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COMMENTARY
Jun 11, 2005

Slots, cops, and deception

LAS VEGAS -- The Japanese have been kicking around the idea of building American-style casinos in Japan for four years now. The Parliament Committee on Casinos with 100 Diet members has been gathering information on casinos, and Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara has been a major proponent of the idea. In...
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 11, 2005

Indian growth must co-opt the bypassed

MANILA -- India is a paradox. The successes of a select group of sectors -- from information technology to industr and services -- are creating an urban elite showcased as the builders of a modern and vibrant country on the cusp of joining the major economic powers of the world.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jun 11, 2005

'Artistic space consultant' unites walls and works

Nob Hagiwara is a brave man indeed. How many top-rank executives decide one day to chuck it all in and pursue personal goals? Not many -- and especially not in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jun 11, 2005

June, a month of maritime disaster

June 7 welcomed the return of two Japanese sailors who circumnavigated the globe nonstop: Kenichi Horie and Minoru Saito. I have a special admiration for these men because June also marks the first anniversary of my rescue from the sea while attempting to cross the Pacific in a yacht to Australia.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Jun 11, 2005

Up in knots over natto

A reader from jolly ol' England recently sent this question:
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2005

New law to make firms report greenhouse gas emissions

The Diet passed a bill Friday to revise the current antiglobal-warming promotion law so that about 8,000 firms will have to report emissions of six greenhouse gases.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2005

Koizumi says time is right to again boost ODA budget

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called Friday for an increase in the foreign aid budget, which has been cut over the past several years.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2005

Vinegar fad shows no signs of souring as more take to drinking it straight up

Japanese tend to be quick to warm to a new fad and just as fast to abandon it.
EDITORIALS
Jun 11, 2005

Democratic dilemmas in Mideast

Two election results pose deep dilemmas for democrats who support reconciliation in the Middle East. In recent municipal ballots in the Gaza Strip, the Islamic militant group Hamas made a surprisingly strong showing. Soon after, a coalition of parties led by Hezbollah swept elections in southern Lebanon....
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2005

Beer shipments up as new suds surge

Shipments of beer and beerlike alcoholic beverages made by the nation's five major breweries inched up in May for the second straight month, as their new "third-category" brews offset slumping sales of beer and other products, according to industry data released Friday.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2005

Gaps dog history study with South Korea

Japan and South Korea released a full-scale report on their joint history research Friday, detailing huge gaps in perception on key events that have repeatedly caused friction between the two nations.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2005

Rainy season hits east, central Japan

The rainy season appears to have begun in eastern and central Japan, two days later than usual, the Meteorological Agency said Friday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Jun 11, 2005

Kiyomi Okukubo

Masaki Nakano, honorary professor of the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, described Kiyomi Okukubo as "unique, with shyness and flamboyancy existing together. Her rusticity is her quality." He guided her graduation thesis on Kiso lunch boxes. Her chosen theme becomes less surprising as Kiyomi...
COMMENTARY
Jun 11, 2005

Poor losers fan Filipino disenchantment

MANILA -- To characterize the public mood in the Philippines as depressed is no exaggeration. According to recent surveys, pessimism about economic prospects is on the rise, and a majority of Filipinos believe their quality of life has deteriorated in the past year. A recent Asian Development Bank survey...
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2005

Obituary: Kunio Tsukamoto

Kunio Tsukamoto, an avant-garde tanka poet who had an enormous impact on the classical poetry scene following World War II, died Thursday of respiratory failure at a hospital in Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, his family said Friday. He was 84.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2005

Light-water reactors find new favor as breeder stalls

Japan plans to develop a next-generation light-water nuclear reactor to pursue the highest economic efficiency possible in the business, government sources said Friday.
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2005

MMC hit sales target -- by selling to own dealers

Scandal-ridden automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. inflated its new vehicle sales figures in Japan in the last business year by selling about 10 percent to dealers instead of consumers, industry sources said Friday.
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2005

Tie makers fret economic knot over 'Cool Biz' hoopla

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said Friday his ministry would look into the possible negative effects the government's "Cool Biz" campaign is having on the necktie industry.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2005

Sharon wants visit after Gaza pullout

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's visit to Japan, initially planned for June, will probably take place in the fall at the earliest, Japanese government sources said Friday.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2005

Jenkins thanks public, but asks media for some peace

U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins, who is set to visit North Carolina for the first time in nearly four decades, expressed gratitude Friday for the support he has received from the Japanese public — but asked the media to respect his privacy during his trip.
COMMENTARY
Jun 11, 2005

Hilariously ineffective charm offensive

LOS ANGELES -- Watch out, the Chinese oil-saboteurs may be coming. Hold on to your derricks! Western newspapers are reporting that the giant China National Offshore Oil Corp. may make a bid to acquire the U.S. oil group Unocal. If the effort is successful (note: the U.S. oil giant Chevron may have a...

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