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ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Apr 24, 2003

Feedback

Dear readers, as you rarely get the last word, this week's column aims to put that right. Two weeks ago, I wrote about the dangers of our society's addiction to oil, and noted that much of the world still believes the primary purpose of the U.S. invasion of Iraq was to dominate its oil supplies and establish...
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2003

LDP mulls stiffer terms for illegal money-lenders

The Liberal Democratic Party is looking to punish unregistered moneylenders and those who engage in other illegal business practices with prison terms of up to five years and fines of up to 5 million yen, LDP lawmakers said Wednesday.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Apr 20, 2003

Changing narratives of Korean history

COLONIAL MODERNITY IN KOREA, edited by Gi Wook Shin and Michael Robinson. Harvard University Press, 2000, 466 pp., $49.50 (cloth) Until very recently most English-language general histories of Korea treated Japanese colonial rule or "Japanese occupation" as a rupture or distortion of the "natural development"...
COMMUNITY
Apr 20, 2003

Simple complexity for the men

One of the newest kids on the block in the highly competitive world of Japanese fashion is a menswear brand called Maji Maji, designed by Rynshu Hashimoto.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 20, 2003

All roads still lead to Paris

Mother, grandmother, createuse extraordinaire, Hanae Mori is a woman of impeccable taste, the holder of many coveted awards and Japan's -- and Asia's -- only member of the prestigious, Paris-based Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2003

LDP plans crackdown on loan sharks

The Liberal Democratic Party adopted on Wednesday a draft proposal advocating the imposition of tougher punitive measures on unregistered moneylenders, LDP officials said.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Apr 17, 2003

Pokemon still Nintendo gems

Having sold a combined 4 million copies of the games in Japanese, Nintendo has finally made English versions of "Pokemon Ruby" and "Pokemon Sapphire," the latest entries in the ongoing Pokemon craze.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 16, 2003

She's got them blues good

When Natsuko Miura puts one hand on her hip, holds the other in the air and belts out, "I got my mo-jo wor-kin'!" you'd have a hard time imagining this young powerhouse ever had any doubts about what she was doing -- the voice, that body language . . . she's lethal. But her first experience onstage,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Apr 9, 2003

Sun, sea, sand and . . . ceramics

The Izu Peninsula, just an hour out of Tokyo, has some of the finest scenery in all of Japan. Rugged coastlines, clear views of Mount Fuji, pristine forests with rivers and waterfalls, not to mention the many soothing hot-spring resorts dotting the land, shape Izu into a very attractive destination....
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Apr 8, 2003

Cancer testing, Takkyubin and foreign appliances

Testing for cancer Jeremy S. is seeking a dermatologist with a lot of experience working with Caucasians. Being exceptionally light-skinned, he has been told by dermatologists in America that he needs six-monthly check-ups to catch any possible cancer early.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Apr 7, 2003

U.S. racks up victories, and a huge debt

WASHINGTON -- After months of ducking the question of how much the war would cost, President George W. Bush sent Congress a request for just under $80 billion in new funds. It responded by moving quickly, with both the Senate and House Committees approving bills to give the president his money, but it...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Apr 6, 2003

Popping up everywhere

GLOBAL GOES LOCAL: Popular Culture in Asia, edited by Timothy J. Craig and Richard King. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2002, 310 pp. with illustrations, $24 (paper) It is commonly observed that as the political hegemony of the West has grown, so has its cultural dominance: Mickey Mouse, Elvis...
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2003

Cabinet bickers over autonomy of local bodies

A dispute continued Friday among Cabinet members over who said what on the question of ways to increase local authorities' independence, with the public management minister criticizing the finance chief.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / ON THE BOOK TRAIL
Apr 3, 2003

"Going for Stone," "Through the Night"

"Going for Stone," Philip Gross, Oxford University Press; 2002; 224 pp. It seems there's only one thing more terrifying than anything you could dream up -- the world you actually live in. Nick is a teenager who hasn't seen much of that world while growing up, but he's in for a shock when he leaves home....
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 2, 2003

Pedraza, Bailey key to Yomiuri 'relay'

There are various categories of baseball pitchers. You've got your starters, closers, middle relievers, "one-point" relievers, set-up men and mop-up and "reverse mop-up" guys. For the Yomiuri Giants this season, Americans Rodney Pedraza and Cory Bailey may be creating a new classification. Call them...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Apr 2, 2003

Yo La Tengo: "Summer Sun"

The first thing people notice about any record is its title. "Summer Sun," the latest offering by Yo La Tengo, might appear to be a collection of bright pop singles. Indeed, the band has covered the Beach Boys in the past and always includes original pop songs on their records amid the ambient experimentation...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDEN PATHS
Mar 27, 2003

A garden is born

After a cool March, the first warm days of spring are working their magic, and people are eagerly waiting for cherry trees to fill with blossoms.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Mar 25, 2003

A reading matter, helping the needy and driving schools

More used books Bill in Yokohama is wondering if there is any individual or organization in Japan to which he might donate used English titles. "The books are not textbooks, but rather works of fiction and nonfiction in good condition."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Mar 22, 2003

Toko Shinoda

In an interview in the 1960s, artist Toko Shinoda said it was both wonderful and terrible to be driven by something inside. She quoted Japan's woodblock print artist Hokusai. "I know what he meant when he said that at 75 he could understand a little. If he lived to be 90 he would understand more. And...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / NATURE TRAVEL
Mar 16, 2003

Prison for some, refuge for others

Second of two parts Robben Island is more than a world-famous symbol of racial reconciliation. On the insistence of Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned here for 18 years, Robben is also "a monument to [ecological] preservation."
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / NETWISE
Mar 13, 2003

How to get people to look at your site

It's a simple matter these days to build and host a Web site. What's less simple is getting others -- potential customers, readers and other users -- to find your site among the millions of others already out there. In this column I'll discuss Japanese search engines, particularly how best to use Japanese...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 12, 2003

Re-start me up

When a band has entered its fifth decade and its name is virtually synonymous with rock 'n' roll, it needs no introduction. The Rolling Stones are the Stones. And "Forty Licks," released this year to mark the band's 40th anniversary, is simply a collection of their hits. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,"...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 9, 2003

Kissaten culture still on the boil

At 3 p.m. precisely, a staffer in meikyoku kissa Lion in Shibuya quietly announces the start of today's "concert." Silence descends as she places a record on the player. A gray-haired customer puffs on a cigarette at his corner table.
Japan Times
JAPAN / PREFECTURAL FARE
Mar 8, 2003

Miyazaki's Tokyo foothold a success story

Shuji Yoshida, joint owner of Miyazaki Konne, is all smiles when asked how things are at the Miyazaki Prefecture satellite shop.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 8, 2003

Making it big-time in the world of glamour, glitz

Forget baubles, bangles and beads. Hiroko Suzuki designs pieces of jewelry that take the craft to a new level of glamorous extravagance.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Mar 8, 2003

The Diaper Lady makes stink over stamp

Each month my house is the site of a battle.
EDITORIALS
Mar 5, 2003

Turkey says no to Washington

Washington's plans to attack Iraq have been dealt a blow by the Turkish Parliament's refusal to allow U.S. soldiers to deploy in Turkey. The vote surprised both Ankara and Washington, and has officials in both capitals scrambling to arrange another vote. The outcome is the result of confusion in Ankara,...

Longform

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