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JAPAN
Jul 28, 2002

Man held after entering Yokota base

Police arrested a 37-year-old man Saturday for entering the grounds of the U.S. Yokota base in western Tokyo after he was detained by a military policeman on patrol at the base and handed over to Japanese police officers.
COMMUNITY
Jul 28, 2002

Peoples of the north surviving against the odds

The Sea of Okhotsk region is one of the most inhospitable areas of the world for human habitation, yet its indigenous peoples produced cultures of marvelous richness and vibrancy.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jul 28, 2002

Taking a shortcut to enlightenment

THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING BUDDHISM, by Gary Gach. Alpha Books, 2002, 408 pp., $18.95 (paper) Half a billion people in the world consider themselves Buddhists, and millions of Westerners have embraced the religion and its tenets. For the uninitiated, and even for some initiates, Buddhism...
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 28, 2002

Placido Domingo calling all opera buffs in Japan

Opera is total theater that incorporates all of the arts, says the publicist. It's a pageant, says the wig-maker. We live in a visual culture and opera appeals to the visual; it is pure, unadulterated spectacle, says the stage director.
CULTURE / Music / PLAY BUTTON
Jul 28, 2002

Getting their message across

Hip-hop commentators talk a lot about roots: about old school roots and neighborhood roots and ultimately roots in Africa. Though hip-hop has flourished in Japan, much of it is distinctly rootless, imitating the goofy antics of The Beastie Boys or the street-savvy poses of gangsta rappers.
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE WAY OF WASHOKU
Jul 28, 2002

As you like it, and you will

I was an adventurous kid, but that didn't make it easier for me to eat my first cabbage pancake. I encountered the overstuffed okonomi-yaki — a griddle-fried savory pancake — one Saturday afternoon at the temple-cum-community center in Northern California, where I took Japanese-language classes....
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2002

Former mayor to aim for Diet seat

OSAKA -- Former Takatsuki Mayor Toshio Emura on Saturday decided to run in an October Lower House by-election in the Osaka No. 10 constituency backed by the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, party officials said.
LIFE / Food & Drink / VINELAND
Jul 28, 2002

A taste of the renaissance

Wine lovers in Tokyo are no longer far removed from the international wine scene. We have access to great wine shops and restaurants with well-chosen wines in every price category. And as we've investigated in the last few columns, bottles of wine now turn up even in formerly unthinkable locations, such...
EDITORIALS
Jul 27, 2002

Some key questions skirted

Seventeen years ago, following the Lockheed payoff scandal that culminated in the arrest and indictment of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, the Diet set up an ethics council in both chambers. In an eerie flashback to that episode, the Lower House ethics panel on Wednesday grilled former Foreign Minister...
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 27, 2002

Prospects improve with Megawati at helm

CHIANG MAI, Thailand-- With President Megawati Sukarnoputri at the helm, the amount of sensational news coming out of Indonesia has somewhat subsided. This is a welcome development as too much media interest usually points to trouble.
COMMENTARY
Jul 27, 2002

U.S. policies compel criticism

LONDON -- It is not anti-American or wimpish to criticize U.S. President George W. Bush's policies.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2002

Sakura Bank fundraising for Koizumi scrutinized

Senior officials of the former Sakura Bank collected donations from firms the bank was lending to for Junichiro Koizumi before he became prime minister, informed sources said Friday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 27, 2002

Switch-hitting Segiugnol sets record in Orix victory

Fernando Seguignol became the first player in Japanese baseball to homer from both sides of the plate three times in a season, leading the Orix BlueWave to a 7-2 victory over the Kintetsu Buffaloes on Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 27, 2002

Gov. Davis goes where Bush fears to tread

LIMASSOL, Cyprus -- A remarkable event occurred this week in California -- one that should cheer environmentalists around the world who were angered by the Bush administration's rejection of the Kyoto treaty on global warming.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2002

Outside expert named minister at Washington embassy

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi on Friday named Naoyuki Agawa, a professor of law at Keio University, as minister in charge of public relations at the Japanese Embassy in Washington as part of her efforts to carry out reforms by appointing outside experts.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2002

Toxin imperils Iran pistachio imports

Health minister Chikara Sakaguchi said Friday that imports of Iranian pistachio nuts may be outlawed because they contain a carcinogenic toxin.
BUSINESS
Jul 27, 2002

8.7 trillion yen in 'zaito' funds not used by recipients

As much as 8.7 trillion yen of the government's fiscal investment and loan program, or 26.7 percent of the initial budget of 32.55 trillion yen, was left unused in fiscal 2001, according to a report released Friday by the Finance Ministry.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2002

Ishihara threatens road entity

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara on Friday threatened to withdraw the financial support of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for Metropolitan Expressway Public Corp. if the entity decides against building expressway links sought by the capital.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2002

Envoy apologizes over Shenyang case

Japan's ambassador to China apologized during a Diet committee meeting Friday for mishandling an asylum bid by North Koreans who were seized by Chinese police after they entered the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang.
BUSINESS
Jul 27, 2002

Cut company taxes, key council urges

Private-sector members of a key economic panel said Friday the government should slash taxes, primarily those affecting companies, to the tune of 1 trillion yen in fiscal 2003.
BUSINESS
Jul 27, 2002

Insurer takes out perpetual loan of 75 billion yen

Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. said Friday it took out a 75 billion yen perpetual subordinated loan from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and other lenders, and simultaneously repaid SMBC and others a combined 225 billion yen in subordinated loans that carried maturity periods.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2002

Secondhand smoke affects 62% of pregnancies

About 62 percent of pregnant women in Japan face pregnancy complications and other health risks from inhaling secondary smoke from their partners' cigarettes, a survey by a government-affiliated health institution showed Friday.
BUSINESS
Jul 27, 2002

Daiei unsure if first-half targets can be achieved

Struggling retail giant Daiei Inc. is uncertain if it can achieve its business targets for the first half of this business year, Daiei President Kunio Takagi said Friday.
BUSINESS
Jul 27, 2002

Business heads offer recovery tips

OYAMA, Shizuoka Pref. -- To stay competitive, Japan needs to focus on creating high added-value goods through new technologies and intellectual property, business leaders said Friday.
BUSINESS
Jul 27, 2002

Yanagisawa firm on bank deadline

Financial Services Minister Hakuo Yanagisawa reiterated Friday that the government's current full guarantee on regular and other forms of liquid deposits will end as scheduled on April 1.

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