Kawasaki

Six years ago, the mayor of a Japanese city traveled all the way to Baltimore bearing a gift, one sister to another. The gesture marked the 20th anniversary of Kawasaki and Baltimore's Sister Cities ties, a folksy brand of international diplomacy that's more kumbaya than Condoleezza Rice, where gift-giving can be a big deal. On behalf of Kawasaki, the mayor presented Baltimore with an elaborate painting on silk. Unfortunately, aside from any lucky Baltimoreans who might have caught a glimpse of the painting during the exchange, it's a safe bet that no one in the city knows it exists, let alone has been culturally bettered by seeing it. That's because almost immediately after getting it, Baltimore reboxed the screen and stuck it in a City Hall storage room, where it has logged lonely years ever since, tucked away with leftover party supplies and boxes of dusty books.

The news last year out of some of Baltimore's best-known Japanese restaurants shocked the city's sushi-loving diners: illegal immigrants working for substandard wages and without tips so the owners of Kawasaki restaurants could buy expensive cars and homes in the suburbs. Now, the defendants get their say. In court papers filed for today's sentencing in federal court, the owners - Tzu Ming Yang, his wife, Jui Fan Lee Yang, and their business partner, Jack Chang - appear contrite, community-minded and fully ready to make more than $1 million in restitution for their crimes.

A three-star Japanese restaurant near downtown Baltimore stopped rolling sushi yesterday after its owners were arrested on federal charges of employing illegal immigrants and stealing their tips. Kawasaki Restaurant, which has served elaborate raw fish dinners for more than two decades from a North Charles Street rowhouse in Mount Vernon, remained closed last night. Its sister restaurant - a waterfront cafe in Fells Point - was also shuttered. Reviewers have described Kawasaki's food as among the region's most delectable for Japanese cuisine.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday against the owners of Kawasaki restaurants, a collection of well-regarded Japanese establishments in Baltimore whose proprietors are accused of hiring illegal workers and pocketing customers' tips the employees earned. Tzu Ming Yang, 48, his wife, Jui Fan Lee Yang, 49, and business partner Jack Chang, 41, all of Clarksville, were originally charged by criminal complaint. The indictment formalizes the charges, which include conspiracy to harbor illegal immigrants, unlawfully employing them and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Police Blotter is a sampling of crimes from police reports in Baltimore and Baltimore County. Baltimore Eastern Robbery -- When an employee of a Citgo station in the 1900 block of Belair Road opened the office door to retrieve a broomabout 5:40 a.m. Wednesday, a man forced his way into the station booth and stole $300. Central Robbery -- Two men assaulted a woman, 21, as she walked in the 1700 block of N. Charles St. about 2 a.m. Tuesday and robbed her of her purse containing cash and property - all valued at $250.

Lewis Baltz's photographic group "San Quentin Point" (1985) shows a land parched, cracked, strewn with refuse, made sick unto death and hideous by the ravages of man. But here and there a poor little wisp of a plant pushes up out of the ground. It has scant hope of long life, but there it is, because the earth keeps on trying."New Environments/New Projects: Photographs by Lewis Baltz" at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (through July 28) is surely an indictment of all of us for what we do to our world; but it's more moving than a simple indictment, because it gives the earth itself human characteristics, endows it with courage and fortitude in the face of what happens to it.This show consists of two kinds of Baltz's work: series or groups of small black and white photographs See ART, 6E, Col. 5ART, from 1E(some as small as 8 by 10 inches)

Who has the coolest car in Ocean City? Dub Magazine will make the call Saturday as custom cars, trucks and motorcycles gather at the convention center to compete for trophies awarded for all sorts of customizations - best paint job, best interior, best street bike and more. Hardcore fans will want to check out the cars and talk shop with the owners; newbies will want to marvel at all the creativity and maybe start thinking about their own custom conversion. In addition to cars and vendors, including Pirelli and Kawasaki, live music is on tap. Waka Flocka and Youtube sensation REJ3CTZ perform in concert with host Big Black from Fantasy Factory.

I wanted to try something new — and learned with the astonishing abruptness of a smack in the face that I am old. The something new was a motorcycle training course. My only experience with a motorized two-wheeler was cruising around Bermuda on a scooter for a week with a girlfriend's arms around my waist 22 years ago, when I was 48. I turned the sharp corner of 70 in March. The two-day course started innocuously enough with a 21/2 -hour classroom session that consisted mostly of videotapes of motorcycle riders in various scenarios depicting accidents about to happen and how to avoid them.

After the death of John Travolta's 16-year-old son this month, speculation about possible causes blossomed in the print and broadcast media and blogosphere, including discussions of Kawasaki syndrome. This disease - an inflammatory, autoimmune disorder - typically affects young children and, in some cases, can cause serious heart damage, says Stacy Fisher, a cardiologist at MidAtlantic Cardiovascular Associates. Before last week, little was written in the media about Kawasaki syndrome, which is also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome.

TOKYO - NKK Corp. and Kawasaki Steel Corp., Japan's No. 2 and No. 3 steelmakers, said yesterday that they have agreed to merge under a holding company to cut costs and meet tougher standards imposed by auto companies. The two will set up the holding company in October 2002 and reorganize in April the following year. The new company will have annual domestic steel production of 25 million tons, 10 percent behind No. 1 Nippon Steel Corp., the companies said. They haven't decided on a merger ratio.