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EDITORIALS
Jan 7, 2003

Mr. Putin's resurgent Russia

Remember Russia? The government in Moscow no longer commands the international respect -- or fear -- that it did during the Cold War days, but a decade after the collapse of its empire, Russia appears ready for a comeback. President Vladimir Putin has revealed a deft touch at home and abroad, besting...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 7, 2003

U.S. options in South Korea

HONOLULU -- A drive to compel the United States to withdraw its military forces from South Korea is picking up steam with a curious alignment of advocates from the left and the right.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003

Maker of stylus-free record player has got his groove back

SAITAMA -- His friends backed him up 15 years ago when he left his lofty position at one of the world's largest electronics makers and ended up at a small audio manufacturer. But when he decided to pursue a piece of analog equipment seemingly destined to die in an increasingly digital world, they wrote...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2003

Prewar democracy bid once saw jury trials

The atmosphere of heated argument lingers ghostlike within a restored prewar courtroom of the Yokohama District Court, where 12 chairs for the jury face those of the prosecution and defense.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003

Slump has silver lining: Cosmo chief

The economic slump offers unprecedented opportunities for new firms looking to carve out a niche in Japan, according to Kumi Sato, president of Cosmo Public Relations Corp., a Tokyo-based marketing consulting firm.
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003

Economic uncertainty mounting in 2003: business leaders

The leaders of Japan's three most powerful business groups said Monday that the uncertainty over Japan's economy is increasing this year due to the possibility of a U.S.-led war against Iraq, and predicted that annual economic growth will be between zero and nearly 1 percent.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2003

New Year's road-death toll hits low

The nationwide road-death toll during the New Year's period between Dec. 29 and Friday was the lowest in more than 30 years, according to the National Police Agency.
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003

New-vehicle sales decline for second straight year

Sales of new motor vehicles in Japan, excluding minivehicles, fell 2.3 percent in 2002 from the previous year to 3,966,095 units for the second straight yearly decline, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Monday.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 7, 2003

Drunken driving, unhappy holidays, and shaping up

Under the influence Glen refused a drink with us on Christmas Eve with more than his usual reluctant zeal. He had just heard of someone who had been arrested in a car being driven by someone else. The acquaintance was relatively sober; the driver was not.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2003

New vehicles seep sick-building vapors

The interior of a brand-new vehicle could contain more than 30 times the acceptable level of volatile organic chemicals, known to cause symptoms of illnesses linked with sick building syndrome, according to a recent study by a public health researcher.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2003

Bacteria spreads across nation to create slimy, healthy treat

Across the country, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, bacteria brought back by a Japanese scholar from a remote village in the former Soviet Union have been multiplying like crazy.
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003

Mitsubishi pares operations

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. spun off its truck and bus business into a wholly owned subsidiary Monday in a bid to focus its resources on car operations.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 7, 2003

Japan considers a flutter on casinos

It was a rare taste of Las Vegas in Tokyo, and for two days the casino crowds -- hosted by Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara -- pumped the handles of slot machines and betted feverishly on the roulette wheel.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2003

Obituary: Friedrich Greil

Friedrich Greil, a former longtime German-language announcer for NHK, died of old age at a hospital in Chiba Prefecture on Friday, according to his family. He was 100.
COMMUNITY
Jan 7, 2003

Is crime taking the place of a political opposition?

The irony screamed -- so did I.
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003

Stocks rise sharply in first '03 session

Tokyo stocks rose sharply Monday on the year's first trading day as buying was stirred by stock gains in overseas markets last week.
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003

Hitachi completes buyout of IBM's hard-disk unit

Hitachi Ltd. announced Monday that it has completed the purchase of IBM Corp.'s hard-disk drive operation and launched the new HDD business unit Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Inc.
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003

Matsushita eyes new pay system

OSAKA -- Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. plans to introduce a new pay system in which division managers conduct wage talks with their respective workers rather than the company doing it as a whole, company sources said Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2003

Tsukiji market opens year with 6.38 million yen tuna sale

A single tuna sold for 6.38 million yen Sunday at the year's first auction at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market.
EDITORIALS
Jan 6, 2003

Prevent runaway human cloning

A n American cloning company associated with the Raelian religious sect has announced the birth of a human clone. We will have to wait until the results of tests to see whether the baby girl really is a clone, but the company says that another four baby clones are scheduled to be born in the next couple...
COMMENTARY
Jan 6, 2003

Time to rock economic boat

After remaining in the doldrums for more than 10 years, the Japanese economy is now plagued by deflation. The Tokyo Stock Exchange's benchmark Nikkei index has fallen to the 8,500 level, and the nation's unemployment rate remains high. Last fall the government announced a policy package for expediting...
COMMENTARY / JAPAN IN THE GLOBAL ERA
Jan 6, 2003

Atavistic racism: greatest impediment

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- A central argument of many observers of Japan, myself included, is that there has been very little change and no leadership. The two are interwoven: leadership is required to generate and manage change. The Japanese system that was quite appropriate, dynamic and robust in the...
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2003

Scientists to undertake first magma drilling

Japanese researchers are planning to bore into a vent on the volcano Mount Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture in late January for samples of magma in what would be the world's first volcano-drilling experiment.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 6, 2003

Kimura to captain Japanese squad

Veteran Alpine skier Kiminobu Kimura will replace ski-jumper Kazuyoshi Funaki and head the Japanese delegation as captain at the upcoming Winter Asian Games in Aomori Prefecture, organizers said late Saturday.

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