March 31, 1998

Japanese Government, in one of its most ambitious undertakings, will institute far-reaching program to transform country's financial landscape with prowess of its manufacturing industries; first phase of three-year process called Big Bang will begin on April 1, and will seek to transform Tokyo into financial center as vibrant as New York or London; changes are aimed at shattering rigidities of Japanese economy, which has been strained by weaknesses in banking system; amount to grand bid to create more efficient markets, and could end up changing Japanese investing habits similar to way those of Americans have been transformed over past 25 years; Government hopes that by year 2001 it will have started to coax many of nation's savers into investing chunk of savings in new ways; country's financial industry has been until recently strait-jacketed society, governed less by shareholders than by Government officials, who stifled competition with stiff regulations and by sharing new ideas among banks; chart (M)

Pharmaceutical companies look to largely untapped market for satisfying male ailments like impotence; trend is seen in Government's recent approval of Pfizer's Viagra, one of nearly dozen new treatments for impotence that are on market or being developed; Viagra is first pill for malady, but three other products in advanced trials also promise to be less painful and invasive than existing methods, like implants and injections; estimated 30 million men suffer at one time or another from some degree of male erectile dysfunction, but only 2.76 million visited doctors last year with the complaint; since many men are embarrassed about impotence, Pfizer is considering aiming part of its sales pitch toward women; chart (M)

Scientists seek to pierce blood-brain barrier, elaborate security system that shields brain from toxins, hormonal surges or other substances that normally flow in the blood but also also keeps useful drugs, like possible treatments for Alzheimer's disease or brain tumors, from reaching their targets; barrier is formed in part by cells that line tiny capillary blood vessels in the brain; these endothelial cells are sealed together in what scientists call 'tight junctions'; Dr William Pardridge, brain researcher at University of California at Los Angeles, and Dr Thomas Jacobs, director of stroke and brain tumor programs at National Institutes of Health, comment; diagrams (L)

Russia is in search of national idea that can define its essence and inspire its citizens, but struggle has thus far been exercise in conflict and confusion; new national anthem has no words because nobody can agree on what it should say, politicians are still squabbling over tricolor flag and Government commission established in summer 1997 to develop national idea has come up empty-handed; even though disputes over nature of Russian soul has dominated Russian life for centuries, question of national purpose has acquired fresh urgency as nation struggles to redefine itself following collapse of Soviet empire, which provided so much of its identity and mission for 20th century; Yeltsin Government would like to have concept, slogan or sound bite to mobilize public and counter Communists, who while minority at least have an ideology, but has failed to convince public that it has compelling vision of what lies at end of country's long hard road from socialism; photo (M)

Ben Brantley reviews Danny Hoch's one-man show, Jails, Hospital and Hip-Hop, at Performance Space (L)