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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 20, 2005

A binational prayer for reconciliation

If any one programming section of the Pusan International Film Festival best represents its dedication to exploring every avenue of filmmaking, it's Wide Angle. This year, the section included more than 80 short subjects, documentaries and animated films. Seven of the feature-length Korean documentaries...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 20, 2005

A circus on the harbor

Following on its impressive inauguration in 2001, the second Yokohama International Triennale of Contemporary Art is finally here, albeit a year late, and I have to say it has turned out far better than I had anticipated.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 20, 2005

PIFF: Asia's magnet for movies

The Pusan International Film Festival, which took place Oct. 6-14, marked its 10th year with its biggest program ever -- 307 films from 73 countries. These numbers alone make PIFF the largest annual film-related event in Asia, and with the Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP) taking place in the Korean port city...
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 20, 2005

Proposals threaten South Korean growth

NEW DELHI -- Han Duck Soo, South Korea's deputy prime minister and minister of finance and economy, has unleashed a perfect storm of destructive policy proposals that may ensure that his country's economy remains stuck in under-performance mode. His declarations reveal him to be an inept custodian of...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 19, 2005

Furuta agrees to become player-manager for Yakult

Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta came to agreement with his Central League club Tuesday on a two-year deal that will make him the first player-manager in 29 years in Japanese professional baseball.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2005

LDP work on Article 9 gets Koizumi nod

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has given a nod to a Liberal Democratic Party plan to revise Article 9 of the Constitution to permit the nation to officially have a military for the purpose of self-defense, a member of the LDP drafting committee on constitutional amendments said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2005

Lower House passes bill to extend antiterror law

The House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday to extend the antiterrorism law another year to allow the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue refueling U.S.-led coalition vessels in the Indian Ocean.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2005

50 million yen cap on political donations makes it through

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a ruling coalition-sponsored bill that puts an annual 50 million yen cap on party donations made by political groups and voted down a bill from the Democratic Party of Japan that set the cap at 30 million yen.
EDITORIALS
Oct 19, 2005

What is Mr. Koizumi thinking?

His landslide victory in the Sept. 11 snap elections and the Diet passage on Oct. 14 of the postal services privatization bills apparently have emboldened Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. He made his fifth visit to the Yasukuni Shrine since he came to power in 2001 on Monday, which marked the start...
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2005

Strong typhoon nearing Izu chain

A strong typhoon in the Pacific was moving northeast Tuesday and was expected is to come close to the southern part of the Izu Island chain early Wednesday, the Meteorological Agency said.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2005

Hidden cameras found at several UFJ ATMs

UFJ Bank said Tuesday that hidden cameras have been found at several automated teller machines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, apparently to record people entering their personal identification numbers.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2005

Japan threatens dues cut over UNSC seat

burden than the four countries and that point should be taken into account," Koizumi said. He was referring to the argument Japanese Ambassador Toshiro Ozawa told the General Assembly's administrative and budgetary arm Monday.
BUSINESS
Oct 19, 2005

Small cargo distribution to get boost

The government plans to strengthen Japan's small cargo distribution system in East Asia by 2009 to make it more globally competitive and environmentally safer, officials said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2005

Cabinet waffles on Yasukuni visit

Cabinet members differed Tuesday in their views on Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's latest visit to Yasukuni Shrine, with some praising it, some expressing concern over its diplomatic effects and many refraining from making a judgment of any kind.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2005

Envoys overseas get 2.9 million yen for housing; here they get 200,000 yen

Foreign Ministry officials stationed overseas are granted an average of 2.9 million yen in housing benefits a year while ministry officials in Tokyo get only 200,000, yen according to a document endorsed Tuesday by the Cabinet.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2005

Dominican emigrant tells court of plaintiffs' plight

A Japanese immigrant to the Dominican Republic, at the final trial session of a damages suit against the government, stressed Monday how he and his fellow immigrants have suffered as a result of a government-sponsored emigration program in the late 1950s.
BUSINESS
Oct 19, 2005

Oil costs to hurt for 'some time': Greenspan

The recent sharp increase in oil prices, triggered by the devastating hurricanes that hit the U.S. Gulf Coast in August and September, will adversely affect the global economy over the long term, U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan said Tuesday in Tokyo.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 19, 2005

U.N. University takes on environmental challenges

Few realize that in the three decades of its existence, United Nations University (UNU) has been developing into a global organization comprising UNU enter in To- kyo and 12 Research and Training Centers and Programs (RTC/Ps) around the world, working in cooperation with a large, global network of associated...
BUSINESS
Oct 19, 2005

Automakers pin hopes on motor show

The 39th Tokyo Motor Show opens Saturday, and industry officials are hoping the 16-day extravaganza inspires drivers to loosen their purse strings and buy a new vehicle.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2005

Seibu picks Cerberus, Nikko for fresh capital

Seibu Railway Co. said Tuesday it has chosen U.S. investment fund Cerberus Group and Nikko Principal Investments Japan Ltd. as the main providers of fresh capital for the group, which is trying to turn itself around after a series of scandals.
BUSINESS
Oct 19, 2005

Seven named to postal reform firm

The government on Tuesday named Japan Post President Masaharu Ikuta and six others as the founding members of a company that will be set up in January to plan the details of the postal system's privatization under laws enacted last week.
COMMUNITY
Oct 19, 2005

Tomorrow's bikes on display today at Makuhari

With 133 motorbikes and scooters on display from Japan's four major manufacturers, and 57 more from eight overseas makers, eye candy abounds at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. This year's show features 29 world premiers and 37 Japan premiers. Here are just a few of the many highlights.

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