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Mayumi Negishi
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 10, 2004
Ministerial face-off fails to spark FTA joy
A face-to-face meeting Tuesday between the Mexican and Japanese agriculture ministers failed to bridge differences hindering progress toward a free-trade agreement, Japanese officials said.
BUSINESS
Mar 6, 2004
Talks on FTA with Mexico close on pessimistic note
Japan and Mexico made little headway toward signing a free-trade agreement during the latest round of talks that ended Friday in Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2004
Japan ignores U.S. pressure, will develop Iranian oil field
Choosing money in the face of diplomatic pressure from the U.S., the government said Thursday it has struck a long-delayed deal with Tehran to grant a Japanese consortium rights to develop Iran's huge Azadegan oil field.
JAPAN / TALKING SHOP
Feb 2, 2004
Celebrated female exec makes case for telling it straight
To get your point across in the United States, you have to stand up for yourself -- whether you are a man or a woman.
BUSINESS
Jan 29, 2004
Oddly, Japan keeps tariffs intact as it gropes for beef
Japan's suspension of U.S. beef imports has created a strange contradiction: As the government searches for alternate sources of beef, it imposes tariffs that help keep overseas beef out.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2004
Japan to maintain import ban on U.S. beef
The United States failed Friday to persuade Japan to lift its import ban on U.S. beef during bilateral talks in Tokyo.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 23, 2004
U.S. rules out testing all cows
The United States will not test all slaughtered cattle for mad cow disease as Tokyo requests, but may consider some "procedures" specifically for the Japanese market, a visiting U.S. delegation examining Japan's beef import ban said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 16, 2004
Woman's calling: listening to strangers
"Come unload your troubles," reads the tiny cardboard sign in Japanese. "Will listen. No charge." And here in the middle of Tokyo's busy Ginza shopping district, people actually sit and talk.
BUSINESS
Jan 15, 2004
Koizumi defends reform efforts
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi went on the defensive Wednesday, denying charges that his administration has been slow to bring about promised economic reforms.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2004
Security concerns jeopardize future of age-old tradition of 'hanko' seals
Masao Sekine, a 77-year-old doctor in Fukushima Prefecture, keeps his personal seals locked up in a safe-deposit box at the bank.
JAPAN / TALKING SHOP
Jan 13, 2004
Prada Japan's Italian chief knows the merits of vagueness
Davide Sesia, representative director of Prada Japan Co., is on the prowl.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 8, 2004
Dollar now expected to hit 100 yen
The dollar fell to its lowest point against the yen in more than three years this week, prompting fast, sustained and solitary dollar-buying intervention by the Finance Ministry.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2003
Stock rise in '03 was a pleasant surprise
The year of the sheep lived up to its reputation as a year of perseverance, bringing the first overall gains in four years for the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average.
BUSINESS
Dec 17, 2003
Saitama governments to pump Resona with taxpayer money
The prefectural and municipal governments of Saitama are willing to use roughly 1 billion yen in local taxpayer funds to claim a stake in Saitama Resona Bank, the local arm of Resona Holdings Inc., Saitama Gov. Kiyoshi Ueda said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2003
Optimism among big manufacturers soars
Bolstered by strong overseas and information technology-related demand, optimism among large manufacturers overcame fears over a rising yen and soared to a 6 1/2 year high, according to a key business survey released Friday.
BUSINESS
Dec 12, 2003
Regional bank bailout plan gets LDP nod
The Liberal Democratic Party approved a plan Thursday that will give the government greater freedom to inject public funds into troubled regional banks and credit unions.
BUSINESS
Dec 11, 2003
Ashikaga FG shares do brisk trade despite core unit's nationalization
It ain't over till the fat lady sings. Investors are buying up Ashikaga Financial Group Inc. shares, never mind that regulators nationalized the group's core unit, Ashikaga Bank, after declaring it insolvent.
BUSINESS
Dec 9, 2003
Bank lending slipped again in November
The volume of bank lending fell in November to a new low for the second consecutive month, as major banks remain focused on writing off past loans gone bad and large corporations continue to write down debt instead of borrowing new funds.
JAPAN / TALKING SHOP
Dec 8, 2003
When lenders balk, entrepreneur banks on worthy cause, trust
When Safia Minney first learned over a decade ago the Japanese phrase "mottai-nai" (what a waste) in regard to resources, she knew she was on the right track.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 5, 2003
FSA seeks DIP experts to run Ashikaga Bank
The Financial Services Agency will seek new managers for the nationalized Ashikaga Bank who boast expertise in extending short-term loans to troubled companies and can respond to the claims of local businesses.

Longform

Dul Saroth (left) and Soeum Samrach, deminers with the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, practice using the Advanced Landmine Imaging System in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province in August.
The Japanese tech that could one day make Southeast Asia landmine-free