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JAPAN
Jan 7, 1997

Video journalist zooms in on substance

Tetsuo Jimbo interviews, videotapes and edits -- all by himself.With a camcorder, tripod, light and other equipment all small enough to fit into a bag Jimbo, 35, has made television reports about the Great Hanshin Earthquake, Aum Shinrikyo and many other events since 1994. Recalling his debut in spring...
JAPAN
Jan 6, 1997

Simple precautions could save lives, doctor says

Yutaka Tsutsumi isn't pushing for an eye-catching medical discovery like a cure for cancer. He simply wants doctors to become aware of the need for safety measures, like washing their hands.Still, the assistant professor at Tokai University in Isehara, Kanagawa Prefecture, believes his mission could...
JAPAN
Jan 6, 1997

Nobelist urges Japan to pressure Indonesia

Japan should pressure the Indonesian government to end the conflict in East Timor, a Nobel laureate and East Timor independence campaigner said Jan. 6 in Tokyo.Jose Ramos Horta appealed to the Japanese government "to use its enormous influence on Indonesia to release all the prisoners, to stop torture,...
JAPAN
Jan 6, 1997

TSE starts sluggishly as dollar tests 117 yen

Japan's financial markets started the New Year's first trading Jan. 6 with ominous news: The dollar momentarily reached 117 yen -- its highest level since March 1993.Although the U.S. currency later fell back to the 116 yen range, and the Nikkei Stock Average of the Tokyo Stock Exchange subsequently...
JAPAN
Jan 6, 1997

Long holiday scatters well wishers

The number of people who visited shrines and temples during the first three days of 1997 was nearly 1 million less than last year, the National Police Agency reported Jan. 6.According to the agency, 86.72 million people visited shrines and temples during the traditional period for yearend thanksgiving...
JAPAN
Jan 6, 1997

Fill PSC post, protest group demands

A civic group opposing the expected invocation of the Antisubversive Activities Law against Aum Shinrikyo demanded Jan. 6 that the Public Security Commission appoint a new commission member to fill the post of a member who died last month.Joichi Aoi, a commission member and vice chairman of the Japan...
JAPAN
Jan 6, 1997

Kubo leads more key defectors from SDP

In a serious blow to the already-battered Social Democratic Party, Wataru Kubo, former deputy prime minister and finance minister, on Jan. 6 said he will leave the SDP, a Diet ally of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.SDP officials said at least six other Upper House members also are quitting with...
JAPAN
Jan 6, 1997

Reform decisively, leaders of economic groups warn

Leaders of the nation's four major economic organizations on Jan. 6 warned that the economy will remain sluggish this year unless the government embarks on a clear course toward full-scale reform.At the same time, the leaders said they are not so worried about the so-called "Japan-passing" trend whereby...
JAPAN
Jan 6, 1997

Firefighters strut stuff in emergency team display

A marching band blared the theme to "Mission Impossible" during Tokyo's New Year Fire Review on Jan. 6. It was stirring but misleading.But nothing seemed impossible for the representatives of the fire department's nine districts, who wowed the crowd with the skills, organization and technology they...
JAPAN
Jan 3, 1997

Top hostages lose jobs; rebels take tough stance

LIMA -- The top captives in Peru's hostage crisis, which entered its 17th day on Jan. 3, took the brunt of tough posturing on both sides by losing their jobs, as rebels continued to say they could withstand siege conditions.Both President Alberto Fujimori and rebels of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary...
JAPAN
Jan 3, 1997

Nissan chief predicts autos will remain Japan's top industry

While some analysts say Japan's auto industry has matured and has little room for growth, the president of Nissan Motor Co. believes the industry will continue to be Japan's leading sector in the 21st century."There may be a new industry that will grow in the future, such as the information business,...
JAPAN
Jan 3, 1997

U-turn rush clogs nation's arteries

The annual rush of people returning home after spending the yearend and new year holidays in their hometowns or at resorts began Jan. 3, clogging highways, airports and Shinkansen trains.The peak of the congestion is expected to come Jan. 4 and Jan. 5. According to the Japan Road Traffic Information...
JAPAN
Jan 3, 1997

Nontraditional new year preferred by youngsters

A family gathering is one way to start off the year. But many people think it's not the only way, including some who relaxed with friends early Jan. 3 in Odaiba-kaihin Park in Tokyo.Tomomi Kakutani, 25, spent the first few hours of the new year by her coveted motorbike with 10 other touring buddies....
JAPAN
Jan 3, 1997

Workforce selection, utilization said key to modern industrial success

When Skymark Airlines was established last November by a group of venture companies, including discount air ticket seller H.I.S. Co., people accustomed to more traditional ways of doing business were shocked by the new style the carrier introduced.They were amazed because nobody has dared to challenge...
JAPAN
Jan 3, 1997

Special corporation reform proves elusive

In the nine-month period to January 1996, the government doled out investment funds of 27.59 trillion yen and state loans and subsidies totaling 37.62 trillion yen to 92 institutions and 528,500 workers nationwide.The size of the funds accumulated by these firms indicates the degree to which the government's...
JAPAN
Jan 3, 1997

Designer gives nursing homes new look

In the past three years, architect Sadakazu Furuya has drawn up 15 designs for small-scale nursing homes, although he has received orders for none of them.Undeterred, he has devoted all his spare time to coming up with designs for what he calls group homes for the elderly. "I believe group homes are...
JAPAN
Jan 3, 1997

Ex-defense chief attacked at Haneda

Former defense chief Keisuke Nakanishi suffered a slight leg injury after being assaulted by an unknown assailant at Tokyo's Haneda airport late Jan. 3, police said.Nakanishi, who served as director general of the Defense Agency in 1993, was slightly injured on the left leg after an unidentified man...
JAPAN
Jan 3, 1997

Tokyo blames discrimination for lack of plans to hire foreigners

Despite the recent reversal of the Home Affairs Ministry's policy, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will not take immediate action to hire permanent foreign residents for general clerical positions, Gov. Yukio Aoshima has indicated.Aoshima said he has no plans to launch a study group to discuss the...
JAPAN
Jan 2, 1997

Virtual idol Kyoko Date breaks new ground in cyberspace project

She sings and dances, favoring the style of teenage pop diva Namie Amuro. She's got what it takes to make it as an idol of today -- boyishly cute looks and a wardrobe of tight, satiny shirts and shorts.
JAPAN
Jan 2, 1997

U.S. relations seem steady, but Japan will have to live up to commitments

Relations between Japan and the United States are likely to stay calm under their respective new administrations, but the future in both security and economic matters depends largely on whether Japan effectively fulfills its commitments, including those to deregulation and various agreements reached...
JAPAN
Jan 2, 1997

Will Japan be able to compete in the IR revolution?

In the past, a country's competitiveness was decided mostly by the productivity of its industries.
JAPAN
Jan 2, 1997

Thousands gamble on 'fukubukuro'

Thousands of customers, particularly young people, lined up Jan. 2 at a department store in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, for the chance to purchase "fukubukuro," good-luck bags, some of which contained the popular Nike Airmax sports shoe.About 15,000 people were positioned at the entrance of the Ikebukuro branch...
JAPAN
Jan 2, 1997

Rebels free seven, show no sign of ending standoff

LIMA -- Rebels of the tupac amaru revolutionary movement holed up inside the Japanese ambassador's home in Lima made a small gesture of conciliation by freeing seven hostages Jan. 1, but there is no sign they will give in to the government's demands to end the 15-day-old standoff.
JAPAN
Jan 2, 1997

Time deposits tied to politician's debts

A mutual aid cooperative run by a political organization of Tatsuo Tomobe, a member of the Upper House, marketed time deposits to pay off his debts, which totaled about 1 billion yen, co-op sources said Jan. 2.The Metropolitan Police Department considers this information key to backing up fraud allegations...
JAPAN
Jan 2, 1997

More failures to come as 'Jusen' iceberg emerges, many say

While public anger over the government's use of 685 billion yen in taxpayers' funds to liquidate seven "jusen" housing loan companies has subsided, this year may see the outbreak of yet another financial crisis that could eventually require the injection of public money.Analysts say the fuss over the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 13, 1996

Hallo Spaceboy, welcome back to Earth

The man is back — back in Japan and back from the brink of mediocrity.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 1996

Shinshinto to cooperate in police probe of Tomobe

Shinshinto said Feb. 4 that it will cooperate with police in their investigations concerning Upper House member Tatsuo Tomobe, a former Shinshinto member under arrest on suspicion of fraud.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 1996

Potter turns Mihara's lava into isle's trademark pottery

OSHIMA ISLAND, Tokyo -- Jun Oba takes advantage of the volcano here, even though he is not a souvenir vender or a seismologist. A ceramic artist, he uses lava to make pottery.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 1996

Students drum their way to cultural awareness

HACHIJO ISLAND, Tokyo -- Don, don, don! Sounds of drums echo along the hallways of Hachijo High School as eight girls and two boys practice "taiko" drumming in Folk Art A.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 1996

Cabinet approves pluthermal policy to shed stocks

The Cabinet formally approved on Feb. 4 a government plan to promote the so-called pluthermal process, which is aimed at reducing Japan's excess stocks of plutonium.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat