Search - community

 
 
JAPAN
Oct 25, 2003

Nations commit cash at Iraq donors' conference

MADRID -- Nudged by the United States, international donors came through with pledges of $19 billion in grants and loans Friday to rebuild Iraq but were falling short of the estimated $56 billion needed to rebuild the country.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 24, 2003

Secrecy robs space feat of its glory

HONG KONG -- For those who have labored long and hard to keep China's space program alive and moving forward, it must have been a wonderful moment when, on Oct. 15, the complicated machinery of initiating space travel performed flawlessly, and China scored a first.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 23, 2003

'Israelization' of U.S. Middle East policy proceeds apace

BEIRUT -- Few disputed at the time that Israel was a factor that pushed U.S. President George W. Bush to go to war on Iraq. Just how much weight it had among all the other factors was the only controversial question. But what is clear, six months on, is that Israel is now a very important one indeed...
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2003

SDF to continue in antiterror efforts

Japan on Tuesday extended its naval logistic support for U.S. antiterror operations in Afghanistan by another six months.
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2003

North Korea best dealt with through dialogue and patience, scholars say

Two Chinese scholars on Friday argued that the only way to resolve the crisis surrounding North Korea's nuclear brinkmanship is through dialogue.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Oct 18, 2003

David Elliott

The Mori Art Museum, an integral part of the Mori Arts Center, occupies space on the top five floors of the 53-story Roppongi Hills Tower, Tokyo. The Mori aim is to have the new Mori Art Museum "become a major feature in the cultural landscapes of Tokyo, Japan, Asia and the world." Over the last 18 months,...
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2003

Japan announces pledge of $1.5 billion to Iraq

Japan will provide Iraq with grants worth $1.5 billion in 2004 to support the country's reconstruction, the government announced Wednesday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Oct 12, 2003

Paradise maintained

In 1959, to mark the centenary of the publication of Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species," the Ecuadorean government declared the Galapagos a National Park. In 1979, UNESCO proclaimed the archipelago a World Heritage Site.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Oct 10, 2003

English football's problems make mockery of 'beautiful game'

LONDON -- Had the Turkish Football Federation hatched a plan to severely disrupt England's preparations for Saturday's decisive Euro 2004 qualifying tie they could not have done a better -- or worse, depending on your viewpoint -- job than the visitors have done themselves.
CULTURE / Books / THE BOOK REPORT
Oct 9, 2003

Does ' baka explosion' indicate identity crisis brewing in Japan?

Japan has been witnessing something of a baka explosion recently. Whether or not the actual number of idiots or incidents of idiotic behavior are on the increase or not, there is certainly a sharp rise in the public irritability index, a lowering of the threshold at which people call others "baka."
COMMENTARY
Oct 7, 2003

Japan's diplomatic needs

In his second Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi retained both Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba. This promises continuity in Japan's foreign and defense policy, at least for the next three years in which Koizumi is likely to serve as...
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 6, 2003

Taiwan trying to shake off the old labels

HONOLULU -- In ancient China, a rational sage named Hsun Tzu fashioned what came to be a principle of Chinese thought, the rectification of names. It was vital to clear thinking, Hsun Tzu said, that things be called by the right name.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Oct 4, 2003

John Owens

Next Thursday the curtain rises on the 107th season of Tokyo International Players. This longevity would be an impressive record for any volunteer theatrical company. It is particularly impressive in Tokyo, where since 1896 TIP has survived both natural and man-made disasters, and overcome the uncertainties...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / THEN AND NOW
Oct 3, 2003

Drenched in history: scenic Senzoku Pond

The 1830s woodblock print shown here depicts Senzoku Pond in a southwestern suburb of Edo that is now part of Ota Ward, Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2003

Foster parenting getting belated attention

The 60-year-old mother has been a foster parent half her life, caring for 11 kids besides her own two children.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2003

Africa conference closes with fair-trade entreaty

The lack of a fair trade system remains a major road block to African development, following the recent collapse of multilateral trade talks, and the world must respect the continent's diversity and identity, leaders from Africa and its partners said Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Oct 1, 2003

Brace for another round of SARS

Ever since severe acute respiratory syndrome was brought under control this summer, medical authorities have warned that another outbreak could occur in the fall. The world got its first fright last month with reports of occurrences in Singapore and Hong Kong. In fact, the Hong Kong case was not SARS;...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Sep 30, 2003

A level playing field?

Sports are seen as a catalyst for international communication. Even the Olympic Games were established a century ago to promote world peace -- through people meeting and competing on level playing fields.
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2003

Koizumi promises to pummel postal services into submission

Flush with his sweeping victory in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi vowed Friday to privatize postal services in April 2007.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 24, 2003

Sounds Numero Ono

You could call Seigen Ono a connoisseur of sound. He chooses only the finest sonic ingredients and knows exactly how to obtain them. As an avant-garde jazz composer and guitarist, he might not be a household name, but check out the credits on some of the best records of the last two decades and there's...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Sep 24, 2003

Ito's embroidered art has got it all stitched up

The Watari-Um Museum of Contemporary Art in Shibuya is one of Japan's most respected private museums. Now, it seems, the beautiful, Mario Botta-designed art space has also become one of the country's leading supporters of young artists.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 24, 2003

The dark, radiant world of Rembrandt van Rijn

It doesn't look like the face of a man who paints religious scenes. Fleshy, with that famously crumpled nose, he sports a jaunty hat and a look of shabby dandyism. In his later years -- more than two decades after he engraved this 1631 self-portrait -- the artist would be forced into bankruptcy, unable...
EDITORIALS
Sep 23, 2003

Mr. Koizumi gets down to business

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reshuffled his Cabinet Monday after his victory in Saturday's Liberal Democratic Party presidential election. The new Cabinet demonstrates the prime minister's determination to push his mandate without being swayed by forces that oppose his policy line.
EDITORIALS
Sep 21, 2003

Sweden sends a message to Europe

Sweden has voted to reject the euro. European governments may be inclined to see the results as an expression of Swedish exceptionalism. That would be a mistake. Despite an emotionally charged campaign, the outcome reflects a careful consideration of the country's national interests. European leaders...
COMMENTARY
Sep 20, 2003

Liberal ideals gain ground in the Asia-Pacific region

MANILA -- In past decades, liberal democracy and economic freedom have made great advances in all parts of the world. This general trend also applies to Asia, as is documented in the annual "Freedom in the World" surveys published by the Washington-based Heritage Foundation and the "Economic Freedom...
JAPAN
Sep 19, 2003

Tokyo to step forward with at least $1 billion for Iraq

Japan, responding to a U.S. request, has begun preparations to offer about $1 billion in 2004 to help rebuild Iraq, government sources said Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Sep 18, 2003

One year after the Pyongyang summit

Wednesday marked the first anniversary of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's historic visit to North Korea, during which he met face to face with General Secretary Kim Jong Il. The meeting produced a joint declaration calling for, among other things, an early normalization of relations between the two...
EDITORIALS
Sep 17, 2003

High hopes for Ms. Ogata and JICA

Japan has updated its policy guidelines for official development assistance -- concessionary aid to developing countries -- for the first time in 11 years. ODA has long been considered a key instrument of Japanese diplomacy, but its effectiveness as such has been admittedly less than satisfactory. The...

Longform

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