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JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

SDF refueling covers more ships

The Cabinet agreed Tuesday to expand the Self-Defense Forces refueling activities in the Indian Ocean to include vessels from Italy, the Netherlands and Spain as part of Japan's logistic support for U.S.-led military operations in Afghanistan.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

Mexico seeks to bridge U.S.-France divide

Mexican President Vicente Fox told Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday that his country is considering submitting a fresh resolution to the U.N. Security Council that seeks to bridge the gap between the United States and France.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 12, 2003

Flock to see these birds of a feather

At last, the curtain rose on Matthew Bourne's "Swan Lake" here in Japan on Feb. 25, eight years after the production premiered at the famed Sadler's Wells Theatre in North London. The show was a sensation from the moment it opened, quickly transferring to London's West End, then crossing over to New...
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Lawmakers set to approve BOJ nomination

The ruling coalition and the opposition camp have agreed to convene a House of Representatives plenary session Thursday to approve the nomination of Toshihiko Fukui as governor of the Bank of Japan.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Cerberus pegged as Aozora stake buyer

U.S. investment fund Cerberus Group is likely to win the bid for the 48.8 percent stake Softbank Corp. holds in Aozora Bank, sources close to the deal said Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 12, 2003

Re-start me up

When a band has entered its fifth decade and its name is virtually synonymous with rock 'n' roll, it needs no introduction. The Rolling Stones are the Stones. And "Forty Licks," released this year to mark the band's 40th anniversary, is simply a collection of their hits. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,"...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 12, 2003

Charlie Watts: The beat goes (40 years) on

Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, 61, has sunk into a deep leather chair in a huge hotel room in Toronto. In the corner hundreds of jazz CDs cover the walls. The table is strewn with old snapshots. Watts coughs and straightens his brown jacket.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Mar 12, 2003

Cody ChestnuTT's "The Headphone Masterpiece"

Staring smugly off the cover of his debut double album, "The Headphone Masterpiece," DIY-soul upstart Cody ChesnuTT looks more than a little full of himself. High-fives from both critics and bands like The Roots and The Strokes could be to blame, but ChesnuTT's condition is probably more a case of delayed...
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

Shops go against the grain to sell U.S. rice

U.S. rice farmers have found an unlikely ally in their endeavor to penetrate Japan's heavily protected rice market -- owners of mom-and-pop rice shops who themselves are bearing the brunt of the nation's market-opening reforms.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Marubeni renews bank credit line

Marubeni Corp. said Tuesday a syndicate of nine banks has agreed to provide a 400 billion yen credit line to it under different terms from those of a preceding similar credit arrangement.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Coalition ranks hope to ditch reforms

Ruling coalition politicians stood ready Tuesday to urge Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to abandon promised reforms and sidestep internationally recognized mark-to-market accounting rules.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Mar 12, 2003

Harold Mabern

Harold Mabern might possibly be considered old-school if he had ever been off the jazz scene. However, since the 1950s, he has consistently brought his tasteful piano playing to one important bop-oriented group after another. He was the harmonic force behind jazz classics such as Lee Morgan's many '60s...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Mar 12, 2003

The good, the great -- and the freaky

Japan, without a doubt, has the world's largest number of art museums devoted solely to pottery -- more than 500 venues, I've heard. That's a lot of beauty (or not) to take in.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2003

TV firms urged to drop loan ads from prime time

A group representing commercial broadcasters said Tuesday it will urge the industry to refrain from airing consumer loan commercials during prime time.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 11, 2003

Road to Athens begins in November

Japan's baseball team will take on the winner of a four-nation preliminary league on Nov. 5 in Sapporo in its first appearance in the Asian regional qualifier for next year's Athens Olympics, the Asian Baseball Federation said Monday.
EDITORIALS
Mar 11, 2003

The perils of arms control 'lite'

Last May, U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a treaty that mandates deep cuts in both countries' strategic nuclear arsenals. Last week, the U.S. Senate ratified the accord. While any nuclear arms reductions are to be welcomed, this document is troubling. It is...
MORE SPORTS
Mar 11, 2003

Noguchi tops list for marathon in Paris

Osaka women's marathon champion Mizuki Noguchi and nine others will compete at the Paris World Championships in August, the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) said Monday.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2003

GSK unit allegedly hid income

The Japanese affiliate of GlaxoSmithKline, the world's second-largest drug maker, failed to declare about 65 billion yen in income over a period of three years through its business year to Dec. 31, 2001, sources said Monday.
BUSINESS
Mar 11, 2003

Softbank unit to cut equity holding

Softbank Corp. said Monday its wholly owned subsidiary, Softbank America Inc., will sell part of its holding in UTStarcom Inc., a U.S. network access equipment maker.
BUSINESS
Mar 11, 2003

Balance of quasi-money falls again

Japan's most closely watched money supply gauge rose 2 percent in February from a year earlier, but the balance of quasi-money -- mostly in time deposits -- fell a steep 11.1 percent, the Bank of Japan said Monday.
BUSINESS
Mar 11, 2003

Consumers a little less pessimistic

The key index gauging consumer confidence in Tokyo was 40.3 in February, up 0.1 point from the previous month for the second consecutive month of improvement, the government said Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2003

Entire Cabinet attends Diet audit session

Every politician scrambles for a piece of the budget pie to appease local voters, but few seem to care about how effectively the money is actually spent.

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