Search - question

 
 
COMMUNITY
Feb 21, 2004

Breathe under water with Aqua Adventure Divers

If Kevin Winchester is not covering ground on skis, or by motorbike (a mighty Honda CB1300cc, as befits a member of Tokyo Riders), he is flying high or diving deep. But don't call him sporty, or the outdoor type. "They are just things I like to do!"
EDITORIALS
Feb 20, 2004

GDP growth belies strong recovery

Japan's economy expanded at an annualized rate of 7 percent in the last quarter of 2003, with export-oriented large manufacturers providing the main thrust of growth. Whether this will lead to a broad and enduring recovery remains to be seen, however. The export boom will fizzle out if overseas demand...
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2004

LDP-New Komeito ties criticized

Democratic Party of Japan leader Naoto Kan on Wednesday criticized the Liberal Democratic Party for depending heavily on New Komeito to stay in power.
EDITORIALS
Feb 17, 2004

Pyongyang talks leave door ajar

It appears that North Korea now wants to reach some sort of agreement with Japan over the abduction issue. Last week, two ranking officials of the Japanese Foreign Ministry visited Pyongyang for the first government-to-government talks in 16 months. Although nothing specific is alleged to have resulted...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / A GAIJIN'S TALE
Feb 17, 2004

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

I met my (Japanese) wife in Australia, where we decided to get married. I later agreed to come to Japan to meet her parents and seek their permission to tie the knot.
Japan Times
JAPAN / POLITICS IN FOCUS
Feb 17, 2004

Koizumi, Kan warm to unicameral system

Whenever a Diet session convenes, the Emperor gives a short speech at the House of Councilors' opening ceremony -- a tradition that should demonstrate the chamber's status.
JAPAN
Feb 15, 2004

Abduction issue talks end with little progress

By KANAKO TAKAHARA
COMMENTARY
Feb 15, 2004

Japan jumping headfirst into the future

The Japanese "get no respect, no respect at all." That trademark line from American comic Rodney Dangerfield certainly applies to the government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Last August when I interviewed Koizumi in his official Tokyo residence, I asked him point-blank if Japanese troops really...
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Feb 15, 2004

Don't tease the Russian bear

MOSCOW -- In this election year for both Russia and the United States, a major conflict is under way in Russo-American relations: the debate over the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Created to contain the Soviet Union during the Cold War, NATO had to redesign itself following the...
EDITORIALS
Feb 14, 2004

Free trade, without the sweetener

The conclusion of a free trade agreement between the United States and Australia has been greeted with mixed emotions. The deal has been applauded for significantly lowering duties on manufactured goods. It also strengthens the U.S.-Australia strategic partnership. But free trade advocates worry about...
JAPAN
Feb 14, 2004

Horse owners have no publicity rights to names: top court

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that publicity rights do not apply to animals, overturning lower court rulings ordering a video game maker to compensate horse owners for using their steeds' names in games without approval.
JAPAN
Feb 14, 2004

Whistle-blower law in the pipeline

Three decades after Hiroaki Kushioka exposed a price-fixing cartel involving his employer in the trucking industry, the government is working on what would become Japan's first-ever law to protect whistle-blowers in private-sector firms and government organizations.
EDITORIALS
Feb 13, 2004

Questionable intelligence

Confronted with mounting evidence that Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction at the time of last year's war, U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair last month decided to launch an independent inquiry into the quality of intelligence they used to justify the war....
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2004

Koizumi's career could be biggest casualty of Iraq dispatch

With news of almost daily suicide attacks in Iraq, top government officials share the anxiety of relatives of Japanese soldiers who have been sent there.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Feb 12, 2004

The road to pinpointing corporations that care

When it comes to sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, the media never tire of airing dirty laundry.
COMMENTARY
Feb 12, 2004

China creeps toward a culture of openness

HONG KONG -- Last month, in a small but significant move toward greater openness and transparency, China for the first time made available to the public a portion of materials from its diplomatic archives for the period between the founding of the People's Republic in 1949 and 1955.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 11, 2004

'It's 1918 for everyone'

Dutch-born Menno Meyjes has had a prosperous career working as a screenwriter under the wing of Steven Spielberg, penning the Oscar-nominated "The Color Purple," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and "Empire of the Sun." So it's surprising to see Meyjes make his directorial debut with a script on...
JAPAN
Feb 11, 2004

Changing security situation may alter collective defense stance: Koizumi

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi hinted Tuesday that the government might alter its constitutional interpretation of the nation's right to collective self-defense as it deals with future changes in the security situation.
EDITORIALS
Feb 11, 2004

Bringing abductees and kin home

As yet there is no end in sight to the abduction issue involving Japanese citizens. North Korea -- whose agents kidnapped them in the 1970s and 1980s -- must take the initiative to break the deadlock, but it continues to reject any formal negotiation. To get Pyongyang moving forward, Tokyo is now poised...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 11, 2004

Got something for everyone

Hanochi Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 5) Director: Itsumichi Isomura Running time: 122 minutes Language: Japanese Currently showing [See Japan Times movie listings] Gege Rating: * * * (out of 5) Director: Kiyoshi Sasabe Running time: 113 minutes Language: Japanese Currently showing [See...
BUSINESS
Feb 11, 2004

Cabinet endorses pension reform bills

The Cabinet endorsed a package of bills Tuesday to reform the pension system and reinforce its sustainability.
JAPAN
Feb 10, 2004

State to keep mum on terror targets

Which takes precedence: freedom of the press or the safety of potential targets of terrorist attacks?
EDITORIALS
Feb 8, 2004

Over-exposed in Houston

Say this for U.S. President George W. Bush: He might have wrong-footed the question of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, but he struck just the right note when asked to comment on the flap over singer Janet Jackson's risque performance in the Super Bowl halftime show in Houston the night before. Mr....
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Feb 7, 2004

Two Myers-Briggs analysis sessions change lives

Californian-born Terri Nii of KNT Co. appears to have found a most agreeable and satisfying balance in her life.
BUSINESS
Feb 6, 2004

Government to help firms issuing bonds in Southeast Asia

The government plans to establish a new guarantee system to help domestic companies issue bonds in local currencies in Southeast Asia, a government official said Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 4, 2004

Under the skin of Gollum

Many have remarked that the most memorable performance in the "Lord of the Rings" films is given by a computer-generated character, Gollum. But let's not forget the man behind the critter, British screen and stage actor Andy Serkis, seen in films like Mike Leigh's "Topsy Turvy" and Michael Winterbottom's...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Feb 3, 2004

Tenant rights and health care for foreigners

Tenant rights Two years ago, I rented an apartment through a realtor, and paid lots of money -- two-months deposit, one-month thank you money, and realtor fee -- thinking that after two years, we could renew our contract and somehow use the place longer to compensate for the initial payments we had...
EDITORIALS
Feb 2, 2004

The dollar's dangerous path

A stronger yen, or a weaker dollar, is a drag on Japan's export-led economic recovery. Trying to stem the tide, the government often steps into currency markets on a massive scale. Market players, however, worry that these dollar-buying, yen-selling interventions could be putting the Japanese and U.S....
COMMENTARY
Feb 2, 2004

Chirac faces mixed fortunes

PARIS -- Poll ratings have suddenly begun to substantially improve for both French President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin. That said, a wide gap still separates the two men. While 56 to 58 percent of those polled have a favorable view of Chirac, Raffarin's confidence rating...

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji