those thinking about working outside major cities, prefectures offer information and guidance at their U- and I-turn centers in Tokyo. They offer information about employment opportunities, housing and other social welfare systems in the region, as well as details of special benefits offered to encourage...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Oct 14, 2001

Green tourism: where town and country meet

Ajimu in Oita Prefecture isn't exactly a major tourist destination. Yes, it has luxuriant fields and picturesque farmhouses boasting unusual basque-relief paintings called kote-e, but most visitors spend a half-day at most in Ajimu, perusing its stone Buddhist carvings or the African Safari nature park,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Oct 14, 2001

Easing the way for U and I

For rural areas suffering from depopulation, it can only be good news if city-folk want to move to the country.
COMMUNITY
Oct 14, 2001

High-flying ad man comes down to earth in Shikoku

Eleven years ago, Toshihito Takahashi was a high-flying advertising copywriter with a leading Tokyo agency, one of the select few whose work regularly appeared on the nation's TV screens.
JAPAN
Oct 14, 2001

Koizumi faces rough ride on visit to South Korea

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will attempt to improve strained ties with South Korea when he arrives in Seoul on Monday, but the visit is likely to be more difficult than his trip to China last week because of anger among many Koreans and a fishing dispute that has again flared up.
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 14, 2001

Shaking a spear for the Bard

Mark Rylance, the 41-year-old artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, has been in Tokyo with his company's triumphant production of "King Lear," which closes today at the Tokyo Globe.
JAPAN
Oct 14, 2001

Sommelier believes there's more to serving up a fine wine

Takashi Atsuta knows precisely what his customers need to round out a delicious meal. Good food and wine are essential, but the 63-year-old sommelier believes that good service -- with sincerity -- also makes a great difference. Being a sommelier is not just a matter of knowing about wines and selecting...
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 14, 2001

Japan Series tickets sell quick

OSAKA -- If you were hoping to get your hands on tickets for the Japan Series, you might be out of luck -- even if you are pals with the manager.
LIFE / Food & Drink / NIHONSHU
Oct 14, 2001

Nagano gives Niigata some stiff competition

Cold air blowing down from the Japan Alps. Clear water from rivers of melted snow. Fresh country air. Great rice. When it comes to the basic requirements for brewing good sake, Nagano Prefecture has them all covered.
LIFE / Food & Drink / BEST BAR NONE
Oct 14, 2001

P-chan gets started under the right track

Have you ever seen the Woody Allen movie "Radio Days"? In it, Woody grows up with his family, living snug-as-bugs in a tiny room underneath the Big Dipper on Coney Island. Every time a roller coaster careens overhead, the walls shake and objects pogo off the tables. Of course, nobody notices. It was...

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years