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JAPAN
Jan 13, 2005

Abe admits telling NHK to censor TV program

Senior Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Shinzo Abe admitted Wednesday that he told NHK to edit its coverage of a mock trial that found Emperor Showa guilty of war crimes before it was aired in 2001, raising questions about government censorship of the media.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Jan 13, 2005

Japanese white-eye

* Japanese name: Mejiro * Scientific name: Zosterops japonicus * Description: The white-eye is a small, delicate bird, with an olive-green upper body, wings and head, and a gray to pale-brown belly. The distinguishing feature is the bright-white eye ring made of feathers (the Japanese name means...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 13, 2005

Jakuemon: A man for the ladies

NAKAMURA JAKUEMON IV: The Art of Onnagata Acting, by Rei Sasaguchi, photos by Yutaka Umemura, Akira Iwata, Fumio Watanabe. Designed and published by Rei Sasaguchi, 2004, 116 pp., 3000 yen (cloth). This very interesting, beautifully designed book is an essay on the art of onnagata, the kabuki actor playing...
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Jan 13, 2005

Adult fun and gore galore

Here's my dirty little secret: Despite my reputation as a hardcore moralist, truth be told I love the "Mortal Kombat" games. When it's late at night and the kids are in bed, I'll sometimes pull out whichever is the latest title in the series -- surely the bloodiest of the bloody fighting games -- and...
LIFE / Lifestyle / ON THE BOOK TRAIL
Jan 13, 2005

"The Time Wreccas," "Winnie's Magic Wand"

"The Time Wreccas," Val Tyler, Puffin Books; 2005; 338 pp. Children's fiction these days is so all-knowing, so cynical, even, that possibly only a first-time writer can bring back to it the naivete that it has all but lost. Perhaps Val Tyler, author of "The Time Wreccas" has not noticed how popular...
MORE SPORTS
Jan 12, 2005

Inoue sidelined for a month

Japanese heavyweight judoka Kosei Inoue will be sidelined for around one month after sustaining an injury to his chest in the Kano Cup international tournament on Sunday, his coach said Tuesday.
SUMO
Jan 12, 2005

Kaio loses 2nd bout in a row

Rising star Hakuho dealt a major blow to Kaio's promotion bid Tuesday with a convincing win over the ozeki wrestler on the third day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 12, 2005

What's in a name? The good, the bad and the absurd

From the (e-)mail bag, Patrick O'Mara from Washington, D.C., sent the following message: "I'm writing as a new fan to the game; my wife got me into (baseball) this past season, when the Red Sox finally overcame the Yankees. My question is why do they call it the "World" Series?
MORE SPORTS
Jan 12, 2005

Shibutani set to call it a day

Hiroshi Shibutani, a three-time Olympian and winner of the bronze medal in men's doubles at the 1997 World Championships, said Tuesday he will call it a career after the ongoing table tennis national championships.
EDITORIALS
Jan 12, 2005

A permanent Security Council seat

Japanese diplomacy faces formidable challenges in 2005, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. With momentum building for reform of the United Nations, this will be a crucial year in Japan's bid for permanent membership on the powerful U.N. Security Council.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2005

Flier poster indicted for trespassing

Prosecutors indicted a 57-year-old Buddhist monk on Tuesday for trespassing while posting fliers at a housing complex in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, last month.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2005

State seeks to fund only quality foreign students

The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry urged the government on Tuesday to review its policy on foreign students because their academic performance has been declining.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2005

North Korea boycott sees some impact

. "I think our campaign has put pressure on North Korea." Has the boycott worked?
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2005

Obituary: Takuo Kato

Famed ceramic artist and Living National Treasure Takuo Kato died of pneumonia at a hospital in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, on Tuesday, his family said. He was 87.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2005

Koizumi favors governor term limits

A limit should be imposed on the number of terms a governor can serve, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 12, 2005

Stars come out in plays of love and loyalty

Kabuki is flourishing in Tokyo at the beginning of the year of the cock as the four of the city's major theaters vie with one another to present the best kabuki performances. At the Tokyo National Theater in Hanzomon, there is a three-hour production of "Gohiiki Kanjincho" (literally "Our Favorite Kanjincho"),...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 12, 2005

Balancing act

Singer-songwriters are the half-breeds of pop music. Evolved from Bob Dylan's navel-gazing spawn, they lead hyphenated existences because each half of their calling is considered insupportable without the other. Though many are accomplished vocalists, what distinguishes them as singers doesn't always...
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2005

Let cops know addresses of sex offenders, Koizumi says

is necessary," Koizumi told reporters at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo. "There would be problems if you let neighbors know (their addresses), but at least police should know them."
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Jan 12, 2005

Blue skies over architectural utopias

The latest offering from the Mori Art Museum lives up to its big name: "Archilab: New Experiments in Architecture, Art and the City, 1950-2005." The first architecture exhibition at the Mori, this is a big show, ambitious in both scale and manner of presentation. Featuring drawings, videos and maquettes...
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2005

Fuji Xerox chief's home targeted

Suspected rightists hurled two Molotov cocktails into the grounds of Fuji Xerox Co. Chairman Yotaro Kobayashi's home in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, over the weekend.
Rugby
Jan 11, 2005

Kintetsu, IBM relegated from Top League

The Top League championship may well have been decided on the last weekend of 2004 -- Toshiba Brave Lupus 38-12 victory over archrival Suntory Sungoliath on Saturday simply being the icing on the cake -- but there was still plenty to play for in the four games played on Monday.
SUMO
Jan 11, 2005

Asashoryu rolls as Kaio stumbles

Ozeki Kaio's fresh bid for promotion to yokozuna suffered a hammer blow Monday after he was handed a shock defeat by Kotonowaka on the second day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

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?