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JAPAN
May 13, 2004

Bulletin Board

Tokyo, Kobe study-abroad fairs slated
BUSINESS
May 13, 2004

Special farm subsidies face reduction or abolishment

The Finance Ministry wants to reduce or abolish the special subsidies paid to farmers who cultivate land deemed to be at a geographical disadvantage, ministry sources said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY
May 13, 2004

Chinese nuclear deal buoys Islamabad

ISLAMABAD -- China's agreement to supply a second 300-megawatt nuclear power reactor to Pakistan encourages Islamabad's ruling establishment, which is eager to develop the country's nuclear energy potential in a significant way. The deal for the new reactor, to be located at Chashma in central Punjab...
BUSINESS
May 13, 2004

Taylor lauds economic recovery

John Taylor, U.S. Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, lauded Japan's improving economy during talks with Japanese ministers Wednesday, saying Tokyo's policies are helping to generate growth, Japanese government officials said.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2004

Suzuki posts record group net profit

Suzuki Motor Corp. said Wednesday its group net profit rose 2 percent in fiscal 2003 to a record 43.8 billion yen.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 13, 2004

Lovable children of Edo -- where have you gone?

Being a Tokyoite doesn't have the same glamorous connotations as being a Parisian or New Yorker, but inside Japan, we've managed to rack up some notoriety. A Tokyo local, or Edokko (Child of Edo, as Tokyo was called before the 1868 Meiji Restoration) as many in the older generations still like to identify...
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
May 13, 2004

Confessions of a schizo environmentalist

I have a confession to make. For the past month I've been suffering from a strange affliction: I can't seem to buy and dispose of plastic bottles without being overcome by a mild case of environmental schizophrenia.
JAPAN
May 13, 2004

SARS, 9/11 stymie high school students' trips abroad

Fewer high school students went abroad on school-sponsored trips in fiscal 2002, declining for the first time, according to a biennial survey by the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry.
JAPAN
May 13, 2004

Activists claim political oppression

After nearly 2 1/2 months in detention, three antiwar activists accused of illegally entering a Self-Defense Forces housing complex in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, to distribute protest leaflets, were freed on bail Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2004

McDonald's Japan chief quits after two years

McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan) said Wednesday its president and chief operating officer, Yasuyuki Yagi, has stepped down to "mark a new chapter" for the company.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 12, 2004

Ozon playing God

Just a few years back director Francois Ozon was one of France's enfants terribles, his films like "Sitcom" (1998) or "Criminal Lovers" (1999) often mentioned in the same breath as those of Gaspar Noe or Catherine Breillat. These days, though, Ozon is better known for his sensitive, subtly perceptive...
CULTURE / Film
May 12, 2004

Jeonju film fest spotlights indies

The fifth Jeonju International Film Festival, held April 23-May 2, was again distinguished by an innovative and eclectic array of contemporary cinema. Held in the Korean provincial capital of Jeonju (Cheonju), it continues to offer opportunities for viewing a variety of international films not seen elsewhere....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 12, 2004

Diving into feminine mystique

Swimming Pool Rating: * * * * (out of 5) Director: Francois Ozon Running time: 102 minutes Language: English Opens May 15 [See Japan Times movie listings] Extremely straight or very gay? For me, this has always been a burning question with regard to director Francois Ozon. His latest...
JAPAN
May 12, 2004

Toyota first firm to exceed 1 trillion yen

Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it posted a record net profit of 1.16 trillion yen for the year to March, becoming the first Japanese company to exceed the 1 trillion yen mark.
SUMO
May 12, 2004

Asashoryu wins 33rd straight

Grand champion Asashoryu extended his perfect record at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday, winning his third bout of the 15-day tournament.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 12, 2004

Lions no lock for Pacific League pennant with playoff system

Letters from Kyushu
EDITORIALS
May 12, 2004

Kan, and DPJ, pay for mistakes

Once again the Democratic Party of Japan is in disarray. Mr. Naoto Kan, the head of the largest opposition party, has resigned over his failure to make mandatory contributions to the national pension fund. In a reversal of the leadership contest that put Mr. Kan back in the saddle in December 2002, the...
JAPAN
May 12, 2004

Pension bills clear Lower House

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved contentious bills to revise the pension system, with the ruling coalition and the main opposition party endorsing a key amendment to the legislation.
JAPAN
May 12, 2004

Militant bomber's sentence stands

The Tokyo High Court on Tuesday upheld a 20-year prison term for former militant Yukiko Ekita for attempted murder and violation of the explosives law in a series of bombings targeting large companies in the 1970s.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
May 12, 2004

The Emperor's phantom porcelain set

Rarely, if ever, has a dinner set taken on such a mysterious aura as the maboroshi (phantom) porcelain service made by the late Yoshimichi Fujimoto (1919-92). Used only once and then, for reasons that remain enigmatic, hidden away for years, it comprises 230 pieces, enough to serve 15 diners. Only two,...
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 12, 2004

DPJ struggles to find successor to disgraced Kan

Nobody appeared ready to take up the presidency of the Democratic Party of Japan on Tuesday as the main opposition force moved to find a replacement for departing leader Naoto Kan.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2004

Bandai net profit hits record 14.2 billion yen

Bandai Co. said Tuesday its net profit rose 12 percent to a record 14.21 billion yen for the year through March, with Power Rangers characters enjoying strong popularity overseas.
OLYMPICS
May 12, 2004

Japan spikers top group after easy win

Japan made it three wins out of three in the women's Athens Olympic final qualifying tournament after cruising past Nigeria 3-0 on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2004

Coincident index slips under bust line; government upbeat

A key gauge of the current state of the economy slid below the boom-or-bust line of 50 percent for March for the first time in 11 months, but the government said Tuesday the outlook is not negative.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2004

Top trading houses post record earnings

Mitsubishi Corp. and Mitsui & Co., Japan's two largest trading houses, on Tuesday reported record earnings for the year through March, helped by surging petrochemical and natural resources markets.
JAPAN
May 12, 2004

Pension bills clear Lower House

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved contentious bills to revise the pension system, with the ruling coalition and the main opposition party endorsing a key amendment to the legislation.

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