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Japan Times
Features
Jul 25, 2004

Brolly good notion out of the blue

One evening in March, Daryn Peterson was stretched out on his sofa at home. After a hard day's work, he was totally relaxed and just watching TV. Then, when the weather forecast came on, he sat up suddenly. It was as if lightning had struck his brain; an idea had suddenly flashed into his mind.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jul 25, 2004

Way to go keigo: a loaded language of politeness

KEIGO IN MODERN JAPAN: Polite Language From Meiji to the Present, by Patricia J. Wetzel. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 206 pp. with illustrations, 2004, $45 (cloth). Keigo is often thought of as a separate kind of Japanese (often called "polite speech," "honorifics," or the like) that is used...
Japan Times
Features
Jul 25, 2004

Inspiration drawn from inconvenience

Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. But for grandmother Yoko Sukekawa, it's the inconveniences she encounters in her daily life that get her inventor's juices flowing.
OLYMPICS
Jul 25, 2004

Japanese delegation launched

The Japanese delegation for the upcoming Olympic Games in Athens was officially launched with a ceremony Saturday.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 25, 2004

Home is where the financial heartbreak is

If you have a dedicated telephone line, you probably receive calls from sales people pitching new condominiums or single-family homes in your area. The pitch always starts the same way: "Do you rent? Do you pay more than 100,000 yen a month? If you were paying that much a month for a mortgage, you could...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jul 25, 2004

Kabuki star in Fuji TV's "Tuesday Special" and more

On July 25, kabuki star Nakamura Kankuro will wrap up a historic weeklong run in New York City. Though Kankuro has performed in New York before, this time he brought his portable Heisei Nakamura-za theater and had it erected in the plaza of Lincoln Center.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 25, 2004

Urawa Reds march on to Nabisco Cup quarters

Holders Urawa Reds came back from an early deficit to beat JEF United Ichihara 2-1 to reach the quarterfinals of the J. League Nabisco Cup on the final day of first-round clashes Saturday.
COMMENTARY
Jul 25, 2004

Gender imbalance exacting social costs

HONG KONG -- A quarter of a century ago, China decided to focus on economic development rather than Maoist class struggle. As part of that drive, it adopted a policy of limiting population growth with couples allowed to have only one child in the cities. Chinese officials say that as a result, 300 million...
EDITORIALS
Jul 25, 2004

The governor and the 'girlie men'

Say this much for California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger: He is never boring. The "Governator" proved that again recently when he said that opposition lawmakers campaigning against his budget proposals were "girlie men." The remark caused a furor among U.S. Democrats. It also reignited a more general...
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2004

MTFG's leaders eyed to head merged group

Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group Inc. and UFJ Holdings Inc., eyeing a merger in the next fiscal year, are considering having the president and chairman of MTFG take the same positions in the merged banking group, informed sources said Saturday.
Japan Times
Features
Jul 25, 2004

Japan's inventor supreme shares the secret of 3,218 successes

Who is Japan's most famous inventor? No doubt about it, it's Yoshiro Nakamatsu -- or Dr. NakaMats as he styles himself. The doc says he has 3,218 inventions to his credit, including the floppy disk and the compact disc. Although his childhood dream was to become Finance Minister, from the age of 5, Nakamatsu...
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

Kamei blasts IWC over its 'rigidity'

Yoshiyuki Kamei, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, said Friday he was disappointed that the International Whaling Commission rejected a number of Japanese proposals at its annual meeting.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

Bolton talks tough on North's ambitions

U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton reiterated Friday that North Korea must completely abandon its nuclear program, which he maintained is exclusively for military use.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

Birthrate benefits future students

The nation's falling birthrate is good news for future university and junior college applicants but could spell disaster for some unpopular institutions, according to a report compiled by the Central Education Council.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jul 24, 2004

Rent-a-cats bring women love at first bite

It has long been said that for men, walking a dog is a good way to meet girls. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for a cute dog too. Whenever I see a dog, especially a black Labrador retriever, I run over and pet it, hug it, kiss it and tell it how beautiful it is. So walking a dog is a good way to meet...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

Jenkins' condition not serious; stress main cause for concern

Accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins' illness is not serious, but he will need to stay hospitalized due to severe stress, his doctor said Friday.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

Visa curbs eased for Chinese groups

Japan will relax its visa restrictions on Chinese tourists to allow group tours from more areas beginning Sept. 15, top government spokesman Hiroyuki Hosoda said Friday.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

'Mock El Nino' culprit behind heat wave, floods: professor

The heat wave and floods in various parts of Japan are being caused by an El Nino-like phenomenon in the Central Pacific Ocean, a Japanese researcher said Friday.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

Inmate dies after choking on meal

A man waiting on death row for killing three people in 1988 died this week after choking on his meal, sources said Friday.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

State panel gives scientists green light to clone embryos for medical research

A government advisory panel on Friday gave scientists formal approval to produce cloned human embryos for basic research in the hopes that they will be useful in regenerative medicine.
EDITORIALS
Jul 24, 2004

Use and abuse of intelligence

Two official reports come to disturbing conclusions about intelligence failures in the United States and Great Britain. Both identify systemic flaws in the collection and analysis of critical intelligence that resulted in the invasion of Iraq. There is much to learn from these episodes, but the most...
BUSINESS
Jul 24, 2004

Postal privatization may see end to guarantee on deposits

The government might strip Japan Post workers of their public-servant status and might end the guarantee on ordinary deposits in 2007, when postal service privatization is phased in, according to government sources.
BUSINESS
Jul 24, 2004

Sojitz Holdings pursues 250 billion yen injection

Sojitz Holdings Corp., the parent of troubled trading house Sojitz Corp., announced Friday it will seek a capital injection of around 250 billion yen from UFJ Holdings Inc., the UBS group of Switzerland and other financial institutions.
BUSINESS
Jul 24, 2004

Japan, China urged to cooperate on energy

OYAMA, Shizuoka Pref. -- Japan and China must find ways to cooperate over energy resources, business leaders said Friday during an annual Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) forum.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

DPJ to publish English booklet of campaign pledges

The Democratic Party of Japan will publish an English version of its latest platform to promote its policies worldwide, sources said Friday.

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