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Japan Times
JAPAN
May 8, 2002

Info brokers have got your number, among other things

In the spring of 1999, Haruo Tanaka (not his real name) became interested in buying a condominium and visited several showrooms in Tokyo. Each time, he was asked to fill out a questionnaire. He provided his name, age, address and phone number as well as his annual income.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
May 8, 2002

The Hives: 'Your New Favourite Band'

Reviews don't get much simpler than this. Get in front of your computer, type in The Hives and download their single "Hate to Say I Told You So." Listen to it once and The Hives will be "your new favorite band." That's 40 words. 'Nuff said. . . . Oh, so you want a proper review?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 8, 2002

His fingers on the pulse

Bill Laswell stands in the lobby outside the Shinjuku Pit Inn, where on April 27 and 28 he played to packed houses with drummer Hideo Yamaki and saxophonist Yasuaki Shimizu. He's just set up his bass rig and is wondering where to sit for our interview.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
May 8, 2002

Tweet: 'Southern Hummingbird'

Tweet's current hit "Oops (Oh My)" is surely the best song about masturbation since Lucinda Williams' "Right In Time," and its funky-feverish simplicity will probably make it the single of the year in the same way that Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" was the single of 2001. In such a sweepstakes, it...
COMMENTARY / World
May 8, 2002

Smiling Koizumi guarded on free trade

SYDNEY -- All sweetness and light, plus a dash of pay dirt. That about sums up the three-day foray into Australia by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. A free-trade agreement, or FTA, got no further than free-talking. A security protocol including the United States as a third party came a few...
BUSINESS
May 8, 2002

Osaka hopes its new bond market spurs economy

OSAKA -- The Osaka Prefectural Government announced Tuesday that it will set up a 50 billion yen bond market in September to enable small and midsize local firms having difficulty securing loans to raise funds.
JAPAN
May 8, 2002

Chinese students seized with 10,000 fake beer coupons

Police and customs officials said Tuesday they have arrested three Chinese students at vocational schools in the Tokyo area on suspicion of attempting to import 13,000 fake coupons for Kirin beer.
BUSINESS / TAKING STOCK
May 8, 2002

Time for caution, not imprudent optimism

After holding out for some time against market adjustments in the United States and Europe, Tokyo stock prices fell broadly Tuesday amid fears of contagion from this week's tumble in New York share prices.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 8, 2002

Giants joint first

Hideki Matsui singled home runs in the first and third innings Tuesday and the Yomiuri Giants grabbed a share of first place in the Central League standings with a 6-2 triumph over the Chunichi Dragons.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
May 8, 2002

Remembering times passed

Outside it was a cold and rainy spring day in Tokyo's residential Bunkyo-ku. Inside the 300-seater Sanbyakunin Gekijo theater, though, excitement filled the air as people milled around trying to get hold of standby tickets for Gekidan Subaru's latest production, "Philip's Reason."
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 8, 2002

Fast Retailing reshuffles management

Fast Retailing Co., operator of the struggling Uniqlo chain, announced Tuesday that Genichi Tamatsuka, a managing director, will take over the presidency in November and that Tadashi Yanai, the current president, will become chairman.
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
May 8, 2002

Angelique Kidjo: 'Black Ivory Soul'

On past recordings, Angelique Kidjo seemed to choose popularity over authenticity. Critics have taken her to task for diluting the purity of her musical origins (she was born in Benin but lives in Paris) by opting for the easy appeal of over-produced world pop.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
May 8, 2002

A cult hero hangs on to his cool

From the moment one squeezes through the six thick hanging slabs of foam that serve as the old saloon-style entranceway to Jun Miura's current exhibition at the Laforet Museum, it is apparent that this is no ordinary art show. "Jun Chan Intense #3" is the latest installment in the artist's popular Laforet...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 8, 2002

Deep in the Laswell mix

Bill Laswell may be best-known as a bassist and producer, but some of his best work of recent years has been on the mixing desk, doing epic, album-length "mix translations" of artists such as Bob Marley, Miles Davis and Carlos Santana. His latest venture in this field is "Shy Angels," a reconstruction...
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
May 8, 2002

Treasure Isle: 'Ska All Mighty'

Ska -- Jamaica's first indigenous music -- has experienced several revivals. Led by Desmond Decker in the '60s, The Specials and Fishbone in the '80s, and third-wavers Sublime and No Doubt in the mid-'90s, each new version strayed further from its origin, often achieving a cult status. Still, somehow,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 8, 2002

The intoxication of Maurice Utrillo

Paris is a city of the mind. In addition to its reputation for intellectualism, it is one of the few cities of which almost everyone has some mental picture. And even though these images sometimes prove to be romanticized, Paris is nevertheless indisputably picturesque.
BUSINESS
May 8, 2002

Localities slow to start PFI projects: survey

A Cabinet Office survey released Tuesday reveals that 79.2 percent of local governments and municipalities have not started preparations to implement private finance initiative projects.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
May 8, 2002

Heart and soul in your hands

A list of the things we humans take for granted would be long indeed. Not wishing to embark on a colossal environmental-spiritual- humanitarian itemization, I'll keep my list real short. One item, in fact: a clay mug.
BUSINESS
May 8, 2002

Matsushita inks drug technology deal

OSAKA -- Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and U.S. venture business Tensor Biosciences have signed an agreement to jointly develop and commercialize Brain-on-a-Chip drug discovery technology, the two companies said Tuesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 6, 2002

Tsuboi! Tigers edge Carp

Hanshin left fielder Tomochika Tsuboi singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Tigers came from behind to beat the Hiroshima Carp 4-3 on Sunday at Hiroshima Stadium.
COMMENTARY
May 6, 2002

Koizumi must focus or fail

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's administration, which marked its first anniversary April 26, stands at a crossroads. Its future hinges on whether his "no pain, no gain" reform initiative will produce tangible results. Thus far his administration has made no substantial achievements to speak of. Its...
EDITORIALS
May 6, 2002

Mutual Sino-American respect

Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao's weeklong visit to the United States, which culminated in a meeting with President George W. Bush on Wednesday, seems to have achieved its purpose: introducing China's next leader to U.S. officials. The 59-year-old Mr. Hu is expected to become secretary general of the...
JAPAN
May 6, 2002

Man killed in Tokyo apartment fire

An early-morning fire at a 14-story apartment building in Tokyo's Arakawa Ward killed one person Sunday, and five people are being treated for smoke inhalation, firefighters said.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / NATURE TRAVEL
May 6, 2002

A safari of jungle trails, animal tales

As readers of our last column know already, we are currently floating gently down the Lower Zambezi in canoes. And though it might sound recklessly intrepid, it's really a piece of cake.

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’