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COMMENTARY / World
Mar 9, 2005

How diplomacy can defuse the North Korean crisis

WASHINGTON -- "The sure way to miss success is to miss the opportunity," a wise man once observed. Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura asked U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to visit Japan "at the earliest possible opportunity" during a bilateral security meeting in Washington on Feb. 19. When...
COMMENTARY
Mar 9, 2005

Beijing putting ball in Chen's court

HONOLULU -- The unprecedented direct flights between Taiwan and China during the Chinese New Year holiday period and Beijing's dispatch of two senior Chinese representatives to Taiwan for the memorial service of Koo Chen-fu -- who conducted breakthrough cross-strait dialogue a decade ago under the now...
EDITORIALS
Mar 9, 2005

Weak link in nuclear safety

The government's nuclear energy report for 2004 is a dismal reminder that public confidence in nuclear safety remains low. The report, prepared by the Atomic Energy Commission, follows the accident last August in which five workers died because of exposure to bursts of superheated steam from a ruptured...
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2005

DaimlerChrysler, Suzuki and Isuzu issue vehicle recalls

DaimlerChrysler Japan Co. said Tuesday it will recall PT Cruiser cars and Actros trucks, Suzuki Motor Corp. said it will recall Swift compact cars and Isuzu Motors Ltd. said it has to fix Erga buses.
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2005

NBS clients threaten to pull ads

Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. said Tuesday that many advertisers have threatened to withdraw sponsorship of baseball and soccer game broadcasts if Internet company Livedoor Co. takes over its management.
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2005

Brother to launch unit in China

Sewing machine maker Brother Industries Ltd. said Tuesday it will launch a wholly owned wholesale unit in China later this month to enhance sales in the fast-growing market.
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2005

Food safety panel won't feel political pressure over U.S. beef: minister

Food safety minister Yasufumi Tanahashi said Tuesday he does not expect the Food Safety Commission to come under political pressure to approve lifting the 15-month-old ban on U.S. beef imports.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 9, 2005

The melting pot of theatrical Asia served up for Japan

"Hotel Grand Asia," the debut production resulting from an ambitious pan-Asian collaboration called Lohan Journey, opened at the Setagaya Public Theatre (SEPT) in Sangenjaya on March 8 is the fruit of over two years of intensive preparation since the project was launched by SEPT's director Kentaro Matsui....
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 9, 2005

Jubilo goal was good: J. League

The J. League has concluded that the controversial goal scored off the hand of Jubilo Iwata midfielder Takashi Fukunishi in Saturday's match against Yokohama F. Marinos was legitimate, J. League Chairman Masaru Suzuki said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2005

Toyota booming in world's No. 2 spot over U.S. rival Ford

Back in the 1970s, workers at Toyota Motor Corp. were taught to never turn down an order because good times couldn't be counted on to last forever. These days, Toyota cars are in such demand workers are exhausted just keeping up.
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2005

Japan group to win Mitsui Mining rehab

The Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan intends to pick a Japanese consortium led by Nippon Steel Corp. for rebuilding Mitsui Mining Co., sources said Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Mar 9, 2005

Thank you to all art

Today, in case you didn't know it, is Thank You Art Day, a day to celebrate contemporary art made by anyone anywhere. Artist Yoshiaki Kaihatsu, a Tama Art University graduate, began the annual event in 2001 with an eye to, as he says, "vitalizing the Japanese art scene, because the Japanese art market...
EDITORIALS
Mar 8, 2005

Military threat is counterproductive

The agenda for the current National People's Congress of China reportedly includes an antisecession bill for preventing the independence of Taiwan. The Chinese leadership wants to have the bill enacted by the end of the session on March 14. The contents of the draft legislation have not been made public,...
COMMENTARY
Mar 8, 2005

Deterrence for less in Asia

The Japan-U.S. alliance is evolving into one that "plays a vital role in enhancing regional and global peace and stability," according to a joint statement issued last month by the defense and foreign ministers of the two countries. The statement sets common strategic goals for dealing with the new security...
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 8, 2005

Asian baseball championship to be held in Miyazaki

The Asian baseball championship, which doubles as a qualifier for the World Cup this fall, will be held for four days this May in Miyazaki Prefecture, officials of the Japan baseball governing body said Monday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Mar 8, 2005

What should the government do about repeat child-sex offenders?

Nicholas Chase Art assistant, 18 It's a solution to have a list of sex offenders for the police but not the public -- that's insane. It scares people and incites violence. I think that prisoners should be graded on their potential to re-offend.
BUSINESS
Mar 8, 2005

Capital spending rises a disappointing 3.5%

Corporate capital spending grew a disappointing 3.5 percent in the October-December quarter from a year earlier, the Finance Ministry said Monday, making it likely that gross domestic product data for the period will be revised downward.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Mar 8, 2005

Creating laws out of thin air

With terrorists striking fear into governments worldwide, Japan too is currently considering its own version of America's Patriot Act, to be passed in a year or two.
BUSINESS
Mar 8, 2005

Fuji TV seen securing one-third stake in NBS

Fuji Television Network Inc. has probably secured more than one-third of voting rights in Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. through its public tender offer that ended Monday evening, sources said.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Mar 8, 2005

Meditation, body work and TAC fundraising

Thanks to Vipassana Rose kindly sent a postcard after completing her most recent Vipassana course in Kyoto.
BUSINESS
Mar 8, 2005

Millea Holdings chairman to resign

Millea Holdings Inc. Chairman Tomio Higuchi will resign from the post at the end of this month as well as from his concurrent chairmanship of Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., and become adviser to the insurer on April 1, the company said Monday.
BUSINESS
Mar 8, 2005

Marubeni-led group inks deal with IRCJ, Daiei over retailer's rehab

The Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan and Daiei Inc. signed a contract Monday with a consortium led by trading house Marubeni Corp. as the sponsor for rebuilding the struggling retail giant.
BUSINESS
Mar 8, 2005

Regional economic assessments fall

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Monday it has revised downward from October its economic assessment for eight out of 10 regions polled in a February survey.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 7, 2005

Miura lifts Vissel over Cerezo

Kazu Miura and former Czech international Pavel Hovarth scored in the second half Sunday to lead Vissel Kobe to a 3-1 win over Cerezo Osaka in the J. League's first division.
EDITORIALS
Mar 7, 2005

Risk-free deposit era nears dusk

With Japanese banks regaining financial health, the ad hoc regime of full-deposit insurance is about to end. Beginning April 1, deposits will be protected only up to 10 million yen in principal plus interest -- the same limit that was in force until 1996 when it was removed temporarily amid growing instability...
COMMENTARY
Mar 7, 2005

Let taxes spur carbon cuts

On Feb. 16, the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at curbing the air pollution blamed for global warming, took effect. To become valid, the accord had to be ratified by at least 55 countries, including developed countries that accounted for at least 55 percent of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions...

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight