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CULTURE / Art
Mar 20, 1999

Japanese custodians of French 'Liberty'

On the occasion of French President Jacques Chirac's visit to Japan in 1996, an exchange of national treasures was agreed upon for the 1998-1999 "Year of France in Japan." Following this agreement, Kudara Kannon, a 7th-century 2-meter wooden bodhisattva from Nara's Horyuji Temple, was sent to France...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 1999

Learning on the job can be a good idea

The value of education has become a cliche. But few people seem to realize that school-based education can often prove a liability. Consider the views of Ram Mohan, a young farmer from the Indian state of Rajasthan, who refused to go to school. "My father wanted me to go," he said, "but I didn't. My...
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Mar 20, 1999

The squirrel or the eagle?

Thirty-five years ago, during the "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution," China's Chairman Mao Zedong announced the coming of an uncompromising global struggle between the City and the Village. China, in Mao's eyes the best country in the world, symbolized the sturdy and righteous Village. Haughty and...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 1999

U.S. apologists for China disregard reality

"China apologists," mainly representing newspapers and academic haunts in Los Angeles, New York and Boston, claim that the rest of us are beating up on China merely because Beijing is into heavy-duty spying on the United States, stealing high-tech secrets and deploying enough missiles opposite Taiwan...
CULTURE / Music
Mar 20, 1999

Tokyo says 'Bravo!' to tango explosion

The hottest song now in Japan is undoubtedly "Dango 3 Kyodai," which humorously depicts the story of three dumpling brothers. Though originally composed for a children's TV program, the song appealed to adults as well, and 3 million CDs have been sold so far.
EDITORIALS
Mar 19, 1999

A welcome step forward

Once again, the United States has shown that engagement with North Korea works. After four rounds of talks in as many months, a deal has been struck in New York with the North Korean government on access to an underground site suspected of housing a secret nuclear-weapons project. Japan, South Korea...
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Kobe airport foes submit petitions

KOBE -- A group of Kobe citizens opposed to the construction of Kobe airport presented two petitions to two government agencies in Tokyo, urging that the city's request to reclaim land for the project not be approved.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Another patient dies after IV mishap; cancer blamed

OSAKA -- A patient was mistakenly given another patient's intravenous drip at a hospital in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture, in January and died two days later, it was disclosed Friday.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Fund to assist sarin victims with free checkups

A fund initially set up mainly to compensate victims of nerve gas attacks attributed to Aum Shinrikyo will be utilized to cover medical checkups for monitoring victims' health conditions, a lawyer and representative of the fund operators told a news conference Friday.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Government announces members of resuscitation panel

The government Friday announced the members of a new panel to be established under Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to discuss ways to beef up the competitiveness of the Japanese industry.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Cabinet group targets 90% cut in dioxin emissions

A Cabinet panel approved a policy proposal Friday to curb dioxin emissions by around 90 percent in four years and set tolerable levels of the substance in the air, as well as look into water and soil standards, the Environment Agency said.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

State buys more foreign computers

Some 22.4 percent of computers procured by the government in fiscal 1997 were foreign-made, marking a slight increase from 19.6 percent the previous year, a government report said Friday.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Taiwan rep lauds Japanese news bureaus

The head of Taiwan's Government Information Office on Friday praised increases in the coverage of Taiwan by the Japanese media since last year, when seven news institutions opened bureaus in Taipei.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Tokyo steps up wartime weapon disposal plan

The Cabinet adopted a plan Friday to reorganize the government office tasked with expediting the disposal of chemical weapons left behind in China by the Japanese military at the end of the war.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Fired Kobe teaching aides win compensation, not jobs

Staff writer
CULTURE / Music / PLAY BUTTON
Mar 19, 1999

Journey to the center of Cornelius

Some trips involve buses and airplanes, others need chemical assistance. Some trips, however, require only a stereo. Keigo Oyamada, a k a Cornelius, is an expert choreographer of the latter form of travel. His last record, "Fantasma," catapulted listeners through an orange-colored psychedelic wonderland...
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Enterprise Spirit: New camera sells on nostalgia

27th in an occasional series
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Osaka Web site lists bilingual medical info

OSAKA -- The Osaka Prefectural Government opened a bilingual medical information Web site for foreigners Friday so they can find hospitals or clinics where they can receive medical treatment in their native language.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Honda, Mitsubishi cruise along on minicar sales

Honda Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. enjoyed increased domestic sales in February on a year-on-year basis, helped by continuing demand for new minivehicles.
COMMENTARY
Mar 19, 1999

A battle that earned a place in history

I listen to NHK radio every morning. In one program, titled "What happened on this date," the announcer introduces notable events that occurred on that day in Japanese history.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1999

Osaka wants usual IOC turnout

OSAKA -- In response to the International Olympic Committee's decision to revise the guidelines for selecting the 2006 Winter Games, Osaka Mayor Takafumi Isomura said limiting the number of members allowed to visit candidate cities was not appropriate for the Summer Games.
EDITORIALS
Mar 18, 1999

More melodrama in Moscow

Russian President Boris Yeltsin has roused himself from his sickbed, where he is being treated for a bleeding ulcer, to launch what could be the next round of a political shakeup in the Kremlin. There are good reasons to change key personnel in Moscow -- the economy continues to totter and the government...
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1999

Palette Town opens to public today

Organizers of a new theme park opening today in Tokyo Bay's waterfront development project expressed hope Thursday that the park will spark life in the Japanese economy.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1999

SDP plans delegation to North Korea in April

The Social Democratic Party will to try to send delegations to North Korea as early as April, SDP officials said Thursday.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1999

Nissan chairman admits management failures

Yoshifumi Tsuji, chairman of Nissan Motor Co., said on Thursday that Nissan management's failure to consider the "power of money" led to the capital participation deal with Renault SA of France.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1999

Diet begins full debate on defense cooperation bills

Full debate kicked off Thursday on bills covering updated Japan-U.S. defense cooperation guidelines with Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi stressing that the legislation will contribute to Japan's peace and security.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1999

New Japan, Wako plan merger in April 2000

New Japan Securities Co. and Wako Securities Co. have tentatively agreed to merge in April 2000 into Japan's fourth-largest brokerage house, sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1999

Kubota execs to step down April 1

OSAKA -- Kubota Corp. announced Thursday that its executives will resign on April 1 to take responsibility for a water pipe cartel scandal in which three of its officials have been indicted.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1999

Fuji Heavy execs deny bribing ex-lawmaker

Former Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. Chairman Isamu Kawai and another former executive of the company pleaded not guilty Thursday morning to bribing a former lawmaker to help the firm win a contract for a Maritime Self-Defense Force seaplane.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1999

Draft stresses shift to practical language classes

Staff writer

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals