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SUMO
May 13, 2005

Asashoryu topples Roho to stay perfect

Grand champion Asashoryu showed little sign of letting up Thursday when he overwhelmed Russia's Roho to stay undefeated and tied for the lead at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
EDITORIALS
May 13, 2005

Revitalizing the startup spirit

Small businesses play an important role in creating jobs and invigorating markets. Since the mid-1990s, however, the number of small-business startups has declined, according to this year's white paper on small and medium-size enterprises. The question is how to reverse the trend. The report calls for...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / VINELAND
May 13, 2005

To cut a long bottle short . . . Champagne gets it, samurai style

There is no sound more synonymous with celebration than the sharp pop of a Champagne cork. Professionals, of course, recommend easing the cork out slowly enough so that only a slight gasp is heard, which one waggish sommelier likened to "the sound of a contented woman."
BUSINESS
May 13, 2005

METI seeks measures to promote robot use in aging society

An industry ministry study group Thursday called for government measures to help promote the use of robots to deal with the rapidly aging workforce.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2005

Vocal U.S. lobbyist enjoys being 'underestimated'

Many people may have underestimated Thomas Donohue when he assumed the position of president and chief executive of the United States Chamber of Commerce in 1997.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2005

TSE to delist Kanebo over accounting scandal

The Tokyo Stock Exchange announced Thursday that it has decided to delist Kanebo Ltd. on June 13 over a massive case of accounting fraud.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 13, 2005

A Tokyo hotline to Bangkok

Hyakunincho, Tokyo's most polyglot district, is only a two-minute train ride from the heart of Shinjuku, but it almost feels like leaving the country. In the 1980s, when Southeast Asian food was still a novelty in other parts of town, this was where we came to forage, lured by the exotic perfume of lemongrass,...
BUSINESS
May 13, 2005

Steelmakers make hay as demand keeps rising

Strong global demand offset rising materials prices in fiscal 2004, allowing Japan's major steelmakers to log record earnings, according to earnings reports released through Thursday.
COMMENTARY
May 13, 2005

China cracks rights window

HONG KONG -- Last month, China issued a white paper that purported to show progress it had made on the human-rights front in 2004. It was immediately dismissed by human-rights organizations as little more than propaganda. While this may well be true, there are signs of significant progress on human rights....
BUSINESS
May 13, 2005

Sompo Japan to ask ex-staff to cover baby leave

Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. will use former employees to cover the jobs of incumbent employees on child care leave from July, company officials said Thursday.
SUMO
May 12, 2005

Asashoryu, three others share lead

Grand champion Asashoryu overpowered Kokkai on Wednesday to remain tied for the lead on the fourth day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
EDITORIALS
May 12, 2005

The meaning of triumph over evil

Sixty years ago, Nazi Germany was defeated. World leaders gathered in Moscow this week to commemorate that victory over evil. Many will wonder why that celebration was held in Moscow. That such a question could be asked is a stark reminder of the speed with which the past is receding. It is reveals why...
BUSINESS
May 12, 2005

Key gauge over boom-or-bust line

A key gauge of the current state of the economy rose above the boom-or-bust line of 50 percent in March, the government said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2005

Kirin to hawk canned 'chuhai' in Chinese market

Kirin Brewery Co. will launch its "chuhai" canned cocktails in Shanghai in mid-June, hoping to establish itself as a brand to be reckoned with in the rapidly growing but fiercely competitive market, company officials said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2005

Forex reserves approach record high at 844 billion dollars

Japan's foreign-exchange reserves rose to $843.60 billion at the end of April, the second-highest level on record, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
May 12, 2005

Fetuses found to inherit mother's trauma

Stress can motivate us, but it can also get us down. And though it might just make us feel blue, it can also kill us. It depresses levels of sex hormones and people stressed by deadlines are more likely to suffer heart attacks.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 12, 2005

Middle-aged men seek reconciliation with wives

Oh boy. It's happened at last: the junai (pure love) boom of last year that changed even the behavioral patterns of Sentagai no Jyoshikousei (the high school girls of Center-Gai, Shibuya) has reached the last and most difficult segment of the Japanese populace: the over-45 salaryman.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
May 12, 2005

Brown-eared bulbul

* Japanese name: Hiyodori * Scientific name: Ixos amaurotis * Description: These are medium-size songbirds that grow to about 28 cm long. They are mainly olive brown with a white face and eyebrow, throat and belly; they have a small crest. The bill, feet and eyes are black. Males and females look...
BUSINESS
May 12, 2005

Omron to acquire Colin Medical

Omron Corp. said Wednesday it will acquire all shares in medical device maker Colin Medical Technology Corp. from U.S. investment fund Carlyle Group and other stockholders through a wholly owned unit in mid-June.
COMMENTARY / World
May 12, 2005

Tony Blair's Pyrrhic victory

HONG KONG -- The people of Britain have just re-elected Tony Blair and his Labour Party to a record third successive election victory. But in what should have been his moment of greatest triumph, Blair faces the ultimate question -- when will he give up the job of prime minister?
BUSINESS
May 12, 2005

Troubled MMC plans to launch electric minicar

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Wednesday it plans to launch an electric minivehicle by 2010, choosing to focus resources on development of electric vehicle technology to differentiate itself from automakers already producing hybrid-engine cars.
SUMO
May 11, 2005

Asashoryu cruises to third victory

Yokozuna Asashoryu dismantled No. 3 maegashira Miyabiyama to make it three wins out of three at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 11, 2005

Rhodes, Uehara on form as Giants tame Buffaloes in interleague play

Tuffy Rhodes singled home the game winner in the eighth inning and Koji Uehara pitched a four-hitter in a complete game effort on Tuesday, lifting the Yomiuri Giants past the Orix Buffaloes 2-1 in interleague play.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 11, 2005

Sasaki goes under knife for knee

Yokohama BayStars closer Kazuhiro Sasaki underwent endoscopic surgery to clean joints in his right knee on Tuesday and will be hospitalized for four to five days, baseball sources said.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji