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Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2005

Sony passes over brash star Kutaragi

Known as the "Father of the PlayStation," Ken Kutaragi seemed to many a logical choice to take Sony Corp.'s helm as it struggles to turn around its stumbling electronics business and regain its past glory symbolized by the Walkman.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2005

Atomic bomb survivors mourn pope's passing

People in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Sunday mourned the death of Pope John Paul II, who visited the atomic-bombed cities in 1981 to appeal for world peace.
COMMENTARY
Apr 4, 2005

Unstable bond unraveling

South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun's March 23 statement denouncing Japan for its colonial past is bound to seriously damage Tokyo-Seoul relations that have been improving in recent years. The statement reverses positive diplomacy Seoul has pursued on the basis of a 2003 agreement between Roh and Prime...
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2005

Origami's global ambassador Akira Yoshizawa dies at age 94

Akira Yoshizawa, an origami master whose expressive paper gorillas made an art out of the craft tradition, died last month of heart failure and pneumonia, his wife said Sunday. He was 94.
COMMENTARY
Apr 4, 2005

Wild card in Filipino politics

MANILA -- Ideally, in a democracy the military is subordinate to the political leadership, which enjoys a popular mandate through universal elections. In reality, civil-military relations often have a different quality.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Apr 4, 2005

Expo no ordinary economy booster

Aichi Expo 2005 -- the first world exposition of the 21st century -- has attracted tens of thousands of visitors since it opened March 25. Under the theme of "Nature's wisdom," the expo is providing the governments, companies and people of the 120 participating countries a place to exchange ideas and...
MORE SPORTS
Apr 3, 2005

Spanish pair leads Japan Open

Spain's Gemma Mengual and Paola Tirados took the lead over Japanese duo Emiko Suzuki and Saho Harada in the duet Saturday at the opening of the synchronized swimming Japan Open, which is also the national championships.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 3, 2005

Giants no longer packing 'em in at the Big Egg

Perhaps this is a sign of the times indicating the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, the once-almighty Kyojin team, does not have the overwhelming popularity it once had.
EDITORIALS
Apr 3, 2005

The shock of the old

I t's odd, isn't it, how time takes the edge off the edgy, making the outrageous respectable and turning yesterday's enfant terrible into today's eminence grise. Socialists are not the only ones who've had trouble putting permanent revolution into practice.
JAPAN
Apr 3, 2005

Miyake lifts volcanic gas warning

The Miyake village government lifted a volcanic gas warning Saturday morning that was the first issued since residents were allowed to return to the island on Feb. 1.
JAPAN
Apr 3, 2005

Women's birth weights said linked to infertility

Women who had low birth weights are more likely to be infertile, a research group at Fujita Health University said Saturday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 3, 2005

Jesse van Ruller

Although Holland has one of the best jazz scenes in the world, the number of Dutch musicians who have made an impression outside of Europe is surprisingly small. One who has made it "out" is guitarist Jesse van Ruller, who brings his trio to Japan for a rare tour this week.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Apr 3, 2005

Religious liaisons: A voice from the void

LETTERS OF THE NUN ESHINNI: Images of Pure Land Buddhism in Medieval Japan, by James C. Dobbins. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2004, 261 pp., with b/w illustrations, $60 (cloth). In 1921 a cache of papers was found in the archives of the Nishi Honganji temple in Kyoto. They were written by a...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 3, 2005

"Unnan Kyokugen Neta Battle" on TBS, "NHK Special" on stem-cell research and more

On TV, Japanese comedians are called upon to be funny in both prepared standup routines and in ad-lib conversational settings, but few seem to be able to combine these two skills into improvisational routines.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 3, 2005

Brazilian Girls: "Brazilian Girls"

Is there a genre name as pointlessly generic as World Beat? This common gripe, in fact, is the conceptual brainstorm behind the heady appeal of Brazilian Girls, a quartet of New York-based club musicians none of whom are Brazilian and only one of whom is a girl. Though they dabble in bossa nova, they...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 3, 2005

Out Hud: "Let us Never Speak of it Again"

A trillion watts. They mention it more than once, so I'm guessing that's what electro-rock collective, Out Hud, wants to get their hands on. They could certainly put it to use. Their nearly indescribable 2002 LP, "S.T.R.E.E.T.D.A.D.," was a gargantuan, Frankenstein-like creature composed of punk, post-rock,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Apr 3, 2005

Ryu Murakami: Straight-talking wordsmith wields his pen like a sword

For nearly three decades since his seismic debut with "Almost Transparent Blue," which delved into the sex- and drug-fueled lives of Japanese youths in a town hosting a huge U.S. military base, author Ryu Murakami has often used his trademark explicit, offensive and guiltlessly cheerful language to dig...
MORE SPORTS
Apr 3, 2005

Hamaguchi set to return to court

Former Japan international basketball player Noriko Hamaguchi is set to come out of retirement and restart her career in a domestic league next season, sources close to her said Saturday.
Features
Apr 3, 2005

Does language 'difficulty' speak of a sense beyond mere words?

I have often been told by Japanese people that theirs is the most difficult language in the world. Virtually all the Japanese people who have said this to me, I might add, have spoken no other language than their own.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 3, 2005

The rebirth of a salesman

For Atsushi Yamada, conductor of the New York City Opera, his presentation of Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madame Butterfly" to be staged in Tokyo and Nagoya in May will be something of a triumphant return.

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