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JAPAN
Nov 13, 2003

Kono to be appointed house speaker

Yohei Kono, former president of the Liberal Democratic Party, will be appointed as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
BUSINESS
Nov 13, 2003

Skynet plans a flight with all-male crew

Skynet Asia Airways Co. will operate a flight Saturday with an all-male flight crew that it says is not just for female passengers.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Nov 13, 2003

Sea slug

* Japanese name: Amakesaamefurashi * Scientific name: Aplysia juliana * Description: Sea slugs are marine mollusks, without gills or a shell -- just like most other mollusks. Often a dark olive-green color, at first glance a sea slug resembles nothing more than a stray piece of seaweed, but with a...
EDITORIALS
Nov 12, 2003

Mr. Koizumi's postelection challenges

Continuity and unity underscored Monday's meeting of the heads of the three ruling coalition parties, which gained a solid majority in Sunday's Lower House election. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, president of the Liberal Democratic Party, is certain to be re-elected at the outset of a special Diet...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 12, 2003

A mini 'Mahabharata' of epic proportions

How is your "geijitsu no aki" going? If you haven't got out to enjoy the splendors of "artistic autumn" yet, the Ku Na'uka Theatre Company's new play, "Mahabharata-Nalacaritam (Prince Nala's Adventure)" is as romantic and colorful a spectacle as any laid on by nature.
JAPAN / ELECTION 2003
Nov 11, 2003

Vote validates SDF's Iraq dispatch: Koizumi

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Monday that the solid majority won by the ruling coalition in the House of Representatives election represents a public vote of confidence in his intention to send Self-Defense Forces units to Iraq.
EDITORIALS
Nov 10, 2003

Being prepared for SARS

We must fully prepared for any new outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome this winter. Four months have passed since the World Health Organization declared that SARS was under control. The WHO is of the opinion that even if SARS flares up again, infection will not spread as long as countries take...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 9, 2003

Topping off your tipple

As wine has become more popular in Japan, an increasing number of related goods have appeared on the shelves of the nation's shops.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 9, 2003

In with le new!

It's Beaujolais Nouveau time again, and Japan -- despite its piffling per capita consumption of just three bottles of wine a year -- will suddenly become a nation of tipplers and quaffers (if not connoisseurs) of this fresh-from-the-vine red wine from France.
JAPAN / ELECTION 2003
Nov 8, 2003

Campaign financing still high, murky

"Five pass, four fail."
JAPAN
Nov 7, 2003

Government may dispatch civilians, not troops, to war-torn Baghdad

The government is planning to dispatch civilians rather than Self-Defense Forces units to provide humanitarian assistance in Baghdad, government sources said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Nov 7, 2003

Disneyland enjoys birthday windfall

Oriental Land Co., operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, said Thursday it posted record first-half sales and profit for the second consecutive year, powered by special events celebrating the 20th anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 6, 2003

Condo owners lose appeal against state-offered discounts for unsold flats

The Tokyo High Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling rejecting compensation demands from purchasers of condominiums sold by the former Housing and Urban Development Corp., which later subjected unsold units to heavy discounts.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2003

SDF death payment in Iraq to go as high as 100 million yen

The next of kin of any Self-Defense Force member who dies in the line of duty in Iraq will receive up to 100 million yen in condolence money, a senior Defense Agency official said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Nov 5, 2003

Chamber chief wins Zaikai Prize

Nobuo Yamaguchi, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on Tuesday received the annual Zaikai Prize, awarded by the publisher of the business magazine Zaikai.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2003

Battle for power waged on voters' screens

The leader of the Democratic Party of Japan is fleetingly portrayed in a recent TV commercial as the stern-faced chairman of a fictitious Cabinet meeting, the scene accompanied by upbeat rock music.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 2, 2003

Giants interested in acquiring Tuffy

The Yomiuri Giants are looking to acquire Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes outfielder Tuffy Rhodes after the slugger hit a snag in negotiations for a multiyear contract with his present club, baseball sources said Saturday.
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2003

Is media scrabbling for scoops or scraps?

Since late July, when a special law allowing the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq was enacted, the Japanese media has engaged in a fierce battle to report when, where and how many personnel will be sent to the war-ravaged country.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 2, 2003

On TV, what you get is not what you want

Last weekend, former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka, prior to her official announcement to stand as a candidate in the upcoming House of Representatives election, held a press conference; or, more exactly, two press conferences -- one for the national newspapers and one for the TV networks. No magazines...
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2003

Style trumps substance in Bangkok

BANGKOK -- The appearance of the 21 leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in their handmade shiny silk shirts said a lot about this year's summit in Bangkok -- style over substance.
COMMENTARY
Oct 29, 2003

Democracy for whom?

WASHINGTON -- Although the Bush administration won formal U.N. recognition for its rule in Iraq, that diplomatic victory is likely to yield few allied troops for occupation duty. In fact, even Turkey, which agreed to dispatch 10,000 soldiers after Washington's approval of $8.5 billion in loans, is now...
BUSINESS
Oct 29, 2003

Matsushita Electric group net profit rises 31.5%

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Tuesday its group net profit for the fiscal first half grew 31.5 percent from a year earlier to 23.15 billion yen on the back of restructuring effects and strong sales of digital home products.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 28, 2003

Skin care, leases and illegal tax

Skin problems NWW asks "where can I find an English-speaking dermatologist or specialist clinic in Tokyo area?"
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2003

Nakasone reportedly ready to bow out

It appeared almost certain Sunday night that former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone will not run in the upcoming general election and will retire from politics, according to sources close to his support group.
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2003

Convenience-store drug sales facing a tough time

A Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry committee is having a tough time choosing over-the-counter medicines that can be sold in convenience stores in the face of opposition to deregulation.
COMMENTARY
Oct 27, 2003

Resuscitating Japanese labor

Following a protracted economic slowdown, the labor movement in Japan is in the doldrums. The unionization rate has fallen to about 20 percent due to stepped-up corporate restructuring and widespread worker distrust of unions. The nation's top labor federation, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation,...

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