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Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Mar 13, 2003

Singing frog

* Japanese name: Kajika gaeru * Scientific name: Buergeria buergeri * Scientific name: * Description: The Japanese singing frog, known for its "fififi" call, is brown or gray-black. Other frogs merely croak or call, but this frog sings. In Japan it was once common to keep the singing frog in a special...
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2003

Investors snap up new batch of JGBs

Japanese government bonds worth 75 billion yen that went on sale at post offices Wednesday were snapped up in just four hours, according to the Postal Services Agency. The JGBs were also offered at major banks, but most buyers chose post offices because no commissions are charged there, they said.
EDITORIALS
Mar 12, 2003

After hemming and hawing

After months of hemming and hawing, Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara has officially announced his bid for re-election, ending speculation that he might return to national politics. His solid popularity makes it almost certain that he will win a second four-year term in the April 13 election. So far only...
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Nikkei plummets below 7,900, hits fresh 20-year low

The key Nikkei stock average on Tuesday closed below 7,900 for the first time in 20 years amid growing concerns about the likelihood of war in Iraq.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Bills on support for subcontractors to go to Diet

The government on Tuesday approved two bills that would strengthen support for ailing subcontractors.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

Six indicted over Kabukicho blaze

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday indicted six people on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death in connection with a 2001 fire in the Kabukicho entertainment district that killed 44 people.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

Court rejects wartime forced-labor suit

The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday rejected an 840 million yen lawsuit filed by 42 Chinese nationals over labor they were forced to perform during World War II.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

NPOs up in arms over plan to curtail their tax exemptions

HIROKO NAKATA Staff writer A government plan to restrict the tax breaks enjoyed by so-called public-interest corporations has sparked a flurry of protests from some nonprofit organizations that fear it would dampen their civic activities.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Economic growth of 0.5% verified

The economy grew a real 0.5 percent in the October-December quarter, unchanged from a preliminary report released in mid-February, the government said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

Exiled Fujimori scorns Interpol arrest warrant

Alberto Fujimori, the former Peruvian president living in self-imposed exile in Japan, issued a statement Tuesday denying the legitimacy of an international warrant issued for his arrest.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

NEC in-house firms to be dissolved

NEC Corp. said Tuesday it will dissolve its two in-house companies and merge their operations in nine business divisions to cope better with growing overlap between the computer and telecommunications markets.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Mobile phone shipments up 22.4%

Domestic shipments of mobile phones rose 22.4 percent in January from a year earlier to 3.77 million units for the fourth straight monthly increase, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association said Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 12, 2003

U.S. bears costs as U.N. is challenged

As the issue of Iraq comes to a head, the United Nations faces a grave challenge. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council are deeply divided; many governments -- British, Japanese, Spanish, Turkish -- are at odds with their own people; and the divisions have hardened since U.S. President...
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Three-year plan boosts JAL outlook

Japan Airlines System Corp. is expecting a group net profit of 35 billion yen for the business year through March 2006, up from 8 billion yen estimated for 2002.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

Resolution asks Sakai to resign

Four opposition parties on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Lower House member Takanori Sakai, who was arrested last week for alleged Political Funds Control Law violations.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

S&P rating on Fast Retailing stable

Standard & Poor's Corp. said Tuesday its rating on Fast Retailing Co. will not be immediately affected by the casual-clothing retailer's downsizing of its store operations in Britain.
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Mar 12, 2003

Art or 'action'? Who cares

I would describe the 64-year-old Swiss man behind the current show at Ginza's Shiseido Gallery as part conceptual artist, part performance artist, and part video artist -- but Roman Signer would have none of these labels. He considers himself a sculptor -- pure, if not so simple.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 12, 2003

Preparing news reporters for surviving a nightmare

As the world stands on the brink of what could be the most dangerous war ever, there is one question facing those of us in the news media: How far should a journalist go to get the story? With rogue groups in parts of the world appearing to regard journalists as legitimate targets, the inherently unsafe...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Mar 12, 2003

Califone's "Quicksand/Cradlesnakes"

'Don't give it a name," Tim Rutili croaks on "Michigan Girls," the third cut on the new album by Califone. Rutili could be talking about the band's sound, which is like the blues but isn't; which feels like the kind of country rock that the Stones and Fleetwood Mac dabbled in in the '70s, but not exactly....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Mar 12, 2003

Jamaaladeen Tacuma & Burhan Ocal's "Groove Alla Turca"

Given the number of cheesy Asian fusion records out there these days, "Groove Alla Turca" may seem like yet another dubious selection until the name Jamaaladeen Tacuma on the album's cover pops out at you ; the presence of Tacuma means funk -- unusual funk, but mean, greasy funk nonetheless.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

SDF refueling covers more ships

The Cabinet agreed Tuesday to expand the Self-Defense Forces refueling activities in the Indian Ocean to include vessels from Italy, the Netherlands and Spain as part of Japan's logistic support for U.S.-led military operations in Afghanistan.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

Mexico seeks to bridge U.S.-France divide

Mexican President Vicente Fox told Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday that his country is considering submitting a fresh resolution to the U.N. Security Council that seeks to bridge the gap between the United States and France.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 12, 2003

Flock to see these birds of a feather

At last, the curtain rose on Matthew Bourne's "Swan Lake" here in Japan on Feb. 25, eight years after the production premiered at the famed Sadler's Wells Theatre in North London. The show was a sensation from the moment it opened, quickly transferring to London's West End, then crossing over to New...
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Lawmakers set to approve BOJ nomination

The ruling coalition and the opposition camp have agreed to convene a House of Representatives plenary session Thursday to approve the nomination of Toshihiko Fukui as governor of the Bank of Japan.

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