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JAPAN
Jul 1, 2004

'Absent-minded' Kuwait let itself get invaded: Hosoda

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda could find himself in hot water for comments he made Wednesday that Iraq was able to invade Kuwait in 1990 because of Kuwait's "absent-mindedness."
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 1, 2004

Toda returns to S-Pulse

Former Japan midfielder Kazuyuki Toda will rejoin Shimizu S-Pulse on Thursday following the completion of his loan deal at Dutch club ADO Den Haag, officials of the J. League first division club said on Wednesday.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 30, 2004

Japan to face Argentina in friendly

Japan will face Argentina in an international friendly in the Kirin Challenge Cup on Aug. 18, the Japan Football Association said Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
Jun 30, 2004

Iraqis get their country back

Iraq is once again a sovereign nation. In a surprise move, the United States handed over power to the new, interim government in Baghdad two days early. The handover goes a long way toward wiping the slate clean: The 14-month occupation is officially over, and Iraqis can now say that they are in control...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 30, 2004

Shootin' up the box office

Open Range Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of 5) Japanese title: Wild Range Director: Kevin Costner Running time: 140 minutes Language: English Opens July 3 [See Japan Times movie listings] There was a point -- probably somewhere between "Bad Girls" and "The Quick And The Dead" -- where I felt...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 30, 2004

Ryu Murakami's number is up

69 Rating: * * * (out of 5) Director: Lee Sang ll Running time: 113 minutes Language: Japanese Opens July 10 [See Japan Times movie listings] How was your 1969? A student at the University of Michigan at the time, I grew my hair into a Bob Dylan halo, blew my mind with LSD and got tear-gassed...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 30, 2004

Creating mirages: the Muslim world onscreen

While Hollywood has a long tradition of demonizing Muslims, Japanese filmmakers have taken a decidedly more benign approach
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 30, 2004

Not over till the 'fat paunch' sings

In the world of opera, a new production by Jonathan Miller is a significant event.
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2004

Firms hold shareholders' meetings

About 1,720 companies held shareholders' meetings across Japan on Tuesday to explain their results for the 2003 business year to March 31 and to get approval for dividends and future policies.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Jun 30, 2004

Skeletons come out of the closet

For a decade now, Yoshiko Shimada has been a lonely but tireless torchbearer of feminist consciousness in Japanese contemporary art. After spending time in Germany and America, the 44-year-old returned to Japan in the mid-1990s to tackle taboos -- subjects such as the Emperor's complicity in World War...
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2004

U.S.-Japan beef talks jeopardized

Farm minister Yoshiyuki Kamei said Tuesday that discovery of a suspected second case of mad cow disease in the United States could affect ongoing beef trade talks between the two countries, suggesting Japan might delay resuming imports of U.S. beef.
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2004

Jobless rate declines to 45-month low of 4.6%

Japan's unemployment rate hit a 45-month low of 4.6 percent in May, down 0.1 percentage point from April, with the largest margin of improvement in the jobless number on record, the government said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2004

MMC apologizes to shareholders, seeks tax breaks

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. chief executive Yoichiro Okazaki said Tuesday that the company plans to start negotiations with the government in July to receive favorable tax treatment for its revival plan under the Industrial Revitalization Law.
COMMENTARY
Jun 30, 2004

Iraq handover spells relief

LONDON -- Day One of modern Iraq. Never before have the people of Iraq had their political destiny in their own hands. There have been no celebrations. The sound of gunfire is of killing, not festivity.
COMMENTARY
Jun 30, 2004

A Pyongyang that can recant, again

WASHINGTON -- "Some good, some bad, some ugly!" That was the way a senior Bush administration official summed up the just-completed third plenary session of the six-party talks in Beijing, aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programs. While other participants were reporting "substantial progress"...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 30, 2004

Heaven knows she looks miserable now

Adolphe Rating: * * * * (out of 5) Director: Benoit Jacquot Running time: 103 minutes Language: French Opens July 3 [See Japan Times movie listings] Wordiness is a problem with many literary adaptations. In the effort to remain loyal to the original work, some cram in more dialogue than...
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2004

Nikka Whisky hopes bar will woo consumers back

Nikka Whisky Distilling Co. will open a whiskey bar in Tokyo in its bid to rekindle the drink's popularity.
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2004

Extra holidays boosted household spending 5.6% in May

Spending by Japan's wage-earning households rose a real 5.6 percent in May from a year earlier, the first time in 14 years that such spending has shown an increase of more than 5 percent over two straight months, the government said Tuesday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Jun 30, 2004

Into you like a diesel truck

Richard B. Riddick, a savage killer with see-in-the-dark eyes and ice water running through his veins, wants out of the futuristic penitentiary known as Butcher Bay -- the setting of "The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay," a new offering for the Xbox from Vivendi Universal.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 30, 2004

Mizu to Abura mix mime and the surreal

Formed in 1995 by Jun Takahashi, Shuji Onodera and Momoko Fujita, who graduated that year from the Nihon Mime Kenkyujo (Japan Mime Institute), Mizu to Abura (Water and Oil) became a foursome three years later when Reina Suga, another institute graduate, joined them.
EDITORIALS
Jun 29, 2004

Talks give reason for hope

Although the third round of the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear crisis yielded little more than a commitment to meet again, for the first time, there are grounds for genuine optimism. The United States and North Korea finally appear to be discussing solutions in earnest. To help them along,...
BUSINESS
Jun 29, 2004

Nissan to expand Egypt operations

Nissan Motor Co. said Monday it will invest about $100 million by 2010 to expand its operations in Egypt and make that country the automaker's industrial base for the Middle East and North African regions.
MORE SPORTS
Jun 29, 2004

L.A. Kings select goalie Fukufuji

Japanese goalie Yutaka Fukufuji was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the eighth round of the NHL entry draft this past weekend, the Japan Ice Hockey League said Monday.
COMMENTARY
Jun 29, 2004

Can Koizumi expect a rally?

Security is the key word for the July 11 Upper House election, which focuses on two major issues: pension reform and Self-Defense Force participation in a multinational force in Iraq. At stake are Japan's social security system (including pensions, health care and nursing services for the elderly) and...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jun 29, 2004

Large clothes, scooters and passport help

Larger fashions Susan has info on where to find larger-sized clothes for women. "You can find Ladies LL size at the Ito Yokado Store in Shinagawa Ward (Oimachi Line, Rinkai Line and Keihin Line). Dress shop 'Miharu' (3F; phone 03-5743-0306) stays open until 11 p.m." Car parking is free to buying customers....

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