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JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Motegi eyes trip to Russia-held isles

Toshimitsu Motegi, state minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs, expressed his intention Friday to visit a group of Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Info slipups over Iraq situation might be due to staff shortage

Recent conflicting information on the local situation in Iraq might be due to Japanese staff shortages in the country.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Panel proposes career education for kids

An education ministry panel proposed Wednesday a system to encourage children to begin thinking about possible careers at an early age.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Lower House panel OKs Iraq dispatch

The special Lower House committee on Iraq issues on Friday approved the contentious dispatch of Self-Defense Forces units to Iraq, despite last-ditch resistance from opposition parties.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Tokyo restaurants put a fresh spin on staple miso soup

Miso soup has had a makeover.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Jobless rate slides under 5% threshold

Japan's unemployment rate dropped to 4.9 percent in December, falling below the 5 percent threshold for the first time since June 2001, the government said Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Ax attack spurs fears for safety of Japanese in Seoul

Japan said Friday it will ask South Korea to be more vigilant about possible attacks against Japanese nationals in the country following a recent assault there.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jan 31, 2004

Sasaki clears waivers; Giants not interested

The Yomiuri Giants on Friday said the team is not interested in acquiring right-handed closer Kazuhiro Sasaki, who cleared waivers Thursday and was released by the Seattle Mariners.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

ASEAN visit to focus on arms curbs

Japanese officials will visit the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in February to hold talks on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.
EDITORIALS
Jan 31, 2004

Lessons unlearned in Asia

In the aftermath of the devastating SARS outbreak in Asia last year, Asian governments loudly proclaimed that they had learned their lesson. Governments and health authorities must be quick to acknowledge when diseases appear and move rapidly to disclose pertinent information to the public and their...
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Aum chemist sentenced to hang

The Tokyo District Court on Friday sentenced a senior Aum Shinrikyo disciple to death for his role in the production of sarin that was used in two deadly nerve gas attacks
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2004

Honda sees net profit surge despite disappointing auto figures

Honda Motor Co. said Friday that its net profit rose 31 percent to a record 151.05 billion yen in the October-December period.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 31, 2004

Capriati to sit out Toray Pan Pac Open

American Jennifer Capriati will miss the upcoming Toray Pan Pacific Open tournament, the sponsor said Friday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Jan 31, 2004

Frederick Harris

Many people know Frederick Harris, a 40-year resident of Japan. A past president of the Tokyo American Club, he is a prominent member of several organizations, "joining them if I can give something. If it is to take, I am not interested," he said. Some people know him through his articles, books and...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Creator of blue LED wins ¥20 billion patent payout

The Tokyo District Court on Friday ordered midsize chemical maker Nichia Corp. to pay an unprecedented ¥20 billion to the inventor of a key semiconductor device for his transfer of patent rights to the firm.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2004

Tokyo CPI continues slide into record 52nd month

The key gauge of consumer prices in Tokyo in January slipped 0.3 percent from a year earlier for a record 52nd consecutive month of decline.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2004

Beef to run out at 'gyudon' eateries in March

Restaurants serving "gyudon" stewed-beef-on-rice dishes will run out of beef next month due to Japan's ban on beef imports from the United States.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Kin win 60 million yen for malpractice death

The Tokyo District Court on Friday awarded 60 million yen to the family of a patient who died in a Tokyo hospital in 1999 after being administered disinfectant through an intravenous drip.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2004

Bad-loan balance of 129 banks falls by 3.7 trillion yen

The combined balance of bad loans at Japan's 129 banks dropped by a net 3.7 trillion yen to 31.6 trillion yen during the April-September period, the Financial Services Agency said Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2004

Metro teachers sue over 'Kimigayo' rule

More than 200 teachers filed a lawsuit Friday against their employer -- the Tokyo Metropolitan Government -- and the metro board of education over being ordered to stand and sing the national anthem in school.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2004

Japanese, Thai officials mull bird flu

Japanese and Thai agricultural officials discussed Friday a range of issues associated with the Asian outbreak of the bird flu virus.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2004

Mexico, Japan make no progress on FTA in talks

Five days of working-level talks between Japan and Mexico over a bilateral free-trade agreement ended Friday with virtually no progress made, Japanese officials said.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 31, 2004

Preconceptions on Japan expats go out window

When Gwyneth Merner asked if she could interview me for her Division 3 thesis, we struck a deal: She could talk to me if I could talk to her. Now we are in her father's home overlooking Sagami Bay, and she is getting to know what it feels like to be on the other side of the table, so to speak.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2004

7.15 trillion yen spent on intervention this month

Japan spent 7.15 trillion yen on currency-market intervention in January, marking a new single-month record, Finance Ministry data showed Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 31, 2004

U.S. oil firm leaves toxic legacy in Ecuador

NEW YORK -- Drilling for oil without adequate safeguards is one of the most destructive industrial activities both for people and for the environment. This danger has been particularly stark in the case of oil exploration and exploitation in the forested areas of the Amazon basin.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Jan 31, 2004

An ode on Japanese 'mikan'

John Keats once taught that beauty is truth and truth is beauty. Thus inspired, let me now present my own beautiful truth gleaned from life in Japan . . .
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 31, 2004

Mad cow disease: a blessing in disguise

Mankind's history is rife with examples of natural phenomena radically changing its existence, the ice ages and small pox to name two. HIV has had a profound effect on sexual behavior the world over. Now, a mysterious protein -- a prion -- is about to change the eating habits of many people in the West...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 31, 2004

Tiny hot carpets and long frozen delays

For those of you rolling your eyes at the prospect of reading my annual column whining about the lack of central heating in Japan, wait. This one, I promise, will be different. Because things are changing in Japan.

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