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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Aug 13, 2003

Reverend Charlie Jackson: "God's Got It"

When the Rev. Charlie Jackson was a boy, he played sacred music on Sundays and blues the rest of the week. While Jackson himself saw no irony in this, his mother had little appreciation for her son playing electric guitar on both sides of the Lord's fence and quickly steered him toward the church. Little...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Aug 13, 2003

Natacha Atlas: "Something Dangerous"

Beyonce Knowles is not a singer I would have pegged as a model for Natacha Atlas, but the coincidental similarities between Atlas' new album, "Something Dangerous," and the Destiny Child leader's chart-topping debut solo joint, "Dangerously in Love," go beyond their titles. Atlas dives headfirst into...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Aug 13, 2003

The pot is mightier than the sword

As brutal as they may have been, many feudal Japanese warlords were passionate about the Way of Tea. In the midst of battle they would pause for a "tea break," appreciating the fleeting moment and simple joys of tea -- with bits of strategy tossed in.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 13, 2003

Fukui tickled pink by backlog for latest cell phone model

Bank of Japan Gov. Toshihiko Fukui on Tuesday voiced delight at having to wait two weeks to get his hands on the latest cell phone model.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Aug 13, 2003

'Girl! Girl! Girl!' just wants to have fun

I've been looking forward to the new show at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. Trying not to sound sexist here, there was more than a little appeal in the show's title: "Girl! Girl! Girl!" I guess I'm just a regular guy, sweltering through summer, looking for some easy distraction. A Steve McQueen film...
BUSINESS
Aug 13, 2003

Slightly cooler July puts beer drinkers on wagon

Domestic shipments of beer and its low-malt cousin, "happoshu," logged a 12 percent year-on-year drop in July, according to data released Tuesday by five major brewers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2003

Don't send North Koreans back

The leader of a Japanese nongovernmental organization being held by Chinese authorities in Shanghai called on Japanese Consulate officials Tuesday to urge Beijing not to repatriate the North Koreans who were detained with him, Japanese officials said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 13, 2003

Uniqlo to sex up its product line as part of image makeover

Tadashi Yanai, chairman and chief executive of the company that owns the Uniqlo chain, used to liken his casual clothing stores to "vending machines" that continuously spit out products to thirsty consumers.
BUSINESS
Aug 13, 2003

Airlines seeking emergency loans

Japan's top air carriers, Japan Airlines System Corp. and All Nippon Airways Co., are asking for emergency loans from a government-run bank to help them through drops in travel in the aftermath of the war in Iraq and the SARS epidemic in Asia.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 12, 2003

Champion Kaburaya O dead at 31

Champion racehorse Kaburaya O, who captured the first two legs of Japan's Triple Crown series in 1975, died Saturday at the age of 31 (about 90 years in human terms) at the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders Association Stallion Station in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture. His death was attributed to old age.
EDITORIALS
Aug 12, 2003

Time to rethink Japan-China ties

A quarter century ago, on Aug. 12, 1978, Japan and China signed a treaty of peace and friendship in Beijing, putting a legal end to the technical state of war between the two nations. With the United States and the Soviet Union locked in the Cold War, however, the treaty talks reflected the hard realities...
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2003

BOJ poised for ABCP purchase

The Bank of Japan said Monday it will buy 50 billion yen worth of asset-backed commercial paper outright Wednesday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 12, 2003

Yanagisawa, Kubo recalled for friendly with Nigerians

Japan coach Zico on Monday recalled strikers Atsushi Yanagisawa and Tatsuhiko Kubo and picked defender Yuji Nakazawa for the first time since taking over the national team as he named a 23-man squad for the Aug. 20 friendly against Nigeria.
COMMENTARY
Aug 12, 2003

Test for Japanese diplomacy

The standoff over North Korea's nuclear-arms development is entering a new stage as officials of six nations -- the United States, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia and China -- prepare to meet soon in Beijing to discuss the threat. At Pyongyang's insistence, the U.S. will hold direct talks with...
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2003

Insurer, bank eye bad-loan gambit

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. said Monday they will set up a fund in September with an investment firm affiliated with Daiwa Securities SMBC Co. to purchase bad loans from financial institutions.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Aug 12, 2003

Biculturalism, accessories and recession

Biculturalism, accessories and recession
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Aug 12, 2003

Words of advice for the power-hungry

While we've had a few close shaves over the years, Tokyo's power grid has fortunately been spared a major, city-wide blackout. This year, the closure of 17 nuclear power generators for safety inspection led many to fret that there might not be sufficient power over the summer; fortunately demand has...
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2003

Finance Ministry to cut loan rates

The Finance Ministry said Monday it will cut some of its rates for loans to governmental lending institutions on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2003

Goodwill sees record profit on outsourcing demand

Human-resources firm Goodwill Group Inc. on Monday reported a record group net profit for the year through June, thanks to strong demand for its outsourcing and nursing-care services.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2003

BOJ economic outlook now of half-full variety

The Bank of Japan on Monday left its assessment of Japan's economy unchanged in August but indicated the economy is on a recovery path amid expectations of growth in the United States in the latter half of the year.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2003

Brokerages accepting nighttime share orders

To tap potential demand from daytime salaried workers, some brokerages in Japan have started accepting share orders placed by phone during night hours on weekdays and weekends.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FRONT-RUNNERS
Aug 12, 2003

Ajinomoto's amino acid products draw athletes, health-conscious consumers

Don't be surprised if you see Seattle Mariners sensation Ichiro Suzuki downing an Ajinomoto Co. amino acid drink in the dugout at Safeco Field during a baseball game.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2003

Tanaka seen as comeback threat

Reports that prosecutors do not plan to indict former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka for allegedly misusing the salary of her state-funded secretary have set off a political firestorm not only in her home area but in Tokyo's political center of Nagatacho.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2003

Housing suppliers cash in on demand for homes that reflect seasonal change

More and more housing suppliers are pitching eco-friendly "symbiotic housing" that incorporates traditional Japanese aesthetic values such as the texture of wood and the ability to reflect seasonal changes.

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