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CULTURE / Music
Apr 14, 2006

Janet Klein and Her Parlor Boys

Once upon a time, songs filled with earthy humor, sexual innuendo and a deep love of pretty melody were the norm. Singer and ukelele player Janet Klein collects such long-lost gems from the 1910s, '20s and '30s and revives them with a passion. Far from sounding like a musical antiquity, though, she sings...
MORE SPORTS
Apr 13, 2006

Sugiyama returns to Japan Fed Cup team

Top Japanese tennis player Ai Sugiyama will return to the nation's Fed Cup squad for the first time in two years.
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 13, 2006

Yamada gets things going as Reds down Avispa

SAITAMA -- Nobuhisa Yamada's delightful chipped goal triggered an excellent second-half display from Urawa Reds as they ran out 3-1 winners against Avispa Fukuoka in the Nabisco Cup on Wednesday evening.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 13, 2006

Ozeki sets aside minor league challenge, no vacancies open

Former Seibu Lions outfielder Tatsuya Ozeki has decided to abandon his wish to play in minor leagues this season, baseball sources said Wednesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 13, 2006

Matsui extends hitting streak in Yankees home opener win

Hideki Matsui went 1-for-3 with a bases-loaded walk and extended his hitting streak from opening day to seven games as the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 9-7 Tuesday to win its ninth straight home opener.
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2006

Education bill advances after patriotism debate

A ruling coalition task force agreed Wednesday on a bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education after a compromise was reached on the definition of patriotism.
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2006

U.S. Navy base faces labor strike

Workers at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Wednesday threatened to strike unless their labor demands were met, possibly affecting operations of a U.S. aircraft carrier, a Japanese labor official said.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2006

Taiwan's KMT sees stability in status quo

HONOLULU -- Chairman Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan's Nationalist Party, better known as the Kuomintang (KMT) did a marathon swing through the United States in March to deliver several pertinent messages:
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2006

NHK hit by fresh embezzlement case

NHK was bombarded by about 600 complaints Wednesday as a new embezzlement case broke at a time when the government is talking about forcing viewers to pay the public broadcaster's subscription fees.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006

Tokyo condo supply rose in March

The number of condominiums put on sale in the Tokyo metropolitan area in March rose 13.4 percent from a year earlier to 7,596 units, the first year-on-year increase in five months, the Real Estate Economic Institute said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006

Brazil eyes Japan digital TV format

Brazil on Wednesday showed interest in adopting Japanese digital-television standards over the format widely used in Europe during a ministerial meeting, a Japanese official said.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006

Nonresident stock buys beat 1 trillion yen in March

Nonresident net purchases of Japanese stocks totaled 1.49 trillion yen in March, topping the 1 trillion yen mark for the first time in two months, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2006

Asia's dysfunctional democracy

OXFORD, England -- The abrupt resignation of Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is but another sign of a disturbing paradox: the more "vigorous" Asian democracy becomes, the more dysfunctional it is.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006

Student athletes looking to win job-hunting race

Whether you are a university senior looking for your first "real job" or a company veteran looking for a change, the most important thing to include on your resume is a concise summary of specific skills you can provide, whether that be system engineering, knowledge of corporate law or a flair for foreign...
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006

MMC to buy into China auto venture

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Wednesday it will spend 8.75 billion yen to take a 25 percent stake in South East (Fujian) Motor Co., a 50-50 joint venture between China's Fujian Motor Industrial Corp. and Taiwan's China Motor Corp.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2006

Chen raising the ante in cross-strait ties

SINGAPORE -- As preparations are made for Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States and a presidential election is scheduled for spring 2008 in Taiwan, there are indications that the next two years could prove challenging for the main parties involved in cross-strait relations -- Beijing,...
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2006

Victims of black lung sue government

A group of ex-coal miners suffering from black lung disease and relatives of several who have died filed a lawsuit in Ibaraki Prefecture on Wednesday seeking 505 million yen in state compensation.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006

Current account hits second-highest surplus on record

The current account surplus grew a preliminary 6.2 percent in February to 2.21 trillion yen, the second-highest level on record, due to a rise in the income account, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY
Apr 13, 2006

Polish Japan's image abroad

LONDON -- Japan's image abroad ought to be better than it is. The Japanese economy has largely recovered. Reform continues. Democratic processes are working. Japanese educational standards and technical abilities are admired. Each of these statements can and no doubt should be qualified, but the overall...
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006

Lending climbs 1.5%

The average daily balance of bank lending grew for the eighth straight month in March, up 1.5 percent from the previous March after adjustment for special factors, according to a Bank of Japan report released Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006

NTT to bring aromas to the movies

NTT Communications Corp. said it will introduce a new service this month employing a computer system that allows people to experience aromas while watching a film.
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2006

Japan raps Iran over enrichment

The government said Wednesday it would be "extremely deplorable" if Iran has successfully enriched uranium and joined the club of nuclear powers, as Tehran claimed the day before.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006

Convenience stores outshined stale supermarkets in 2005

Japan's major convenience stores on Wednesday posted rosy figures for the 2005 business year, while supermarket chains lagged despite signs that personal consumption is recovering.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’