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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 15, 2004

Businesses court women who like spending time alone

After shying away from eating in restaurants and staying at hotels by themselves, Japanese women are beginning to seek more time alone.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Oct 14, 2004

Arias, Petagine, Woods may play musical chairs in offseason

Three foreign players, all first basemen on Central League teams this past season, may be about to embark on a National Football League quarterback-style game of musical chairs.
JAPAN
Oct 14, 2004

Death penalty upheld for rapist-murderer

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence for a 62-year-old man convicted of murdering a woman who reported him to police for sexually assaulting her.
EDITORIALS
Oct 14, 2004

A peace overture from Taiwan

Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian last weekend bid to improve relations with China. In his National Day speech, Mr. Chen called on Beijing to resume long-stalled talks and help build confidence and lower tension across the Taiwan Strait. Critically, he seems willing to resume talks on the basis of the...
JAPAN
Oct 11, 2004

Spaniard wins world Monopoly title

A Spaniard captured the World Monopoly Championship after building up a fortune from just $1,500 -- in fake money -- and ruthlessly forcing three other would-be tycoons from Europe into bankruptcy.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Oct 9, 2004

Sisterly reporting from Catholic feminist view

It comes as quite a surprise when Joan Chittister opens her hotel room door. All photos seen to date suggest a rather fearsome individual. Here instead is a smiling roly-poly figure in a casual two-piece summer suit. All she needs is a large white apron and she could be a merry farmer's wife instead...
BUSINESS
Oct 8, 2004

Fee cut drives NTT into tight financial corner

The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. group has been driven into a tight financial corner with its first-ever cut in charges for fixed-line phone services in the face of an onslaught from rivals.
BUSINESS
Oct 6, 2004

Fears over digital sector, personal consumption cloud outlook

Although the economy is now in its fifth-longest expansion in postwar history, the outlook is clouded by worries over the future course of the digital industry and personal consumption.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2004

China aid to focus on ecology: Machimura

Japanese economic assistance for China will focus on environment conservation and human resources development, Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said Sunday in response to calls to stop aiding the rapidly growing neighbor.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Oct 2, 2004

Democrats Abroad: last chance to vote Bush out

Lauren Shannon is both a director and the front-of-house manager of Fujimamas, the highly successful restaurant bar and cafe in Jingumae, central Tokyo. An American citizen, she is also the vice chair of Democrats Abroad.
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2004

Funds sought for vaccine program

The head of an international organization that funds vaccinations in developing countries urged the government Thursday to contribute money to the program.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2004

Kitagawa to back second runway for loss-making Kansai airport

Newly appointed transport minister Kazuo Kitagawa says he will push for construction of a second runway by 2007 at the debt-strapped Kansai International Airport.
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2004

LDP promise to revise political funds law shrouded in doubt

Responding to recent money scandals involving Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers, the secretaries general of the two ruling parties agreed Thursday they would make an effort to revise the Political Funds Control Law.
BUSINESS
Oct 1, 2004

Industrial output up 0.3% -- but rising oil prices worry experts

Industrial production rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent in August from the previous month for the first gain in three months.
COMMENTARY
Sep 29, 2004

Offer Pyongyang transparency challenge

HONOLULU -- "It's all South Korea's fault!" In a refreshing change from its natural tendency to blame Washington for all the world's troubles, Pyongyang has recently announced that it cannot proceed with the six-party talks over its clandestine nuclear-weapons programs since "the foundation for talks...
OLYMPICS
Sep 28, 2004

Tachibana-Takeda pair retire

Synchronized swimmers Miya Tachibana and Miho Takeda, silver medalists in both the duet and team events at the last two Olympic Games, officially announced their retirement from the sport on Monday.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Sep 27, 2004

Oil-shock veteran Japan strong enough to weather surging prices

Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed at a conference in Vienna on Sept. 15 to increase daily crude oil production by 1 million barrels to 27 million. This is a record that exceeds even the 26.7 million barrels agreed on in fall 2000, and signals OPEC's intent to correct...
BUSINESS
Sep 22, 2004

Smaller PlayStation 2 set to debut

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said Tuesday it will release a smaller PlayStation 2 model in November at home and overseas.
EDITORIALS
Sep 21, 2004

An opportunity for Beijing

China has dodged a bullet. The recent legislative elections in Hong Kong returned a majority that is sympathetic toward Beijing. That means that there will be no confrontation between Hong Kong's feisty democrats and the Communist Party leadership in China. Instead, the results provide a chance to test...
COMMENTARY
Sep 21, 2004

Anwar release burnishes Badawi's image

HONG KONG -- Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has unexpectedly taken a meaningful stride away from the authoritarian rule of former Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohammad. As a result, the charismatic former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will now be free to influence the course of Malaysian...
Japan Times
Features
Sep 19, 2004

A flavor of Lima with Fujimori to the fore

Visit any Latin dance club and you'll hear the salsa music blaring well before you get through the doors. But this month at dance clubs across Japan there'll be another sound as well: the buzz over a new, free-of-charge magazine on Peruvian life in this country that's being distributed not only at clubs...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Sep 19, 2004

In search of an elusive identity

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, by Don Lee. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2004, 318 pp., $24.95 (cloth). THE PEARL DIVER, by Sujata Massey. New York: HarperCollins, 2004, 335 pp., $23.95 (cloth). One formula frequently applied to the mystery novel involves adoptees who reach adulthood and seek to track down their...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 19, 2004

Cubist on the turntables

A cacophony of electronic bleeps and disjointed drum rolls kick off the second and latest CD "Sensation" by Ryo Kato, aka DJ Klock. What follows is a series of drill-like drum riffs that start, stop then start again several times before settling into a jerky hip-hop-like beat. Later, this transient groove...
BUSINESS
Sep 17, 2004

Ministry issues wake-up call on food self-sufficiency target

The government target of raising Japan's food self-sufficiency ratio to 45 percent by fiscal 2010 is a pipe dream, the farm ministry said Thursday.
COMMENTARY
Sep 16, 2004

Pyongyang deal still possible

SEOUL -- "The odds of any progress regarding the North Korean nuclear issue appear slim to nonexistent between now and the U.S. November presidential elections." This is the conventional wisdom, as publicly proclaimed by South Korean officials. I have also heard this view echoed in Washington and Beijing...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 15, 2004

All about your mothers and their daughters

In the 20th century, women's social, economic and political standing in many parts of the world improved immeasurably. From winning the right to vote to the social transformations flowing from the postwar period and the Women's Liberation movement, none of this was achieved without struggle.

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