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COMMENTARY / World
Mar 9, 2003

Glimpses of Indochina life 330 years ago

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- Against the current drama of the Iraqi issue, other national and regional developments seem to fade out of focus. One such "minor event" that is heading toward oblivion concerns the tiny landlocked country of Laos. At the beginning of the year, unexpected news from there made...
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
CULTURE / Music
Mar 9, 2003

Get down with 'da beat

For the black slaves brought from Africa to America and Europe, the beat was a necessity -- it was in their blood. But the heart of their tribal rhythm, the drums, were forbidden in the aftermath of the Stono Rebellion in 1739. This revolt that occurred in South Carolina ended with more than 20 white...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Mar 9, 2003

All eyes on Russia's Far East

RUSSIA'S FAR EAST: A Region at Risk, edited by Judith Thornton and Charles E. Ziegler. Seattle: National Bureau of Asian Research, University of Washington Press, 2002, 498 pp. (paper). The Russian Far East is a land of contradictions. It is a vast territory of 6.2 million sq. km., roughly one-third...
BUSINESS
Mar 8, 2003

Sompo Japan forms another alliance

Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. said Friday it has teamed up with Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group PLC of Britain for operations in the United States.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 8, 2003

Paving the way for Northeast Asian peace

MONTEREY, Calif. -- The Japan Times on March 1 reported that Tokyo is reviewing its participation in the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, or KEDO, program. If the Japanese government is giving serious thought to withdrawing from the program, it will not only exacerbate an already serious...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2003

Japan's A-bomb goal still long way off in '45

The night the American B-29 warplanes came, Ryohei Nakane had been enriching uranium for Japan's "super bomb."
BUSINESS
Mar 7, 2003

Nippon Steel changes fiscal 2002 forecast to 45 billion yen loss

Nippon Steel Corp. forecasts a consolidated net loss of 45 billion yen for fiscal 2002 after absorbing losses of 142 billion yen, including one-time costs for restructuring a subsidiary, the world's third-largest steel maker said Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
Mar 6, 2003

Ueno soars to gold at freestyle c'ships

National team member Osamu Ueno claimed his first national title after winning the men's dual moguls at the freestyle skiing championships Wednesday. Winter Asian Games gold medalist and hot favorite Yu Masukawa, who claimed victory in the men's moguls, crashed out in the third round of the head-to-head...
SUMO
Mar 6, 2003

Takanohana exclusive

Be sure to buy The Japan Times on Friday this week to read our exclusive interview with recently retired yokozuna Takanohana.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2003

Koizumi turns on majority opposing war

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, after relying heavily on public support for his political power base, is now turning against the majority of Japanese, who oppose a war against Iraq.
BUSINESS
Mar 6, 2003

McDonald's Japan chief Fujita decides to resign

Den Fujita, founder of the McDonald's chain in Japan, is stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer after the company suffered its first loss in almost three decades, McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan) said Wednesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Mar 6, 2003

Do you want to live forever? We might do soon

The Anglo-Irish poet Jonathan Swift said "Every man desires to live long; but no man would be old."
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / ON THE BOOK TRAIL
Mar 6, 2003

"Dealing with Dragons," "The Last Castaways"

"Dealing with Dragons," Patricia C. Wrede, Magic Carpet; 2002; 228 pp.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Mar 6, 2003

Fun guys can always find long-lasting allies

A coworker of mine in the Galapagos takes great delight in corny cracks and groan-inducing jokes, but as learning aids they are indeed memorable. Take his way of teaching the partnership involved in the lichen lifestyle and where they live. With apologies to Ron Sjostedt (and whoever he gleaned it from)...
JAPAN
Mar 5, 2003

Hearing-impaired man strives to hone sign skills, study at U.S. university

Yuji Sato, who is hearing impaired, has a motto: to be like an "active volcano" as long as he lives.
MORE SPORTS
Mar 5, 2003

Tokuyama to defend WBC title

World Boxing Council super flyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama will defend his title against sixth-ranked Japanese Katsushige Kawashima on June 23 at the Yokohama Arena, Tokuyama's fight promoter said Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 5, 2003

Honda turns attention to skies

Entering the robot business with its Asimo humanoid, Honda Motor Co. is now trying to advance into a new field with its newly developed engine for small aircraft.
BUSINESS
Mar 5, 2003

NTT fees unlikely WTO matter

Telecommunications minister Toranosuke Katayama dismissed on Tuesday the suggestion that the U.S. would go to the World Trade Organization over access fees charged by NTT for use of Japan's telephone infrastructure.
EDITORIALS
Mar 4, 2003

AIDS vaccine disappoints

To practically no one's surprise, the first test of an AIDS vaccine has failed. That the outcome was widely predicted -- and even anticipated -- must not deter future efforts to develop a vaccine. AIDS is one of the worst scourges humanity has suffered to date, and a combination of economics and demographics...
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2003

Antiwar campaigners begin weeklong protest

In another attempt to stop a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq, a loosely united coalition of 47 Japanese groups is waging a one-week campaign that organizers hope will culminate in one of the biggest protests in recent years.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Mar 4, 2003

Homesickness, toll-free numbers and money orders

Greetings Greetings from London, England, where my fellow Assyrians are making me feel at home with their sweet hospitality, wonderful food, but also making me homesick for Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Mar 4, 2003

Sealing the deal on public meetings

You might have heard recently about Tama-chan, a cute sea lion frequenting Yokohama rivers. He became so popular that the city threw him an unprecedented fish: an honorary Certificate of Residency ("juminhyo").
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2003

Japan should back U.S. regardless of U.N.: Aso

Taro Aso, policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, indicated Sunday that Japan should support the United States -- even in the absence a new U.N. Security Council resolution -- should it lead an attack on Iraq.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 3, 2003

Rising challenges to American power

SINGAPORE -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent visits to Japan, South Korea and China were a key test of U.S. diplomacy in Northeast Asia. His renewed focus on the region comes amid growing anxiety in Tokyo and Seoul over Pyongyang's nuclear brinkmanship and increasing resistance on the part...

Longform

Pedestrians commute through Shibuya Station in central Tokyo, an area that is almost never devoid of people.
As the rest of Japan shrinks, Tokyo grows