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Eric Johnston

JAPAN

Jun 27, 2003

Takuma's final defense for massacre: insanity

OSAKA -- In an emotional, six-hour closing argument that ended with quotations from the Greek tragedy "Antigone," lawyers for Mamoru Takuma, who has admitted to massacring eight elementary school students in 2001, said he is not guilty by reason of insanity.

JAPAN

Jun 10, 2003

Banning ferry visits seen as futile

OSAKA -- Experts on North Korean issues say that simply banning port calls by the North Korean ferry Man Gyong Bong-92 would not stop shipments to the reclusive state of sensitive materials like devices that can be used for missile development.

BUSINESS

Apr 24, 2003

Work to be done in Kansai to attract cash

OSAKA -- Kansai offers great potential for foreign direct investment -- but numerous problems are deterring foreign firms from doing business in the region, according to American and Japanese participants at a seminar Wednesday in Osaka.

JAPAN

Apr 17, 2003

Lawyers bid to curb sex harassment

OSAKA -- The Osaka Bar Association plans to adopt new internal rules designed to crack down on sexual harassment.

JAPAN

Apr 13, 2003

Six months on, access to abductees remains an issue

OSAKA -- On Tuesday, six months will have passed since the five Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in 1978 returned home, an event that most Japanese media rated the No. 1 news story of 2002.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Apr 11, 2003

Fukui race boils down to reactor factor

TAKAHAMA, Fukui Pref. -- Like many of her fellow shopkeepers in this small town along the Sea of Japan coast, Tomoko Kurahashi is ambivalent about the candidates for Fukui governor.

Japan Times

JAPAN / IN WITH THE NEW

Apr 10, 2003

Japan needs spine to stand up, cut its losers: Koike

ITAMI, Hyogo Pref. -- While many Japanese politicians claim knowledge of or interest in Middle Eastern affairs, few if any can match the credentials of Lower House member Yuriko Koike of the Liberal Democratic Party.

JAPAN

Mar 24, 2003

Forum closes with vows to prioritize water issues

KYOTO -- The 3rd World Water Forum closed Sunday with a declaration promising to make water issues a top priority among governments but failing to narrow the gap on the issue of privatizing water supplies and sanitation services.

JAPAN

Mar 23, 2003

Kyoto water forum opens amid internal wrangling

KYOTO -- A two-day meeting of ministers from 170 countries opened Saturday in Kyoto at the World Water Forum, with delegates making firm promises to deal with the world's water crisis.

JAPAN

Mar 22, 2003

Forum tackles water access

OTSU, Shiga Pref. -- Among the many issues delegates to the World Water Forum are debating is how to deal with conflicts between tribes and nations over limited water supplies.

JAPAN

Mar 21, 2003

Hope evaporates at water forum

OTSU, Shiga Pref. -- With the long-expected U.S.-led war in Iraq now a reality, the ongoing World Water Forum began falling apart Thursday.

JAPAN

Mar 20, 2003

Water pushed as human right

KYOTO -- Is access to water a basic human right? This is one of the fundamental questions government delegates to the World Water Forum are grappling with as they prepare for a ministerial conference this weekend.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Mar 19, 2003

War fears put water forum in jeopardy

KYOTO -- The remainder of the 3rd World Water Forum, which is scheduled to end Sunday, was thrown into confusion Tuesday by fears that a U.S.-led war on Iraq is imminent.

JAPAN

Mar 18, 2003

Delegates press severity of African water situation

Participants at a special session of the ongoing World Water Forum voiced satisfaction Monday that Africa's water crisis is firmly on the agenda of the Group of Eight industrial nations.

JAPAN

Mar 17, 2003

Water forum under way as war concerns mount

KYOTO -- With war in Iraq possibly only days away, a leading delegate to the Third World Water Forum declared at the opening session that providing clean water is more important than the looming conflict.

JAPAN

Mar 13, 2003

Abductions new cause for text revisionists

OSAKA -- A group that supports revising history textbooks to exclude or downplay atrocities committed by Japan during the first half of the 20th century is now pushing for inclusion of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals as an example of human rights abuse.

JAPAN

Mar 3, 2003

Gathering concludes that nuclear power is essential to Japan

OSAKA -- The central government and the prefectures of Fukui, Aomori, and Osaka reaffirmed Sunday that nuclear power remains a vital part of the best possible energy mix for Japan.

JAPAN

Mar 1, 2003

EU envoy advocates talks on North Korea

OSAKA -- The European Union's ambassador to Japan voiced support Friday for efforts to resolve the standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear arms program via negotiations involving the United States, Japan, China, North Korea and South Korea.

JAPAN

Feb 11, 2003

Smoking said drag on image of Osaka

OSAKA -- While municipal officials and local business leaders announce grand construction plans to turn this city into an international center for tourism and conventions, antismoking activist Hiroshi Nogami suggests that to make Osaka more attractive to visitors, they should set their sights much lower...

JAPAN / KANSAI BEAT

Feb 7, 2003

Osaka survey follows ethnic lines

OSAKA -- While Osaka's foreign residents are divided on the need to provide information for medical services in foreign languages, they are in general agreement that schools should teach more about the history, language and culture of other countries.

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The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'

By Tomoko Otake

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