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JAPAN
Jan 17, 2004

Shiretoko named candidate for UNESCO heritage list

Japan on Friday formally endorsed the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido as its candidate for UNESCO's World Heritage List.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 17, 2004

Masuoka's hopes fade in Dakar Rally

Hiroshi Masuoka's hopes of winning the Dakar Rally for the third year in succession faded after the Japanese Mitsubishi driver finished fifth in the 14th stage on Thursday.
SUMO
Jan 17, 2004

Asashoryu grabs pole position

Grand champion Asashoryu posted an unorthodox win over fellow Mongolian Kyokutenho on Friday to move into sole possession of the lead while ozeki Tochiazuma notched his fifth straight victory at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2004

Dollar's fall to 105.70 yen triggered by euro plunge

The dollar hit an intraday low of 105.70 yen Friday in Tokyo, its lowest level in global trade since September 2000, as traders sold the dollar for the yen after witnessing the euro's sharp decline against the Japanese currency.
MORE SPORTS / NBA REPORT
Jan 17, 2004

Wilkens not the right coach for Knicks

NEW YORK -- So, for a change, the New York Daily News was correct; Don Chaney was, indeed, replaced on the Knicks' sidelines by a former coach of the Cavaliers and Hawks who's represented by Atlanta-based Lonnie Cooper (as is Isiah Thomas) . . . except it's not Mike Fratello, it's Lenny Wilkens.
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2004

Security Bureau chief to head MPD

Masuo Okumura, head of the Security Bureau at the National Police Agency, will become the new chief the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on Monday.
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2004

Seiyu to slash one-fifth of full-time workforce

Supermarket chain Seiyu Ltd. said Friday it will slash some 1,600 jobs, or about one-fifth of its total full-time workforce, by March 1.
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2004

Shinsei Bank slates Feb. 19 listing on TSE

Shinsei Bank, the successor to the provisionally nationalized Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, said Friday it will list its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Feb. 19.
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2004

Isuzu foresees decline in truck output

Truck maker Isuzu Motors Ltd. said Friday it plans to produce 480,000 trucks globally in 2004, down 6 percent from the previous year amid shrinking domestic demand.
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2004

Nine-to-five ATMs passe as banks jump on 24-hour bandwagon

Round-the-clock automated-teller machines are expected to become commonplace in Japan in the near future.
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2004

U.S. needs to address twin deficits, Tanigaki says

Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said Friday that the U.S. should try to fix its fiscal and current account deficits, with these deficits being cited as a major factor behind the dollar's recent slide.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Jan 17, 2004

Robert Tsonos

The magnetism of theater pulled in Robert Tsonos at an early age, and kept him captive. He cannot account for the passion with which he responded to performance art, which still holds him in thrall. Robert says he is the only one in his immediate family, and in his extended family of several cousins,...
EDITORIALS
Jan 17, 2004

The Americas strike a deal

Overcoming bitter divisions, leaders from 34 American nations agreed this week to try to establish a Free Trade Area of the Americas. Although differences prevented them from setting a target date for the deal in the summit's final declaration, any accord should be considered a victory given growing...
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2004

Income tax hikes inevitable: panel

The head of the government's tax panel said Friday that the panel will start debating an overhaul of the nation's income tax system scheduled for fiscal 2005 and beyond.
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2004

Institute plans to develop vaccines based on avian flu viruses

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases said Friday it will develop vaccines based on avian influenza viruses.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Jan 17, 2004

Me and cell phones? A really bad connection

The whole world is going to hell in a hand basket, and Japan is leading the way.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 17, 2004

Restaurant's food still alive and kicking

Recently, I went to Manabe Island, in Okayama Prefecture, two islands away from mine. The island has a population of 400 and only one restaurant. But the restaurant, called Ryouka, is so famous, you need reservations to get in for lunch on weekends. Meals are 5,000 yen per person, and the favored transportation...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 17, 2004

Hope for Indo-Pakistani peace

Some years ago, I was visiting Samarkand in Uzbekistan, from where the Mughal Dynasty came down to the subcontinent. The only other person from South Asia in the group was a senior Pakistani military officer. We soon realized we had more in common with each other than any other members of the group because...
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2004

Koizumi pitches Iraq, reforms to LDP

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Friday reiterated the importance of dispatching Self-Defense Forces units to Iraq to help its postwar rehabilitation, in collaboration with the United States and the international community.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 17, 2004

Float to travel without moving to find deep self

There are only two known isolation tanks in Japan. One is in Kyoto, for private use. The other is in Kazuo Miyabe's first-floor apartment in one of the fast-disappearing enclaves of Shirokane in downtown Tokyo, where he makes it his business to help people float away the stresses and strains of modern...

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