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BUSINESS
May 18, 2007

Economy grew just 0.6% in quarter

The economy grew 0.6 percent in the January-March quarter for the ninth consecutive quarter of growth after corporate spending slowed, the Cabinet Office said in a preliminary report released Thursday.
EDITORIALS
May 18, 2007

Healing time for East Timor

The landslide victory of Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta in East Timor's presidential election points to the people's hope that the Nobel laureate will bring unity and reconciliation to Asia's youngest nation. Mr. Ramos-Horta shared the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize with Bishop Carlos Belo for their nonviolent...
BUSINESS
May 18, 2007

Toyota throws hybrid models into Lexus lineup

Toyota Motor Corp. introduced two top-of-the-line Lexus LS sedans in Japan on Thursday, hoping the cars' hybrid technology will accelerate the automaker's efforts to establish Lexus as a premium brand on the world stage.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 18, 2007

Slapstick 'n' high-flyin' kicks

A chop suey of martial arts, acrobatics and slapstick, "Jump" is a nonverbal, comic martial-arts musical centered around a zany Korean family. It runs through May 18-June 24 (times vary) at Shinjuku Theater Apple, Tokyo. It then tours to Osaka's Kosei Nenkin Kaikan from June 28-July 5. The company behind...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / SHORT TAKES
May 18, 2007

Stranger Than Fiction

Director: Marc Forster Language: English
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 18, 2007

Unafraid of rightist rage

Directors tend to be articulate types, especially when discussing (or rather spinning) their own films, but Kazuyuki Izutsu has few equals in the art of spoken communication, in or out of the director's chair. From snappy one-liners about dull movies to verbal bombshells aimed at local rightists, Izutsu...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 18, 2007

'Pacchigi! Love & Peace'

In 2004, Kazuyuki Izutsu made "Pacchigi! (Pacchigi! We Shall Overcome Someday)," a serio-comic Romeo and Juliet romance set in 1960s Kyoto. Starring Shun Shioya as a naive high school boy and Erika Sawajiri as the cute-but-tough zainichi (ethnic Korean living in Japan) girl whom he falls for, the film...
CULTURE / Music
May 18, 2007

Yasuaki Shimizu & Saxophonettes "PENTATONICA"

Combining the five-note pentatonic scale — the basis of Asian and African music — with a love of Bach is like trying to mix oil with water. But that's what saxophonist Yasuaki Shimizu does on his latest album, "PENTATONICA."
EDITORIALS
May 18, 2007

Nurturing forests and workers

The fiscal 2006 annual report on the nation's forestry shows that self-sufficiency in the wood supply has stopped falling due to conditions abroad that make wood imports to Japan difficult. The government can use this opportunity to revitalize Japan's forestry.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 18, 2007

'Fur'

There's a scene in "Fur" where photographer Diane Arbus, played by Nicole Kidman, is having sex with her husband, Alan (Ty Burrell), during a turbulent period in their marriage. His frustrations come to the fore, and he slams her head into the sofa, forcefully pinning her as he takes her from behind....
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 18, 2007

Viral sounds from South London

As well as the usual high-speed tempos and dark basslines you might expect, the "Drum and Bass Sessions" night on May 19 at Unit in Daikanyama, Tokyo will host dubstep practitioner Skream. The young producer will be "battling" DJ Zinc, one of the more enduring figures from the British drum and bass scene....
BUSINESS
May 18, 2007

Rakuten refuses to limit TBS stake goal to 20%

Rakuten Inc. President Hiroshi Mikitani said Thursday that he won't limit his acquisition goal for shares of Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. to 20 percent.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 18, 2007

'The Banquet'

In the Chinese epic "The Banquet," released in Japan as "Jyotei," scarlet is Empress Wan's favorite color, and it seems the entire film takes its cue from her color preference. There are no gray zones or monotone subtleties. Throughout, the story splashes and spatters red — blood, passion, sex, envy...
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
May 18, 2007

Bryant: JABBA should end nonsense toward bj-league

Outsiders often have the best "inside" view. It enables them to see the big picture without having their perspective clouded by petty differences, politics or cliques.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 18, 2007

In thrall to a craggy coast

Hopping on the train at Tokyo Station after the morning rush hour still gets you to south Izu for lunch. So, with a promise of stunning views of the sea and more fresh fish sashimi than you could throw a wasabi tube at, we relaxed on the Super View "Odoriko" train to Izukyu Shimoda Station — later...
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 18, 2007

Art bonanza gets a dose of capoeira

The biggest event of its kind in Asia, Design Festa vol. 25 takes place May 26-27 (11 a.m.-7 p.m) in Tokyo. Thirty-two countries will be represented, including India, Romania and Uganda.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 18, 2007

Not an every day script

Enter a male student bedsit in Britain in the late 1990s and you'd likely be confronted by a copy of the Alex Garland novel "The Beach," posters of the movie "Trainspotting" on the wall and a bunch of albums from independent dance-music record labels like Skint, Wall of Sound and Ninja Tunes spread around...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 18, 2007

Marisa Monte

Motherhood prompted genre-busting Brazilian singer-songwriter Marisa Monte to take a break from touring a few years ago. Now, maternity has her back on the road with a 10-piece band and headed to Japan for her first concerts in 15 years.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 18, 2007

Germany's last gentleman

German baritone Max Raabe will perform an alluring mix of Weimar-era cabaret songs and modern-day pop in Tokyo on May 25 and in Osaka the following day, accompanied by his Palast Orchester.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 18, 2007

Viron: Bread and rosé in Marunouchi

Whatever happened to Tokyo's love affair with the cafe-brasserie? A decade ago, the entire city seemed ready to embrace the Gallic ethos of sipping coffee and nibbling on croissants (or pastis and salade nicoise) while indulging in the leisurely sport of people watching.
CULTURE / Music
May 18, 2007

Lefties Soul Connection "Skimming the Skum"

File it under funk, but the sophomore release from Lefties Soul Connection is not your average revival. It's the sound of European B-Boys with the confidence to mix the punkish attitude of the early hip-hop with the exuberant New Orleans funk of The Meters.
BASKETBALL
May 17, 2007

Japanese shoot for dreams

This was no leisurely way to spend a weekend.

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