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JAPAN
Jul 26, 2005

Obituary: Hinako Sugiura

Hinako Sugiura, an author of books on Tokyo culture in the Edo Period, died Friday of hypopharynx cancer at a hospital in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, publisher Shinchosha Co. said Monday. She was 46.
JAPAN
Jul 26, 2005

Data on strong quake swamps system

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government took about 30 minutes to send the intensity data on Saturday's earthquake to the Meteorological Agency because its seismic network system was unable to effectively process the data.
COMMENTARY
Jul 26, 2005

Cutting butter with a saw?

The 2005 government white paper on the Japanese economy and public finances, which the Cabinet cleared earlier this month, has a chapter titled "From Public to Private: Restructuring the Government Sector and Its Challenges." It makes the following points:
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2005

Girding for competition, KDDI to absorb Tu-Ka units

KDDI Corp. said Monday it will absorb its Tu-Ka cellular phone subsidiaries on Oct. 1 as part of efforts to prepare itself for greater competition in the wireless telephone market.
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2005

H.I.S. to revive Kyushu Industrial

The Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan said Monday it has chosen the H.I.S. Co. travel agency group to sponsor the rehabilitation of Kumamoto-based bus firm Kyushu Industrial Transportation Co.
BASKETBALL
Jul 25, 2005

Australia deals Japan third blow

Australia sent Japan to its third straight loss in an 86-58 demolition Sunday to win all three games in the men's basketball Kirin Cup.
EDITORIALS
Jul 25, 2005

China revalues its currency

China's revaluation of its currency came as something of a surprise. Beijing has been under considerable international pressure to increase the value of the yuan, but Chinese economic officials had countered that doing so was not yet in their country's best interests. The change in position reflects...
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2005

Preferred enters hotel fray in Japan

Despite the ongoing hotel war in Tokyo with many international hotels debuting, the chief of the Preferred Hotel Group in Chicago is optimistic about its expansion here.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2005

Next bullet train makes first Osaka run

A next-generation bullet train Sunday made its first test run on the 515-km route from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 25, 2005

When will China's miracle hit the wall?

PHILADELPHIA -- U.S. "Fed" Governor Ben Bernanke has blamed net inflows of capital from the rest of the world, especially China, for a global savings glut that is driving up the U.S. current account deficit. Unfortunately, some commentators have echoed this seemingly plausible but outrageously silly...
COMMENTARY
Jul 25, 2005

Condoleezza Rice's unfortunate decision

HONOLULU -- The recent decision by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to skip the annual ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) ministerial-level dialogue this Friday in Vientiane represents a setback for U.S. efforts to persuade Southeast Asians that Washington really cares about their region. Rice plans...
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jul 25, 2005

Depredation of species that get in our way

NEW YORK -- "Protected Birds Are Back, With a Vengeance: Cormorants Take Over, Making Some Enemies." This headline in the New York Times earlier this month, inset in a photo showing a few black birds atop a tree, struck me with the thought: So it has come to pass. Hadn't the same daily some years back...
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2005

GSDF unit back from Iraq duty after six months

About 100 members of the Ground Self-Defense Force landed Sunday at Tokyo's Haneda airport after concluding a six-month tour of duty providing humanitarian and reconstruction aid in Iraq.
COMMENTARY
Jul 25, 2005

Britain's tolerance put to test

LONDON -- The British government has backed the development of a multicultural and multiethnic society, and has accepted, if not promoted, multilingual communities. Until quite recently Britain welcomed immigrants and asylum seekers. These policies have made British society in the last half century much...
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2005

Japan may give energy aid to N. Korea

Japan will provide energy aid to North Korea in cooperation with the U.S. and South Korea if substantial progress is made in getting Pyongyang to abandon its alleged nuclear program in upcoming multilateral talks, according to government sources.
COMMENTARY
Jul 25, 2005

Threshold of a lower threat

The fourth round of six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear-arms programs opens Tuesday in Beijing. The question is whether the talks will succeed in convincing the North to halt its nuclear-arms development, which poses a serious security threat to Northeast Asia. For Japan, the United States, South...
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2005

Cosmo Oil to sell hair growth tonic

Cosmo Oil Co. and a group of researchers are jointly working to commercialize a hair growth tonic made of a type of amino acid.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Jul 25, 2005

Right for the wrong reasons: deflation dilemma at the BOJ

What do you do when things turn out right for all the wrong reasons? Do you laugh? Do you cry? Do you do a bit of both, or none of either? This must be the kind of mental acrobatics that observers of consumer price developments at the Bank of Japan are going through at this particular moment.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2005

GSDF unit back from Iraq duty after six months

About 100 members of the Ground Self-Defense Force landed Sunday at Tokyo's Haneda airport after concluding a six-month tour of duty providing humanitarian and reconstruction aid in Iraq.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jul 24, 2005

Kroon in tune as surprise closer for BayStars

Yokohama BayStars relief pitcher Marc Kroon made headlines July 19 when he threw a 161-kph (100.6 mph) fastball in a game against the Hanshin Tigers at Koshien Stadium. However, setting a record for the fastest pitch thrown in a Japan pro baseball game was not his goal.

Longform

A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?