Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from March 2004

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from March 2004

The Generous Range of Variety and Richness in Contemporary Japanese Films.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Shinada Yukichi In 2003, a host of events were held around the world to commemorate the centenary of the birth of the film director Ozu Yasujiro, whose popularity and esteemed...

The Worldliness of Japanese Fashion Designs.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Fukai Akiko People around the world are enjoying sushi and reading Japanese manga (comic books). Christian Dior is producing kimono-like dresses, Gucci is decorating show...

New Japanese Art: Retrospective and Evaluation.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Matsui Midori Since his engagement with Louis Vuitton and the installation of his sculpture Mr. Pointy at Rockefeller Center in 2003, the artist Murakami Takashi has become a...

Contemporary Japanese Art.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Koyama Tomio Works by Japanese artists have become increasingly popular around the world in recent years. I opened a gallery in 1996 and have exhibited and sold works by the...

Why Anime?
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Susan J. Napier Late last summer, I went to Baltimore, Maryland, to attend something called Otakon. Otakon (subtitled as Convention of Otaku [mania] Generation) is the largest...

The Rise of J-Pop in Asia and Its Impact.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Ng Wai-ming Japanese pop music is commonly referred to as "J-pop," a term coined by Komuro Tetsuya, the "father of J-pop," in the early 1990s. The meaning of J-pop has never...

Tinkering Every 15 Years: A New Major Turn in Japan's Foreign Policy?
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Inoguchi Takashi It was Henry A. Kissinger who expounded a 15-year-theory of Japanese decision (Kissinger, 2001). In his view, the Japanese are slow at making decisions. Let's...

Fiscal 2004 Draft Budget Sends Ambiguous Signals.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Tani Sadafumi Japan's government has compiled a draft budget for fiscal 2004, the period from April 2004 to March 2005. Just marginally larger than its predecessor, this...

Spinning the Wheel.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Dario Ponissi In my veins runs the blood of explorers, adventurers, seekers of truth, passionate people who made the pursuit of their dreams the very fabric of their lives. ...

Challenges to the World and the Role of Japan in a New United Nations.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Akashi Yasushi There is a lively debate in the world about the role the United Nations (UN) should play for peace and stability in the light of the growing number of conflicts,...

The World of Sumo.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Hatakeyama Noboru Just after I entered primary school, I was not too healthy. I was frequently absent from school. Did I get bored at home? No way. I was busy watching Sumo...

Japanese Civilization (Part 13).
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Kawakatsu Heita Periodization from a New Angle: Assimilation of Civilization One debate over historical periodization among historical materialists has centered on the...

Harmony between the Environment, Technology and the Earth: The 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Interviewee - Mari Christine, Interviewer - Tsuchiya Hiroshi Tsuchiya: The World Exposition, Aichi, Japan will be held for half a year starting on March 25, 2005. Mari...

Regional Bank Temporarily Nationalized.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) The government on Nov. 29, 2003, decided to acquire all the shares of Ashikaga Bank, one of the largest regional financial institutions, based in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, and put it...

What is Happening in Japan's Labor Market?
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Inoki Takenori Changes in the Japanese-style employment system have long been debated. It is natural for a country to reflect on itself and move to re-examine its established...

Japanese Culture on the World Stage.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Sugiura Tsutomu Definition of Culture Derived from its roots, which mean "to cultivate" and "to respect," the English and French word "culture" had come by the mid-16th century...

Three New Products May Help to Lift Japan's Economy.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Refrigerators, washing machines and television sets were the "three holy durables" in Japan that helped jack up the economy in the postwar transitional period from devastation to...

Japan Bans U.S. Beef Imports after Mad Cow Outbreak.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on Dec. 26, 2003 decided to halt imports of U.S. beef and processed beef products, based on the Food Sanitation Law, following the U.S....

A Repeat of Hashimoto's Failures?: The Course of the Koizumi Cabinet's Structural Reforms.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Sasaki Takeshi According to polls carried out after last year's general election, support for the Koizumi Cabinet is eroding. The main factor for this appears to be the...

Outlook for the Coming Elections in Indonesia.
March 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Shiraishi Takashi In Indonesia, elections are scheduled for the national and local parliaments on April 5, the first-stage presidential election will be held July 5 and - in...

Campo II no carbon copy - Future bright for newest Campese.
March 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) IF JOAN Campese is a good judge, Canberra Raiders teen sensation Terry Campese will become a better footballer than his famous uncle. ''Growing up as a kid, Terry always wanted to kick the ball around when I went down...

Men behaving badly -.
March 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) Why do some elite athletes behave inappropriately off the field - and why do they repeat such unacceptable behaviour? The answer is complex and involves a number of factors, some associated with the athletes, some...

YOUR OSCARS GUIDE - SEE RELAX - You don't need an invitation for this Oscar party.
March 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) IT will be red carpets and gold statuettes all around tomorrow night when the glamour of the Oscars arrives - in Braddon. The inner-city suburb, with its service stations and car yards, is not usually associated with...

- Aspiring fitness trainer named Girlfriend of the Year.
March 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) TEENAGE magazine Girlfriend announced its 2004 Girlfriend of the Year in Sydney last week. The winner was aspiring fitness trainer Ricci Anderson, 17, of Mount Isa. Canberra student and fashion- designer Sophie...

- What a difference five weeks can make.
March 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) THEY arrived five weeks ago with long hair and board shorts, many without a clue how to fold a hospital corner. Yesterday, the Australian Defence Force Academy's newest recruits marched on to the parade ground in full...

On the edge Neil Lade -.
March 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) L ounging in a light retreat, couched in the lazy- hazy, a vision springs from nowhere. Outside it's bright blue, sunshine streaming. And, with the curtains wide open, inside views take different perceptions - through...

MDP takes Roh and Uri leader to election watchdog.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Joo Sang-min The opposition Millennium Democratic Party submitted a complaint Saturday calling for the election watchdog to rule on whether President Roh Moo-hyun and Uri Party leader Chung Dong-young violated...

GM Daewoo to pick 500 for test drives.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. said yesterday that it will begin to take applications for 500 free one-year test drives of its vehicles Tuesday, after picking 500 first-round winners in January. The Korean unit...

Hollowing-out fear may be unfounded; Manufacturers' GDP share,.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Tae-gyun As many manufacturers move overseas to seek cheap labor, experts have expressed concerns that the migration may trigger large job loss and harm the manufacturing sector. But that may be a groundless...

KDI may upgrade economic growth forecast.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Rafael Nam The nation's leading economy think tank may upgrade its 5.3 percent growth forecast for Korea, citing strong exports and a recovery for domestic consumption, said its head on Saturday. Kim...

Seoul to downsize tax investigations into foreign firms.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Ji-hyun The Korean government will reduce the scope of its tax investigations into foreign-invested companies in a bid to draw more direct investment from abroad, the National Tax Service said yesterday. ...

More politicians face summons this week.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) Prosecutors said Saturday they will this week call in two to three more politicians suspected of involvement in illegal campaign funding of political parties during the presidential election in December 2002. ...

LGE drums up new beat in washing machine market.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Yang Sung-jin LG Electronics' boasts cutting-edge technology products but the item that really catches consumers' fancy is something often shoved out of sight - the humble washing machine. Mobile phones,...

N. Korea comfort women to visit Seoul.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) Dozens of North Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military are expected to visit Seoul for an international conference on Japanese colonialism before and during World War II, civic...

Public demands vote on historical probe: Lawmakers fail to pass.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Kyung-ho Six decades after Korea's liberation from the Japanese, a controversy continues to simmer over pro-colonial rule activities. Some civic group officials and academics have criticized the...

Overseas cultural center heads to meet.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) Chiefs of Korean Cultural Centers overseas will meet with heads of overseas branches of the Korea National Tourism Organization in Seoul this week to seek ways to raise South Korea's profile in foreign countries and...

Panel downplays SK governance reform.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Hyun-chul Despite last week's surprise announcement of resignations by SK Group's top executives, the Korea Fair Trade Commission remains doubtful about the governance structure of Korea's fourth-largest...

Banks expect to post record profits in 2004.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Rafael Nam The nation's 19 major banks, including commercial, specialized and regional lenders, will experience a surge in their combined net profit this year, said a report by Yonhap News quoting unidentified...

Modest progress in talks; North says solution impossible without.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Seo Hyun-jin Korea Herald correspondent BEIJING - Crucial talks here last week on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions made modest progress but failed to bridge the big divide on major issues concerning the 16-month...

Blossoming into colorful beauty for the spring.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Hwang You-mee Despite the dusting of snow that covered the streets in Seoul last week, spring is signaling a breezy comeback. Shorter, lighter clothes are appearing in shop windows, with pastel colors slowly...

Revisiting art history through assumed personas.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Iris Moon A bearded Jesus, a delicately swathed concubine, and a small child are just some of the personas that artist Kwon Yeo-hyun has assumed in the collaborative paintings featured in his current solo...

Dental care for diabetics.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Joo Hyang-yeon If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you should know that the disease could cause problems with your eyes, nerves, kidney, heart and other parts of your body. Studies have shown that diabetics...

Army exec denies abduction of Bayan Muna members.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) TACLOBAN CITY-Maj. Gen. Glenn Rabonza, commanding general of the Army's 8th Infantry Division based in Samar, described as "baseless, unfounded and ridiculous" the allegations that the military was behind...

KEB Credit Service agrees with union.
March 1, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Lee Kyoung-ah Korea Exchange Bank Credit Service Co. announced Saturday that it had reached an agreement with its striking union workers to scale back layoffs to 35 percent of the work force in an effort to...

BAP congress gives officers fresh mandate.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) OFFICIALS of the Basketball Association of the Philippines were unanimously given a fresh mandate yesterday when they were reelected during the BAP National Congress at the All Star Cafe, Adriatico Street,...

POC: Chance for heroism gone down the drain.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Recah Trinidad THE MAN must be averse to merrymaking, or maybe he hates being swept in a triumphant stampede and going up on a victory ride. If not, why hasn't Philippine Olympic Committee...

Blaze fries police phone lines in QC.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Edson Tandoc Jr. DON'T blow your top when you try calling the Central Police District (CPD) headquarters in Quezon City and nobody answers. They are not lazy in answering the phone. It is...

Dance athletes hone up for 2005 SEA Games.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Manolo R. Inigo BECAUSE dancesport, the newest addition to the 2005 SEA Games calendar, is a rich source of medals in the biennial meet which the country is hosting, the Dancesport Council of...

The visit.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Noralyn Mustafa NOW what is she up to this time? We first learned about it in a television newscast that was, as broadcast news go, too brief to satisfy our need to know the why and...

DLSU upsets SSC, gains Nestea beach volley finals.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Marc Anthony Reyes PROPELED by a late blast of power spikes, La Salle stunned defending champion San Sebastian College, 21-19, yesterday to lead three other pairs making the April excursion to...

Witness for Fernando Poe Jr.'s defense-Dolphy?
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Christine O. Avendano LEGAZPI CITY-Can Dolphy be a witness for Fernando Poe Jr. in the latter's citizenship case before the Supreme Court? Comedy king Dolphy said yesterday he had known...

Class war theme has new variant.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Amando Doronila BOTH Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations have drawn up the class profile of voters based on their preferences in the May 10 presidential election. According to recent surveys...

Businessmen's agenda.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) BEWARE of businessmen bearing gifts, especially of the recycled kind. Last week, the so-called Presidential Business Agenda for the First 100 Days was presented, to some fanfare. Some presidential...

Educators say GMA scholarship plan is recycled Ninoy project.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Dona Z. Pazzibugan HAS PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo run out of fresh ideas that she had to claim credit for a scholarship program that had long been in existence just to ensure her victory in the...

Embattled Hotdogs seek NBA veteran.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) IN DIRE need of an import, Purefoods has trained its sights on a former National Basketball Association veteran to replace Lenny Cooke who tore his achilles heel during the TJ Hotdogs' debut against the...

Gin Kings spoil Alvin's career gem.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: June Navarro BARANGAY Ginebra stole the thunder from Alvin Patrimonio's career milestone by walloping Purefoods, 100-85, last night in the Gran Matador PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta...

Hold off on Japan deals, Palace urged.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Jerome Aning THE DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs has urged Malacanang to defer the awarding of 50-year lease contracts to two Japanese firms which had won the bidding to develop real estate...

Jeepney drivers mount nationwide strike today.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Edson Castro Tandoc Jr. and PDI Bureaus JUST stay home today, three big transport groups advised commuters as thousands of jeepney drivers go on strike in more than 100 cities and towns...

Jenny ties for third, bags P2M.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Jong Arcano THE "BIG W" almost came and Jenny Rosales just made everybody know that she's serious about it. Unable to match the scorching pace put on by Annika Sorenstam, Rosales did the...

2 in killing of UP student arrested.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tarra Quismundo THE POLICE have arrested two suspects in the killing of a University of the Philippines student during a robbery in Sta. Mesa, Manila, two weeks ago. Members of the Western...

Left insists military behind killings.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) LUCENA CITY-Leftist groups dismissed Malacanang's declaration that the Mindoro double murders had already been solved and accused President Macapagal-Arroyo of orchestrating a whitewash to absolve the...

Lucena students clean up FPJ campaign litter.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) LUCENA CITY-The day after the tumultuous welcome for opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. by thousands of his adoring fans during the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) grand campaign...

Luisita caps record 5th win in row with big round.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY- Luisita produced a runaway final round of 258 points at the Pueblo de Oro course yesterday to cap its unchallenged march to a record fifth straight Philippine Airlines Interclub Seniors...

Medical mission underscores shining moment of Filipinos.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Lynett A. Villariba WHILE THE nation celebrated the 18th anniversary of People Power on Edsa last week, 26 Filipino-American doctors and nurses from Baltimore and New York were busy...

Exchange of ideas.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Manuel L. Quezon III SHOULD the leading presidential contenders hold a debate? I think not. The idea of putting all the presidential candidates in a room, and having them debate each other is an...

Michaels foils Juvic, snatches RP Open.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Jong Arcano SILANG, Cavite-Before he planed in from Atlanta, American Edward Michaels was doubting his future in the game. His swing was a virtual wreck, his confidence low. Worse, the modest...

NCIP term lapse worries indigenous peoples.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) BAGUIO CITY-The term of the commissioners whom President Macapagal-Arroyo had appointed to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) had lapsed on Feb. 20, leaving indigenous peoples here worried...

More poll benefits for public teachers.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) DAVAO CITY-Public schoolteachers who will serve in the May 10 elections will receive bigger honoraria and additional benefits, Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus said here on Monday. De Jesus said...

Cancel franchises of striking jeepneys.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Neal H. Cruz THIS administration, always knuckling under the threat by lawbreakers to sow disorder in the streets, is trying to prevent the planned strike by jeepney drivers today, most likely...

102-year-old can still thread needle.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Emir Emano Gamis PRIETO DIAZ, Sorsogon-Felizberta Dogelio, the oldest living resident of this town at 102, can still thread a needle. Is it a big needle with a large hole? "No, it's a...

Palace okays Beijing as peace talks site.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. MALACANANG is amenable to holding the next round of peace talks with the communists in China later this month. Presidential spokesperson Ignacio Bunye said President...

Pacquiao's Ring belt arriving March 5.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Salven L. Lagumbay, Contributor FRESH from signing a multi-fight, multimillion-dollar deal with cable giant HBO, reigning consensus featherweight king Manny Pacquiao is about to be bestowed with...

2 pregnant women killed in SLEX fire.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THREE persons, including two pregnant women, were killed when fire gutted a squatters' area along the South Luzon Expressway in Barangay San Antonio, San Pedro, Laguna, early yesterday morning. Several...

GMA blows top over slow work on ADB road project.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) PAGADIAN CITY-President Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday blew her top over the slow-paced construction of the Asian Development Bank-funded Pagadian-Zamboanga road project. The P500-million Pagadian-Zamboanga...

Screen name.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Raul J. Palabrica WHAT's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So goes a popular line from England's literary genius, William Shakespeare. If a candidate in the May 10...

Fiesta.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Conrado de Quiros ARCHBISHOP Gaudencio Rosales has a complaint. That is that this country has never learned from Edsa. "Edsa was a call for change and repentance. Unfortunately, like most things...

Reyes, Kiamco barge into Asian 9-ball semifinals.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) FILIPINOS Efren "Bata" Reyes and Warren "Smiling Face" Kiamco beat Japanese Satoshi Kawabata, 9-3, and Korean Jeong Young-hwa, 9-8, respectively, to advance into the semifinals of the first leg of the San...

Sale of pirated CDs continues despite tough gov't drive.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tina Santos DESPITE government efforts to curb audio and video piracy, elusive vendors of counterfeit CDs and VCDs continue to operate even right under the nose of lawmen in Caloocan City and...

Masseur proves sight not needed to run fast.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Blanche S. Rivera RODRIGO Eje, 38, has come a long way from a blind masseurs' clinic in Cubao. Eje, the favorite masseur of Metro Manila's Catholic clergy, yesterday finished a...

Samar town mayor shot dead in cockfight arena; politics eyed.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Joey A. Gabieta CALBAYOG CITY-A town mayor was shot dead Saturday evening by unidentified men inside the cockpit of the city sports complex in what could be the first election-related killing in...

Solon faces raps for diverting pork.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Carlito Pablo GRAFT charges will be filed today before the Office of the Ombudsman against Rep. JR Nereus Acosta (LP, Bukidnon) for allegedly diverting P10.5 million of his Priority Development...

Subanen group to support pro-tribal candidates.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) OZAMIZ CITY-Wanted: national and local candidates who have pro-lumad platform of government. Unrico Simbulan, chair of Salabukan Nok G'taw Subanen (SGS), said the tribe will be throwing support behind...

Tomacruz, Manuel sail to stirring Hobie win.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Trina Ibarle NASUGBU, Batangas-Eric Tomacruz and partner Shelli Manuel sustained their substantial lead in the final leg yesterday to emerge overall winner in the Hobie class of the Punta...

U-turn slots set on Timog.
March 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority has implemented the U-turn slot scheme on Timog Avenue in Quezon City. MMDA General Manager Robert Nacianceno said the agency opened three U-turn slots to...