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COMMENTARY
May 16, 2004

U.S. drug laws threaten public health

WASHINGTON -- The current and previous presidents of the United States used marijuana. So has presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has admitted to drug use. Conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, who once beat the drums for jailing white junkies,...
JAPAN
May 16, 2004

Experts are forecasting 60 more cases of mad cow

About 60 more cases of mad cow disease are expected to occur in Japan, with the number likely to peak in 2005 and 2006, according to a Cabinet Office report.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
May 16, 2004

EU stretching the envelope

MOSCOW -- Nobody truly knows where Europe ends. Geographically, it is supposed to run all the way east to the Ural Mountains, but few would argue that this definition should be taken seriously. What matters is culture and politics and the allegiances resulting from both. With the recent expansion of...
BASEBALL / MLB
May 15, 2004

Davey pitches Carp past Tigers

Tom Davey tossed a three-hitter over the distance Friday as the Hiroshima Carp edged the Hanshin Tigers 3-1.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 15, 2004

Godzilla's blast helps Yankees top Angels

NEW YORK -- Hideki Matsui went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an RBI double and Jon Lieber (2-1) pitched eight strong innings in the New York Yankees' 7-4 victory over the Anaheim Angels on Thursday at Yankee Stadium.
JAPAN
May 15, 2004

Koizumi didn't pay pension premiums

The list of politicians who have not paid pension premiums found a star addition Friday with the revelation that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi did not make payments for almost seven years.
EDITORIALS
May 15, 2004

A reprieve on interest rates

As expected, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board last week decided to keep short-term interest rates at a 46-year low. Concerns about the fragility of the U.S. economic recovery prevailed over fears of a new bout of inflation. But the Fed signaled its readiness to raise interest rates soon if prices appear...
SUMO
May 15, 2004

Asashoryu's streak over at 35

Hokutoriki stunned Asashoryu on Friday at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament by handing the Mongolian grand champion his first loss in 36 bouts.
JAPAN
May 15, 2004

Attack law also protects foreigners

The government will protect and evacuate foreign residents of Japan as well as Japanese citizens in the event of a military attack on Japan, the government said Friday.
JAPAN
May 15, 2004

Island areas have highest birthrates

Twenty-eight of the municipalities with the nation's top 30 average birthrates are in the island areas of Kyushu and Okinawa Prefecture.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 15, 2004

If it's cricket, it's TV Masala's Club Masala

What luck to pick up a promotional flier for Club Masala -- the first Indian subcontinent cable TV network operating in Japan -- in a branch of the curry chain Samrat. Interesting, I thought, and zipped off an e-mail. Now here I am with its president, Nofil Iqbal, who, it transpires, was born in Pakistan....
BUSINESS
May 15, 2004

Social security costs to rise 1.8-fold by '25, hit 152 trillion yen

Japan's social security costs, including pensions, medical treatment and nursing care, are expected to reach 152 trillion yen in fiscal 2025, a 1.8-fold rise from current levels but down from earlier projections, the welfare ministry said Friday.
JAPAN
May 15, 2004

Koizumi to visit Pyongyang on May 22

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will visit Pyongyang on May 22 for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in an effort to secure the passage to Japan of eight family members of five repatriated abductees, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Friday.
JAPAN
May 15, 2004

Ishihara didn't pay premiums

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara said Friday he did not pay his National Pension System premiums for eight years and one month.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
May 15, 2004

Kyl Timmer

Several years ago when he was in a more junior capacity here, the present British ambassador to Japan, Sir Stephen Gomersall, founded the British Embassy Choir. The choir continued after he left. When he came again to Japan, Gomersall resumed his support of the choir. To have a British Embassy Choir...
JAPAN
May 15, 2004

China mail held counterfeit 500 yen coins

Counterfeit 500 yen coins have been found in a consignment of mail sent from China, a Finance Ministry official said Friday.
JAPAN
May 15, 2004

Surname bills submitted -- again

Bills aimed at amending the Civil Code to allow married couples to have different surnames were again submitted to both Diet chambers Friday by the opposition parties.
JAPAN
May 15, 2004

Attack law also protects foreigners

The government will protect and evacuate foreign residents of Japan as well as Japanese citizens in the event of a military attack on Japan, the government said Friday.
MORE SPORTS
May 15, 2004

Japan books Athens ticket

Undefeated Japan booked a spot in this summer's Athens Olympics on Friday with a convincing 3-0 victory over South Korea in the final women's volleyball qualifying tournament in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2004

NTT logs record profit; outlook seems less rosy

NTT Corp. said Friday its net profit jumped 2.8-fold to a record 643.86 billion yen for the year through March, helped by strong earnings at its mobile phone unit, NTT DoCoMo Inc.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2004

Sony Bank remains mired in the red

Sony Bank Inc. posted a net loss of 2.1 billion yen in fiscal 2003 for third consecutive annual loss since it started operations.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 15, 2004

Cow Island and a naked bath in the sky

Perhaps the best part about sailing through the Seto Inland Sea is stopping along the way at the islands. The Inland Sea has over 150 islands, and each one has a different atmosphere. After passing under the Seto Ohashi Bridge, we stopped at a small island called Ushi Shima. The name of the island (Cow...

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight