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Japan Times
Features
May 9, 2004

Bridging cultures with books

Whether their parents read them fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm, or even encouraged them to explore Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, most Japanese have been exposed to overseas literature from an early age, and many go on to discover the likes of Tolkien, L.M. Montgomery, Michael...
JAPAN
May 9, 2004

Kan could step down Monday

The political uproar over nonpayment of mandatory pension premiums by several leading lawmakers continued Saturday, with opposition leader Naoto Kan likely to be pressured to step down as early as Monday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 9, 2004

Steve Kimock: more than a feeling

A friend of mine calls improvisational guitarist Steve Kimock "The Master," constantly marveling at his shimmering harmonics, dynamic swings and musical "feel." What does Kimock have to say to this straightforward sort of hero worship? (Think Wayne's World's "We're not worthy!")
COMMENTARY
May 9, 2004

Democratic model for developing nations

NEW DELHI -- At a time when international terrorism has intensified debate on the potential role of democracy in moderating extremist trends, the world's largest-ever election in India is a reminder that democracy and freedom are not luxuries but central to the building of stable, pluralistic and prospering...
Features
May 9, 2004

Language aide's value went way beyond words

Being an interpreter involves a lot of time and hard work, but the job's many rewards often include a chance to get close to the action.
Features
May 9, 2004

Translators' icon with rhythm writ large in his lexicon

When people decide to read a book by a foreign author, they may be drawn by what they know of the writer, or by an intriguing title. But for many Japanese readers, the attraction is that a book was translated by Motoyuki Shibata -- and will therefore likely be to their taste as well as his.
MORE SPORTS
May 9, 2004

Kitada jumps ahead

Unheralded Rui Kitada took full advantage of a rare slump on the back nine by overnight leader Yuri Fudo on Saturday to jump into the lead heading into the final round of the Nichirei Cup World Ladies.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 9, 2004

The Don Friedman Trio & Dave Pietro and Jonathan Katz

The summer jazz season is starting a little early this year. Even before the annual deluge of talent filling Japan's many festivals and clubs, two tours this May will more than whet the appetite for the busy summer season.
JAPAN
May 9, 2004

Tokyo, Pyongyang mull Koizumi visit

Japan and North Korea are considering whether Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi can visit Pyongyang to pick up the relatives of Japanese abductees, in an effort to reach a breakthrough on the abduction issue, informed sources said Saturday.
COMMENTARY / World
May 9, 2004

Dahka stalling on joint border patrols

NEW DELHI -- The importance of joint border patrols on the Indo-Bangladeshi border cannot be overemphasized. Although India's northwestern border makes news due to problems in Kashmir or to cross-border terrorism of the most vicious kind, the eastern border that India shares with Bangladesh also has...
COMMENTARY / World
May 9, 2004

Seat China at the top table

Can China successfully take the steam out of its overheating economy without causing a collapse, or more appropriately, given the steam metaphor, a meltdown? The question is not an academic one, but very real — and not just for the 1.3 billion people in China.
Japan Times
Features
May 9, 2004

Simultaneously interpreting both language and culture

Nelson Mandala, Eisaku Sato, Margaret Thatcher, Kakuei Tanaka and Bill Clinton are different in so many ways, but these leading politicians all have one thing in common -- their interpreter, Tatsuya Komatsu.
EDITORIALS
May 8, 2004

Moment of truth for Mr. Sharon

The Likud Party's rejection last Sunday of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw all settlements from the Gaza Strip would seem to be a fatal blow to the prime minister and to hopes for peace. Cynics might claim that the result is exactly what Mr. Sharon, one of the settlers' strongest...
SOCCER / J. League
May 8, 2004

Schoolboy signs for Tokyo Verdy

Schoolboy Takayuki Morimoto became the youngest ever professional player in the J. League when he signed for Tokyo Verdy on Friday, his 16th birthday.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 8, 2004

Kudo leads Giants with bat and ball

Veteran left-hander Kimiyasu Kudo went eight strong innings Friday to lead the Yomiuri Giants to a 7-1 win over the Hiroshima Carp.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
May 8, 2004

Porto's Mourinho in line to be new manager of Chelsea

LONDON -- According to various back-page "exclusives" over the past week, Chelsea is buying Walter Samuel (Roma -- £15 million), David Beckham and Ronaldo (Real Madrid -- combined fee of £100,000 million), Ronaldinho (Barcelona -- £60 million), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool -- £30 million) and any other...
MORE SPORTS
May 8, 2004

Fudo stays ahead

Yuri Fudo rolled in seven birdies to maintain her lead by three strokes with a sizzling 7-under-par 65 after the second round of the Nichirei Cup World Ladies on Friday.
JAPAN
May 8, 2004

Freed abductees 'willing to revisit' North

Five repatriated Japanese abductees are willing to accompany Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to North Korea to pick up their families if such a visit is realized, one of their relatives in Japan said Friday.
JAPAN
May 8, 2004

Katayama's teen love story now top selling novel

A novel published in 2001 depicting the love between two teenagers became the all-time best-selling novel by a Japanese author Friday, with 2.51 million copies sold.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 8, 2004

Stomach lining jumps ship in a typhoon

At 1 p.m. I received a message on my cell phone from my husband: "I hope you're not sailing today. A typhoon is coming." Too bad I didn't see this message before we left Awajishima at 1:30 headed for Shodoshima. As a matter of fact, at 1 p.m., we were still sitting in an "onsen" overlooking the Seto...
JAPAN
May 8, 2004

Kan pledges to defy resignation clamor

Naoto Kan said Friday that Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda's resignation the same day over a pension payment scandal has not swayed his decision to stay on as leader of the Democratic Party of Japan.
JAPAN
May 8, 2004

Ex-Takefuji employee gets suspended term for wiretapping

A former employee of consumer loan company Takefuji Corp. was sentenced Friday to a suspended three-year prison term for wiretapping two journalists in 2000 and 2001.
MORE SPORTS
May 8, 2004

Japan preparing emergency manual

Japanese Olympic officials are preparing an emergency manual for their athletes going to this summer's Athens Games.
MORE SPORTS
May 8, 2004

Majority back ban on women in sumo

Seventy-one percent of spectators surveyed at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in March agreed that, in sticking with sumo tradition, women should be banned from entering the ring, the Japan Sumo Association said Friday.

Longform

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