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COMMENTARY
Apr 11, 1999

Shadows of Vietnam in Europe

The shadow of Vietnam hangs heavily over events in Yugoslavia. Once again Western policymakers have proven unable to grasp the reality of events in distant lands with complex backgrounds.
EDITORIALS
Apr 10, 1999

Key defense questions need answers

The House of Representatives Special Committee on Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation is winding down its deliberations on the guidelines legislation. Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi is eager to secure passage of the bills in the Lower House before he leaves for the United States later this month...
CULTURE / Film
Apr 10, 1999

Making the grade from the couch

When I think of the wealth of America, I think of its national concern for psychological well-being. People will actually set aside a number of hours each week to talk to therapists or attend group. They will go to court to demand justice for such crimes as "emotional damage" and "acute psychological...
CULTURE / Art / ARTS AND ARTISANS
Apr 10, 1999

The cutting edge of artisanship

Edo-kiriko craftsman Shuseki Suda does not blink while engraving intricate lines on the surface of glassware. Sometimes he can even keep his eyes open as long as five minutes.
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Apr 10, 1999

A keen ear for the voice of the clay

Japanese ceramists often talk of the materials they use as having spirits and souls. A kiln, for instance, has its own kami, and the clay has a voice that if listened to carefully will reveal a shape that has lain dormant for centuries.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 10, 1999

Angelic voice heals wounded hearts

Jochen Kowalski has the voice of an angel. A Berlin chamber singer, Kowalski, from the former East Germany, is a countertenor, or more precisely a male alto. The high range of these lovely voices makes it fairly difficult to discern whether they are male or female; hence, they are sometimes called "the...
EDITORIALS
Apr 9, 1999

Justice for victims of Pan Am 103

On Dec. 21, 1988, Pan Am flight 103 exploded in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. Three years after the blast, a Scottish court petition named two Libyan officials, Mr. Al-Amin Khalifa Fhimah and Mr. Abdel Basset Ali al Megrahi, as the individuals responsible for the atrocity. Earlier...
JAPAN
Apr 9, 1999

More students get serious about part-time work

OSAKA -- More students are taking their part-time jobs seriously as training for the future despite decreasing pay during Japan's economic slump, according to a survey released Friday of 500 students in the Kansai region.
JAPAN
Apr 9, 1999

Obuchi to consult with Mubarak on Palestinians

Minister Keizo Obuchi will explain to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak next week why Japan is trying to dissuade the Palestinians from unilaterally declaring independence on May 4, when their interim autonomy expires, Foreign Ministry officials said Friday.
JAPAN
Apr 9, 1999

April proves lethal to Japanese workforce

April is the month that Japanese workers are most likely to die suddenly, as the start of the nation's business year is believed to cause more stress-related deaths than any other month, according to a Kyoto University study group.
JAPAN
Apr 9, 1999

Improved information systems may reduce regulation

Staff writer
JAPAN
Apr 9, 1999

No. 2 prosecutor may resign over sex scandal

Japan's second-highest ranking prosecutor indicated Friday that he is ready to step down over allegations that he used public funds to take his mistress on business trips.
COMMENTARY
Apr 9, 1999

Zhu's U.S. visit kicks off strategic dialogue

Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji came to Washington at the worst possible time, what with the current anti-China feeding frenzy in the press and on Capitol Hill. China's recent spate of human-rights violations and alleged espionage activities have made it open season on China -- "innocent until proven guilty"...
JAPAN
Apr 9, 1999

Obuchi tells Cabinet to check stimulus progress

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on Friday gave his Cabinet till the end of the month to report on how the 24 trillion yen economic stimulus package announced in November is being implemented.
COMMENTARY
Apr 9, 1999

National security put to test

Two suspected North Korean spy boats recently invaded Japanese territorial waters in the Sea of Japan. A national controversy still rages over the incident, which came at a time when the Diet was debating legislation covering the new Japan-U.S. defense cooperation guidelines. The intrusion sparked a...
JAPAN
Apr 9, 1999

Japan claims near-readiness for Y2K

The government unveiled its latest report Friday on efforts to tackle the Year 2000 computer problem, saying the government and private sector are well on their way toward completing necessary tests and measures to avoid disaster.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 9, 1999

Lo-fi sounds to take you higher

The so-called lo-fi aesthetic that developed in the 1980s among American indie groups like the Replacements wasn't really an aesthetic at all. Independent record labels' hands-off policy had less to do with respect for artistic expression than it did with lack of liquidity.
JAPAN
Apr 9, 1999

Transport urged to ease grip on cabbies

The Council for Transport Policy recommended Friday that the Transport Ministry loosen its grip on the taxi industry to introduce greater competition and a variety of services that will benefit consumers.
EDITORIALS
Apr 8, 1999

A reprieve, not a recovery

There are growing signs that Japan's protracted economic slump may be finally coming to an end. Fiscal and monetary measures for recovery are already in place. The fiscal 1999 government budget, with its large public-works outlays and tax cuts, has cleared the Diet ahead of schedule. The Bank of Japan,...
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1999

Agency unveils bank inspection manual

The Financial Supervisory Agency unveiled an inspection manual Thursday that covers evaluating bank managers on whether they have fulfilled their responsibilities.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1999

IBJ foresees two more years of contraction

The economy will contract by 0.6 percent in fiscal 1999 and 0.8 percent in fiscal 2000 in real terms, marking negative GDP growth for four consecutive years, the Industrial Bank of Japan predicted Thursday.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1999

Arafat hints he may delay independence declaration

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Thursday hinted at delaying a planned unilateral declaration of independence for Palestine, a Foreign Ministry official said.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1999

Steel industry ready to approach WTO

The chairman of the Iron and Steel Federation of Japan said Thursday the industry will take steps toward a complaint with the World Trade Organization if Washington imposes sanctions and unilateral restrictions in its steel imports.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1999

Cities protest TV talent's purse-snatching slight

OSAKA -- The Wakayama and Nara prefectural governments are protesting a remark made by popular TV personality Ryutaro Kamioka on a talk show that "people from Wakayama and Nara are snatching purses in Osaka," it was learned Thursday.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1999

Donations solicited for Kosovars

Refugees International Japan is soliciting donations to support aid agencies working to help refugees from Kosovo that have inundated surrounding countries.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1999

Blind man sues Osaka over station safety

OSAKA -- A 25-year-old blind man filed a 48 million yen suit Thursday against the Osaka Municipal Government, charging he fell off a subway platform in 1995, was dragged by a train and seriously injured because the city, which operates the subway, did not take adequate safety measures for the visually...
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1999

Okinawa town ready to accept U.S. Navy site

Staff writer
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1999

Foley urges bilateral treaty for prisoner repatriation

U.S. Ambassador Thomas Foley made an official request Thursday to Justice Minister Takao Jinnouchi that work be done toward establishing a bilateral treaty to repatriate prisoners, ahead of a U.S.-Japan leaders' summit in May.
LIFE / Food & Drink / NIHONSHU
Apr 8, 1999

Soaking up the atmosphere enhances the sake experience

Sake pubs tend to have certain similarities of theme running through them. Whether it be a modern expression of these threaded themes or a more classical version, the look, feel and menu are often not all that different. While it all works for a reason, over the last few years there has been a trend...
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1999

FSA to declare Kokumin in capital deficit

The Financial Supervisory Agency next week will declare that Kokumin Bank, a second-tier regional bank, is in a capital deficit of 50 billion yen, raising the specter of yet another government takeover, sources at the state agency said Thursday.

Longform

Dul Saroth (left) and Soeum Samrach, deminers with the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, practice using the Advanced Landmine Imaging System in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province in August.
The Japanese tech that could one day make Southeast Asia landmine-free