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BUSINESS
Mar 26, 2003

Kinki Nippon Railway facing huge extraordinary loss

Kinki Nippon Railway Co. said Tuesday it will book an extraordinary loss of 106 billion yen for the 2002 business year, primarily due to appraisal losses suffered on resort facilities and a downsizing program.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2003

Ministry gets first female division chief

The all-male citadel of the Justice Ministry's bureaucracy has been cracked open, and next week it will have its first-ever female divisional head.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2003

Surgical mixup rulings overturned

The Tokyo High Court on Tuesday threw out a range of lower court rulings against six medical professionals in a case in which two patients underwent surgical operations intended for the other. The court then slapped the six with fines.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2003

MSDF distanced from war in Iraq

The Defense Agency announced Tuesday that it plans to narrow the geographical areas where the Maritime Self-Defense Force is providing logistic support to U.S.-led forces fighting al-Qaeda militants in Afghanistan, in view of the outbreak of war in Iraq.
BUSINESS
Mar 26, 2003

Seibu rehabilitation plans win shareholders' go-ahead

Seibu Department Stores Ltd. won approval Tuesday from shareholders on a new share issuance and a debt-for-equity swap, paving the way for its management rehabilitation program.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2003

Road firms eye 20% cut to future building plans

Four road-related public corporations will revise future highway construction plans to shave some 20 percent, or about 4.5 trillion yen, from original budgets, the land ministry said Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Mar 26, 2003

Life: the home movie, Japan: the video game

Two very different female video artists have brought pleasantly complementary exhibitions of their recent work to the Tokyo Opera City Gallery. Elija-Liisa Ahtila, 43, from Finland, and Japanese artist Tabaimo, 27, both opened with impressive solo efforts at the spacious Shinjuku gallery Friday.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2003

$22.62 million in Afghan aid planned

Japan will provide Afghanistan with $22.62 million in grants in aid for its reconstruction, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2003

Robot Winter Games on horizon?

It might not be ready for the Olympics, but Masaya Takahashi's skiing robot can take on the slopes with grace, and he hopes this inspires people to do likewise.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Mar 26, 2003

Ibrahim Ferrer: "Buenos Hermanos"

"Buenos Hermanos" is yet another great album of Cuban music. But it's worth noting some of the other reasons why this album is such an achievement.
BUSINESS
Mar 26, 2003

Electrical appliance sales dip 0.8%

Sales of home electrical appliances at major retailers slid to 171.5 billion yen in February, down 0.8 percent from a year earlier for the sixth consecutive monthly fall, the Nippon Electric Big-Stores Association said in a preliminary report Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 26, 2003

Matsushita to close Argentina unit

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Tuesday it will shut down its Argentine sales subsidiary, Panasonic Argentina S.A. (PARSA), effective Monday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 26, 2003

Secrets of the lost kingdoms of mystery

Mayan civilization flourished and faded more than a millennium ago, and the mystery of its decline has fascinated archaeologists ever since. Although experts debate whether it was a Toltec invasion or the effects of drought that spelled the end of the Maya, all agree that it was the dense jungle that...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2003

Lower House seeks Sakai's resignation

The House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday calling for Takanori Sakai, a Lower House member arrested earlier this month for allegedly falsifying political funds reports, to resign.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2003

Man held over embassy bomb threats

A 37-year-old man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of threatening to bomb the Iraqi Embassy in Tokyo, the Metropolitan Police Department said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Mar 26, 2003

Libertines

Many rock bands want you to think they work and live outside normal society. London's Libertines are no different, but in their case it's as if they've never been in normal society in the first place. Last June, they cracked the British Top 40 with "What a Waster," a short, crass song that treats drug...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Mar 26, 2003

Space Invaded

"Space Invaders," an exhibition of cutting-edge architecturally inspired design from the United Kingdom currently showing at the TN Probe space in the Hanae Mori building, explores the way visual design shapes and defines space. Space Invaded, an evening of electronic-based music featuring Janek Schaefer,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Mar 26, 2003

Jesse Davis Quartet

Jesse Davis was all set for a professional football career when he broke his collar bone. Sidelined, he picked up the alto sax instead and hasn't looked back. After winning numerous awards as a music student, Davis formed his own quartet in the early '90s and has released a series of solid CDs over the...
BUSINESS
Mar 26, 2003

Starting April 1, all MMC pay will be merit-based

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will entirely abandon seniority-based pay on April 1 in an effort to improve productivity.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2003

Songs of oppressed now serve to inspire

War and oppression leave not only legacies of death and suffering, but throughout the ages the sorrow they have also inspired songs.
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2003

Kan lauds missile defense plan

DPJ President Naoto Kan suggested Monday that Japan should consider introducing a missile defense program to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2003

Inventor to run in Tokyo election

Yoshiro Nakamatsu, better known as inventor Dr. NakaMats, announced Monday he will run in the April 13 Tokyo gubernatorial election as an independent.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 25, 2003

Olympus utilizes camera prowess to corner endoscope market

First in a series of occasional articles about Japanese firms that retain a global competitive edge
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2003

Sentences upheld over sewer bribe

The Tokyo High Court on Monday upheld the convictions of three former executives of Shimizu Corp. who were found guilty of bribing a governor to obtain favorable treatment in bidding on a public works project.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2003

Hayao Miyazaki mum on Oscar, citing war

Hayao Miyazaki, director of "Spirited Away," which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, indicated Monday that he finds it hard to celebrate the prize because of what is going on in the world, apparently referring to the war in Iraq.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 25, 2003

Umpires back off threat of Opening Day strike

Japanese baseball umpires, who had threatened a walkout to coincide with the season openers this Friday, have averted a strike, officials of their union said Monday.
BUSINESS
Mar 25, 2003

Fukui weighs up asset risk options

BOJ Gov. Toshihiko Fukui indicated Monday that he is willing to consider measures such as buying riskier assets from banks to help money flow into the economy, although he added that the central bank must tread lightly.

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