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Sachiko Hirao
For Sachiko Hirao's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2003
Ueno music project to start in 2005 and feature Ozawa
An annual music program featuring renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa as artistic director will start in March 2005 as part of efforts to make Tokyo a major global center of the arts.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2003
Ex-NPA officer named new Tokyo security chief
Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara on Tuesday took a step toward cracking down on crime, formally appointing former National Police Agency officer Yutaka Takehana as vice governor in charge of security.
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2003
Tokyo firms pay 2.2 billion yen to reimburse unpaid overtime
Sixty-six companies based in Tokyo paid their employees 2.27 billion yen in unpaid overtime between October and March after the Tokyo Labor Bureau instructed them to stop withholding the pay, officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2003
Tokyo firms pay 2.2 billion yen to reimburse unpaid overtime
Sixty-six companies based in Tokyo paid their employees 2.27 billion yen in unpaid overtime between October and March after the Tokyo Labor Bureau instructed them to stop withholding the pay, officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2003
Tokyo firms pay 2.2 billion yen to reimburse unpaid overtime
Sixty-six companies based in Tokyo paid their employees 2.27 billion yen in unpaid overtime between October and March after the Tokyo Labor Bureau instructed them to stop withholding the pay, officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2003
Ishihara joins Inamine in drive to amend SOFA
The governors of Tokyo and Okinawa Prefecture agreed Friday to push for an amendment to the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement to reduce the burden shouldered by local communities hosting U.S. military bases.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2003
Closed schools finding new leases on life
With schools closing left and right amid the nation's declining birthrate, necessity is forcing cash-strapped local governments to come up with creative ways to reuse such facilities, many of which are aging.
BUSINESS
Jun 7, 2003
Tokyo, Osaka chiefs push for tax powers
The governors of Tokyo and Osaka demanded Friday that the central government hand some of its tax-raising powers over to local governments in light of its plans to slash fiscal assistance for local authorities.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003
Jury out on new bank's prospects
A new bank proposed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government appears to be good news for struggling smaller companies.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2003
Safe cleaning products win praise
Concerned over the potentially dangerous chemicals present in commercial cleaning products, a growing number of women are turning to a book of DIY recipes based on simple and safe household ingredients.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2003
Ishihara has novel ideas for new term
Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara suggested Monday that municipal government employees might be able to lend police a helping hand as a way to strengthen security in the capital.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 10, 2003
Japan Post to cut procurement costs by 10% to stay in black, Ikuta says
Japan Post aims to slash procurement costs in its mail delivery operations by 10 percent this fiscal year, according to Masaharu Ikuta, president of the new government-affiliated corporation that took over the Postal Services Agency on April 1.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS '03
Apr 9, 2003
Parties kept at distance in Kanagawa race
YOKOHAMA -- The last-minute candidacy of Yoko Tajima, a former House of Councilors lawmaker and celebrated feminist scholar, in the April 13 Kanagawa gubernatorial election has added a new wrinkle into an already crowded field.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2003
Top patent attorney pursuing new policy
As companies pursue technological progress and develop value-added products, patent attorneys must keep up with the advances and meet the demands of corporate customers, according to Sumiko Shimosaka, new president of the Japan Patent Attorneys Association.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 10, 2003
Focus on cheaper premiums pays off for AFLAC
Consumers going after cheaper products do little to help the nation's deflation woes and usually end up hurting companies in the form of declining sales revenues.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 26, 2002
Asia emerging as economic dynamo, WEF says
As Japan remains trapped in its bad-loan mess and Southeast Asia struggles to regain competitiveness after a regionwide financial crisis five years ago, China may appear to be the only bright spot in Asia.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 9, 2002
Price is right for 'carbon fund' investments now
It would be wise for Japanese firms to invest in so-called carbon funds soon so they can meet greenhouse gas emissions targets more cheaply and on schedule, according to Ken Newcombe, manager of one such fund run by the World Bank.
BUSINESS
Sep 27, 2002
Japan may be spared G7 wrath
For once, Japan may not be singled out for lagging behind when finance ministers and central bank chiefs of the Group of Seven economic powers get together Friday to discuss global trends.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 15, 2002
Tax Commission head skeptical of Koizumi tax cuts
While Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is gearing up for tax cuts he hopes will boost the fragile economy, the head of his advisory panel is not shy about expressing skepticism about their effectiveness.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CLOSE NEIGHBORS
Aug 10, 2002
Japanese firms fight back against Chinese copies
A Panasonic CD player, Sony headphones, Toshiba batteries. An extensive array of well-known, Japanese-made products is displayed at an office in Beijing, giving the impression that they are designed to promote imports.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world