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Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2003

Diplomat deaths may stall approval of SDF dispatch

Cabinet approval of a plan to dispatch Self-Defense Forces units to Iraq will probably be delayed until next week at the earliest, in the wake of the fatal ambush Saturday of two Japanese diplomats.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 2, 2003

Fukuhara moves up in rankings

Ai Fukuhara placed the third highest among Japanese players in the international rankings, the International Table Tennis Federation announced Monday.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 1, 2003

Brazil whips Japan at World Cup

With the title already in the bag, Brazil still turned in a brilliant performance to beat Japan 3-0 on the final day of the men's volleyball World Cup on Sunday.
EDITORIALS
Dec 1, 2003

Kashmir cools off

India and Pakistan have begun a ceasefire in Kashmir. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars, two over the disputed region. While every ceasefire is to be applauded, this one is likely to be more symbolic than substantive. Still, it may permit the leaders of the two countries to meet...
BUSINESS
Dec 1, 2003

Sealing machine makes plastic beer bottles reality

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. has found a way to enhance the sealing performance of plastic, allowing beer makers to reduce their need for aluminum cans and create new kinds of product containers.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2003

Governor lays blame for collapse on auditor

UTSUNOMIYA, Tochigi Pref. Kyodo) Tochigi Gov. Akio Fukuda on Sunday blamed an auditor for the national government's decision to take control of Ashikaga Bank in his prefecture.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2003

Kimpo, Haneda shuttles take off

Japanese and South Korean airlines began shuttle flights Sunday between Tokyo's Haneda airport and Seoul's Kimpo in a bid to boost tourism and exchanges between the two capitals.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2003

Diplomats' vehicle riddled with bullets

The four-wheel-drive vehicle used by the two Japanese diplomats killed in Iraq on Saturday had a "great number of bullet holes," reflecting the violence of the attack, according to the Foreign Ministry.
BUSINESS
Dec 1, 2003

Amino sports drinks gaining strength

Reflecting higher health consciousness and an ever-rising number of fitness enthusiasts, sports drinks containing amino acids are continuing to enjoy brisk sales in Japan.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2003

Tochigi tries to pick up the pieces

UTSUNOMIYA, Tochigi Pref. -- One sleepless night after the government's decision to nationalize Ashikaga Bank, senior executives at manufacturer Rheon Automatic Machinery Co. held an emergency meeting Sunday at its headquarters to assess the damage.
COMMENTARY
Dec 1, 2003

LDP's diminishing appeal

In the Nov. 9 Lower House election, the governing Liberal Democratic Party lost 10 seats while the opposition Democratic Party of Japan gained 40. New Komeito added a few seats thanks to its cooperation in the election with the LDP, its ruling-coalition partner. The Social Democratic Party and the Japan...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Dec 1, 2003

The visionless world of postelection Japan

"Now when you go to look for your left -- when you need them most -- they are nowhere to be found," says Michael Moore in the introduction to the U.K. version of his new book, "Dude, Where's My Country."
COMMENTARY
Dec 1, 2003

Iraq and economy top political agenda

The special session of the Diet that was convened on Nov. 19 following the Nov. 9 general election came to an early close Nov. 27. On the question of the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq, which is the most important issue at the moment, fierce debate unfolded between Prime Minister Junichiro...
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2003

Despite deaths, Koizumi determined to send SDF

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi indicated Sunday that the deaths of two Japanese diplomats in Iraq, possibly at the hands of terrorists, will not change his plan to send troops to the war-torn country.
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 1, 2003

Zico names local-based squad

Midfielder Toshiya Fujita was the only European-based player called up by Japan coach Zico on Sunday when the Brazilian named his 23-squad for the East Asian Championship, beginning on Dec. 4.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 1, 2003

Tap Dance City scoops Japan Cup

The home team completely flattened the foreign competition Sunday in the 23rd running of the Japan Cup with Japanese horses sweeping the top five finishing places.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 1, 2003

Cross-strait tensions build as one-China principle fades

HONOLULU -- The "one-China" principle that has been the mainstay of relations between the United States and China for 30 years is steadily fading. Curiously, a critical chapter in the fate of the principle is being played out now on the tiny mid-Pacific nation of Kiribati.
EDITORIALS
Nov 30, 2003

Mr. Bush and the Almighty

It is not often that U.S. President George W. Bush finds himself in trouble with his evangelical Christian base. On the whole, the president, an avowed Christian of a fundamentalist bent, has won praise from that community for his policies on everything from the Middle East to abortion and gay marriage....
MORE SPORTS
Nov 30, 2003

Japan continues its losing skid

Japan continued its winless streak in a 3-1 defeat to Italy in the men's World Cup as the host fell to its seventh loss in a row on Saturday.
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2003

Mad cow subsidies recovered

The government has recovered some 2.47 billion yen in subsidies paid to meat dealers after the outbreak of mad cow disease in Japan in 2001, after determining that 6,300 tons of beef failed to qualify for the subsidies, a livestock industry support body said Saturday.
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2003

Three held over kidnap of Iranian

An Iranian man kidnapped earlier this month from his Tokyo apartment for a 10 million yen ransom was rescued Friday in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture, police said Saturday.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Nov 30, 2003

A couch potato's guide from the experts' side

THE DORAMA ENCYCLOPEDIA: A Guide to Japanese TV Drama Since 1953, by Jonathan Clements and Motoko Tamamuro. Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press, 2003, 442 pp., 100+ photos and illustrations, $24.95, (paper). THE COUCH POTATO'S GUIDE TO JAPAN: Inside the World of Japanese TV, by Wilhelmina Penn. Sapporo: Forest...
MORE SPORTS
Nov 30, 2003

U.S. horse takes Japan Cup Dirt

After three years of failure, Americans succeeded in bagging the Japan Cup Dirt, amid the rain and mud -- by a mere 4 cm.Fifth pick Fleetstreet Dancer, one of two U.S. horses in the international field of 16 on Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse edged race favorite Admire Don from the home team after a thrilling...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 30, 2003

Whatever turns you on

The leather-clad guy in the line next to me had a gynecologist's speculum hanging round his neck -- and the accessories didn't get any more normal once I was inside the Sadistic Circus, an all-night fetish event held in Roppongi's Spiral club Nov. 23.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 30, 2003

Listening post: Live

D4 succinctly sum up their musical manifesto in the title of the first track of their debut album. It's called "Rock 'n' roll Motherf**ker" and, when you consider the album, "6Twenty," also includes cover versions of originals by Guitar Wolf and Johnny Thunders, you can guess at the extent of the aural...

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