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EDITORIALS
Jan 13, 2004

Prospects dim for wage round

Japan's economy is showing increasing signs of recovery, yet there is nothing to cheer about concerning the job situation as labor and management brace for what promises to be yet another difficult bargaining season. Once again, wage restraint will be the main theme of negotiation in spring 2004.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 13, 2004

Forensic science fiction

We periodically hear from nationalists about Japan's distinctiveness -- how "Japaneseness" is a matter of "race" and "blood," not citizenship or culture. This is usually disregarded as mere unscientific sentiment from fringe elements.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jan 13, 2004

How do you react when an earthquake hits?

Melinda Joe English Teacher, 28
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 13, 2004

Prize trouble, study in Oz, and a recap

Student rants Let us begin on a note of tolerance and goodwill, with two similar reactions to the letter from student J. in southern Japan with fellow student troubles (Lifelines; Nov. 25, 2003).
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / A GAIJIN'S TALE
Jan 13, 2004

Tenant trouble

My Japanese supervisor and I set out to select a new apartment for my African-American colleague who would soon be moving here to be my co-attorney in the office.
SUMO
Jan 13, 2004

Tochiazuma bounces back

Ozeki Tochiazuma bounced back from an opening-day loss with a win over Tokitsuumi on the second day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 13, 2004

Sea Horses take national title

Point guard Kenichi Sako hit a three-pointer in the third quarter to extend the team's lead and keep the rhythm going as the Aisin Sea Horses went on to beat Toyota Alvark 73-57 in the men's national basketball championships final Monday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 12, 2004

Falling behind in the FTA race

Free trade is taking a new shape. With the World Trade Organization's new round of multilateral talks on the rocks, countries around the world are taking increasingly to bilateral and regional free trade agreements, or FTAs. Japan is falling far behind in this race, largely because of its protected agriculture....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2004

American environmentalist dead in suspected suicide

An American environmentalist who dedicated his life to marine conservation in Japan has died in a suspected suicide, police said Sunday.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2004

Defense chief heads out on European swing

Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba departed Sunday on a six-day trip to Britain, the Netherlands and France to discuss international efforts to rebuild Iraq.
SUMO
Jan 12, 2004

Tochiazuma upset on opening day

Ozeki Tochiazuma's bid for promotion to grand champion got off to a rocky start Sunday with a loss to komusubi Wakanosato on the opening day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2004

Tanigaki: Coordinated yen action difficult

Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said Sunday that Japan will take action against the yen's continued rise but coordinated intervention with U.S. or European monetary authorities will be difficult.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2004

Mask said capable of killing SARS

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. plans to put on sale by the end of this month a mask it believes can kill the SARS virus with a special enzyme-woven fabric, according to company officials.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2004

Koizumi policy speech to focus on SDF

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's policy speech in the Diet next week will focus on the significance of sending the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq and his resolve to privatize postal services, government sources said Sunday.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2004

Two nabbed for stealing electricity

Police have arrested two men for stealing electricity in heists worth about 1 yen each, an official said Sunday.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2004

Kin of 12 'abductees' to file police complaints

The families of a dozen missing Japanese believed to have been abducted to North Korea will file simultaneous complaints with police on Jan. 29, their support group said Sunday.
COMMENTARY
Jan 12, 2004

Koizumi flaunts propensity to curtail 'drastic' reforms

Japan is at a historic turning point, both domestically and internationally. Symbolic of this are pension reform, highway system privatization and the troop dispatch to Iraq. But Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's "structural reform" initiative appears to have lost momentum since he took office in April...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 12, 2004

China lights Vietnam's path

SINGAPORE -- Profound similarities bind China and Vietnam together today more than ever. Twelve years after their brief border war in 1979, Hanoi and Beijing normalized relations in 1991 after resolving the "Cambodian problem" at the Paris Peace Conference. This normalization of relations put to rest...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 12, 2004

Let the Saudis choose their revolution

SYDNEY -- In November 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush described what he termed the third pillar of America's security: "global democratic revolution." If Iraq and Afghanistan were the first "beneficiaries" of this revolution, then it seems almost certain that Saudi Arabia will feature somewhere in...
EDITORIALS
Jan 11, 2004

A bid for peace in South Asia

Welcome though it is, it is hard to be optimistic about the surprise announcement that India and Pakistan are ready to resume peace talks. The three wars the two neighbors have fought are reasons to both applaud the two governments' readiness to talk peace and to be skeptical about the prospects. Last...
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jan 11, 2004

Despite flaws, Wallace still a man in demand

NEW YORK -- Aside from the obvious downside of relocating communications major, Rasheed Wallace, to the media capital of the world, his acquisition by the Knicks would force the NBA's Competition Committee to reposition them in the Western Conference.

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