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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 10, 2006

A unique take on Nazi Germany

Filmmaker Marc Rothemund says of the German film industry: "The environment has never been more suited to making quality films. Young people are now avidly watching German films whereas 10 years ago the theaters were all about Hollywood productions. And, surprisingly, there's a great demand for historical...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 10, 2006

The man who couldn't quit

With "Hoop Dreams" having just been inducted into The National Film Registry (of the Library of Congress), Steve James is clearly one of America's most respected documentarians. And with good reason: The 43-year-old, Virginia-born filmmaker brings a sensitivity and sustained focus to his films that few...
CULTURE / Music
Feb 10, 2006

Belle & Sebastian "The Life Pursuit"

Belle & Sebastian built a loyal following with their steady brand of intelligent and whimsical neo-folk. Their sound began to change, though, with their last Trevor Horn-produced release, "Dear Catastrophe Waitress." As the band made forays into new pop music structures, they also improved their sound...
CULTURE / Music
Feb 10, 2006

Richard Ashcroft "Keys To The World"

After years of toiling on the edge of the mainstream, The Verve finally achieved commercial success in 1997. Unfortunately, their "Bittersweet Symphony" was not meant to last and the British group parted ways in 1999.
LIFE / Food & Drink / VINELAND
Feb 10, 2006

Napa vineyards survive deluges

Tremendous flooding in California's wine country over New Year's made for dramatic, televised scenes of almost completely submerged vineyards. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger added to the excitement, proclaiming, "Napa was 4 feet under water, creating tremendous damage."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / THE SECOND ROOM
Feb 10, 2006

Psychedelic radar 02.10

Saturday, Feb. 11
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 10, 2006

Shaping 'neo-classic' cuisine

It is a measure of Tokyo's hidden depths that many of its top restaurants remain so little known, at least among the city's expatriate population. That is certainly the case with L'Osier. Founded in 1973, it established its heavyweight reputation under French master chef Jacques Borie, winning a devoted...
SUMO
Feb 9, 2006

Bulgarians get sumo equipment

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso on Wednesday presented popular Bulgarian wrestler Kotooshu with a collection of sumo loin clothes and sumo equipment that Japan is donating to the Bulgarian Sumo Federation to upgrade the country's sumo infrastructure.
SUMO
Feb 9, 2006

Most fans support ban on women

A majority of Japanese sumo fans support a tradition that bans women from stepping on the ancient sport's raised dirt wrestling mound, according to a survey commissioned by the Japan Sumo Association and released Wednesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Feb 9, 2006

Ozeki to sign minor league contract with Brewers

Former Seibu Lions outfielder Tatsuya Ozeki is set to sign a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers shortly, baseball sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Feb 9, 2006

Koizumi wary of foreign solution to labor shortage

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi voiced reluctance Wednesday about increasing the number of foreign workers in Japan, citing concerns it would cause more social conflicts and crime.
EDITORIALS
Feb 9, 2006

Iran tests the United Nations

Iran seems intent on confronting the world. Remarkably, the international community has mustered a unified response to the Tehran government's seeming determination to build a nuclear weapon. But brinkmanship continues: Last weekend Tehran said it was ending its commitment to the Additional Protocol...
JAPAN
Feb 9, 2006

Schieffer asks Iwakuni voters to consider the big picture

OSAKA — The U.S. ambassador to Japan on Wednesday urged voters in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, opposed to the realignment of the U.S. forces to put national and regional needs ahead of local concerns.
JAPAN
Feb 9, 2006

Referendum bill to pass by June: LDP

Lawmakers will probably pass a bill by the end of the Diet session to set up national referendum procedures that would enable the Liberal Democratic Party to introduce amendments to the Constitution to expand the role of the Self-Defense Forces, according to a senior LDP official.
COMMENTARY
Feb 9, 2006

'British' identity in the EU

LONDON -- British Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) Gordon Brown has been calling for a national debate on the subject of British identity and what he terms "Britishness."
JAPAN
Feb 9, 2006

Mizuho exec admits stealing data for mob

Tokyo police arrested a Mizuho Bank official Wednesday on suspicion of embezzlement for allegedly leaking customer information to a company linked to the mob.
JAPAN
Feb 9, 2006

Ex-envoy admits secret pact on Okinawa

A former senior Foreign Ministry official admitted Wednesday that Japan secretly shouldered $4 million in costs for Okinawa's reversion from U.S. control in 1972.
BUSINESS
Feb 9, 2006

Computer glitch trips Nikko Cordial

Nikko Cordial Securities Inc. said Wednesday a computer glitch prevented all 108 offices and call centers around Japan from inputting stock trade orders throughout the two-hour morning trading session.
JAPAN
Feb 9, 2006

Fukuoka design firm also faked structural data

Faked earthquake-resistance data were used to construct at least three condominium complexes in Fukuoka Prefecture built by Kimura Construction Co. but not designed by disgraced architect Hidetsugu Aneha, the land ministry and the Fukuoka Municipal Government said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Feb 9, 2006

Bank lending stops declining

The average daily balance of financial institutions' lending rose 0.02 percent to 446.49 trillion yen in January, moving into positive territory for the first time since January 2001, when comparable data began being compiled, the Bank of Japan said Wednesday.

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