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CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Oct 20, 2002

When romancing medieval Japan, why stop at one?

ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR: Tales of the Otori (Book One), by Lian Hearn. Riverhead Books, 2002, 304 pp., $24.95 (cloth) For over a century, Asia has been a rich and enduring source of inspiration for fantasy and science fiction writers. Since James Hilton created the fantastic Himalayan utopia of...
EDITORIALS
Oct 12, 2002

Military force is not a cure-all

The situation surrounding the Caucasus, a region rife with Islamic militancy, is becoming tense. As the U.S. administration of President George W. Bush prepares for a war with Iraq, cracks are developing in the U.S.-Russia coalition against terrorism. The fighting between Russian troops and Islamic rebels...
BUSINESS
Sep 27, 2002

Honda may file appeal on ruling on scooter patent

Honda Motor Co. may file an appeal against a Chinese court ruling Wednesday that rejected Honda's request that Beijing's patent office reinstate a patent on a motor scooter design, Honda officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Sep 23, 2002

The future of the U.S. economy: tasks for top nations and the IMF

One year has passed since the terrorist attacks that hit New York and the Pentagon. Although the war in Afghanistan ended rather quickly, the danger of terrorism lingers on, and the Bush Administration's policy of not ruling out pre-emptive attacks has fueled new tensions. The recent slump in stock markets...
JAPAN
Sep 18, 2002

Chronology of major events in Japan-North Korea relations

Following is a chronology of major events in Japan-North Korea relations since 1965:
JAPAN
Sep 11, 2002

Public safety bill added to attack-response plan

The government has drafted legislation for protecting the public in the event of an attack that will be attached to war contingency bills to be discussed in an extra Diet session expected to start in mid-October, sources said.
BUSINESS
Sep 5, 2002

Top three airlines probed over fare cuts

The Fair Trade Commission is investigating whether planned airfare discounts on the Haneda-Miyazaki route by Japan's three major airlines are in violation of antimonopoly laws, FTC Secretary General Akio Yamada said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2002

Alleged abductees' kin hopeful, skeptical

Families of those believed to have been abducted to North Korea welcomed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's plan to visit the Stalinist state next month as an opportunity to make some headway on the thorny issue.
BUSINESS
Aug 30, 2002

South Korea, Japan compare IT labor policies

The chiefs of unions, business groups and the labor ministries of Japan and South Korea gathered Thursday in Tokyo to discuss labor policies, including measures to develop workers' information technology skills.
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2002

Persian-language court interpreter lives life on a tightrope

Keiko Kawashima's job as a Persian-language court interpreter sometimes requires her to respond to calls in the middle of the night.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / PLAY BUTTON
Aug 25, 2002

Mad Max: Beyond the laptop

Postmodern hijinks have become such a staple of contemporary pop music that genre bending and blending are hardly news anymore. What artist hasn't ransacked the back catalog of some long-lost funk or soul label, or lifted grooves from obscure jazz hepcats or, for the even more adventurous, modern classical...
EDITORIALS
Aug 22, 2002

Reform of the highway corporations

A government panel discussing privatization plans for highway corporations has been meeting stiff resistance from a predictable source: the corporations themselves. They have held back some of the financial data requested by panel members, thus effectively blocking progress toward highway reform, a priority...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Aug 18, 2002

Tourmaline trinkets

It's all systems go. The negative-ion air conditioner, negative-ion fan and negative-ion dehumidifier are all plugged in and humming away, dutifully belching out zillions of the negatively charged particles that, their manufacturers say, take on dust and neutralize pollutants around the house.
EDITORIALS
Aug 13, 2002

Defense report lacks substance

This year's government report on defense, the first since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, devotes much space to the terror-related events. That was only to be expected, considering that they have changed the contours of the international community, particularly the global security...
COMMENTARY
Aug 13, 2002

Protecting Japan's interests

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's advisory panel on ministry reform came up with its final report in late July. On the basis of the panel's recommendations, the ministry this month will formulate an action plan on ways of implementing reform. A spate of scandals involving the ministry have prompted...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 11, 2002

Beijing forcing Chen to take own road

NEW YORK -- Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's posture toward China has undergone a significant change recently -- from showing infinite good will to proclaiming that Taiwan is an independent sovereign state and that Taiwan's future should be determined by the people of Taiwan. He now supports legislation...
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2002

Ministry's new climate atlas designed to cool cities

The Environment Ministry is creating its first climate atlas, a fledgling attempt to chart atmospheric trends to spur more environmentally friendly city planning.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Aug 6, 2002

Tussling over a stolen treasure

ATHENS -- In 1801, Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin and British ambassador to Constantinople, hit upon what he considered a splendid idea.
LIFE / Food & Drink / NIHONSHU
Aug 4, 2002

The sweet, soft option

Fukuoka sake, in general, hovers just below the surface of mass attention. You don't hear about it too much, and it doesn't have an image of overall style in the minds of most folks. But this belies its historical significance and, more importantly, ignores the fact that great sake can be found in Fukuoka....
COMMENTARY / World / GUEST FORUM
Aug 3, 2002

ASEAN is on the right track with ARF

With reference to the July 19 article by Felix Soh on the ASEAN Regional Forum ("Security issues may be too hot to handle for ASEAN bloc"), as former foreign affairs secretary of the Philippines under two presidents during 1995-2001, I wish to clarify several points of regional and historical interest....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 31, 2002

New and improved Pops!

How can anyone market one of the world's great orchestras in an era when orchestral music is growing ever less essential to the cultural fabric and the recording industry itself is ailing?
JAPAN
Jul 31, 2002

Osaka honors four World Cup players for Japan

OSAKA -- Osaka Gov. Fusae Ohta conferred certificates of achievement on four Japanese soccer players Tuesday for their role in this year's World Cup finals.
JAPAN
Jul 29, 2002

Kawaguchi keen to face Pyongyang's Paek

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said Sunday that she hopes Tokyo-Pyongyang talks on normalizing bilateral ties will resume, referring to her scheduled meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun on Wednesday in Brunei.
CULTURE / Music / PLAY BUTTON
Jul 28, 2002

Getting their message across

Hip-hop commentators talk a lot about roots: about old school roots and neighborhood roots and ultimately roots in Africa. Though hip-hop has flourished in Japan, much of it is distinctly rootless, imitating the goofy antics of The Beastie Boys or the street-savvy poses of gangsta rappers.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Jul 25, 2002

Expense no object at Meiji jewel in Kobe's crown

Though it's neither very large nor very old, Sorakuen Garden in Kobe is one of the best-designed pond-strolling gardens (kaiyushiki-sensui-teien) I know, with many interesting features and plants of exceptionally high quality.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Jul 21, 2002

The Cro pipes off on juiced players, bad-karma Bud

Just wind him up and watch him go! Warren Cromartie, who thrilled Yomiuri Giants fans from 1984-1990 not only with his stellar play but also with his banzai-inducing antics in the outfield, was back in Japan recently over the All-Star break.

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan