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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Jun 5, 2005

Seiji Hirao: Mr. Rugby

At the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong in March, a group of eminent rugby journalists were talking about Japan's bid to host Rugby World Cup 2011.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 31, 2005

New Nova hours pose health risk

Nova Corp., Japan's largest employer of foreign nationals, is set to amend its working times from this week, a move which could see thousands of foreign teachers become ineligible for Employees Health Insurance, and save the company as much as 1 billion yen a year in the process.
EDITORIALS
May 27, 2005

Planning for transport safety

One month after the April 25 train derailment in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, it is not yet completely clear how and why it occurred, but the government's investigation committee has kept the public reasonably well informed about its progress even before publishing its report. Its positive attitude toward...
EDITORIALS
May 25, 2005

Stop the torture and abuse

The steady drip of revelations about the abuse of prisoners in the global war against terror is doing serious damage to the U.S. image and efforts to win that battle. Contrary to official claims, the instances of misbehavior are not episodic or exaggerated; they appear to be serious, widespread and systematic....
Japan Times
Features
May 22, 2005

Retirees lead the way back to nature

Yoshishige Nagayama started farming when he retired nine years ago at age 60.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / VINELAND
May 13, 2005

To cut a long bottle short . . . Champagne gets it, samurai style

There is no sound more synonymous with celebration than the sharp pop of a Champagne cork. Professionals, of course, recommend easing the cork out slowly enough so that only a slight gasp is heard, which one waggish sommelier likened to "the sound of a contented woman."
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2005

Japan tour firms catering to disabled foreigners

English-language tours may be increasingly commonplace in Japan, but programs for disabled foreign tourists are still few and far between.
EDITORIALS
Apr 20, 2005

Nothing but a money game?

Capping a bruising takeover battle that had continued more than two months, Livedoor Co., an Internet service provider, and Fuji Television Network have reached a compromise agreement. Although the package may contain few surprises, the way in which the two companies fought for control of Nippon Broadcasting...
BUSINESS
Mar 7, 2005

High-end matchmaker finds Japan eligible for expansion

Chased by a busy schedule 24 hours a day, months and years pass until you suddenly notice that your encounters with the opposite sex are limited and you seldom have a chance of meeting a soul mate, let alone a spouse. Hiroko Ozawa, president of Destina Japan, noticed that many of her peers felt that...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Mar 3, 2005

Unique 'twin' woods branch out

Our little Afan Woodland Trust here in Kurohime in Nagano Prefecture is twinned with the Afan Forest Park in South Wales. Most folk have heard of twinned cities (though I believe that Americans call them "sister cities"), but as far as I know, our twinning of forests is unique, and -- as sometimes happens...
Features
Feb 27, 2005

Judges 'on bended knee'

For the 21 years of his life as a judge, Akira Rokusha lived a closeted existence. From his home in an official residence alongside fellow judges and other courthouse employees, he was taken to the court in a special minibus, and he spent his days off reading and reviewing material related to his cases....
BUSINESS
Feb 15, 2005

BOJ's English Web site popular

Demand for English-language information about the Bank of Japan has grown in recent years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 3, 2005

Bank card crimes fuel rush to biometric systems

The growing number of bank account thefts involving stolen or forged bank cards is forcing financial institutions to adopt costly biometric technology to verify that only bona fide customers are using automated teller machines.
EDITORIALS
Jan 24, 2005

Tracking sex-crime offenders

The Justice Ministry, concerned about the growing incidence of sex offenses against children, is set to launch a tracking system for convicted sex criminals, perhaps by the end of March. The idea is to try to reduce the possibility of their repeating similar offenses by having them keep the National...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2005

Proposal presented at U.N. disaster reduction meet

KOBE -- A UNESCO-backed proposal that calls for the introduction of a $13 million tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean within one year was presented Wednesday at the U.N.'s World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 2005

Publicizing sex offenders' details 'difficult problem'

might disturb privacy and the adaptation to society" of former sex offenders, Noono told a news conference, responding to calls that both the public and police should have such information. The ministry agreed Thursday to provide the National Police Agency with such information after former sex criminals...
JAPAN
Jan 15, 2005

South Asia to get tsunami warning system

leader when it comes to predicting tsunamis based on simulations," Inoue said. According to Tatsuo Kuwayama, head of the Meteorological Agency's tsunami research section, 100,000 tsunami patterns have been calculated based on such things as magnitude and fault direction for earthquakes that could occur...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 4, 2005

Aged care, drivers' license woes and an alert

'Kaigo hoken' I have been in Japan many years but have never applied for permanent residence. I had personal insurance under Pacific Star until last year. Their present carrier will not insure past renewal at age 64. I do not know how much longer I will be in Japan but I am positive that at the time...
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2005

Two more Japanese confirmed dead, hundreds unaccounted for

The deaths of two more Japanese citizens were confirmed Sunday in southern Thailand, bringing the Japanese death toll to 20 from the tsunamis triggered by the Dec. 26 earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra Island, the Foreign Ministry said.
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2004

Zoos grope to captivate visitors

Gone are the days when a new panda or elephant guaranteed a boost in zoo visitors.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Dec 28, 2004

Legal bank robbery

Mention residents tax to any foreigner living in Japan and chances are, you aren't likely to win any favorable responses. Otherwise known as city tax, ward tax or inhabitants tax to name just a few aliases, this is probably one of the most dreaded and least understood of all the taxes in Japan. It is...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 28, 2004

Boating, studying and moving to Japan

The last column of the year! Where did the weeks go?
JAPAN
Dec 25, 2004

NPA confirms Japan's first case of e-mail fraud

The National Police Agency said Friday it has confirmed Japan's first case of e-mail fraud.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Dec 12, 2004

The short and the sweet of popular Japanese theater

A GUIDE TO THE JAPANESE STAGE: From Traditional to Cutting Edge, by Ronald Cavaye, Paul Griffith and Akihiko Senda. Foreword by Nomura Mansai. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2004, 388 pp., many illustrations. 2,310 yen (paper). A convenient, pocket-size volume, this entertainment guide recommends "plays...
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 12, 2004

Give Japan's royal diplomacy a chance

Something is amiss within Japan's Imperial household. For nearly a year now, the Crown Princess Masako has suspended her official functions for "health reasons." The public knew next to nothing about the details of her disposition or the effectiveness of treatment, for reasons that included the extreme...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 5, 2004

Telephone fraud is criminally dumb at the end of the line

Misfortune for some can be entertaining to the rest of us. Microwaved poodles and death-by-sexual-dalliance often have such a ridiculous aura about them that we tend not to identify with the victims because the stupidity inferred precludes any feelings of sympathy.
BUSINESS
Dec 1, 2004

Beef-tracking system traces full history of domestic cows

A beef-tracking system will go online Wednesday at retailers and specialized restaurants, completing the system's link from producers to consumers.
EDITORIALS
Nov 19, 2004

Capital and management

For nearly half a century, Seibu Railway Co. has given the Tokyo Stock Exchange false information about the equity stakes held by its major shareholders. In an unusually swift response, the TSE on Tuesday decided to delist the company, saying its systematic coverup of the stock ownership percentage for...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 11, 2004

More study of climate change needed: scientist

Studying the ozone layer is essential to curbing global warming, says a U.S scientist who has just been awarded the 2004 Blue Planet Prize.
JAPAN
Nov 9, 2004

Koizumi says troops in Iraq are still in a 'noncombat zone'

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Monday he still considers the southern Iraqi region around the city of Samawah a "noncombat zone," despite the Iraqi government declaring a state of emergency for most of the nation.

Longform

It's back to the classroom for some residents as municipal governments across the country conduct lessons to learn how to use new technologies.
Can aging Japan go digital without leaving anyone behind?