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JAPAN
Mar 24, 2004

Hokkaido police skimming tip of iceberg?

After earlier denials, Hokkaido police officially came clean and admitted in early March that one of the force's stations had misappropriated funds meant for rewarding informants.
SUMO
Mar 24, 2004

Asashoryu rolls on, remains unbeaten

Grand champion Asashoryu sent rank-and-filer Tosanoumi flying off the raised dirt mound Tuesday to maintain his perfect record at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 24, 2004

Sculptor who molded open-air art

I have been a professional sculptor for 20 years, and in that time Henry Moore has toppled from the pedestal I put him on when I was 14 and first saw his "Helmet Head" series of bronze sculptures on display in my home city of Edinburgh.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 24, 2004

Japan sells its soul, again and again

Thirteen years ago, when Hideki Noda's Yumeno Yuminsha theater company was all the rage, the acclaim that greeted his then-new play "Tomei Ningen no Yuge (The Hot Air of an Invisible Man)" caused him nothing but artistic distress.
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2004

Rice harvested by children to be donated to Cambodia

The U.N. World Food Program and a Japanese nongovernmental organization will ship to Cambodia 32 tons of rice harvested by children in Japan to help poor women and children in developing nations.
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2004

LDP lawmakers ganging up for post-Koizumi struggle

Around 30 Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers who are critical of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's management of the economy will launch a forum next week, the lawmakers said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2004

318 universities offer foreign languages

A total of 318 universities in Japan offered course work in English or other foreign languages in fiscal 2002, up from 256 the previous year, according to a survey released Tuesday by the education ministry. The figure equals about 46 percent of the nation's universities, according to the Education,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 24, 2004

Room without a view

No Quarto de Vanda Rating: * * * * (out of 5) Director: Pedro Costa Running time: 178 minutes Language: Portuguese Currently showing [See Japan Times movie listings] Behold Vanda's face. Presumably, she's still in her early 20s but her skin already has the swarthy lifelessness of a junkie's,...
BUSINESS
Mar 24, 2004

Hitachi PDA uses five-hour fuel cell

Hitachi Ltd. said Tuesday it has developed a prototype personal digital assistant powered by a fuel cell that runs for about five hours.
BUSINESS
Mar 24, 2004

Small companies to get bird flu aid

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Tuesday it will increase measures to help small and midsize companies that could be affected by outbreaks of bird flu.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 24, 2004

Wada hot as Lions pound Giants

Kazuhiro Wada went 3-for-3 with a walk and hit a solo homer with one out in the top of the third inning, and Hiroyuki Oshima followed with a two-run shot as the Seibu Lions went on to trounce the Yomiuri Giants 8-1 in a preseason game on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2004

DPJ targets actress over ad fiasco

The Democratic Party of Japan said Tuesday it will demand that actress Makiko Esumi be summoned as an unsworn witness to the Diet over her failure to pay her pension premiums. Esumi starred in a 380 million yen government ad campaign calling on the public to make proper payments into the mandatory scheme....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2004

Koizumi fears backlash over Yasukuni ire

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi indicated Tuesday that Beijing's anger over his visits to Yasukuni Shrine could fuel anti-Chinese sentiment in Japan and thus hurt bilateral ties.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 24, 2004

Prince of Darkness

Why did Melt Banana, a local avant-punk band, open for Bonnie "Prince" Billy on his first-ever concert tour of Japan. Simple: Melt Banana like the music of Will Oldham, the man behind the moniker, and wanted to be part of his final show at O'Nest in Shibuya.
COMMENTARY
Mar 24, 2004

Advice for presidential candidate Kerry

TOKYO -- U.S. Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, is wise to ignore the tempest in the teapot caused by his revelation (gasp! surprise! surprise!) that there are leaders who would prefer that President George W. Bush not be re-elected. However, he needs to forcefully respond to the...
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2004

Japan criticizes Israel over 'reckless' Yassin assassination

Japan joined other nations Tuesday in criticizing Israel for its murder of Ahmed Yassin, the founder of Palestinian militant group Hamas, and called on both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to resume peace talks.
BUSINESS
Mar 24, 2004

Tokyo Dome's spa sees tidy return

Baseball stadium operator Tokyo Dome Corp. said Tuesday its newly opened spa facility helped it weather an otherwise problematic year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 24, 2004

MTFG set to take Acom under wing

Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group Inc. announced Tuesday it will raise its equity stake in Acom Co. to more than 15 percent, a deal that effectively puts the consumer financing firm under the banking group's umbrella.
BUSINESS
Mar 24, 2004

Yamato to make printed-matter deliveries easier

Yamato Transport Co. will launch a new service Wednesday to deliver magazines, catalogs, books and other printed material on behalf of individual customers.
JAPAN
Mar 23, 2004

IHI settles with unionists sidetracked for JCP ties

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. said Monday it has reached a negotiated settlement with labor union members over alleged discrimination targeting employees who are members of the Japanese Communist Party.
JAPAN
Mar 23, 2004

Top court loses Lockheed records

The Supreme Court no longer possesses official documents on the 1970s payoff involving Lockheed Corp. and then Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, court officials said Monday.

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