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JAPAN
Oct 5, 2004

Resettled 'war orphans' sue government for 33 million yen

More than 100 Japanese who had been left behind in China at the end of World War II filed a lawsuit against the government Monday, each seeking 33 million yen in compensation for what they called Tokyo's slow action and insufficient support in helping them settle in Japan.
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2004

Payout made for revolving door death

The family of a 6-year-old boy who was crushed in an automatic revolving door at Tokyo's Roppongi Hills commercial complex has reached an out-of-court settlement with the complex operator, sources said Monday.
BUSINESS / CABINET INTERVIEW
Oct 5, 2004

IRCJ to stop accepting new projects in March

Seiichiro Murakami, newly chosen state minister in charge of industrial revitalization, said the Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan will stop accepting new turnaround assignments in March, as scheduled.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2004

Programmers to compete in stock contest

Virtual robots developed by novice and veteran computer programmers will compete in a one-month stock investment contest starting Jan. 24.
EDITORIALS
Oct 4, 2004

Bigger issue than postal privatization

At a press conference following his Cabinet reshuffle last month, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi dubbed his new Cabinet as one "to realize privatization of the postal service." He made it clear that the reshuffle had been his own work, indicating his determination to carry out the privatization. Mr....
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2004

Lawyers to seek law protecting human rights of foreigners

A group of lawyers plans to call for legislation aimed at protecting the human rights of non-Japanese and reducing discrimination against them, group members said Sunday.
COMMENTARY
Oct 4, 2004

Can Chirac remain on top?

PARIS -- Has French President Jacques Chirac sufficiently weighed the possible effects of his decision to hold a referendum next year on the draft EU constitution, which was approved last June by the European Council?
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2004

Travel agents plan to cash in on Ichiro

Major tour operators are hoping there will be more demand next year for tours to the United States to watch baseball following Ichiro Suzuki's record-breaking performance this season.
COMMENTARY
Oct 4, 2004

Staying on path of resistance

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi defines the aim of his new Cabinet as "privatizing the postal services." The new executive lineup of the Liberal Democratic Party, of which he is president, attests to the importance he attaches to postal privatization as the mainstay of his "structural reform" agenda....
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2004

China aid to focus on ecology: Machimura

Japanese economic assistance for China will focus on environment conservation and human resources development, Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said Sunday in response to calls to stop aiding the rapidly growing neighbor.
BUSINESS
Oct 4, 2004

Buoyant Koizumi makes mad dash for the pole -- but which one?

He was supposed to go to the north pole, but changed directions on the way and ended up discovering the south pole. A connoisseur of polar-expedition literature would immediately say this is a description of Roald Amundsen, the great Norwegian explorer of the early 20th century.
COMMENTARY
Oct 4, 2004

CCP eyes reforms while sustaining Hu

HONG KONG -- A key policy document endorsed by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party at the same time that it approved Hu Jintao as Jiang Zemin's successor as the country's top leader calls for urgent steps to enhance the party's ability to govern while outlining a cautious strategy of...
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2004

Airlines lose big during typhoons

Flight cancellations due to a series of typhoons this year have cost the nation's major airlines more than 5 billion yen as of the end of September.
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2004

Saiki to be transferred to U.S. post

The Foreign Ministry has decided to appoint Akitaka Saiki, Japan's chief delegate to the talks with North Korea on the abduction and nuclear issues, as a minister at the Japanese Embassy in Washington later this year, according to ministry sources.
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2004

Nuclear arsenal deemed infeasible in '81

The main policy research arm of the Defense Agency in 1981 studied the possibility of Japan going nuclear but concluded the idea wasn't feasible in light of the nation's industrial and technological infrastructure, according to a research report obtained by Kyodo News.
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2004

Machimura to visit U.S. this week

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura is likely to visit the United States around the middle of this week to hold talks with Secretary of State Colin Powell on U.S. military realignment and pending U.S. beef exports to Japan, government sources said Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 3, 2004

Emerson nets pair as Reds extend lead

Brazilian striker Emerson scored in each half Saturday as second-stage leader Urawa Reds hammered JEF United Ichihara 4-0 to open up a five-point lead in the J. League.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 3, 2004

Sons & Daughters sing in the name of forefathers

It's high time for another British invasion of the former colonies, and right now everybody thinks Franz Ferdinand is the band that will lead the attack. They're in the midst of their second coast-to-coast U.S. tour since last June, selling out big venues wherever they go.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 3, 2004

Discrimination keeps Chinese tourists at bay

Japan's neglect of its tourism potential could be called a sidelight of its overall self-image. On the international stage, Japan sees itself as culturally impenetrable and overpriced. Moreover, the xenophobia that many people accuse it of fostering has become accepted by the citizens as a national trait,...
SUMO
Oct 3, 2004

Ceremony held for Musashimaru

Former grand champion Musashimaru was honored in a retirement ceremony Saturday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. Musashimaru had his top knot cut off by fellow wrestlers and friends in a traditional ceremony at the famed sumo arena. Tears rolled down Musashimaru's face as the final cut was made by his stablemaster...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Oct 3, 2004

The writings of Mori Ogai, a multifaceted Meiji intellect

NOT A SONG LIKE ANY OTHER: An Anthology of Writings by Mori Ogai, edited by J. Thomas Rime. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2004, $42 (cloth). Editor J. Thomas Rimer includes in this anthology an excellent introduction that clearly and succinctly outlines Mori Ogai's achievements and expands readers'...
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Oct 3, 2004

Ricoh moves atop Top League table, upsets Kobe 27-21

The heaviest back in Japanese rugby, Masato Morishima (107 kg), and one of the most frightening sights on the paddock (a rampaging Ipolito Fenukitau) helped the Ricoh Black Rams go top of the Top League following their 27-21 win over the Kobe Kobelco Steelers at Tokyo's Chichibunomiya on Saturday.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Oct 3, 2004

Bookbite

JAPANESE: Phrasebook. Lonely Planet, 255 pp., 2004 (Fourth edition), $7.99 (cloth). For the complete beginner of Japanese, this tiny phrase book covers pronunciation, simple phrases, numbers (including some of the different ways to count in Japanese), times, dates, the usual tourist necessities and even...

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