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Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 23, 2003

Shaking up the cityscape

Tadao Ando is not afraid to say what he thinks. More than that, when the Osaka-based architect has an idea about what life in cities should be like, he isn't afraid to radically alter the world to make his visions a reality. After the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995, he felt that it was important...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Apr 23, 2003

"Saddle Creek 50"

To the surprise of many, the American underground's most fertile soil is now found on the parched plains of Omaha, Neb. Despite the scarcity of clubs, record shops and other hipster-habitat markers, this remote Midwestern town has cultivated a bumper crop of interesting bands. Early bloomers Tom Bascle...
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2003

74 members of Diet visit Yasukuni

Seventy-four Diet members, including a Cabinet minister, visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Tuesday during its annual spring festival.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2003

Japan's whale meat exceeds mercury density safety limits

Mercury levels in whales caught in Japan's coastal waters increase the further south the creatures are caught, with one specimen from Okinawa's Nago registering a mercury density more than 57 times the nation's provisional safety limit, according to a group of experts.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Apr 23, 2003

Japan Blues Carnival 2003

Every year in late May, between the cherry blossoms and the rainy season, the Japan Blues Carnival packs the Hibiya Outdoor Theater with an afternoon and evening's worth of blues. This year the festival will feature Ike Turner, returning to the stage after a long absence, and Louisiana slide guitarist...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Apr 23, 2003

Gigi: "Illuminated Audio"

Most remixes are done for a quick buck -- slap on a bunch of reverb, stretch things with some delay, maybe drive the whole mess with a new drum track. Whatever. "Illuminated Audio," however, an ambient remix of Ethiopian-born singer Gigi Shababaw's self-titled 2001 debut, is a pleasant exception.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 23, 2003

Looking history straight in the face

"I want to live, I do not want to perish gracefully in battle," declares Yamato (Tatsuya Fujiwara), the young hero of Hideki Noda's "Oil."
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 22, 2003

Nomo wins 100th as Dodgers rip Giants

LOS ANGELES -- Japanese hurler Hideo Nomo earned the 100th win of his major league career on Sunday as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the San Francisco Giants 16-4.
EDITORIALS
Apr 22, 2003

The meaning of low interest rates

The global economic outlook remains dim despite the swift and decisive coalition victory in Iraq. In Japan the prospects are darker still, with deflation getting worse, not better. Stock prices are at their lowest level in about 20 years. Banks are still burdened with piles of bad debt. Prime Minister...
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2003

Job-creation policy sought by ministry

Economy minister Takeo Hiranuma asked the leaders of two major business lobbies Monday to propose ways to boost employment, particularly for young people.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2003

ASIMO gets job at Takashimaya

ASIMO, the humanoid robot developed by Honda Motor Co., started work Monday as a department store clerk for customer services at Takashimaya Co. in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2003

Mobile phone sales dropped 3% in 2002

Domestic mobile phone sales in 2002 dropped 3 percent from the previous year to 39.39 million units for the second straight year of decline, Gartner Japan Ltd. said Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2003

Japanese national in Beijing may have SARS virus

The government is trying to determine the condition of a Japanese national in Beijing who Chinese authorities say may be infected with SARS, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2003

Group seeks care for socially withdrawn

An alarming number of young people are cutting off contact with society and shutting themselves in their rooms for years on end. More than a few turn into violent tyrants at home.
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2003

Cooperation sought on North Korea

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Monday that he and Kim Jong Pil, a former prime minister of South Korea, reaffirmed the need for close cooperation on issues related to North Korea.
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2003

Central bank managers want ins and outs of ABCPs

Bank of Japan Gov. Toshihiko Fukui met a torrent of questions about the central bank's proposals to support banks' lending activities to small and midsize companies when he held his first meeting with branch managers Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2003

Hitachi hit by 4.6-magnitude quake

An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 4.6 shook areas in and around Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Monday morning, according to the Meteorological Agency.
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2003

Protection sought for whistle-blowers in fraud cases

Consumer groups on Monday urged that planned legislation to shield corporate whistle-blowers from retaliation by employers include a provision to protect workers who report fraudulent business deals, government officials said.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Apr 22, 2003

Books for Burma, anime tours and abusive teachers

Books for Burma John Bayles of Alishan Pty. Ltd in Saitama (www.alishan-organiccenter.com ) and Julian Bamford in Kanagawa, both have the same information for Bill of Yokohama (Lifelines; March 25) who was wondering what to do with used English textbooks.
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2003

Convenience store sales drop 3.1%

Convenience store sales dropped 3.1 percent in March on a same-store, year-on-year basis, the Japan Franchise Association said Monday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 22, 2003

Media hounds muzzle selves

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be sent on a media junket to Sri Lanka.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FRONT-RUNNERS
Apr 22, 2003

Optical equipment maker focuses on creativity

If you really want to work for a company that produces high-technology devices, you may have to brush up on your chopstick skills.
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2003

Tokio Marine to acquire capital stake in new Shanghai-based life insurer

Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance Co. is finalizing a plan to take a capital stake in Shanghai-based Sino Life Insurance Co., which will begin operating this fall, company officials said Monday.

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