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EDITORIALS
Jan 7, 2005

Recovery effort on a global scale

The vast numbers of tsunami victims in the stricken countries around the Indian Ocean boggle the mind. More than 10 days after the disaster, exact figures are still unknown. According to the United Nations, the death toll has passed 150,000 and is expected to keep climbing. Thousands of other people,...
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2005

Postal privatization, budget issues await Diet on Jan. 21

The Diet will convene Jan. 21 for this year's ordinary session, which is scheduled to run through June 19, the government said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2005

NHK chief indicates he may quit

The president of scandal-plagued public broadcaster NHK indicated Thursday that he might step down before his current term expires in July 2006.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2005

Underground economy expected to boom

"No money and you're dead" is essentially what yakuza characters in novels and comic books say, and they mean that literally.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2005

Yasukuni Shrine Web site crippled in cyber war

The Yasukuni Shrine Web site has been under attack from hackers since September, a shrine official said Thursday.
COMMENTARY
Jan 7, 2005

Musharraf's penchant to stay in charge

ISLAMABAD -- The prospect that Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf -- who seized power in a bloodless coup five years ago -- will remain head of the military looms as a major setback in the political outlook for South Asia's second-largest nuclear-armed country.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2005

Fans follow suit after 'Yon-sama' tsunami donation

Japanese women are rushing to offer donations for Asian tsunami survivors after their idol, a South Korean movie star, chipped in 300 million won (about 30 million yen).
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jan 7, 2005

Ebisu Imaiya Saryou: A yakitori pavilion that rules the roost

A brave new Year of the Rooster has dawned -- so what better way to celebrate it than by eating one? On such auspicious occasions as this, naturally, only the finest fowl will do -- and it's hard to find any that taste better than the variety known as Hinai jidori.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / THEN AND NOW
Jan 7, 2005

Old Asakusa lives on

Asakusa is a magnet for those who love old-time Tokyo. Like a theater full of excitement and festivity in praise of old Edo, Asakusa Kannon Temple and the surrounding business district are vibrant year-round, attracting on average 35 million people a year. This two-part article will take an in-depth...
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2005

Nara man held over bogus notes

Nara Prefectural Police said Thursday they have arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of using a counterfeit 10,000 yen note at a coffee shop in the city of Nara on Dec. 20.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jan 6, 2005

China national team to tour Japan

Nippon Professional Baseball will invite the Chinese national baseball team to Japan this summer for a monthlong international friendly tour in a bid to strengthen ties with the Olympic host, baseball sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2005

Japan firms pledge cash for disaster relief effort

In an outpouring of sympathy for survivors of the Asian tsunami disaster, Japan's top companies are pledging donations by the millions, sending cash, food and flashlights with hopes of raising their image in the region as good corporate citizens.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 6, 2005

Golden Eagles unveil 'classic' new uniforms

Going with a traditional look, Pacific League newcomers the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles revealed their new uniforms on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2005

New Year's saw record shrine-goers

A record 89.66 million people visited Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples during the first three days of the new year, up by around 770,000 from last year, the National Police Agency said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 6, 2005

Finding succor in tragedy

WASHINGTON -- It is said that even the darkest cloud has a silver lining. So what positives could possibly be connected with the sorrowful destruction from Sumatra's tsunami? The catastrophe has shown us several things:
EDITORIALS
Jan 6, 2005

Uncertain economic prospects ahead

The world's economic outlook for 2005 is uncertain at best. Pessimists may worry about worst-case scenarios, but economic disasters, unlike natural disasters, can be prevented through better planning and management. Much depends on how major economic powers -- particularly the United States, Europe,...
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2005

ASDF sending C-130 to Thai base

An Air Self-Defense Force C-130 transport will leave for Thailand Thursday to join a U.S. military-led relief operation for survivors of the Dec. 26 tsunamis, the Defense Agency said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2005

Japan needs to train Iraqi officials to be self-reliant, diplomat says

Japan should help to train Iraqi engineers and local administrative officials who will play key roles in rebuilding the nation, according to a Foreign Ministry official who heads Japan's diplomatic office in the southern Iraq city of Samawah.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2005

JAL to aid study of greenhouse gas with new device

A team of scientists will analyze greenhouse-gas concentrations in the atmosphere by using a new device aboard international flights in cooperation with Japan Airlines.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2005

Time has come to end ODA to China, Yachi says

It's time to decide when Japan will terminate its official development assistance to China, the vice foreign minister said Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jan 6, 2005

Lessons from last year's landmark U.S. election

WASHINGTON -- The last election that we just endured is still being quantified and dissected. From the seemingly endless forums and reviews that have flowed since Nov. 2, we are learning a bit about how our elections are run and won.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2005

Koizumi contradicts Yachi on North

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Wednesday downplayed the idea of prioritizing the abduction issue over the nuclear standoff when dealing with North Korea.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2005

Yamasaki declares bid to win back Fukuoka Diet seat

Former Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Taku Yamasaki said Wednesday he will run in April's by-election in Fukuoka Prefecture in a bid to retake the Diet seat he lost in the 2003 general election.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Jan 6, 2005

Buckwheat booze lifts locals' spirits

The first flurries of snow usually fall here where I live in Kurohime in mid-November, just at the start of the hunting season.

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