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COMMENTARY
Jul 27, 2004

Rumor, fear and innuendo fuel tensions

LOS ANGELES -- Anyone who knows anything about China knows that it's not just its current government but its people, too, who are ultraprotective and ultra-sensitive about the Taiwan issue.
EDITORIALS
Jul 27, 2004

Worrisome muscle flexing

Relations across the Taiwan Strait continue to deteriorate. The re-election of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian has alarmed the mainland government, which is convinced Mr. Chen seeks Taiwan's independence. China has been sending signals that it is prepared to take military action if Taipei takes that...
CULTURE / Books / THE BOOK REPORT
Jul 27, 2004

Publishers bid to halt reading slump with flood of new youth-oriented titles

"Reading at Risk," a report published in the United States this month by the National Endowment for the Arts, deplores the decline of reading. Now, fewer than half of American adults read fiction, with the rate of decline especially sharp among those who are 18 to 24 years of age. Newsweek (7/19) notes...
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 26, 2004

Flawed homeland security

LAS VEGAS -- The dispute between Washington and Tokyo over the fate of Army Sgt. Charles Jenkins, whom the United States accuses of defecting to North Korea some 40 years ago, is more than a case of American legalism vs. Japanese ad hoc policy and humanitarian instincts. The issue goes much deeper into...
COMMENTARY
Jul 26, 2004

Lifting women's job status

Women's status in male-dominated Japan remains alarmingly low, according to a recent international survey. A U.N. Development Program survey showed that Japan ranked 38th among countries of the world in the gender empowerment index, which measures women's participation in political and economic decision-making....
JAPAN
Jul 26, 2004

UFJ to enlist more outside directors

The UFJ financial group is considering increasing the number of outside directors, including those in charge of ensuring that the group's operations are in compliance with the law, according to group sources.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2004

32% of domestic violence takes place after drinking

Thirty-two percent of domestic violence cases occur after the assailants have drunk alcohol, according to a nationwide survey.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jul 25, 2004

DPRK diplomacy or brinkmanship?

TARGET NORTH KOREA: Pushing North Korea to the Brink of Nuclear Catastrophe, by Gavan McCormack. New York: Nation Books, 228 pp., 2004, $13.95 (paper). Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's gamble on a trip to Pyongyang seems to have paid off, giving him a boost in the polls, reuniting some of...
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

Visa curbs eased for Chinese groups

Japan will relax its visa restrictions on Chinese tourists to allow group tours from more areas beginning Sept. 15, top government spokesman Hiroyuki Hosoda said Friday.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004

Inmate dies after choking on meal

A man waiting on death row for killing three people in 1988 died this week after choking on his meal, sources said Friday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Jul 24, 2004

Morio Matsui

In times of difficulty and pain, Morio Matsui says he has always been saved by his painting.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 23, 2004

Portable digital-audio player market heating up

Competition is intensifying in Japan over a new breed of portable digital-audio players that allows music lovers to carry around a vast library of their favorite tracks.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 23, 2004

Do the Dogashima

Less than an hour by shinkansen from Tokyo, touristy Atami is no one's idea of a quiet little getaway. From there down to the tip, Shimoda -- of Black Ship Festival fame -- this eastern side of the Izu Peninsula is the busy, developed one. This is where you go to check out such cultural hot spots as...
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2004

Rabies regime to target import pets at source

Japan plans to require cats and dogs that are being brought from areas with rabies to undergo a new double-vaccination regime outside the country, according to farm officials, a move that will drastically cut the imports of such animals younger than 10 months.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Jul 22, 2004

Carrion crow

* Japanese name: Hashibosogarasu * Scientific name: Corvus corone * Description: Crows are large birds, growing up to 50 cm long with a wingspan of 104 cm. They have entirely black plumage and black eyes. Two species are common in Japan, the carrion crow and the jungle crow, and it's difficult to tell...
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2004

Boss to pay for abusing disabled staff

The Tokyo High Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court order that the former president of a cardboard manufacturer in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, pay 15 million yen in damages for abusing three mentally disabled women in his employ.
COMMENTARY
Jul 22, 2004

Myths of intelligence exposed

One reads with anger the conclusions of the U.S. Senate report and the British Butler report on the false intelligence reporting used to justify the U.S.-British attack on Iraq.
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Jul 22, 2004

Science to aid of justice as 'cot death' gene is found

There can be few things more likely to provoke horrific fascination -- and guarantee massive media coverage -- than a mother who murders her babies.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 21, 2004

Arthurian legend lacks a little magic

King Arthur Rating: * * * (out of 5) Director: Antoine Fuqua Running time: 130 minutes Language: English Opens July 24 [See Japan Times movie listings] Just as Homer's "Illiad" wasn't good enough for the makers of "Troy," director Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day") has made his blockbuster...
EDITORIALS
Jul 21, 2004

A desirable shift out of Tokyo

Nissan Motor Co. has decided to move its head office from Tokyo to Yokohama, its birthplace, bucking the general trend of big business concentrating in the capital. The planned relocation, expected to take place by 2010, provides a case study in the desirable relationship between company and community....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 21, 2004

Too deep for tears

Greece has been buzzing with excitement following the Euro 2004 victory and before the countdown to this summer's Olympics. When I arrived in Athens on July 1, it looked like the whole city was being given a long overdue clean-up. After strolling around the Acropolis gardens where people were chatting...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 21, 2004

Shake it, baby, shake it

It's not just about mosh pits and busted lips: Both Summer Sonic and Fuji Rock have plenty of rump-bouncing beats on offer. In fact, the dance-oriented acts in this year's lineups are as diverse as ever. Here are a few of the best places to shake your thang.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jul 21, 2004

Reversal by owners likely to keep two-league system in place

Two weeks ago, it appeared Japanese pro baseball was surely headed for a 10-team, one-league restructuring for next season.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 21, 2004

Indonesian voters showing their savvy

SINGAPORE -- Results of the first round of Indonesia's presidential election on July 5 indicate that the electorate has grown more sophisticated than many observers had expected -- only six years since the country emerged from decades of authoritarianism.
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2004

Expressway discount services planned for ETC users

Japan Highway Public Corp. will offer a variety of discount services starting in fiscal 2005 for users of the electronic toll collection system.
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2004

More Americans see Japan as reliable

A record 68 percent of Americans see Japan as a reliable partner, up 1 percentage point from 2003, according to a recent Foreign Ministry poll.

Longform

Ayumi Matsuki, a priestess at Yoshiwara Shrine, shows off some "o-mamori" charms. She says visitors to the shrine have increased since the NHK drama “Unbound” began airing this month.
Tracing Tsutaya Juzaburo, Edo’s media maverick