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EDITORIALS
Sep 16, 2005

Germany goes to the polls

While Japanese voters have been focused on the campaign at home, German voters have been engrossed in an election battle every bit as intense and with stakes as great. Since the election was called in May, the outcome looked clear: The opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), along with its partner,...
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2005

Japan nixes North's demand for reactor

Japan will not accept Pyongyang's demand for a light-water nuclear reactor because it would be used to produced atomic weapons, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Thursday.
SUMO
Sep 16, 2005

Kotooshu takes lead; Asashoryu one back

Grand champion Asashoryu overwhelmed Kakizoe on Thursday, while Bulgarian Kotooshu claimed the sole lead at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2005

Ozawa might throw hat into ring for DPJ chief

Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa suggested Thursday he might run for the party presidency when the vote is taken Saturday, after the resignation of Katsuya Okada over the DPJ's huge setback in Sunday's general election.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2005

Bill eyed to let Japanese abroad vote for candidates

The government aims to submit a bill during the regular Diet session next year to revise the Public Offices Election Law to allow eligible Japanese voters living overseas to cast ballots for candidates in national elections, a top government official said Thursday.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2005

Downsized, quickly built Nago offshore base eyed

Japan and the United States are considering downsizing a planned military-civilian airport off Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, for relocating the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, sources close to bilateral relations said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2005

Payout failures not a structural problem: insurance chief

The head of Japan's nonlife insurance industry association denied accusations Thursday that the recent payout failure scandal had stemmed from structural problems within the industry.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2005

Asahi blames false reports on lack of communication

The daily Asahi Shimbun said in a detailed report in its Thursday morning edition that the publishing of inaccurate articles in August about the general election was caused by a lack of communication between reporters and editors.
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2005

Xbox 360 to be launched here after U.S. and Europe

Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it will release its next-generation video game console -- the Xbox 360 -- on Dec. 10 in Japan, priced at 37,900 yen.
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2005

Iceland approaches Japan about FTAs with EFTA

Iceland would like to hold talks with Japan on a free-trade accord in the near future, the Icelandic foreign minister said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY
Sep 16, 2005

Pakistan's Israel diplomacy

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's opposition parties have chosen to renew their calls for President Pervez Musharraf to step down immediately following the first ever face-to-face meeting between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Israel.
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2005

Kanebo to offload resin-making unit

Kanebo Ltd. said Thursday it will quit the polyester resin business by selling its resin manufacturing subsidiary to Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. at the end of September.
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2005

No tariff cut on Mexican chicken

Japan and Mexico failed to agree on a cut in Japanese tariffs on exported Mexican chicken meat at talks in Paris Japanese officials said Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 16, 2005

Keeping up with the Norah Joneses

She may only be 16 years old, but Massachusetts native Sonya Kitchell talks with the assurance of a musician twice her age. It's a couple of days after Kitchell played a live showcase to a largely music-industry crowd in a tiny Shibuya jazz bar, following the recent Japan-only release of her debut album,...
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2005

An overview of latest insurance sector scandal

Earlier this month, several Japanese nonlife insurance companies owned up to a raft of payment failures relating to automobile and fire insurance claims.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 16, 2005

Warm to the mild port city of Numazu

Located just 100 km from Tokyo, the city of Numazu, in Shizuoka Prefecture, is less than an hour's ride away on the Hikari bullet train. Numazu merged with a neighboring city in April and today has a population total of over 211,000 and a land area of 187.1 sq. km.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 16, 2005

Fanfare Ciocarlia

Four of Europe's best Gypsy bands descend on Japan for a special "Time of the Gypsies" festival this October. With influences as diverse as flamenco, Indian music, jazz and Balkan and European folk music, the four acts -- two Gypsy brass bands, one Gypsy swing jazz group and one DJ-inspired fusion duo...
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2005

Consumer confidence rises again

Consumer confidence across Japan improved in August for the second straight month, spurred by improving employment conditions, the government said Thursday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 16, 2005

Negiya Heikichi: Peace of mind can be yours, even in Shibuya

Looking for a peaceful, adult place to eat in central Shibuya is about as easy as finding a street without a karaoke box. So when you come across the understated, almost quaintly retro entrance to Negiya Heikichi, in a back street close to Tokyu Hands, it seems too good to be true.
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2005

Foreign fashion brands making hay

The total declared income of 45 Japanese units of famous overseas fashion brands marked a record high of 125.9 billion yen in fiscal 2004, up 3 percent from the previous year, credit research agency Teikoku Databank said Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2005

Damages awarded over nonhiring of JNR unionists

The now-defunct Japanese National Railways discriminated against employees in a union opposed to the 1987 JNR privatization by not ensuring they were rehired by the spinoff carriers, the Tokyo District Court said in a landmark ruling Thursday.
SUMO
Sep 15, 2005

Asashoryu picks up pace

Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu defeated compatriot Hakuho on Wednesday to remain one win behind Kotooshu and Aminishiki at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 15, 2005

Yokomine skips Munsingwear Ladies

Popular teenage golfer Sakura Yokomine will sit out this week's Munsingwear Ladies Tokai Classic due to health problems, her management office said Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Sep 15, 2005

No victory for the Philippines

Impeachment charges against Philippines President Gloria Arroyo have been dismissed. The move is a relief for the embattled president, but it is no real vote of confidence in her or her administration. The move reflects the balance of power in the legislature, not a consideration of the merits of the...
JAPAN
Sep 15, 2005

JT to hold smokers-only movie preview of 'Sin City'

With smokers increasingly shunned in public places, Japan's largest cigarette maker is offering a rare treat -- tickets to a film preview where they can smoke all they want.
JAPAN
Sep 15, 2005

Four with mob ties held in loan scam

Four people connected with the Yamaguchi-gumi, the nation's largest underworld syndicate, defrauded Bank of Yokohama out of about 45 million yen in housing loans using a homeless man's personal data in 2003, police 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