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Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2004

Resort's 'healing powers' draw sick, scam artists

Crystallized minerals called "hokuto-seki" at the Tamagawa Onsen hot spring resort in Akita Prefecture have captured much media attention because they are believed to be effective in curing cancer and rheumatism.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2004

Court targets obscene comics

A Tokyo publisher was found guilty in a landmark criminal trial Tuesday of distributing obscene comic books containing uncensored sex scenes.
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2004

Canadian beef import ban intact

Yoshiyuki Kamei, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, on Tuesday rejected Canada's request that Japan lift its import ban on Canadian beef.
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2004

Fuji Heavy pins 2004 hopes on remodeled Legacy wagon

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. said Tuesday it plans to sell 623,000 vehicles globally in 2004, up 14.5 percent from the previous year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 14, 2004

A fail-safe genre that rarely misfires

Hollywood Homicide Rating: * * * (out of 5) Director: Ron Shelton Running time: 111 minutes Language: English Opens Jan. 24 [See Japan Times movie listings] It's interesting to see the different fates allotted to those stars who've entered what used to be termed their "twilight years."...
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2004

McDonald's to give away burgers

McDonald's Co. (Japan) said it will hand out 10 million hamburger coupons on Sunday in an attempt to buck up sales following the outbreak of the first U.S. case of mad cow disease.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2004

Security concerns jeopardize future of age-old tradition of 'hanko' seals

Masao Sekine, a 77-year-old doctor in Fukushima Prefecture, keeps his personal seals locked up in a safe-deposit box at the bank.
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2004

Yasukuni visit to hit Japan-China ties, Okuda says

Hiroshi Okuda, the leader of the nation's most powerful business lobby, said Tuesday that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine on New Year's Day will probably affect business deals between Japan and China.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2004

U.S. weapons laws stymie school satellite

A joint project by university students in Japan and the United States to launch a small experimental satellite has been stalled by U.S. laws on arms trade, professors said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2004

DPJ set to submit own proposals on Constitution

The Democratic Party of Japan said Tuesday it will issue constitutional amendment proposals by 2006.
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2004

Reserve funds tapped for Iraq role

The government said Tuesday it will use 891.94 million yen from its reserve funds for fiscal 2003 to finance Self-Defense Forces activities in Iraq.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2004

Foreigners' support sought on abductions

The Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it has started distributing an English-language brochure focusing on the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea.
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2004

Banks' daily lending balance in 2003 down for seventh consecutive year

The average daily balance of bank lending extended its slide into the seventh consecutive year in 2003, the Bank of Japan said Tuesday in a preliminary report.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2004

Obituary: Michita Sakata

Michita Sakata, speaker of the House of Representatives from 1985 to 1986, died of heart failure Tuesday at a hospital in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, his family said. He was 87.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Jan 14, 2004

New year musing of a 'pottery poet'

As this is the first Ceramic Scene of 2004, I'd like to wish all readers a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Jan 14, 2004

Zoom in on Shinjuku for photogalleries galore

Arguably the premier creative medium in Japan, photography has undergone significant changes over the last few years. The advent of digital imaging has made it easier and cheaper for people to experiment with photography, while the latest generation of inkjet printers have made it possible to display...
COMMENTARY
Jan 14, 2004

Japan blind to Chinese reality

A recent tour of Chinese universities took me to Changchun, the capital of the puppet Manchukuo state that Japan tried to set up in the 1930s in China's remote northeast region. Today it is a sprawling conurbation of more than 6 million people, broad highways and high-rise apartments and a key player...
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2004

GSDF convoy to pass through Kuwait City

The 30-member advance Ground Self-Defense Force team to be deployed to Iraq later this month will probably first travel through Kuwait City in a convoy of armored vehicles en route to U.S. Camp Virginia in the Kuwaiti desert, according to government sources.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2004

World's young see Japan wealth, diligence waning

An increasing percentage of young people in Japan, South Korea, the United States, Germany and Sweden see Japan's economy as waning and Japanese as less diligent than before, according to the results of a government survey released Monday.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2004

Locksmiths facing murder charge

Police plan to serve fresh arrest warrants to two locksmiths on suspicion of murdering a freelance journalist preparing to write an expose of the lock industry, police sources said Monday.
JAPAN / TALKING SHOP
Jan 13, 2004

Prada Japan's Italian chief knows the merits of vagueness

Davide Sesia, representative director of Prada Japan Co., is on the prowl.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2004

'Historic' Iraq dispatch also very risky: top U.S. general

The U.S. military's top general called Japan's decision to deploy troops to Iraq "a historic move" but warned they face the possibility of casualties in the restive nation.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 13, 2004

Ai Sugiyama improves

Japan's Ai Sugiyama improved her singles world rankings by one place to find herself in a career-high ninth according to the latest WTA release, tennis 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