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JAPAN
Sep 28, 2006

Abe will mend Asian fences, Shiozaki says

Holding summits and mending strained ties with China and South Korea are Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's priorities, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said Wednesday as the new Cabinet got down to their first day of work.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 28, 2006

Fumio Nanjo to replace David Elliott

The Mori Art Museum's director, David Elliott, will leave his post at the end of October to take a position as the new director of the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art in Turkey. The news was announced Wednesday at a press conference at Roppongi Hills, where Elliott spoke of his five years in Tokyo working...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 28, 2006

Celebrating civilizations

The Islamic world is home to one of the richest and most important musical traditions on Earth. It doesn't hurt that it also spans an incredibly vast area, stretching west to Morocco and east as far as Indonesia, and that it contains an intricate tapestry of races, languages and cultures, or that it...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 28, 2006

'New Europe' has plenty of old problems

GENEVA -- The riots in Budapest, incited by leaked tapes that show Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany openly admitting that his government had lied for over a year about the country's dire finances, are but the latest evidence that things are going seriously wrong across Eastern Europe.
BASKETBALL
Sep 27, 2006

Evessa tops Korean hoops squad

The Osaka Evessa defeated the Samsung Thunders 87-80 Monday night at the Osaka City Central Gymnasium in the first of a two-game home-and-home series between the teams.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 27, 2006

Marines rough up Matsuzaka; Lions fail to grab No. 1 seed

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. At least Daisuke Matsuzaka has the playoffs.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2006

Abe made prime minister

Newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe named his Cabinet on Tuesday, giving most of the posts to his close aides and the people who actively supported him during the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election.
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2006

Hawkishness is watchword for Abe team

The Cabinet and special advisers named Tuesday by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe share one dominant trait: conservatism.
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2006

New lineup a good indicator where policy emphasis will be

The new Cabinet lineup announced Tuesday shows where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is placing his emphasis, such as the North Korean abductions, education and various reforms, and he wants his closest allies working in those areas.
EDITORIALS
Sep 27, 2006

Aum leader's trial finally ends

The long trial of Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara ended Sept. 15 when the Supreme Court rejected a special appeal by lawyers for Asahara. The top court's decision affirmed the February 2004 ruling of the Tokyo District Court, which found the cult leader guilty of 13 criminal counts, the most serious...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Sep 27, 2006

Gigi catfish

* Japanese name: Gigi * Scientific name: Pelteobagrus nudiceps * Description: This is a rather small, 10- to 15-cm-long bottom-dwelling river fish that is remarkable for being one of the few aquatic organisms to have a voice. Fishermen report that when a gigi catfish is landed, it emits a "giiii-giiii"...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Sep 27, 2006

Welcome to the new world of cities

Flying into Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, just after sunset last month, I could have sworn we'd overshot the airport and were heading for the distant, frigid waters of the South Atlantic.
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2006

Foes fear Monju accident, natural or otherwise

. But they remain both expensive and less than 100 percent reliable, and will continue to be for some time. You'll still need a backup energy source. With Monju, not only will Japan have such a source, but also one that will help the country reduce greenhouse gases caused by the burning of coal and gas,"...
SUMO
Sep 26, 2006

JSA disappointed in Hakuho

Mongolian ozeki Hakuho's 8-7 record at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament concluded the previous day was an "embarrassment," an official from the Japan Sumo Association Yokozuna Deliberation Council said Monday.
SOCCER
Sep 26, 2006

No final match for Hide

Hidetoshi Nakata will not have a final match to mark his retirement, Japan Football Association President Saburo Kawabuchi said Monday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 26, 2006

Kanemura hit with fine, suspension

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters right-hander Satoru Kanemura received a suspension until the end of the playoffs and a 2 million yen fine Monday for criticizing the decision of team manager Trey Hillman, officials of the Pacific League club said.
SUMO
Sep 26, 2006

Stop thief -- he took my limelight!

Push came to shove, slap turned into frontal force out and both Hakuho (8-7) and Miyabiyama (9-6) flopped big time. Former sanyaku man Takanowaka took the Juryo title 11-4 after a fierce play-off with Toyozakura and Sawaii took the Makushita title 7-0; albeit securing his final win with a rather distasteful...
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2006

Postal rebels might return to LDP

Shinzo Abe, the new president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has initiated the process of bringing back into the fold 13 former party members ousted for opposing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's postal privatization agenda, sources said.

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