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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 29, 2004

Come back for more

Upon seeing this list the editor of this page expressed "dismay" that it hadn't included movies that I had raved about, and that instead I included those with a less-than four-star rating. Call me contradictory, if you like. The fact is the obvious choices were so praised and dissected and analyzed to...
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2004

Daiei, Misawa to get IRCJ bailout

The Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan made it official Tuesday: It will support ailing retailer Daiei Inc. and Misawa Homes Holdings Inc. in what would be the biggest and probably the last case taken on by the bailout agency.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2004

11 diplomats punished for embezzling funds in Vienna

Eleven diplomats have been punished for embezzling public money between 1997 and 2002 while they were stationed at the Japanese diplomatic mission in Vienna, Foreign Ministry officials said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2004

Cabinet OKs Foreign Ministry staff shuffle

The Cabinet endorsed Tuesday a major reshuffle of key Foreign Ministry officials, including the vice foreign minister and chiefs of bureaus handling issues related to North Korea and the United States, effective Jan. 4, the Foreign Ministry said.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2004

Japan has tentative list of 11 dead

Four Japanese have been confirmed dead in Thailand and seven others are believed to have died in Sri Lanka in the massive tsunamis that hit South and Southeast Asia over the weekend, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2004

FSA chief to hold talks in Europe

Financial Services Minister Tatsuya Ito said Tuesday he will make a five-day visit to Britain and France starting Jan. 5 to meet the heads of the two countries' central banks to discuss financial-sector issues.
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2004

November tax revenues off 2.8%

The country's tax revenues in November fell 2.8 percent from a year earlier to 6.3 trillion yen, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2004

Hostage beheading video screened at Chiba rock concert

Video footage showing the decapitation of a Japanese man taken hostage in Iraq this year was shown on a big screen at a rock concert Sunday in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, concert sponsor Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. said.
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2004

Tokyo consumer prices fall for sixth consecutive year

The key gauge of consumer prices in Tokyo dropped 0.2 percent in 2004 from the previous year for the sixth straight year of decline, due mainly to falls in prices of personal computers and durable home appliances, the government said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2004

Joetsu Shinkansen back on track after quakes

The Joetsu Shinkansen Line resumed full services between Tokyo and Niigata stations Tuesday for the first time since massive earthquakes struck Niigata Prefecture in late October.
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2004

MMC inks deal with Taiwan ally

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Tuesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with its Taiwanese affiliate, China Motor Corp., to expand production and sales in mainland China.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 29, 2004

MLB settles lawsuit with Morioka

Major League Baseball, which had been the target of a $3.4 million lawsuit by Tokyo native Juri Morioka, charging wrongful termination and overt racism against Asians, has quietly settled the case, The Japan Times has learned.
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Dec 29, 2004

Cheers to contemporary art

The years are passing too quickly for this no-longer-young critic. Lest you think me embittered, let me start this year in review on a high note by trumpeting the star of 2004, a grand old dame who looks as bright and new as the day she was born -- the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art. Built in the Bauhaus...
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2004

Civilian controls over military matters seen in the balance

As Japan prepares to redefine the Self-Defense Forces as a bona fide military, the government will have to address the sensitive question of how much say SDF officers should have in national security.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 29, 2004

Buy local produce

Japanese films had a good 2004, even if eight of the 10 top box-office slots went to Hollywood. The Japanese exhibition business is coming to resemble the American one, with more multiplex screens and wider openings. This structure favors major Hollywood product -- the latest "Harry Potter" or "Lord...
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 29, 2004

Celebrating ourselves and others on stage in 2004

Many of the best theatrical stagings on these shores this year tackled issues having to do with the current chaotic state of the world. The focus of the best productions in Japan was how to understand, communicate and cope with others from quite different cultural and ethnic backgrounds; or, as part...
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2004

Towa may receive capital from Mitsubishi Estate

Struggling condominium builder Towa Real Estate Development Co. has entered the final phase of talks with Mitsubishi Estate Co. on receiving capital, sources said Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 29, 2004

Alternative to fading away

In the annals of mankind, various nations that rose and fell over centuries are recognized for what they left for posterity. The Romans laid the foundations of Western civilization with Roman Law and built the infrastructure that enabled the spread of Christianity. The world owes the British for the...
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2004

Industrial production climbs 1.5%

The nation's industrial production rose a seasonally adjusted 1.5 percent in November from the previous month for the first increase in three months, due partly to brisk overseas demand for semiconductor machinery, the government said Tuesday.
COMMENTARY
Dec 29, 2004

Turkey's long march to an EU wedding

PARIS -- Although a wedding date has yet to be set between the European Union and Turkey, the two parties managed to conclude what several participants at the Dec. 17 European summit have called a formal "engagement."
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2004

Government panel to debate letting woman ascend throne

The government said Monday it will set up an advisory panel next month to discuss revising the Imperial Household Law with an eye to allowing a female ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2004

Japan as seen through Hollywood's eyes

OSAKA -- Over the past year or so, Japan has figured in several popular Hollywood films.

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