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JAPAN
Aug 19, 2006

Fertility treatment coverage upped

The health ministry will expand the coverage of public health insurance to include the cost of artificial insemination for infertile couples in an effort to combat Japan's falling birthrate, government sources said Friday.
BASKETBALL
Aug 19, 2006

German coach: Don't underestimate Panama

HIROSHIMA -- Panama is the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, possessing No. 34 on FIBA's world rankings list.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 19, 2006

For guitar-loving Japanese, it's gotta be American and it better be Gibson

The hand-aged Gibson Les Paul Special is a replica of the 1960 original, but an American master craftsman made it exactly the way the guitar would look today, complete with aging, cracked paint and dents from scuffs and scratches.
JAPAN
Aug 19, 2006

Japanese turns Malawi pop star with AIDS song

A young Japanese man's song about AIDS education has become a big hit in Malawi.
EDITORIALS
Aug 19, 2006

Sri Lanka returns to war

Mesmerized by the situation in Lebanon, the world has paid little heed as Sri Lanka's ceasefire has disintegrated and the country slips back into war. While the conflict in Sri Lanka is not as old as that in the Middle East, it appears every bit as intractable. The international community has mediated,...
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2006

Rakuten enjoys 37% surge in profit

Rakuten Inc. reported Friday that its group net profit rose 37.1 percent to 7.1 billion yen in the first half of the year, thanks to strong sales at its online brokerage.
JAPAN
Aug 19, 2006

Typhoon swamps Kyushu, blamed for three fatalities

Typhoon Wukong made landfall early Friday in Kyushu, bringing heavy rain to many parts of western Japan and paralyzing land, sea and air traffic.
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2006

Sugar prices soar amid demand for bio-ethanol

High oil prices have been causing rises in not only fuel and material costs but also in one thing consumers are more familiar with -- sugar.
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2006

Yahoo Japan to help bidders burned by jewelry firm's failure

Yahoo Japan Corp. said Friday it will compensate customers who successfully bid for products auctioned by an Osaka-based jewelry firm that has filed for bankruptcy.
COMMENTARY
Aug 19, 2006

Tokyo sends Beijing a signal

NEW DELHI -- No place of homage has generated more political heat between countries in recent years than the eye-catching Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. At the center of the storm has been a dark horse who became Japan's prime minister more than five years ago and who leaves office next month, having fashioned...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2006

Train stations with malls face higher property taxes

Are they train stations or shopping malls?
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2006

Matsui scraps margin trade commissions

Major online brokerage Matsui Securities Co. said Friday it will eliminate commissions on one type of margin trading in September but raise the interest rate on funds borrowed for those trades.
COMMENTARY
Aug 19, 2006

Struggling for transparency in China

HONG KONG -- Following the Chinese press, one sometimes gets totally depressed and feels that there is no hope for the country, with its myriad problems. At other times, the opposite is true. This week, it is a mix. On different fronts, one sees a host of problems but, at the same time, it is clear that...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Aug 19, 2006

TaoZen: synthesizing life practices of the sages

Masahiro Ouchi stands before a group of 30 assorted individuals in Be Yoga, a studio in Tokyo's Hiro-o (including five dishy-enough French men to make one English guy joke that among so many women he has never felt so disadvantaged) and introduces us to the essence of the spiritual and therapeutic practice...
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2006

Futata snubs Aoki bid, backs Konaka buyout

Menswear retailer Futata Co. said Friday it will accept Konaka Co.'s offer to make it a wholly owned subsidiary, rejecting menswear rival Aoki Holding Inc.'s proposal.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Aug 19, 2006

Bon stories: fire heads and stuffed turtles

"Ne, ne, Amy-chan . . ." Kio-chan is calling to me from across the Moooo! Bar. "Man-chan wa ne . . ." he starts to tell me a story about his best friend, 80-year-old Man-chan, who is sitting next to him. The only thing he likes more than Man-chan is telling stories about him. "You should see Man-chan's...
JAPAN
Aug 19, 2006

Matsuda first in Cabinet to meet Gadhafi

The state minister for science and technology held talks Thursday night in Libya with leader Moammar Gadhafi, according to the Foreign Ministry.
JAPAN
Aug 19, 2006

Tokyu contractor kills self following tax probe grilling

A branch office head of Tokyu Construction Co. has committed suicide after being questioned by prosecutors in connection with alleged tax evasion by engineering firm Mizutani Kensetsu Co., sources said late Thursday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Aug 19, 2006

Robert Neff

Think public spirit, think Robert Neff.
JAPAN
Aug 19, 2006

Iraqi security official to visit Japan

A high-ranking Iraqi official in charge of security will make a six-day visit to Japan from Sunday, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.
BASKETBALL
Aug 18, 2006

Key facts about the Japanese men's basketball team

Here's a look at some key facts, figures and random insight about the 2006 Japan National Team. It plays Saturday against Germany in Hiroshima in the teams' Group B opener at the FIBA World Championship:
BASKETBALL
Aug 18, 2006

Final look at FIBA groups

Here's a closer look at each of the four groups in the FIBA World Championship, which gets under way Saturday in four Japanese cities:
BASKETBALL
Aug 18, 2006

Big names rolling in for showdown in Sapporo as worlds set to tip off

SAPPORO -- The world's best have finally found their way to northern Japan.

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