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April 27, 2024
 

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Yumi Wijers-Hasegawa
For Yumi Wijers-Hasegawa's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
JAPAN
Jun 27, 2006
Successor inherits ever-unpopular deficit mess
Most banks have shed their burden of bad loans. The Nikkei 225 average has recovered from rock bottom and the economy is finally picking up. But what about Japan's debt-ridden finances?
BUSINESS
Jun 22, 2006
Ban on U.S. beef to end after meatpacker checks
Japan agreed Wednesday to lift its ban on U.S. beef imports after on-site inspections of U.S. meatpackers by Japanese experts starting early next week, Japanese officials said.
BUSINESS
Jun 21, 2006
Japan set to lift U.S. beef ban
Despite lingering concern over the safety of U.S. beef, Japan continued final talks with Washington past midnight Tuesday on lifting the import ban, after winning a slew of concessions on inspection procedures for mad cow disease.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 17, 2006
Indoor play centers pricey but safe havens for kids
Parents often want their kids to play indoors because of bad weather, the threat of sunburn or other environmental factors, and increasingly, because of the fear of crime.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 16, 2006
Consumers still cold to U.S. beef
Consumers are far from convinced that U.S. beef is safe, despite government efforts to ease public concerns through 10 nationwide public hearings on the issue.
BUSINESS
May 30, 2006
World Bank chief Wolfowitz urges African trade, investment
World Bank Group President Paul Wolfowitz said Monday in Tokyo that Japan should play a larger role in promoting trade and investment in Africa, saying they were "more critical" to the continent than development aid.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 25, 2006
New Keidanren chief urges Asia diplomatic thaw
The new chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) has urged the government to swiftly resolve the nation's conflict with its Asian neighbors over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 23, 2006
Importer's rare tortoises a labor of love
Before he heads off to work, Masakazu Utsunomiya has a unique daily ritual of tender loving care -- he bathes and feeds the rare Burmese starred tortoises he keeps in his modest Tokyo apartment and ensures their tanks' temperature is just right.
BUSINESS
May 20, 2006
Beef safety audit passes muster
The U.S. has resolved most of Japan's concerns about U.S. beef processors, Japanese government officials said Friday, clearing the way for Japan to lift its import ban on U.S. beef.
BUSINESS
May 19, 2006
Publishers find silver lining in coloring books for the elderly
For many people, coloring conjures up fond memories of childhood -- books scattered across the table, engrossed in one's work, clutching crayons until one's hands ached.
BUSINESS
May 19, 2006
Japan, China remain deadlocked over how to resolve gas row
Japan and China clarified their respective positions but were unable Thursday to agree on how to resolve their dispute over natural gas drilling in the East China Sea, where the two sides disagree over their exclusive economic zone boundaries.
BUSINESS
May 3, 2006
Legal provisions targeting 'paper companies' a worry for foreign firms
Before the new Corporate Law took effect Monday, one article was viewed with a wary eye by foreign-affiliated firms: No. 821.
BUSINESS
Apr 28, 2006
MMC operating profit may signal end to dark days
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. reported Thursday it had an operating profit of 6.8 billion yen in fiscal 2005, its first profit in three years and a sign the firm may finally be coming out from under the weight of its defect coverup debacle.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2006
More seniors opting for personalized wills
It hardly seems likely a kit called "Let's Write Our Will" would be a best-seller, but since its debut last year it has been a hit with elderly people.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 25, 2006
Sweden's IKEA back in Japan after 20-year hiatus
Furniture giant IKEA marked its return to Japan with the opening of a store Monday in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, but some domestic rivals question whether the Swedish firm has learned enough about Japanese consumers to please them.
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2006
METI's Asia-Oceania FTA pitch surprises but is predictable
Trade minister Toshihiro Nikai's announcement earlier this month that Japan plans to start talks with 15 other nations in 2008 to create an Asia-Oceania free-trade zone took many by surprise -- not only experts but also those within government -- sparking speculation about the ministry's true intentions.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2006
Time for Japan to shut up and drill: energy expert
A month has passed since Japan and China last held talks over the development of gas fields in a disputed area of the East China Sea, and both sides appear keen on keeping the issue out of the headlines for now.
BUSINESS
Mar 30, 2006
U.S. agrees to beef precautions
The United States agreed Wednesday to train workers handling beef exports to Japan and to double its final checks on beef shipments headed here, according to government officials on both sides.
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2006
New rules to doom used electrical goods shops?
The phones at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry have been ringing off the hook since early February when it suddenly and quietly changed its enforcement of a 2001 law on electrical appliance safety.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 21, 2006
Veal blunder laid to bad communications
The veal shipment that arrived in January containing banned spinal cords was an isolated incident and "does not indicate weakness in the overall U.S. beef processing, inspection or export systems," the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report released Monday.
New JAL chief concerned about yen’s ‘excessive’ weakness
Mitsuko Tottori became Japan Airlines’ first female CEO on April 1, having risen through the ranks as a flight attendant and heading the flight attendant and customer experience divisions.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Yen inches closer to intervention point as BOJ meeting starts
The rate of the yen against the U.S. dollar is displayed in the trading room at foreign exchange brokerage Gaitame.com in Tokyo on Thursday.
Princess Aiko makes debut at imperial garden party
Princess Aiko attends an imperial garden party in Tokyo on Tuesday.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Tokyo's Koto Ward by-election a race unlike any other
Natsumi Sakai, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s candidate and one of four female candidates running in the by-election, touts her experience as a cancer survivor and midwife as having prepared her to tackle issues that women currently face.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Top U.S. and China diplomats talk tough amid warnings of new ‘downward spiral’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Friday
Kyotographie's strong 12th edition shines light into the margins
Yassine Alaoui Ismaili, who goes by Yoriyas, turned to photography, shooting motion while in motion himself, after an injury forced him to give up his career as a professional breakdancer.
For amateur sumo, a fresh start offers hope against time-wasting and gamesmanship
Wrestlers prepare for the start of a bout at the 2023 Sumo World Championships in Tokyo. Starting this month, placing one hand on the clay first is no longer allowed.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

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