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Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2004

Doraemon handler calls FCC copycat

The Japanese agency for a popular cartoon series featuring the robotic cat Doraemon has sent a complaint to a U.S. government agency over its use of a "quite similar" character on its Web site.
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2004

Groups welcome tsunami relief funds

The massive earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra Island and subsequent tsunamis that hit South and Southeast Asia on Sunday have left untold numbers of dead in devastated beach resorts and coastal communities in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Rugby
Dec 30, 2004

Inventive approach from Toshiba's coach is rewarded with Top League crown

The Toshiba Brave Lupus players may well have made some last-minute additions to the New Year cards they sent out this year following last Sunday's two Top League games.
BUSINESS
Dec 30, 2004

Individuals made 30% of trades in '04: brokers

Widespread use of the Internet for stock trading has lured more individuals to the market.
BUSINESS
Dec 30, 2004

IRCJ to set up new Daiei management team in May: Saito

The Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan plans to set up a new management team for ailing retailer Daiei Inc., IRCJ President Atsushi Saito said Wednesday.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 30, 2004

Japan gripped by obsession with pure love

2004 was the year of jun-ai (pure love), epitomized by the huge popularity of Yon-sama (the reverential nickname for Bae Yong Joon, star of the hit Korean drama "Winter Sonata") and a craze for sentimental love stories that gripped the nation from Hokkaido to the Okinawa.
BUSINESS
Dec 30, 2004

Realtors form strategic partnership

Struggling condominium builder Towa Real Estate Development Co. said Wednesday that Mitsubishi Estate Co. will become its largest shareholder under an agreement to create a "strategic partnership."
COMMENTARY
Dec 30, 2004

Enough of grievance politics

DUBAI/LONDON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been in the Middle East recently, asserting that the Israel-Palestine dispute is "the most important issue facing the world today."
Dec 30, 2004

Doraemon handler calls FCC copycat

The Japanese agency for a popular cartoon series featuring the robotic cat Doraemon has sent a complaint to a U.S. government agency over its use of a "quite similar" character on its Web site.
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2004

Japan to expand peace missions to gain UNSC seat

The government plans to expand its participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations and other U.N.-related activities to promote its bid for a permanent seat on the world body's Security Council, according to government officials.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 30, 2004

Dentsu poll finds year's top 10 consumer darlings

2004 saw many things strike the fancy of Japanese consumers, especially on the big screen at home, to the extent that some became social phenomena.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Dec 30, 2004

Nishi re-signs with Yomiuri as MLB clubs pass

Infielder Toshihisa Nishi, who filed for free agency with an eye to playing in the major leagues, agreed Tuesday on a two-year deal to remain with the Yomiuri Giants for a total of 500 million yen plus performance-related incentives.
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2004

Kin of missing Japanese go to ID bodies in Sri Lanka

Relatives of seven Japanese believed killed by tsunamis in Sri Lanka headed for Colombo on Wednesday, while the Foreign Ministry said another body believed to be that of a Japanese woman has been found there.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Dec 30, 2004

An FPS for the thinking man

"Metroid Prime 2: Echoes," a first-person shooter from Nintendo for the GameCube, is both fun and a pain at the same time. It keeps you on your toes, even when it makes you perform the same tasks over and over again.
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Dec 30, 2004

Controversies cloud a breakthrough find on 'once-luxuriant bush'

This year has been a vintage one for biologists interested in human evolution. In a cave on an Indonesian island, the remains of a new species of human were found, a species that lived only 18,000 years ago and hence overlapped with modern Homo sapiens.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Dec 30, 2004

What is behind 'shocking' Hokkaido bid for World Heritage Site status?

Recently I was lucky enough to visit no fewer than six World Heritage Sites (WHS) in northern India. An astonishing cultural, ethnic and biological diversity is well represented in India's array of national parks (NP) and WHS, and, my goodness, they have a huge wow factor.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 30, 2004

Rockets' trade of journeyman Jackson is hard to figure

NEW YORK -- Jimmy Jackson got the call yesterday he didn't want to hear, and had no idea was coming.
EDITORIALS
Dec 29, 2004

Catastrophe without warning

The massive onshore surges of seawater from tsunamis triggered by the mega-earthquake that struck off northwestern Indonesia on Sunday have caused heavy damage across southern Asia. They are a deadly reminder of how vulnerable humanity is to the destructive forces of nature.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 29, 2004

Eagles hope to soar in first year with acquisition of Iwakuma

Here is my final column of 2004, the most tumultuous year in the history of Japanese pro baseball.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 29, 2004

In the atrophied heart of America

Super Size Me Rating: * * * * 1/2 (out of 5) Director: Morgan Spurlock Running time: 96 minutes Language: English Currently showing [See Japan Times movie listings] Buffalo Soldiers Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 5) Director: Gregor Jordan Running time: 98 minutes Language: English Currently...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 29, 2004

Get 'em fresh

This seemed like an off year for cinema. How bad was it? Well, I write a column for a women's monthly, and some months I couldn't even find one movie to recommend wholeheartedly. As usual, there were plenty of in-your-face junk flicks to wade through, but things like "Van Helsing" or "Catwoman" were...

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