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JAPAN
Mar 16, 2003

Plans drawn up to react to Iraq war

The Japanese government has drawn up an outline of measures it will take at home and overseas in the event the United States goes to war with Iraq, according to government sources.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 16, 2003

'Bogus' theme parks becoming the last resort

On Jan. 23, Tokyo Disneyland held a preview event for the media in anticipation of the park's 20th anniversary, which will be celebrated April 15. About 1,400 celebrity guests showed up trailed by 50 camera crews, all from domestic television stations, which means that most of them were from outside...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 16, 2003

Yoji Yamada

A director since 1961, with 77 films to his credit, Yoji Yamada, 71, is a Japanese film industry icon. His "Tora-san" series, about a wandering peddler who is forever falling in love, but never gets the girl, generated 48 hit installments -- and made Yamada the most successful Japanese director of his...
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2003

Spy ship may have ferried agents

A North Korean spy ship that sank in the East China Sea in 2001 may also have ferried agents to and from Japan, officials of a joint police-coast guard team analyzing the salvaged ship said Friday.
COMMUNITY
Mar 15, 2003

Historian seeks clear U.N. mandate for peace

German-born Klaus Schlichtman is a peace historian. An academic who found his way late in life -- a "seeker" in every sense of the word.
BUSINESS
Mar 14, 2003

Ministry says economy is firming

The vice finance minister said Thursday that Japan's real economy is firming, although it is currently being weighed down by geopolitical concerns.
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2003

Koizumi stays coy on Iraq standoff strategy

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi kept his cards close to his vest over the Iraq standoff Thursday, despite opposition leaders' criticism of his support for a U.S.-backed U.N. resolution on the matter.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2003

Debts, loan sharks and culture of shame a recipe for suicide

Yuki Saito should have known something was wrong when his dad quietly walked into their steaming home tub that night -- they hadn't taken a bath together in years, although it is the Japanese custom to do so.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / MATTER OF COURSE
Mar 13, 2003

Don't wait till bullying hits close to home

This is the column I thought I'd never have to write. It's about how my son was bullied at school.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Mar 13, 2003

Water, water -- where?

These days the talk is all about oil, but wait a couple of decades and oil politics could be a quaint historical artifact.
EDITORIALS
Mar 12, 2003

After hemming and hawing

After months of hemming and hawing, Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara has officially announced his bid for re-election, ending speculation that he might return to national politics. His solid popularity makes it almost certain that he will win a second four-year term in the April 13 election. So far only...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

Court rejects wartime forced-labor suit

The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday rejected an 840 million yen lawsuit filed by 42 Chinese nationals over labor they were forced to perform during World War II.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

Shops go against the grain to sell U.S. rice

U.S. rice farmers have found an unlikely ally in their endeavor to penetrate Japan's heavily protected rice market -- owners of mom-and-pop rice shops who themselves are bearing the brunt of the nation's market-opening reforms.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Mar 12, 2003

The good, the great -- and the freaky

Japan, without a doubt, has the world's largest number of art museums devoted solely to pottery -- more than 500 venues, I've heard. That's a lot of beauty (or not) to take in.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2003

Pyongyang fires another missile

North Korea fired a ground-to-ship missile into the Sea of Japan on Monday -- the second such launch in two weeks -- in what appeared to be further provocation aimed at gaining Washington's attention.
Events
Mar 9, 2003

KANSAI: Who & What

Giant Buddhas shown for three days only: The Guide Interpreters Volunteer Club is organizing three one-day tours for English-speaking foreigners from March 14 through March 16 to observe huge pictures of Buddha displayed at two temples in Kyoto.
BUSINESS
Mar 8, 2003

Trade minister sees stable oil prices

Oil prices in Japan will remain stable if a threatened U.S.-led war against Iraq ends swiftly, according to Takeo Hiranuma, minister of economy, trade and industry.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Mar 8, 2003

Amazing character goods made of pulp

With the current state of Japan's economy, many of us are wondering: Is this the end of heated toilet seats in public restrooms? Will we be expected to live our futures without free household cleaning sponges from the bank and individual trash bags on the buses and trains? Maybe.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 8, 2003

Paving the way for Northeast Asian peace

MONTEREY, Calif. -- The Japan Times on March 1 reported that Tokyo is reviewing its participation in the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, or KEDO, program. If the Japanese government is giving serious thought to withdrawing from the program, it will not only exacerbate an already serious...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE WAY OF WASHOKU
Mar 7, 2003

Savor slow food in a fast-food world

There are not enough purists left in the food world. In the West, and no less here in the East, food is gradually moving toward the indistinguishable middle. The globally homogenized products of contemporary fashion, music, art and architecture can be created and received interchangeably in most of the...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2003

Give peace a chance: NGOs

Representatives of two nongovernmental organizations on Wednesday submitted petitions bearing more than 15,000 signatures to the Foreign Ministry, urging the government to oppose the use of military force against Iraq.
BUSINESS
Mar 4, 2003

Nissan hopes to boost dealer profits with tailor-made insurance policies

Nissan Motor Co. has taken the unusual step of agreeing to have its affiliated car dealers sell auto insurance provided exclusively by Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. and Millea Holdings Inc., according to company sources.
COMMENTARY
Mar 4, 2003

Don't give up on alternatives

Nearly three years have passed since Junichiro Koizumi made his dashing debut as prime minister with an unprecedentedly high public approval rate of 80 percent, after declaring somewhat self-contradictorily that he would not hesitate to destroy his own Liberal Democratic Party to attain his reform goals....
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2003

African reporter seeks more balance

A Zimbabwe-born journalist wants the Japanese media to broaden its perspective and interest in African issues and be more balanced in its coverage. To help achieve this goal, he's calling for the establishment of an African news agency in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2003

Castro meets with Koizumi, offers help with North Korea

Visiting Cuban President Fidel Castro told Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Sunday that he is willing to play a role in resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis, government officials said.
BUSINESS
Feb 28, 2003

JAS to postpone launch of cargo handling unit

Japan Airlines System Corp. plans to postpone its cargo operation spinoff eyed for April 2004 as the move would make it difficult for the carrier to effectively allocate crews for the firm's overall operations, company sources said Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Feb 27, 2003

New BOJ head's main task

On March 20, former Bank of Japan Deputy Gov. Toshihiko Fukui will replace current BOJ Gov. Masaru Hayami as head of Japan's central bank. Mr. Fukui, now director of the Fujitsu Research Institute, will be assisted by two new deputies: Mr. Toshiro Muto, former vice minister of finance, and Mr. Kazumasa...

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’