Search - life

 
 
JAPAN
Nov 3, 2001

Palau banks on environment to bring in the tourist dollars

The president of the Republic of Palau said Thursday that his island nation will protect its environment through education and the selective admission of foreign capital, while promoting tourism as its major industry.
JAPAN / JOB JITTERS
Nov 3, 2001

Retirement not always time to relax

The red, blue and green flags of labor unions fluttered in front of the towering headquarters of a major bank in Tokyo's Marunouchi business district in early September as about 200 workers shouted, "The bank ought to carry out its social responsibility" and "We don't forgive the bank for dismissing...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 3, 2001

Howling Loochie Bros. R&B to benefit Amnesty

It took as long to read Robin (Loochie) Suchy's name card as it took him to lock up his bike outside Ben's Cafe in Tokyo's Takadanobaba. Following "Singer * Song Writer * Vocal Recordings * Narrations * Actor * Vocal Coach * Producer" were two contact addresses, in Naka Ochiai and British Columbia. Not...
BUSINESS
Nov 2, 2001

TSE starts new life as profit-seeking stock firm

The Tokyo Stock Exchange, formerly a membership organization, started operations as a stock company Thursday in a bid to improve its worldwide competitiveness.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2001

Eight insurers to pay out over quake-related fire

OSAKA -- The Osaka High Court on Wednesday ordered seven nonlife insurance companies and an insurance group to pay a total of 12.15 million yen to 19 people whose homes were damaged in a fire caused by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 1, 2001

A Palestinian state is key to Mideast peace

NEW YORK -- As the son of a Lebanese immigrant to Argentina, I feel a strong connection to what is happening in the Middle East, and at the futile attempts at reaching a peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict in that region. To me, the way my father conducted his life -- and attempted to bridge...
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Nov 1, 2001

The great horror of typing

When I was in high school, I looked upon typing class as one of the great horrors of modern society. My teacher, Mrs. Ito, could drill us for an hour with "M, M, M. OK, now M, T, M," droning strings of repeating letters on and on until our eyes crossed.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 31, 2001

No remembrance of things past

Memento Rating: * * * * * Director: Christopher Nolan Running time: 113 minutes Language: English Now showing
CULTURE / Film
Oct 31, 2001

Like we didn't know already?

Someone Like You Rating: * * Director: Tony Goldwyn Running time: 97 minutes Language: English Now showing
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2001

Child-care pair admit negligence

The former head of a nationwide chain of day-care facilities pleaded guilty Tuesday to professional negligence resulting in the March death of a 4-month-old boy. The infant suffocated after an older baby rolled on top of him while they were in the same bed.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 31, 2001

Mistress, queen and empress unmasked?

Ambition. Tragedy. Romance. The lives of Madame de Pompadour, Queen Marie-Antoinette and Empress Josephine read like the publisher's blurb on the cover of a historical novel. Yet they were real people, and a new exhibition from France sets out to unmask that reality.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 31, 2001

Cute art: clued-up or clueless?

I used to dismiss cuteness as kid stuff. But I found such a sophisticated aesthetic of cuteness here in Japan that I was forced to reconsider.
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Oct 31, 2001

Product Placement

Turntablism is the physical part of DJing, the act of slipping records on spindles and manipulating them in whatever configuration inspiration dictates. Some solo turntablists liken themselves to jugglers, which means their craft only has meaning in a live context. DJ Shadow is one of the ablest turntablists...
CULTURE / Film
Oct 31, 2001

Backward and forward

Director Christopher Nolan's "Memento" has turned out to be the runaway indie hit of 2001, so the local press were out in force for his press conference. It's not every day that a talent blindsides viewers with such an accomplished and innovative work. In person, Nolan seemed a bit dry for someone who...
Events
Oct 30, 2001

Scare stops Kobe beef in its tracks

KOBE -- It's a warm, sunny day at the Okaba cattle ranch in Kobe's Kita Ward.
SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH
Oct 30, 2001

Nakata not doing the business for Parma

Hidetoshi Nakata is in serious danger of turning into the "Plonker of Parma." Or worse still, the Japanese Nigel Clough.
COMMUNITY
Oct 28, 2001

Plunder in a land of plenty

KYZYK-SUU, Kyrgyzstan -- When Canadian mining giant Cameco Corp. opened the Kumtor gold mine in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan in 1996, logistics were considered to be the greatest obstacle.
BUSINESS
Oct 27, 2001

Foreigners become net sellers again

Foreign investors sold more Japanese stocks than they bought on the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya stock exchanges in the third week of October, the Tokyo Stock Exchange said Thursday.
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2001

Technology aids creation of new peace activism

Helmets, chanted slogans and clashes with police -- a common scene in Japan during demonstrations against the Vietnam War. Those days may be long gone, but after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States a new style of peace activism using the Internet and other technology has quietly been created....
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2001

Move to change electoral system decried

A move by the ruling bloc to partially change the House of Representatives electoral system has been widely criticized as a political compromise by the Liberal Democratic Party to please coalition partner New Komeito.
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Oct 26, 2001

Lesser mole

COMMUNITY / THE PARENT TRIP
Oct 26, 2001

If it's Tuesday, it must be . . . swimming?

No doubt about it, life in Japan is busy -- and even small children have a "schedule." All of my son's first-grade friends at Japanese elementary school have at least one after-school activity, if not two or three. An informal survey revealed that piano and ballet are tops with the girls, that the boys...
JAPAN
Oct 25, 2001

Cult brush tars modern faiths

Almost half a year after Nissan Motor Co.'s Murayama plant was shut down, the automaker announced in July it was considering selling a large portion of the 1.39-million-sq.-meter property to a Buddhist organization.
BUSINESS / ON THE FRONT LINE
Oct 25, 2001

Dollar could test higher ground in future

The dollar has snapped out of its holding pattern and now appears poised to gain further ground against the yen in the months ahead.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 25, 2001

Swallows a win away from fifth Series title

The big guns drew blanks for the Yakult Swallows on Wednesday, but a role player picked up the slack.
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Oct 25, 2001

Serendipity in Hokkaido's autumnal air

It was just a bridge, not even a special bridge. The Heiwa Bridge spans the eastern end of Lake Tofutsu in northeastern Hokkaido. To the north there is a narrow neck of wooded land and then the Okhotsk Sea. To the south lies more woodland, then great expanses of farmland. It was just a bridge, but suddenly...
CULTURE / Film
Oct 24, 2001

Tales from the dark side of Soderbergh

Schizopolis / Gray's Anatomy Rating: * * * / * * * * Director: Steven Soderbergh Running time: 93 minutes / 79 minutes Language: English Now showing
JAPAN
Oct 24, 2001

Buddhist author Setouchi condemns U.S.-led attacks against Afghanistan

Popular writer and Buddhist preacher Jakucho Setouchi said in a recent interview that the U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan will only contribute to the cycle of hatred and animosity and solve nothing.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?