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CULTURE / Music
Aug 3, 2003

Joe Strummer: here for eternity

Joe Strummer headlined Fuji Rock Festival this year. On all three days. He was everywhere. Since his tragic death at age 50 in December, the former Clash frontman has been deified by his army of Japanese fans: A shrine was built at the festival where you could place flowers or a can of beer. Before the...
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2003

Outbreak of 'pool fever' worsens

Japan is facing a major outbreak of pharyngoconjunctival fever, more commonly known as pool fever, as many people are being infected with the virus in public swimming pools, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases said Saturday.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 3, 2003

Michael Franti: a man for all stages

Michael Franti was the man of the festival, the one artist who embodied the spirit of Fuji Rock better than anyone else. As tall as a basketball player and sporting wild dreads that reach the middle of his back, he was seen everywhere -- dancing with the crowd at the Talib Kweli show, hanging out backstage...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 3, 2003

SDF bill provides ammo for DPJ bid for power

The photos and footage of opposition lawmakers trying to prevent a July 25 vote in the Upper House on a Liberal Democratic Party-sponsored bill to send Self-Defense Forces to Iraq were all over the media last week, which is understandable considering how action-packed the Three Stooges-like melee was....
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2003

Questions raised as Japan steams ahead on China bullet train

The race to win the contract for the high-speed rail link between the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai has entered the home stretch, with Japan ready to pull out all the stops to beat its German and French rivals.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 2, 2003

Buccaneers set for first game since victory in Super Bowl

The Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially showed up before Japanese fans for the first time since their arrival on Wednesday when they had an open practice session Friday morning at Tokyo Dome.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 2, 2003

Flawless Teshima

KOMATSU, Ishikawa Pref. -- Taichi Teshima produced a flawless 8-under-par 64 on Friday to establish a one-stroke lead at the midway point of the 120 million yen Aiful Cup.
EDITORIALS
Aug 2, 2003

Mounting pressures to revalue yuan

International pressure is mounting on China to let its currency appreciate. Beijing seems to have no choice but to respond one way or another. The prevailing belief in the United States and Europe as well as in Japan is that the yuan is undervalued in light of China's rapidly increasing economic strength....
COMMENTARY
Aug 2, 2003

Exaggeration leads to tragedy

LONDON -- Politicians always exaggerate, or at least embroider the facts. Like lawyers they have a case to make and an audience to persuade. So they emphasize the strongest points in their argument and slide over the weaker ones.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Aug 2, 2003

A day at the beach -- Japanese style!

Today, we're going on a trip. Are you ready? OK, here's a list of things we'll need: a large vinyl ground sheet, portable picnic tables, a tent, boxed lunches, a cooler for the beer and a thermos for the cold tea. Have you guessed where we're going yet? No, not camping. A few more hints. We'll also need...
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2003

Funds sought for Haneda expansion

Transport minister Chikage Ogi said Friday her ministry will ask the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and other neighboring local authorities to pay 130 billion yen toward the planned expansion of Haneda airport.
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2003

Domestic vehicle sales up again

Domestic sales of new cars, trucks and buses rose 0.5 percent in July on a year-on-year basis to 369,664 units, up for the third straight month, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2003

Aussie farmers stage BBQ protest

SYDNEY -- Australian cattle farmers staged an Aussie-style barbecue Friday outside the Japanese Embassy in Canberra to protest a tariff increase introduced by the Japanese government earlier in the week.
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2003

SARS, Iraq war hit JAL earnings in first quarter

Japan Airlines System Corp. said Friday it lost 77.28 billion yen during the first quarter of fiscal 2003, blaming the Iraq war and the SARS epidemic for the plunge in its international flight passenger volume.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 2, 2003

Hawks hit BlueWave for 29, set PL record for runs scored

Julio Zuleta smashed three home runs and Tadahito Iguchi also hit a pair of homers as the Pacific League-leading Daiei Hawks racked up 31 hits to trounce the Orix BlueWave 29-1 at Yahoo BB Stadium on Friday.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Aug 2, 2003

Patti McAdam

The Make a Wish organization, which helps make the dreams of terminally ill children come true, began in America with the story of Chris. This 7-year-old boy wanted to be a policeman, but Chris wouldn't be growing up. To grant him his wish, his local police force swore him in ceremoniously as an honorary...
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2003

Main street land values fall again

The average price of land on main streets in Japan stood at 121,000 yen per sq. meter as of Jan. 1, down 6.2 percent, or 8,000 yen, from 12 months earlier, the National Tax Agency said Friday.
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2003

Takenaka disowns reshuffle remarks

Financial Services Minister Heizo Takenaka said Friday he was considering lodging a protest the same day with the Financial Times newspaper for printing comments attributed to him that he claims he never made.
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2003

Japan economic assessment to be upgraded

The Cabinet Office will upgrade its overall assessment of Japan's economy in its monthly report for August, due out Tuesday, government sources said Friday.
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2003

Economy, deficit least served by budget caps

Although the government faces two important goals -- shoring up the fragile economy and cutting its enormous budget deficit -- the cap on core fiscal 2004 budget outlays the Cabinet endorsed Friday only increases concern that neither can be achieved anytime soon.
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2003

EBook market hit 1 billion yen in '02

The Japanese market for eBooks soared to 1 billion yen in 2002, according to a recent market survey conducted by publishing house Impress Corp.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 2, 2003

North Korea will compete in Osaka

OSAKA -- North Korea will compete in the World Judo Championships to be held in Osaka in September and plans to send a contingent of four men and four women athletes, judo sources told Kyodo News on Thursday. It will be North Korea's fourth straight World Championships appearance since the 1997 Paris...
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2003

FSA kicking banks out of bed, demands results

In a move suggesting further deterioration in the cozy relations between banks and regulators, the Financial Services Agency slapped banks with a business improvement order Friday for failing to meet pledged targets in fiscal 2002.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 1, 2003

Buccaneers, Jets ready to rumble in American Bowl

Defensive tackle Warren Sapp of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers has only been in Japan for a day but already likes what he sees.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 1, 2003

BayStars propel past Hanshin

Hitoshi Tamura and Tatsuhiko Kinjo belted two-run homers apiece and two other BayStars homered as Yokohama downed the Hanshin Tigers 9-6 at Koshien Stadium on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 1, 2003

Triumphant Kitajima returns home

Japanese swimming sensation Kosuke Kitajima, who returned to Japan earlier Thursday, vowed gold meals in next year's Athens Olympics when he met education minister Atsuko Toyama. Reporting to Toyama at her office on his dazzling performance at the recent World Championships in Barcelona, the 20-year-old...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 1, 2003

Terrorists find new haven in a quiet corner of Asia

SINGAPORE -- The failed mutiny by 300 Philippine Army soldiers, which gripped Manila's financial district for 21 hours on Sunday, highlighted the intricate problem of security and terrorism in Southeast Asia.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Aug 1, 2003

Armstrong's indelible spirit amazing

Like the changing of the seasons, another Tour de France has come and gone and Lance Armstrong has ridden off victorious again.

Longform

The volunteer lifesavers of Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club never know what's in store at the start of their day.
It's no simple day at the beach for Japan's volunteer lifesavers