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 Tomoko Otake

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Tomoko Otake
Tomoko Otake is a senior writer with a strong interest in health, medical and social issues. A native of Nara Prefecture, she obtained an M.A. in journalism from The University of Montana.
BUSINESS
Sep 2, 2003
IRCJ opts to bail out ailing Mitsui Mining
The Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan announced Monday that it has decided to bail out Mitsui Mining Co. under its resuscitation program.
BUSINESS
Aug 16, 2003
Farm policy may switch from defense to offense
Japan has long been on the defensive over agricultural trade as it sought to protect the nation's farmers, but it may soon go on the offensive.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2003
Debt-collectors push professionalism, not pain
Despite popular perceptions, profanities and threats are not screamed down the phone and the receiver doesn't end up getting slammed down.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 18, 2003
Town hopes wind bells ring in some new vitality
The tinkling of some 3,000 glass wind bells in a small mountain town in Aichi Prefecture is not just a sign of summer but a sound of hope for community revitalization.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jul 13, 2003
Second strings
Shin Yoshida leads a double life. And everyone, including his boss, his wife and three children, knows about it.
BUSINESS
Jun 27, 2003
Revival body chief claims applications are flooding in
More than 20 pairs of banks and borrower firms of varying sizes have applied for help from the Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan, IRCJ Chief Operating Officer Kazuhiko Toyama said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jun 26, 2003
GET BROADBAND (but ignore fine print)
You may have already tuned out the incessant commercials by broadband Internet service providers on TV, in magazines and on the Net, but the Fair Trade Commission is tuning them in.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2003
Bankruptcy protection shifts burden to cosigner
Print shop owner Yoichi Iwasaki let out a deep sigh of relief when he filed for court protection from creditors in April 2002, but little did he realize that was not the end of his troubles.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2003
Bankruptcy protection shifts burden to cosigner
Print shop owner Yoichi Iwasaki let out a deep sigh of relief when he filed for court protection from creditors in April 2002, but little did he realize that was not the end of his troubles.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2003
Bankruptcy protection shifts burden to cosigner
Print shop owner Yoichi Iwasaki let out a deep sigh of relief when he filed for court protection from creditors in April 2002, but little did he realize that was not the end of his troubles.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 25, 2003
Foreign meat producers blast tariff plan
A food service industry group and meat producers from the U.S. and Australia on Tuesday urged the Japanese government not to invoke emergency curbs on imported beef, saying such restrictions would hurt consumers as well as the food industry and exporters.
BUSINESS
Jun 21, 2003
IRCJ needs more time to select first help case
The state-backed Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan is taking longer than expected to select its first revival candidate, IRCJ President Atsushi Saito said Friday.
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2003
Red tape hinders Singapore Airlines campaign
Attempts by the SARS-battered Singapore Airlines to offer travelers bargain deals have been stalled here by domestic regulations, despite high hopes for mutual promotion of tourism under a bilateral free trade agreement signed recently.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2003
Corporate responsibility in spotlight
If you make up the rules, you've got an excellent chance of winning the game.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 9, 2003
Corporate revitalization body rolls up its sleeves
The Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan, the government's latest attempt to deal with the nation's bad-loan mess and resuscitate ailing companies, launched full-blown operations Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 1, 2003
Flailing Japanese companies, government turn to U.S. recovery 'guru'
Japan, still struggling to find a way out of its bad-loan quagmire, is looking for salvation from a "guru" credited with turning around whole sectors of U.S. industry.
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2003
IRC official to ensure it's free of political meddling
The Industrial Revitalization Corp. will hire a compliance officer to ensure that it operates ethically and without political meddling, IRC President Atsushi Saito said Wednesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 15, 2003
IRC officials try to play down hardline image
It has a nickname that would turn most customers off.
BUSINESS
Apr 12, 2003
Army of Carlos Ghosns may be in the making
We all know the Carlos Ghosn story.
Japan Times
JAPAN / INTERNATIONAL RATIONALE
Apr 9, 2003
Domestic firms missing out on slice of medical device market
Dr. Kiyoshi Namba is a hard-core believer in medical technology. A breast cancer specialist, Namba has invested heavily in state-of-the-art medical equipment at his two clinics in Miyazaki Prefecture, claiming this provides exactly what he needs to counter the killer disease -- the earliest detection...

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’