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MORE SPORTS
Sep 22, 2003

Lopsided scores dominate first round of Top League

The new Top League was put on hold on Sunday for six weeks to allow Japan's best (not to mention a number of Samoans, Tongans and Fijians plying their trade in Japan) time off to compete in the Rugby World Cup.
SUMO
Sep 22, 2003

Kaio tumbles to loss, 7-8 mark on final day of Autumn Basho

Yokozuna Asashoryu posted an easy win over ozeki Kaio on Sunday, the final day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena.
EDITORIALS
Sep 22, 2003

Fresh hopes for Koizumi's goals

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi won a decisive majority on the first ballot in Saturday's presidential election of the Liberal Democratic Party, beating his three rivals by a wide margin. He owes his first-round victory largely to the backing he received from many members of anti-Koizumi factions. A...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Sep 22, 2003

Dwindling benefits cast doubt on rigid pension and deposit schemes

An insurance policy is an agreement whereby the payment of premiums and the receipt of benefits are inseparable. However, this fundamental principle is now being challenged by the nation's public insurance systems, which are creating anxiety and discontent by gradually denying policyholders freedom of...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 22, 2003

Koizumi shakes up LDP leadership

In a bold and surprising bid to ward off a party rebellion, Prime Minister Junichio Koizumi on Sunday appointed Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe as the No. 2 man in his Liberal Democratic Party.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 2003

Hidankyo meet to seek end to nukes

The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations plans to organize an international meeting aimed at scrapping nuclear arms to mark the 60th anniversary in 2005 of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
COMMENTARY
Sep 22, 2003

Decentralization will finish road to democracy in Japan

Some independent or reformist prefectural governors have come out with their own plans to revitalize local politics and economies. Their ultimate goal is to end the centralization of administrative power that dates back to the Meiji Restoration and establish real local autonomy. To achieve the goal,...
COMMENTARY
Sep 22, 2003

Can 'Special K' save Japan?

For all the attention given to the rise of China, it is still not the most important nation in Asia. Japan, with the world's No. 2 economy and a growing list of problems, is.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2003

Nissan mulls bailout for diesel unit

Nissan Motor Co. is considering financial assistance amounting to around 20 billion yen for struggling truck manufacturer Nissan Diesel Motor Co., a core unit of its group, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2003

Losers want Koizumi to listen to his critics

The three candidates who unsuccessfully challenged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday urged him to listen to his detractors in the party, despite his landslide victory in the election.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2003

Party fell into line despite deep policy differences

They're sleeping in the same bed, but dreaming different dreams.
EDITORIALS
Sep 21, 2003

Sweden sends a message to Europe

Sweden has voted to reject the euro. European governments may be inclined to see the results as an expression of Swedish exceptionalism. That would be a mistake. Despite an emotionally charged campaign, the outcome reflects a careful consideration of the country's national interests. European leaders...
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 21, 2003

Meiji University wins 1,000th game

Shigenori Kuremoto hit a "sayonara" homer as Meiji University beat Tokyo University 3-2 in the first round of the Tokyo Big Six Baseball League tournament on Saturday and became the second Japanese university team to record its 1,000th win.
COMMUNITY
Sep 21, 2003

Another ballgame altogether

Comparing cricket and baseball is like measuring a five-course dinner against a fast-food meal.
COMMUNITY
Sep 21, 2003

Howzat? This is what's what

Listening to a group of cricketers talking could, for the uninitiated, be like listening to a group of aliens discussing life on their planet. Therefore The Japan Times is proud to present an unofficial cricketing dictionary.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2003

U.S. hails prime minister's victory

The United States welcomed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's landslide victory Saturday in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, calling for continuing close cooperation between the two countries.
COMMUNITY
Sep 21, 2003

Did you say gentleman's sport?

"Sledging," or "mental disintegration" as it is referred to by the Australians, is the use of abusive or offensive words against an opponent. Sledge is taken from the Australian saying "as subtle as a sledgehammer" and the Aussies have gained a reputation as masters of the art. Here are a few classic...
COMMUNITY
Sep 21, 2003

Build a wicket and they will come

In 1996, a young bowler playing against the Bangladesh national cricket side dismissed two batsmen with consecutive balls -- the first delivered with his right arm, the second with his left.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2003

Lower House set to be dissolved in October for election, Koizumi hints

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi gave a strong hint Saturday that he will dissolve the House of Representatives in October, saying he will make a decision on the timing after taking into consideration Lower House by-elections scheduled for late October.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Sep 21, 2003

Kabuki: the opera of Japan

KABUKI PLAYS ON STAGE: Volume IV -- Restoration and Reform, 1872-1905, edited by James R. Brandon and Samuel L. Leiter. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2003, 430 pp. with illustrations, $50, (cloth). This is the final volume in a monumental series that contains the texts of 52 plays, all of them...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 21, 2003

Russian masters play to bury Leningrad

It's been more than a decade since Russia changed the name of the former Czarist capital back to St. Petersburg, but in Japan, where commercial concerns overrule even historical destiny, it took a long time for the reversion to take hold. For most of the '90s, any orchestra or ballet company from the...
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2003

Magnitude 5.5 quake jolts Tokyo

An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 5.5 jolted Tokyo and surrounding areas Saturday, injuring at least seven people in Tokyo, officials said.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 21, 2003

An endless supply of meat for loan sharks

Half the job of solving social problems is getting the word out. This is especially true when it comes to criminal activities like fraud. Victims of fraud are by definition people who don't know enough about fraud to realize when they're being ripped off.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji