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July 04, 2025
 

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Taiga Uranaka
BUSINESS
Mar 11, 2004
IRCJ commits to 366 billion yen bailout of Kanebo
The state-backed Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan said Wednesday it has decided to bail out the country's No. 2 cosmetics maker, Kanebo Ltd., using 366 billion yen in public money.
BUSINESS
Mar 10, 2004
Uniqlo stages comeback after two years in the doldrums
After suffering weak sales for nearly two years following the end of its phenomenal "fleece jacket boom," casual clothing chain Uniqlo is again enjoying strong sales.
BUSINESS
Mar 6, 2004
Upstart KDDI backs DoCoMo into a communications corner
NTT DoCoMo Inc. is at a crossroads.
BUSINESS
Mar 5, 2004
Danone takeover of Yakult to wait 10 years
Yakult Honsha Co. said Thursday its largest shareholder, Groupe Danone of France, has agreed not to acquire a controlling stake for at least another decade.
BUSINESS
Mar 5, 2004
Steelmakers enjoy fiscal 2003 amid China boom
Japan's four largest steelmakers said Thursday they are on track to report bumper earnings for fiscal 2003, thanks to a steel market upturn based on strong demand in China.
BUSINESS
Feb 28, 2004
Softbank offers 500 yen to Yahoo! BB users, confirms data leak on millions
Softbank Corp. said Friday it has confirmed that information on some 4.52 million users of its Yahoo! BB high-speed Internet service had been stolen from its data base.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 25, 2004
Yamanouchi, Fujisawa to merge
Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co. and Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co. said Tuesday they have agreed to merge in a bid to survive intensifying global competition.
BUSINESS
Feb 21, 2004
New 'happoshu' brew earns Asahi record profits
Industry leader Asahi Breweries Ltd. reported Friday a record net profit for 2003, buoyed by strong sales of a newly introduced "happoshu" beerlike beverage.
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2004
Shinsei Bank share price surges on TSE debut
Shinsei Bank shares debuted Thursday on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, marking a dramatic revival from the collapse of Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan five years ago.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Feb 20, 2004
Makeover for gum gives health-conscious something to chew on
Despite a shrinking confectionary market, chewing gum has been enjoying healthy growth, posting record sales last year.
BUSINESS
Feb 19, 2004
DoCoMo may sell off 16% stake in AT&T
NTT DoCoMo Inc. said Wednesday that it might sell its 16 percent stake in AT&T Wireless following an agreement by Cingular Wireless LLC to purchase the No. 3 mobile carrier in the United States.
BUSINESS
Feb 18, 2004
Struggling Seiyu blames 7 billion yen loss on cold weather
Supermarket operator Seiyu Ltd. said Tuesday its group net loss for the 10 months ending in December came to 7 billion yen, blaming the red ink on the unseasonably cold summer.
JAPAN
Feb 17, 2004
Kanebo eyes IRCJ instead of Kao deal
In a sudden turn of events, Kanebo Ltd. said Monday it has scrapped a plan to sell its core cosmetics business to Kao Corp. and instead will seek a government bailout.
BUSINESS
Feb 14, 2004
McDonald's Holdings posts 7 billion yen net loss
McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan) said Friday it posted a net loss of 7.12 billion yen for 2003, with weak sales and heavy restructuring costs forcing the company into its second consecutive losing year.
BUSINESS
Feb 13, 2004
Softbank ups Yahoo! BB subscriber target by 50%
Softbank Corp. said Thursday it has raised the target number of subscribers to its Yahoo! BB high speed Internet connection service by 50 percent.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 11, 2004
Firms catch on to potential of booming IC recorder market
Overshadowed by the red-hot sales of digital cameras and DVD recorders, another digital product has been stealthily making its way into shirt pockets and briefcases.
JAPAN
Feb 10, 2004
'Gyudon': the end of an era
Yoshinoya D&C Co. said Monday its restaurants will stop serving its mainstay bowls of "gyudon" beef on rice this week after stocks run dry due to an import ban on U.S. beef.
BUSINESS
Feb 7, 2004
Matsushita posts 70% growth in profit
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Friday its pretax profit for the October-December quarter jumped 70 percent, driven by robust sales of flat-screen TVs and DVD recorders.
BUSINESS
Feb 5, 2004
DoCoMo anticipates FOMA boom
NTT DoCoMo Inc. said Wednesday it will raise its subscriber projection for its third-generation FOMA service by 20 percent to 2.4 million by the end of March, having seen faster-than-expected growth in the sector.
BUSINESS
Feb 4, 2004
Pioneer to buy NEC's plasma unit
Pioneer Corp. announced Tuesday it will acquire NEC Corp.'s plasma display panel business in a bid to remain a leading player within the increasingly competitive flat-panel TV sector.
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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