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COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
May 10, 2001

High marks for Bush at home

It's 100 days and counting for U.S. President George W. Bush. So far, so good. His approval ratings are better than those of most of his predecessors at this stage. He survived his first international crisis nicely, achieving the return of the American aircrew who ditched their EP-3 surveillance plane...
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
May 10, 2001

Long-protected holy mountain to be gutted by highway project

Japan's Environment Minister, Yoriko Kawaguchi, recently told Mick Corliss of The Japan Times that she would like to incorporate an "environmental perspective" into public-works projects. If she is serious, there could be no better place to begin than Mount Takao.
BUSINESS
May 10, 2001

Dollar down as investors switch to equities

Triggering the dollar's fall in recent weeks was a switch in the global investment flow back into equities.
BUSINESS
May 9, 2001

Shiokawa rules out leap to austerity

Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Tuesday that he will strive to carry out the two-step approach to fiscal reform unveiled this week by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, although he ruled out an immediate shift to belt-tightening policies that could hurt the fragile economy.
JAPAN
May 9, 2001

Koizumi orders changeover to low-pollution autos by '05

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi instructed Cabinet members Tuesday to replace the central government's fleet of cars with low-pollution vehicles by March 2005.
CULTURE / Film
May 9, 2001

Am I the girl you're looking for?

Suzhou River Rating: * * * *Japanese title: Futari no Ningyo Director: Lou Ye Running time: 115 minutes Language:Cantonese, with Japanese subtitlesNow showing "If I leave you someday, would you look for me forever? Your whole life?"
BUSINESS
May 9, 2001

Domestic PC shipments surge with Internet use

Domestic shipments of personal computers hit record highs in value and volume in fiscal 2000, amid growing demand from individuals as the Internet continues to gain popularity, an industry group said Tuesday.
CULTURE / Film
May 9, 2001

Talent aside, some people were born to dance

Center Stage Rating: * * * Director: Nicholas Hytner Running time: 115 minutes Language: English, with Japanese subtitlesOpens May 12 Ballet lessons (along with violin and piano) are often forced upon us at a certain age and continue until we or our parents throw a major tantrum and we call it quits....
COMMENTARY
May 8, 2001

Bush could kill Kyoto treaty

U.S. President George W. Bush announced in late March that his administration did not support the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement that requires industrialized countries to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as a way to prevent global warming.
COMMENTARY / World
May 6, 2001

Thailand's model of religious harmony

CHIANG RAI, Thailand -- To all students of Buddhism, the terms "Mahayana" and "Theravada" -- the greater and lesser vehicle, respectively -- reflect the dichotomy of this great teaching into northern and southern schools.
COMMUNITY
May 6, 2001

Better safe than sorry

With many people worried about becoming the country's next crime statistic, the demand for advanced home- and personal-security products is on the rise.
CULTURE / Books
May 6, 2001

Hot spot needs the 'virtual alliance'

U.S.-KOREA-JAPAN RELATIONS: Building Toward a "Virtual Alliance," edited by Ralph Cossa. Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1999, 207 pp., paper. ALIGNMENT DESPITE ANTAGONISM: The U.S.-Korea-Japan Security Triangle, by Victor D. Cha. Stanford University Press, 1999, 373 pp., $49.50 (cloth),...
JAPAN
May 4, 2001

Island Japan's pleasure boaters few but winds of change are a-blowin'

Despite its long maritime tradition, Japan lags far behind Scandinavia and the United States in terms of recreational yachting.
JAPAN
May 4, 2001

Constitution turns 54 as battle lines drawn up for and against reform

Groups for and against revision of the Constitution held rallies in Tokyo on Thursday to mark the 54th anniversary of the supreme law amid increasing calls for its revision from political leaders, including Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
JAPAN
May 4, 2001

Humanitarian groups yet to hit their stride

Staff Writer When the Diet was immersed in heated debate in 1992 over whether to send Self-Defense Forces troops to Cambodia for U.N. peacekeeping operations, Toshihiro Shimizu thought that something very important was missing from the discussions.
BUSINESS
May 2, 2001

REITs banked on to ease market fears

As stock market woes and asset deflation continue to cast a cloud over Japan's economic recovery, a new type of investment trust will be introduced this month in a bid to solve these problems in one fell swoop.
CULTURE / Film
May 2, 2001

Don't go messing with the Iron Ladies

Satree-Lex Rating: * * * Japanese title: Attack Number HalfDirector: Yongyoot Thongkongtoon Running time: 105 minutes Language: Thai, with Japanese subtitlesNow showing A lot of men say that femininity is a dying art. Women are no longer interested in polishing that side of themselves and, consequently,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 29, 2001

Making room for urban home companions

Keeping a pet in the big city isn't easy. With many urban residents living in rented housing, landlords as well as limited space can prove to be obstacles. Some tenants, unwilling to part with their companions, even at the risk of eviction and their pet's discomfort, "smuggle" them in and keep them in...
CULTURE / Books
Apr 29, 2001

Japan's 'grand strategy' for the new millennium

JAPAN'S SECURITY POLICY FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, by Talukder Maniruzzaman. Dhaka: The University Press Limited, 2000, 78 pp., $4. Japan, the world's second-largest industrial economy, often finds itself labeled an "economic superpower" -- a fulsome category that differs from the traditional "superpower."...
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2001

Japan and ASEAN mull free trade pact

Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will next week set up a study group on the conclusion of a free trade agreement in a bid to compete with emerging powerhouse China and growing trade blocs in Europe, as well as both North America and Latin America, government sources said Saturday....
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2001

State held liable for Minamata disease

OSAKA -- The Osaka High Court on Friday ordered the central and Kumamoto Prefectural governments and a chemical company to pay 320 million yen in damages to people recognized as suffering from Minamata disease and the families of victims who have died.
BUSINESS
Apr 28, 2001

Hiranuma reiterates themes toward economic revitalization

Reappointed Economy Minister Takeo Hiranuma said a comprehensive approach of combining the disposal of problem loans and assets, creating new businesses and implementing regulatory reforms is needed to revitalize the economy.
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2001

Impact of hotter planet seen locally

The effects of global warming have become visible in ecosystems around the country, according to the latest research released Thursday by an advisory group to the Environment Ministry.
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2001

Koizumi names new Cabinet

Junichiro Koizumi, the president of the Liberal Democratic Party, was elected Japan's 56th prime minister in the Diet on Thursday and immediately inaugurated his new Cabinet.
COMMENTARY
Apr 26, 2001

Antiglobalism guarantees poverty for all

WASHINGTON -- Despite the worst efforts of violent protesters in Quebec, Canada, leaders of countries throughout the Western hemisphere concluded their Summit of the Americas by proposing a broad free-trade agreement. Bringing more of the world's poor into the global economy is the best hope for raising...
BUSINESS
Apr 25, 2001

Moody's may cut Itochu, Marubeni credit ratings

Moody's Investors Service Inc. on Tuesday took rating action against two of Japan's giant trading houses, Itochu Corp. and Marubeni Corp., in a move that could cut their credit ratings.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2001

Food delivery firms beset by slump, glut

Consumer cooperatives and companies delivering food door-to-door face rough going amid prolonged lackluster consumption and fierce distribution competition.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2001

Virtual-reality therapy launched

The National Cancer Center Hospital is introducing a virtual-reality exposure therapy to ease cancer patients' pain and nausea, according to hospital officials.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 23, 2001

Bush may not be wrong to reject Kyoto

U.S. President George W. Bush has announced his opposition to an international global-warming treaty, citing the harm it could do the U.S. economy and the costs it would impose upon its workers. Predictably, this decision not to pursue approval of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change generated a firestorm...

Longform

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