search

 
 
SOCCER / World cup
Jan 13, 2005

Koji Nakata gets tryout with Olympique Marseille

Japan and Kashima Antlers midfielder Koji Nakata will get a tryout with French club Olympique Marseille on Wednesday or Thursday, Marseille said on its official Web site on Wednesday.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 13, 2005

Ai-chan advances in mixed doubles

Ai Fukuhara, who at the age of 16 is aiming to become the youngest national champion in women's singles, advanced to the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles for the first time in her career at the table tennis national championships on Wednesday.
SUMO
Jan 13, 2005

Kaio's hopes die with third loss

Tosanoumi upset Kaio at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday, dashing any hope the ozeki wrestler had for promotion to sumo's highest rank.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jan 13, 2005

Yanks' Matsui happy to have Johnson on board

New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui said on Wednesday he believes the team will benefit from the moxie of southpaw veteran Randy Johnson, who joined the American League club in a trade and signed a two-year, $32 million contract extension.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2005

SDP stumped by call to back DPJ candidates

Confusion reigned among Social Democratic Party officials Wednesday after Democratic Party of Japan leader Katsuya Okada claimed he called the SDP chief and urged her party not to field candidates in April's House of Representatives by-elections and instead support DPJ candidates.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2005

Inventor of blue LED angry with settlement

The inventor of the blue light-emitting diode said Wednesday he was forced to settle with Nichia Corp. out of court for ¥843 million over the diode patent.
EDITORIALS
Jan 13, 2005

Chance for peace in Sudan

The government of Sudan and southern rebels signed a peace agreement last weekend. The deal could end one of Africa's longest civil wars. While hopes are high, there are many reasons to be cautious. The history of this conflict is fraught with agreements that have been betrayed.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2005

Flesh traders targeting Western women

A 23-year-old Russian woman became intrigued with the idea of working as a hostess in Japan a few years ago after a friend returned home flush with cash from hostessing and opened a boutique.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2005

Norovirus spreading among children

Infectious gastroenteritis caused by the norovirus has spread among children since December, a survey by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases showed Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2005

MSDF sends biggest transport to serve as Sumatra relief base

Japan's largest Maritime Self-Defense Force transport ship departed Wednesday for Indonesia's Sumatra Island as part of a relief mission to the worst-hit area of the Dec. 26 tsunamis triggered by a massive earthquake.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2005

Solo yachtsman passes Cape Horn

Adventurer Kenichi Horie passed Cape Horn at the tip of South America on Tuesday as he continues on his nonstop solo sailing circumnavigation, according to his supporters in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Jan 13, 2005

Fossils reveal human drift to 'beauty'

The 18th-century British philosopher David Hume said "Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty."
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2005

Rocket hits GSDF Samawah camp

A rocket hit the Ground Self-Defense Force camp in the Iraqi city of Samawah on Tuesday evening but no one was hurt, the Defense Agency said.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Jan 13, 2005

Japanese white-eye

* Japanese name: Mejiro * Scientific name: Zosterops japonicus * Description: The white-eye is a small, delicate bird, with an olive-green upper body, wings and head, and a gray to pale-brown belly. The distinguishing feature is the bright-white eye ring made of feathers (the Japanese name means...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 13, 2005

Jakuemon: A man for the ladies

NAKAMURA JAKUEMON IV: The Art of Onnagata Acting, by Rei Sasaguchi, photos by Yutaka Umemura, Akira Iwata, Fumio Watanabe. Designed and published by Rei Sasaguchi, 2004, 116 pp., 3000 yen (cloth). This very interesting, beautifully designed book is an essay on the art of onnagata, the kabuki actor playing...
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Jan 13, 2005

Adult fun and gore galore

Here's my dirty little secret: Despite my reputation as a hardcore moralist, truth be told I love the "Mortal Kombat" games. When it's late at night and the kids are in bed, I'll sometimes pull out whichever is the latest title in the series -- surely the bloodiest of the bloody fighting games -- and...
LIFE / Lifestyle / ON THE BOOK TRAIL
Jan 13, 2005

"The Time Wreccas," "Winnie's Magic Wand"

"The Time Wreccas," Val Tyler, Puffin Books; 2005; 338 pp. Children's fiction these days is so all-knowing, so cynical, even, that possibly only a first-time writer can bring back to it the naivete that it has all but lost. Perhaps Val Tyler, author of "The Time Wreccas" has not noticed how popular...
MORE SPORTS
Jan 12, 2005

Inoue sidelined for a month

Japanese heavyweight judoka Kosei Inoue will be sidelined for around one month after sustaining an injury to his chest in the Kano Cup international tournament on Sunday, his coach said Tuesday.
SUMO
Jan 12, 2005

Kaio loses 2nd bout in a row

Rising star Hakuho dealt a major blow to Kaio's promotion bid Tuesday with a convincing win over the ozeki wrestler on the third day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 12, 2005

What's in a name? The good, the bad and the absurd

From the (e-)mail bag, Patrick O'Mara from Washington, D.C., sent the following message: "I'm writing as a new fan to the game; my wife got me into (baseball) this past season, when the Red Sox finally overcame the Yankees. My question is why do they call it the "World" Series?
MORE SPORTS
Jan 12, 2005

Shibutani set to call it a day

Hiroshi Shibutani, a three-time Olympian and winner of the bronze medal in men's doubles at the 1997 World Championships, said Tuesday he will call it a career after the ongoing table tennis national championships.
EDITORIALS
Jan 12, 2005

A permanent Security Council seat

Japanese diplomacy faces formidable challenges in 2005, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. With momentum building for reform of the United Nations, this will be a crucial year in Japan's bid for permanent membership on the powerful U.N. Security Council.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2005

Flier poster indicted for trespassing

Prosecutors indicted a 57-year-old Buddhist monk on Tuesday for trespassing while posting fliers at a housing complex in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, last month.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2005

State seeks to fund only quality foreign students

The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry urged the government on Tuesday to review its policy on foreign students because their academic performance has been declining.

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