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EDITORIALS
Jul 2, 2004

Benefits of low expectations

It is difficult to get excited about the prospect of peace talks between India and Pakistan. Not that the meetings do not matter. It's just that the South Asian neighbors have fought three wars and have narrowly averted several others -- a history made even more worrisome by the two governments' possession...
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2004

'Tankan' logs best reading in 13 years

Confidence at Japan's large manufacturers improved to its highest level in 13 years in the three months to June, underlining the most powerful economic recovery since the economic bubble burst in the early 1990s, according to the Bank of Japan's key business survey released Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ELECTION '04
Jul 2, 2004

Abductions are candidate's cause celebre

Independent candidate Teruaki Masumoto, 48, hoped to keep a fire alive as he tried to get the attention of passersby outside Tokyo's Iidabashi Station on June 24, the day campaigning for July 11 House of Councilors election kicked off.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2004

Ex-state minister indicted over scam

Tokyo prosecutors indicted former state minister Jitsuo Inagaki on Thursday on charges of running an unauthorized investment scheme, they said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / PARTY LINE
Jul 2, 2004

JCP says Koizumi's reforms to hurt small companies, jobs

The Japanese Communist Party hopes to thwart Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reform initiatives, saying they favor big corporations and would destroy small companies and erode job security, JCP leader Kazuo Shii said.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2004

Seibu defendants admit pandering to 'sokaiya' demands

A former managing director of Seibu Railway Co. pleaded guilty Thursday to providing benefits worth 89 million yen to a corporate racketeer and his accomplices by selling company-owned land at prices well below market value in 2001, thereby violating the Commercial Code.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2004

Warrant served over subway shooting

Police served an arrest warrant Thursday on a 64-year-old man in connection with the shooting of a subway station employee during a robbery at Tokyo's Shibuya station last week.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jul 2, 2004

Don't expect Shaq deal to happen fast

NEW YORK -- So, Kobe Bryant finally has a start date (Aug. 27) for his Eagle scout trial. This gives him exactly two months from today to unite the community and divide community property.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Jul 2, 2004

Losing battle being fought to keep Kanagawa beaches clean

FUJISAWA, Kanagawa Pref. -- It's almost 5 a.m. and the sky is warming as the sun rolls up to burst open the horizon. The pacific rhythm of the ocean waves dominates the soundscape of the virtually deserted beach.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 2, 2004

Cracks visible in U.S.-Australia alliance

Could Australia's long-standing alliance with the United States rupture? It's not likely, but not unthinkable either. An Australian election looms, with security policy as a major issue. The Labor Party, out of power since 1996, is desperate for a win. The polls portend a close race.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2004

Kin of kidnapped fret lack of focus on Pyongyang in Upper House poll

KOBE -- Seven months ago, on the eve of the House of Representatives election, North Korea's abductions of Japanese was one of the main campaign topics.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 2, 2004

Getting to the top in Japan

There is a Japanese proverb that says only a fool has never climbed Mount Fuji -- or has climbed it twice.
BUSINESS
Jul 2, 2004

Recovery helped state trim bond issuance

The government's issuance of bonds in fiscal 2003 is thought to have been 1.1 trillion yen less than the amount forecast, with the economic recovery having boosted tax revenue, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 2, 2004

Sony Walkman to go head to head with Apple's iPod

Sony Corp. said Thursday it will release on July 10 a Walkman portable music player that can store up to 13,000 songs, a move expected to pose a serious challenge to Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod, a dominant leader in the field.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 2, 2004

Pot-Bouille's recipe for success: just keep it simple

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Parisian banlieu decor; no-frills wooden tables in cozy proximity; Pernod and Lillet bottles on the shelf behind the bar; the obligatory espresso machine; a short wine list; and a menu of brasserie staples chalked on a blackboard brought round to your table by...
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2004

Teen girl who pushed boy from building faces tests

The Tokyo Family Court decided Wednesday to conduct a psychiatric examination of a 13-year-old girl who pushed a 5-year-old boy off the fourth floor of an apartment building in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2004

Ex-Sogo chief told to meet contract obligation

The Tokyo High Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling ordering the former chairman of department store chain Sogo Co. to pay 12.8 billion yen to Mizuho Corporate Bank as guarantor for a loan extended to a Sogo outlet that turned sour.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2004

Recent vehicle fires not linked to structural defects: MMC

Fires that broke out from four Mitsubishi Motors Corp. vehicles in separate incidents over the weekend are probably not linked to structural defects, the automaker said Wednesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 1, 2004

Jojima rips three homers as Hawks soar past BlueWave

Catcher Kenji Jojima hit three homers Wednesday to power the Pacific League-leading Fukuoka Daiei Hawks to an 8-0 win over the Orix BlueWave at Yahoo BB Stadium.

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