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JAPAN
Mar 17, 2001

Confession made under duress: woman

After 10 days of confinement, Manalili Villanueva Rosal finally confessed to a Chiba Prefectural Police detective that she murdered her lover. She retracted her confession the next day -- and maintained her innocence throughout her trial -- but was sentenced to eight years in prison in September 1999....
CULTURE / Film
Mar 17, 2001

Upon further meditation . . .

Sometime after Gus Van Sant had released "Goodwill Hunting," he took a trip to India. During his stay, he was faxed a screenplay from Sony Pictures. Written by an unknown anchorman called Mike Rich, "Finding Forrester" had everything that prompted Van Sant to cut off his journey and return to LA. Three...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 17, 2001

Taliban fanaticism is not typical of Islam

LONDON -- The problem is that the world is actually a very provincial place. Most people in the non-Muslim parts of the world have never been in any Muslim country, so if Muslims anywhere in the world do something really stupid, they will readily believe that those actions are typical of Islam -- and...
CULTURE / Film
Mar 16, 2001

Cinnamon girls are forever

There have been a lot of odes to the '70s on film lately, but director Cameron Crowe ("Say Anything," "Jerry McGuire") certainly has a unique tale to tell. As a 15-year-old rock journalist for music magazines like Creem and Rolling Stone, Crowe spent his formative years in the mid-'70s on tour with stadium...
BUSINESS
Mar 15, 2001

Slips of politicians' tongues hurt economy

The dollar appears likely to continue hovering around 120 yen for some time.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 15, 2001

Soccer lottery: A tax to fund bureaucrats' whims

The worst thing about the new soccer lottery system may be its name. "Toto" is taken from the Italian word totocalcio, which is the name of a similar lottery that has been in place in Italy for more than 50 years.
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2001

New envoy seeks rethink of Venezuela

The new Venezuelan ambassador to Tokyo on Tuesday called for Japan to show greater interest in his country, and in South America in general, in order to achieve closer economic and political ties.
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2001

Wall Street plunge drags down Nikkei

Tokyo share prices continued to tumble Tuesday as the benchmark 225-issue Nikkei stock average closed below the 12,000 threshold for the first time since February 1985.
EDITORIALS
Mar 13, 2001

China's misplaced priorities

China's new defense budget, released last week, provides penetrating insight into the mind-set and priorities of the Beijing leadership at the dawn of the 21st century. It is not a particularly encouraging picture. The double-digit increases in defense spending indicate that the Chinese government sees...
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2001

Matsuo denies charges of fraud

A former Foreign Ministry logistics chief arrested on suspicion of swindling the government out of 42 million yen in discretionary state funds has denied the fraud charge, saying officials at the Prime Minister's Official Residence tacitly approved of his conduct, police sources said Monday.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2001

Japan turns its attention to Brazil, MERCOSUR

After years of near neglect, Japan is now eager to cozy up to Brazil -- by far the largest Latin American economy.
BUSINESS
Mar 10, 2001

DoCoMo sees higher sales of advanced cellphones

NTT DoCoMo Inc. is considering raising its initial-year sales projection for its next-generation mobile phone series to be released in May, from 150,000 units to 200,000, company officials said Friday.
BUSINESS
Mar 10, 2001

Volvo tires of MMC; courts Nissan Diesel

AB Volvo is in talks with major truck maker Nissan Diesel Motor Co. to acquire an equity stake while negotiating to end its capital alliance with Mitsubishi Motors Corp., sources close to the talks said Friday.
JAPAN
Mar 10, 2001

Italian ambassador talks up 'Italy in Japan 2001' program

Gabriele Menegatti considers himself lucky that he will see the "Italian Year" program kick off just as he starts his second year as Italy's envoy to Japan.
CULTURE / Film
Mar 10, 2001

A real woman is hard to find

The problem with "women's movies" is this: Too often, they make you think that the world out there belongs to men. Otherwise, how could they keep painting the same old pictures of women struggling to gain self-respect, raise children, find true love, bond witheach other, etc.? In the real world, women...
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2001

Japan reconsiders huge aid to China

Japan will no longer be as generous with its official development assistance to China because of its austere budget, according to a draft policy paper revealed to The Japan Times on Thursday.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 9, 2001

Big changes in Urawa as Reds aim to stay in top flight

After spending a year in Division Two, the Urawa Reds will make their comeback to the J. League's top flight when the 2001 season gets under way on Saturday.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 9, 2001

A big year for the J. League

Japanese soccer made a significant step last year with victory in the Asian Cup. For me, it was like the halfway point to the World Cup and it really represented a victory for the J. League clubs and the work they have put in.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 9, 2001

They might be giants -- or 10 players who should be

Still don't know who's got what to offer in the J. League? Here's a quick guide to some of the players who should pique your interest in the coming season.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 9, 2001

Climbing out of J2 not so easy, as Oita knows only too well

The J. League's Division Two will get under way on Saturday alongside Division One. The lower division has been expanded to 12 teams, with newcomer Yokohama FC joining relegated teams Kyoto Purple Sanga and Kawasaki Frontale.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Mar 8, 2001

'Samurai' blazing a trail in XFL

Being a pioneer has its rewards, but as many a sports trailblazer has learned over the years, going where no one else has gone before is not all glory. In fact, it can be downright tough.
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2001

MSDF lieutenant sentenced to 10-month term for spying

A former Maritime Self-Defense Force officer was sentenced Wednesday to 10 months in prison for passing two classified defense documents to a Russian Military attache in June.
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 8, 2001

Pizza, extra artistry, hold the delivery

Sometimes the craving strikes and second-best just won't do.
LIFE / Digital
Mar 7, 2001

Bluetooth hopes to deliver 'new dimension in wireless technology'

Can't get enough of the Internet at your home and office?

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