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JAPAN
May 2, 2006

Abe encouraged by effort of abductees' kin

Relatives of Japanese abducted by North Korea sent a strong message to the world on Pyongyang's human rights abuses when they visited Washington last week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said Monday.
JAPAN
May 2, 2006

Coca-Cola recalling 570,000 bottles

The Coca-Cola group of companies in Japan said Monday they are recalling a total of 570,000 bottles of six types of soft drinks because they contain iron powder.
EDITORIALS
May 2, 2006

Nepal's king caves in

The confusion in Nepal's political situation appears to have been settled at least temporarily. But the future prospect is not necessarily transparent. Large-scale strikes and protests punctuated with violence have forced the increasingly isolated King Gyanendra to reinstate the dissolved Parliament....
JAPAN
May 2, 2006

Architect, photographer burglarized

The Tokyo offices of a well-known photographer and architect were burglarized Monday and police believe the two crimes were committed by the same party.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 2, 2006

How to kill a bill

On Oct. 12, 2005, the Tottori Prefectural Assembly approved Japan's first human rights ordinance, a local law forbidding and punishing racial discrimination.
JAPAN
May 2, 2006

Female, elderly entrepreneurs on the rise as society grays

The number of women and elderly people preparing to start new businesses has been rising amid the aging of the population and consequent decrease in the number of small and midsize companies as their owners retire, a recent government report says.
BUSINESS
May 2, 2006

Bridgestone may close U.S. plant

Compiled from Kyodo, AP
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
May 2, 2006

Are trains safe?

Yayoi Miyahara Cook, 32 Japanese trains always run on time, but there have been accidents where the train comes off-track. I think JR should have more workers to protect people when the trains are crowded and to perform routine safety checks.
JAPAN
May 2, 2006

Memorial service marks Minamata tragedy's 50th year

MINAMATA, Kumamoto Pref. -- Japan marked on Monday the 50th anniversary of the recognition of Minamata disease, a malady caused by pollution that officials were slow to confront and whose sufferers include thousands still seeking recognition and compensation.
COMMENTARY
May 2, 2006

Limiting the economic gaps

Japan is rich because Japanese are poor.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 2, 2006

A long life on the island

Reaching 100 has long fascinated societies. The century mark is regarded as an almost supernatural seal of hardiness and good health.
LIFE / Language
May 2, 2006

Manga fans take their Japanese to another level

Manga are the engine of Japan's new multibillion dollar export success, its pop-culture sofuto sangyo -- software industry -- which includes anime, video games, and music. Not surprisingly, perhaps, more and more foreigners are also using manga to learn Japanese.
BUSINESS
May 2, 2006

S&P puts Hankyu on its watch list

Credit rating firm Standard & Poor's said Monday it has put Hankyu Holdings Inc. on its watch list because the railway operator's planned merger with rival Hanshin Electric Railway Co. might prove too costly.
JAPAN
May 2, 2006

Japan, U.S. finalize troop plan

Capping more than three years of grueling negotiations, top Japanese and U.S. officials signed a set of agreements Monday in Washington to realign the U.S. military forces in Japan by 2014 and take the security alliance to a new level.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
May 2, 2006

Fingerprint fears and TELL news

Immigration law Michael asks how the new immigration law for foreign arrivals will affect those with re-entry visas. "Can we still use the Japanese national line, or will we have to go to the foreigners line? Japanese nationals are not being photographed or fingerprinted."
BUSINESS
May 2, 2006

Legal change seen giving entrepreneurs flexibility

When Keiji Okayasu founded his game software company, Studiofake, in 2000 he wanted it to be a limited liability company, a form of business popular with software developers in the West.
BUSINESS
May 2, 2006

New Corporate Law sets stage for LLCs, M&As

The new Corporate Law took effect Monday, setting a legal basis for business activities. The law eases restrictions on company management, aiming to give them a freer hand in decision-making and encouraging entrepreneurialism.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / ON THE BOOK TRAIL
May 2, 2006

"Cyrano," "Small Steps"

"Cyrano," Geraldine McCaughrean, OUP; 2006; 167pp.
BASKETBALL
May 1, 2006

Osaka holds off Niigata for inaugural bj-league crown

No way, nope, not going to happen.
BASKETBALL
May 1, 2006

Commish Kawachi looks to future of bj-league

The bj-league commissioner Toshimitsu Kawachi has watched game after game in his league all year, and as the inaugural season successfully came to an end at the weekend with the playoffs, he has no regrets and lots of hopes for the future.
MORE SPORTS
May 1, 2006

Deep Impact romps to record

KYOTO -- Last out of the gate and first over the finish line, Deep Impact dragged the crowd emotionally through the dirt, knocking them about as first they gasped, then sighed, cheered and finally even cried. "I'm 90 percent relieved, and 10 percent overjoyed," an exhausted-looking owner, Makoto Kaneko,...

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