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EDITORIALS
Apr 6, 1999

Enact new child sex laws now

A rare example of political unity occurred in the Diet last week. Twelve lawmakers from seven political parties and groups put aside their usual differences and together submitted to the Upper House a long-anticipated bill to strengthen the legal protection of minors from sexual exploitation. In doing...
CULTURE / Music / FUZZY LOGIC
Apr 6, 1999

Dub hemperors go bongkers

Masa, the head honcho of Japanese dub emperors Audio Active, doesn't beat about the bush. In fact, he's probably smoked the damn thing.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 1999

Hopes for Pyongyang pinned on Murayama mission

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka expressed hope Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will meet with former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama for talks during his visit to Pyongyang.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 3, 1999

The autonomy imperative

In these post-Cold War days, the governments of the United States and its allies still routinely expose their citizens to the risks of death and destruction in the name of national security. The people of northern Italy complained for years about low-flying U.S. military aircraft, but Rome simply ignored...
CULTURE / Music / HOGAKU TODAY
Apr 3, 1999

Shamisen ballads bridge the musical and spiritual

Kioi Hall's large hall will be used for a concert of classical Japanese music April 6, for the first time since its opening in 1995.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 1999

UNICEF issues plea for Kosovo refugees

The Japan Committee for the United Nations Children's Fund is calling for emergency aid for the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing Kosovo.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 1999

Early passage hoped for defense bill amendments

Staff writer
COMMUNITY
Apr 1, 1999

All that glitters, and more at Tiffany

What's blue and white and guaranteed to cure a mean case of the reds?
JAPAN
Mar 31, 1999

HLAC, RCB merger creates powerful collection agency

Staff writer
JAPAN
Mar 31, 1999

State trade panel protests U.S. protectionism

A government trade panel voiced doubts Wednesday about the fairness of U.S. antidumping and protectionist measures under the World Trade Organization's free trade rules.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 1999

Administration reluctant to alter SDF law

Senior government officials took pains Wednesday to keep the recent intrusion into Japanese territorial waters of suspected North Korean spy boats from becoming a catalyst for some legislators to galvanize the nation's legal defense frameworks.
JAPAN
Mar 30, 1999

Agency brainstorming rogue boat options

Staff writer
JAPAN
Mar 29, 1999

Allure, image of governor posts growing on Diet

Staff writers
JAPAN
Mar 29, 1999

Miyazawa plan takes effect in Hanoi

The government on Monday formalized an Official Development Assistance package for Vietnam, including up to 88 billion yen in yen-denominated loans, to support Hanoi's market-oriented reforms under the "Doi Moi" (renovation) policy.
JAPAN
Mar 29, 1999

Tokyo seeks boat explanation from Pyongyang

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Monday that Pyongyang should give a sincere explanation about its ties to two unidentified vessels that intruded into Japanese waters last week before fleeing to North Korea.
EDITORIALS
Mar 27, 1999

Vote local, think national

Campaigning has started for 12 gubernatorial elections, including the all-important race for Tokyo governor. These are part of a series of local elections to be held in April, the results of which will have a significant impact on national politics. As it enters the 21st century, Japan must implement...
JAPAN
Mar 26, 1999

Festival trains spotlight on Belgian style

Works of fine art, musical and theatrical performances, soccer and beer will feature in a yearlong campaign to introduce Belgian culture to Japan as a "microcosm of European culture."
JAPAN
Mar 26, 1999

Local Elections '99: Hatoyama and 'symbiosis with nature'

Staff writer
JAPAN
Mar 25, 1999

Local Elections '99: Showdown in cash-dry Tokyo

Staff writer
LIFE / Food & Drink / WINE WAYS
Mar 25, 1999

Cornucopia's savory memories

Spring is here, hard on the heels of Foodex '99, the food-and-beverage spectacular I mentioned two weeks ago during its four-day run at Makuhari Messe.
LIFE / Food & Drink / NIHONSHU
Mar 25, 1999

Shibuya's best-kept secret -- but you didn't read it here

Publicity can be both good and bad. It can help a restaurant or pub stay open and economically healthy. It can also, however, be the bane of an establishment as well. Too much attention has its downfalls.
COMMUNITY
Mar 25, 1999

Teenage visions of the coming century

Ethiopian Eta Ferahu Tarekegne Gatahun loves lasagna and wants to set a sprint record. Sassy Melissa Corlett, a Hong Kong-born Brit, has no doubts that her future will be fantastic. Eka Sriamarwati, a young Balinese trance dancer, lists a tiny hair clip as her most prized possession. And in Tokyo, Nami...
JAPAN
Mar 24, 1999

Pyongyang asked to hand over ships

Tokyo asked Pyongyang Wednesday to capture and hand over two unidentified ships that fled Japanese destroyers in the Sea of Japan earlier in the day if it is confirmed that they entered North Korean territorial waters, according to government officials.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / GETTING THINGS DONE
Mar 24, 1999

A downer day

A friend of mine, a medical doctor who has spent many years in this country, was here during Japan's recent press spectacular, the first official transplant operation. I asked what he thought of the frenzy surrounding this lifesaving achievement. I think his comments should have a far wider circulation...
JAPAN
Mar 24, 1999

Softbank, Microsoft plan online car-shopping venture

Softbank Corp., Microsoft Corp., and Yahoo Japan Corp. announced Wednesday that they will establish a joint venture in April, capitalized at $7 million, offering a car-shopping information service for Japanese customers.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 24, 1999

Frustration and anger produce great Korean fiction

A READY-MADE LIFE: Early Masters of Modern Korean Fiction, selected and translated by Kim Chong-un and Bruce Fulton. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1998, 191 pp., $38 (cloth), $15.95 (paper). "What's driving me to drink isn't anger and isn't the dandies. It's this society -- our Korean society...
COMMENTARY
Mar 20, 1999

A cloudy outlook for spring

The Dow-Jones industrial average on the New York Stock Exchange broke through the barrier of 10,000 March 16. Following the overnight rally, the benchmark Nikkei average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange regained the 16,000 level for the first time in seven and a half months. The advances appear to signal...
CULTURE / Music
Mar 20, 1999

Tokyo says 'Bravo!' to tango explosion

The hottest song now in Japan is undoubtedly "Dango 3 Kyodai," which humorously depicts the story of three dumpling brothers. Though originally composed for a children's TV program, the song appealed to adults as well, and 3 million CDs have been sold so far.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1999

SDP plans delegation to North Korea in April

The Social Democratic Party will to try to send delegations to North Korea as early as April, SDP officials said Thursday.
JAPAN
Mar 17, 1999

Events set to mark 400th anniversary of Dutch ties

NAGASAKI -- 2000 marks the 400th anniversary of ties between Japan and the Netherlands, and various events are slated for the year to fete the shared history.

Longform

"Shake hands with Lima-chan," a statue that shares the name of the Peruvian capital looks in the direction of Peru, where a sister statue, "Sakura-chan," is located. Erected in Yokohama's Rinko Park in 1999, it commemorates Peruvian-Japanese friendship.
The journey of Peru’s Nikkei: Finding identity in Japan