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People | CLOSE-UP Apr 1, 2012

Naohiko Jinno: Master of public finance brings life to numbers

by Tomoko Otake

Born the grandson of a once-prosperous textile manufacturer in Urawa, Saitama Prefecture, Naohiko Jinno says that when he was growing up he was told by his mother, over and over again, that money was not important. Now aged 66, and a professor emeritus of economics ...

People | CLOSE-UP Mar 4, 2012

Taro Yamamoto: Actor in the spotlight of Japan's antinuke movement

by Eriko Arita

On a rainy midwinter day, Taro Yamamoto stood with a small group of people in front of Shimokitazawa Station in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward and addressed passers-by in that artsy youth-culture hub. "I am an actor — Taro Yamamoto," he announced. "And I would like to ...