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EDITORIALS
May 24, 2000

Caught in a legal nightmare

The belief that the law should be applied fairly to all, regardless of nationality, received a setback last week from Japan's judiciary. That is the reaction of people of good will to the rejection by the Tokyo High Court of the appeal filed over its earlier decision to allow continued police detention...
JAPAN
May 24, 2000

Modern society, sexual equality partners: Norway ombudsman

A Norwegian ombudsman on gender equality says utilizing the power of women is "the key to the development of a modern society."
JAPAN
May 23, 2000

North Korea welcome in ASEAN forum: Kono, Cho

Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and visiting South Korean Defense Minister Cho Seong Tae agreed Monday that North Korea's expected membership in the ASEAN Regional Forum will help ease tensions, a Japanese official said.
JAPAN
May 23, 2000

Sydney Olympics tours ready to wreak havoc on wallets

With the Sydney Olympics now less than four months away, many travel agents in Japan are busy selling tour packages to the Games.
COMMENTARY
May 22, 2000

Tough challenges for the LDP

The death of former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, coming in the wake of the retirement of his mentor, former Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita, marks the end of the "Takeshita politics" that wielded considerable clout within the Liberal Democratic Party.
COMMUNITY
May 21, 2000

Monkey mugs teacher juggling long way home

After eight months traveling in Asia, Leslie Davis is back in Japan for 2 1/2 weeks. She is using this time "to get grounded": sorting out taxes and boxes, seeing friends and reorganizing her backpack for the next stage of her journey. This will take her through Indonesia to Australia, New Zealand...
CULTURE / Books / POETRY MIGNETTE
May 21, 2000

Japanese poets write the book of love

Stroker, a publisher of chapbooks, is the distributor and copublisher of "2000 Japanese Poems for the Year 2000," a voluminous collection of chapbooks, 15 in all, translated by Howard S. Levy.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 21, 2000

Bun-chan's pitching reminiscent of Bross

The pitching of Chunichi Dragons right-hander Mel Bunch during the first six weeks of this season reminds me of the way Terry Bross was throwing for the Yakult Swallows during the second half of 1995. If you were here then, you may recall Bross, also in his first year in Japan, posted a 5-5 record through...
COMMENTARY
May 21, 2000

Much ado about nothing?

Claims that Tokyo's governor, Shintaro Ishihara, is racist because he recently described Asians here as "sankoku-jin" (third-country nationals) -- a fairly neutral Occupation-era term used to distinguish resident Koreans and Taiwanese from Westerners -- were a bit far-fetched.
JAPAN
May 21, 2000

Chen seen as good for business, too

TAIPEI -- Tai Ya-Chang has just one word on his name card: "Taiwanese."
JAPAN
May 19, 2000

Bamboo buildings get support of ZERI as eco-friendly option

OTSU, Shiga Pref. -- One of the pavilions at World Expo 2000, slated to run from June to October in Hannover, Germany, is made mostly of bamboo.
BUSINESS
May 19, 2000

Nikkeiren, Keidanren join drive for greater efficiency

The call for organizational reform that is leading many Japanese companies and even government agencies to struggle to streamline operations is finally reaching the nation's business groups.
JAPAN
May 18, 2000

Greenpeace complains over seizure of data

Greenpeace Japan has filed a legal complaint with the Tokyo District Court demanding that police return documents seized during an investigation into the environmentalist group's recent protest over dioxin pollution, members said.
JAPAN
May 18, 2000

Pyongyang postpones talks on normalizing Tokyo ties

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori confirmed Wednesday that normalization talks between Japan and North Korea scheduled to start Tuesday in Tokyo have been postponed.
JAPAN
May 16, 2000

Four cities accept East Indies war exhibit

An exhibition commemorating the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies in World War II is set to arrive in Japan later this year, but will not be held in either Tokyo or Osaka due to pressure from rightwing groups and certain bureaucrats.
CULTURE / Books
May 16, 2000

Asia's storm clouds haven't dispersed

ASIAN STORM: The Economic Crisis Examined, by Philippe Ries. Translated by Peter Starr. Tokyo: Tuttle, 2000, 2,800 yen. The economic typhoons that swept though Asia in 1997 capsized regional economies, sent the misery index skyrocketing, wiped out colossal amounts of wealth, swept away an aging dictator...
BUSINESS
May 15, 2000

Manufacturers dying for new blood

Japan's manufacturers have a staunch ally in Tokai University Professor Hajime Karatsu.
MORE SPORTS
May 14, 2000

Where have all the leaders gone?

May has not been a good month for leadership in Japan. And surely I'm not the only one disappointed.
JAPAN
May 13, 2000

Yearlong campaign to showcase Italy

Hoping to increase awareness that Italy is more than just a tourist destination, a yearlong promotion comprising various exhibitions across Japan will be launched next March, the promoters announced Friday.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2000

DDI-IDO team to use U.S. tech

Avoiding what could have triggered further trade friction with the United States, the DDI Corp. group companies and IDO Corp. on Friday jointly submitted an application to launch in 2002 next-generation cellular phone services based on technologies developed by a U.S.-based firm.
JAPAN
May 11, 2000

School has an ear for Korean language

Every eye in the classroom is fixed on Shinji Kurosawa's lips. " 'Pul gogi,' repeat after me," instructs the Korean language teacher.
JAPAN
May 11, 2000

'Ekiben' gets global spin for the rail connoisseur

The business of making and selling "ekiben," packaged lunches sold at train stations throughout Japan, is going somewhat global.
BUSINESS
May 11, 2000

Foreign reserves get IMF lift

The nation's foreign exchange reserves totaled $338.58 billion at the end of April, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
JAPAN
May 10, 2000

Mori to visit Seoul May 29 for talks with President Kim

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori will make a one-day trip to Seoul on May 29 to hold informal talks with South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki said Tuesday.
ENVIRONMENT
May 10, 2000

Trees and taste at Mito Botanic Garden

Mito, in Ibaraki Prefecture, is well known throughout Japan for natto (fermented soybeans), an acquired taste. It is also known for Kairakuen Garden, one of the Three Famous Gardens in Japan, which I've written about before. Just a couple of kilometers south of Mito in the lush green countryside, there...

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