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CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jun 20, 2004

Esoteric ways of the samurai

THE PERFUMED SLEEVE, by Laura Joh Rowland. New York: St. Martin's Minotaur, 326 pp., 2004, $24.95 (cloth). SENSEI, by John Donohue. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 258 pp., 2004, $23.95 (cloth). For the ninth time since his 1994 debut in "Shinju," Sano Ichiro ("the shogun's most honorable investigator...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 20, 2004

Angelique Kidjo: "Oyaya!"

More than just simply "Afro-Cuban," Angelique Kidjo explores an astonishing range of music with impressive eloquence. The cross-pollination of calypso, merengue, samba and African pop needs a couple handfuls of hyphens to form the right musical description, yet yields an intense naturalness. The Latin...
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 20, 2004

Guys en pointe frolic in frocks in grand diva style

Watching a bunch of grown men wearing tutus and pancake makeup parodying some of ballet's most cherished classics, such as "The Dying Swan" and "The Nutcracker Suite," may not sound like everybody's bag. But the wildly hilarious Les Ballets Grandiva, an all-male comedy ballet troupe based in New York,...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 20, 2004

New Komeito to emphasize noncombat SDF role in Iraq

With campaigning for the July 11 House of Councilors election officially starting Thursday, New Komeito leader Takenori Kanzaki says his party has to get the message out that the Self-Defense Forces will stick to humanitarian activities even after joining a U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jun 20, 2004

Bangkok: Resilience in decay

FRAGILE DAYS: Tales from Bangkok, by Tew Bunnag. Singapore: SNP International 2003. 136 pp., 395 baht (paper). The Bunnag family is one of Thailand's most eminent. Siriwong Bunnag was the formidable and omnipotent Regent of Siam during the minority of King Chulalongkorn in the 19th century. The family...
MORE SPORTS
Jun 20, 2004

Collision knocks Sato out of U.S. GP practice

INDIANAPOLIS -- Takuma Sato's jinx struck again on Friday, as he was bundled out of practice for the U.S. Grand Prix after a collision with Brazil's Felipe Massa.
Japan Times
Features
Jun 20, 2004

Japan's war machine that isn't

In March 1999, when P-3C Orion aircraft from the Maritime Self-Defense Force dropped warning bombs near two suspicious trawlers in the Sea of Japan, it was the first time weapons had been used "in anger" by any SDF unit. The action followed the MSDF receiving its first-ever Cabinet order permitting it...
COMMENTARY
Jun 20, 2004

Kabul will need homegrown solutions

ISLAMABAD -- Renegade warriors who continue to mount attacks on U.S. military troops and Afghan government soldiers have effectively upset the runup to Washington-backed presidential elections scheduled in four months.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 20, 2004

Popular return of a dynasty

It is generally accepted in India and abroad that, in the changed political landscape of India, Sonia Gandhi is the power behind the scenes. She is the convener of the ruling multiparty alliance. Her son Rahul Gandhi, a new member of Parliament from the "family" seat of Amethi in northern India (which...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 20, 2004

Big in Japan, without really trying

Eugene Kelly released his first-ever solo album, "Man Alive," in December. So far, it's only available in Japan, which isn't unusual. Japanese record companies are famous for taking chances on unknown artists no one else is interested in. But Kelly isn't exactly an unknown artist. He was part of the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 20, 2004

Graham Fitkin's "Kaplan," Max Richter's "Blue Notebooks"

The border between popular and new classical music has long been blurred. Glass, Stockhausen and Reich lurk in the background of much electronica and avant-rock, while many contemporary composers owe a debt to ambient or even punk. The upcoming performances of Graham Fitkin and Max Richter offer an opportunity...
Japan Times
Features
Jun 20, 2004

Vast budget fuels huge arms industry

Deep in the heart of Aichi Prefecture is the headquarters of an engineering company founded 100 years ago to make textile looms. Having borne the name Howa Machinery, Ltd. since 1945, today its products range from window frames to road-sweepers -- but it also derives around 12 percent of its business...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 20, 2004

De La Soul: "Live at Tramps, 1996," "De La Mix Tape"

Few hip-hop fans argue the relevance of golden-age innovators De La Soul, but two recent releases from the Rhino label may cause debate.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 20, 2004

Fuji's "Friday Entertainment" with Yoshimi Tendo and more

Following the killing of a sixth-grade girl in Sasebo by her classmate, some TV networks postponed the airing of mystery dramas when reports circulated that the suspect may have gotten ideas for her chosen method of killing from a mystery she'd seen on TV. Eleven-year-old girls are not the target audience...
MORE SPORTS
Jun 20, 2004

Maruyama retains share of lead

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- Japan's Shigeki Maruyama maintained the lead he took after the opening round that was postponed due to heavy fog and shared the top spot with Phil Mickelson after two rounds of the U.S. Open on Friday.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 20, 2004

Talent agencies enjoy the biggest laugh

Yoshimoto Kogyo, one of the biggest talent agencies in Japan, recently announced that it plans to build a new 1,000-seat comedy theater in Shinjuku. The company already operates a 458-seat theater in the Shinjuku Lumine building, and like that one the new venue will present only Yoshimoto acts. The company's...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 20, 2004

Badly Drawn Boy: "One Plus One Is One"

One of the great things about Damon Gough's 2000 Mercury Prize-winning debut, "The Hour of Bewilderbeast," was its efficiency. The economy of the sound combined with the sophistication of the writing and arranging set a benchmark for bedroom music-making.
OLYMPICS
Jun 19, 2004

Inoue set to lead Olympic team

Men's judoka Kosei Inoue has been named the top choice for captain of the Japanese Olympic team for the summer games in Athens, the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) said Friday.
EDITORIALS
Jun 19, 2004

SDF's new role raises questions

Reiterating in effect what he had told U.S. President George W. Bush in a Japan-U.S. summit earlier this month, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced on Thursday that Japanese troops now stationed in Iraq will participate in the U.S.-led multinational force following the June 30 transfer of sovereignty....
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jun 19, 2004

Selfishness short-circuited Lakers

NEW YORK -- If it helps them to sleep better at night thinking the result of The NBA Finals would be reversed had Karl Malone remained healthy, Laker fans, by all means, are encouraged to dream on.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jun 19, 2004

Things you must do before leaving Japan

Leaving Japan? Don't. At least not until you've experienced some of these must-do things here:
COMMENTARY
Jun 19, 2004

Where has America gone?

LONDON -- The 60th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings focused attention on the nature of the relationship between Europe and America. The liberation of France and the overthrow of the Nazis in 1944-45 could not have been achieved without American forces. Britain had stood alone against Adolf...
BUSINESS
Jun 19, 2004

Tanigaki talks down interest rates

Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said Friday that sharp rises in long-term interest rates are detrimental to the overall economy, a comment apparently designed to stem a further rise in rates that have risen to near four-year highs.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jun 19, 2004

Walt Disney 'imagineer' also promotes 52 virtues

It has taken John Kavelin 40 minutes to drive from his job as director of design and production at Tokyo Disneyland to his home in Minami Azabu. At least 20 minutes faster than if he took the train, he notes, pleased.
BUSINESS
Jun 19, 2004

Shareholders' meetings to begin in earnest

Shareholders' meetings will get into full swing next week, with giants Sony Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. meeting investors during the annual events.

Longform

Juzo Itami’s “Tampopo” was released Nov. 23, 1985, and though it wasn’t a hit at the time, it has gained a cult following in the years since.
Eat, slurp, love: 'Tampopo' turns 40