search

 
 
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
May 15, 2005

The last of the romantics: lost beauty and childhood

HELEN WADDELL'S WRITINGS FROM JAPAN, edited and introduced by David Burleigh. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 2005, 184 pages, with b/w illustrations, 42.50 euros (cloth), 25 euros (paper). Now famous as a medieval savant, author of "The Wandering Scholars" and "Medieval Latin Lyrics," Helen Waddell (1889-1965)...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 15, 2005

The great corporate escape: Blame it on the factotums and avoid responsibility

The news media's breathless coverage of the train derailment in Amagasaki that claimed 107 lives last month operated on several levels. On one level was an investigation into the details of the accident itself. On another was the coverage of victims and their families. And on a third was the gradual...
CULTURE / Music
May 15, 2005

Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom: "Voodoo Boogaloo"

Ron Levy's past work ranged from tight trad organ trio to blast-the-rafters big band funk. Lately, he's added jam-band grooves to his repertoire. From the first beat of his latest release, "Voodoo Boogaloo," he gets right into a good-time vibe and never lets up.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
May 14, 2005

Near relegation, Saints wondering where it all went wrong

LONDON -- If Norwich City beats Fulham on Sunday then Southampton will lose the top division status it has held since 1978. Relegation would complete one of the most remarkable and unexpected declines in Premiership history -- two years ago Southampton finished eighth and was beaten 1-0 by Arsenal in...
SUMO
May 14, 2005

Asashoryu runs record to 6-0

Grand champion Asashoryu easily dispatched Mongolian compatriot Kyokutenho on Friday to remain undefeated and tied for the lead at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
EDITORIALS
May 14, 2005

A Holocaust memorial

A monument 17 years in the making officially opened Tuesday in the heart of Berlin. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe -- a city block of blank gray concrete slabs or pillars erected near the German Parliament building -- drew predictably mixed responses. Yet, by all accounts, its American architect,...
MORE SPORTS
May 14, 2005

Record payout at Tokyo track

A long-shot sweep of the top three spots paid out 13,000,390 yen on a 100 yen wager at a local horse race Friday, the highest return in the history of legal gambling in sports in Japan. The return for the 1-2-3 winning combination in the 14-horse field on the dirt track at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo beat...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

'Double standard' beef plan may fuel consumer anxiety

Although the Japanese government is poised to exempt cattle 20 months or younger slaughtered in the United States from screening for mad cow disease, local governments here plan to continue checking all slaughtered cattle.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 14, 2005

Japan's wildlife: domesticated and lazy

When I first came to Japan, I thought, "Where are all the animals?" Japan doesn't seem to have the small urban-adapted wildlife like we have in the United States, such as squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks or even very many birds. Other than the City Mouse, animals just don't seem to move to the cities here....
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Victims slam report, cite absence of bankbook provisions

Friday's report on compensation related to bank card-related fraud has drawn fire from fraud victims and their lawyers, who claim it fails to adequately address the problem.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Jobs pick up for high school grads

The job placement rate for high school graduates hit a seven-year high this spring, due to a fall in the number of graduates and a pick-up in the economy, the education ministry said Friday.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Resona pays 100 million yen to 130 victims of fraud

Resona Holdings Inc., the parent of Resona Bank and Saitama Resona Bank, has refunded 100 million yen to 130 victims of swindling.
COMMUNITY
May 14, 2005

Extraordinary Ainu strut their stuff in Scotland

Val Aldridge is the researcher of the exhibition "The Extraordinary: A People Called Ainu," which opened at Scotland's Perth Museum and Art Gallery in April and will run through to the end of the year. It is hoped that it will generate some interest in July when the Group of Eight summit takes place...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
May 14, 2005

Takashi Kikuchi

The College Women's Association of Japan is already preparing for its 50th anniversary print show in October. Proceeds from this show each year are allocated to CWAJ's scholarship and education fund. Most beneficiaries are female graduates of different nationalities planning advanced studies in Japan...
COMMENTARY
May 14, 2005

How the U.S. courts a diplomatic fiasco

LOS ANGELES -- The government of North Korea is difficult to deal with, no matter who you are. Just ask China's leaders. After all, they are Pyongyang's closest ally and yet they probably find dealing with leader Kim Jong Il not a whole lot more fun than their testy cross-strait exchanges with Taiwan's...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
May 14, 2005

The true scoop behind Japan's baseball superheroes

Another spring and another baseball season for the sports-numb nation of Japan. And once again the TV-viewing public is being regaled with starry-eyed tales of wonder regarding its established heroes: Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui and, this year -- perhaps due to the shortage of heroic clay here in Japan...
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Machinery orders grew 6.5% in '04

Core private-sector machinery orders grew 6.5 percent in fiscal 2004 from the previous year, marking a second straight yearly rise, the government said Friday.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Nifco set to build new Thai plant

Industrial plastic parts manufacturer Nifco Inc. said Friday it will build a new plant in Thailand to meet growing orders from Japanese automakers.
COMMENTARY / World
May 14, 2005

Asia's growing role in global economy

WASHINGTON -- The recently concluded spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund focused on several key questions of concern to the international community: the prospects for sustaining global economic growth, reducing vulnerabilities in the international financial system, reducing poverty in...
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Sankyo president defends price of acquiring Daiichi

Brushing aside shareholder opposition, Sankyo Co. President Takashi Shoda on Friday defended his firm's decision to acquire Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

'Indoor dogs' on rise as small pets become part of the family

"Beware of Dog" signs are becoming increasingly rare as a growing number of people choose to keep their pets inside with them and not outside to guard the house.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Card-crime victims scrutinized

Victims should be held partly responsible if they lose money due to behavior that leads to lost or stolen bank cards, a Financial Services Agency panel studying bank card-related crimes said in an interim report Friday.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Takara, Tomy agree to merge in 2006

Takara Co., Japan's No. 2 toy maker, and Tomy Co., the third-largest, said Friday they have agreed to merge March 1 next year.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
May 13, 2005

Tsutsumi used culture to amass, retain iron grip on power

"If you want Sundays off, don't be a manager in my company."

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