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BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2001

Subsidy for new Tokyo-Narita railway to increase

The transport ministry said Friday it plans to drastically increase government subsidies for a new high-speed railway linking central Tokyo and Narita airport in its budgetary requests for the fiscal year starting next April.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 25, 2001

Giants up winning streak to six with 8-4 victory over Drags

The Yomiuri Giants extended their winning streak to six games for the first time this season with an 8-4 victory over the Chunichi Dragons at the Tokyo Dome on Friday.
BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2001

Mitsui exported dioxin-laced product that was banned in Japan

Mitsui Chemicals Inc. exported an agricultural chemical containing a toxic dioxin to the United States and Turkey for more than two years after it stopped domestic sales in March 1997, government officials said.
JAPAN / 50 YEARS SINCE SAN FRANCISCO
Aug 25, 2001

Focus sharpens on Japan-U.S. economic relations

Staff writer While Japan and the United States exited the 20th century as the world's two largest economic powers, Tokyo and Washington had little to celebrate when they crossed the threshold into the new century.
BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2001

Itochu, Marubeni units to merge

Itochu Corp. and Marubeni Corp. said Friday they will merge their trading subsidiaries dealing in steel construction materials on equal terms on Oct. 1, simultaneous to the integration of their steel businesses.
EDITORIALS
Aug 24, 2001

ODA also needs reform

Japan's official development assistance is expected to be reduced by 10 percent in fiscal 2002 as part of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's program of "structural reform with no sacred cows." According to the budget outlines announced earlier this month, ODA will be cut by 100 billion yen from the current...
BUSINESS
Aug 24, 2001

Reform panel eyes shake up of state-run oil, road firms

An advisory panel on administrative reform called for merging several oil developers affiliated with the state-run Japan National Oil Corp. into one entity after JNOC is scrapped.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 24, 2001

Swallows deal lowly Tigers 60th loss

Kazuhisa Ishii scattered three hits over eight innings and won his 10th decision as the Yakult Swallows snapped their losing skid at three by beating the Hanshin Tigers 3-1 at Jingu Stadium.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 24, 2001

Ideologues assault pluralistic curricula

Bitter controversies over history textbooks are not limited to Japan, where recent government approval of a new volume has provoked an uproar in South Korea and China, and, although with a more muted response, in Southeast Asia. In India, the government's effort to foist Hinduism on educational institutions...
BUSINESS
Aug 24, 2001

S&P says Fujitsu's turnaround plan may not be enough

The radical restructuring announced by computer giant Fujitsu Ltd. earlier this week -- involving 16,400 job cuts -- may not be enough to assure recovery of the company's fundamentals, Standard & Poor's said Thursday.
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 24, 2001

Soccer friendly canceled

The Japan Football Association on Wednesday announced a change to its national team competition calendar for November, canceling an international friendly slated for Nov. 13/14 in Tokyo due to a busy J. League schedule.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2001

Guilty pleas entered in octopus scam

Three former officials of Maruha Corp., the top seafood producer in the nation, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of evading customs duties at their first hearing held in the Tokyo District Court.
JAPAN / PRIVATIZING PAINS
Aug 24, 2001

Scrapping housing loan entity said threat to low-income ranks

Kyodo News A proposal by the Cabinet's administrative reform headquarters asking Government Housing Loan Corp. to effective stop extending new loans is meeting stiff opposition from the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry, promising heated debate toward the end of the year.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2001

'Two plus two' to get bilateral defense plan

A report on mutual cooperation planning under updated 1997 Japan-U.S. defense guidelines will be submitted to a bilateral defense meeting in New York next month, according to Lt. Gen. Paul Hester, commander of the United States Forces Japan.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2001

New robot skis freestyle, does stunts

A group led by a Japanese engineering professor said Thursday it has developed a robot that can perform freestyle skiing and associated aerial stunts such as midair somersaults and twists.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 24, 2001

Even a single drop of beauty can ripple the soul

It was about the middle of September, and I was far from home.
LIFE / Lifestyle / JET STREAM
Aug 24, 2001

Brazilian scores with high school soccer

Akita Prefecture has traditionally been famous for its rice. But, in recent years, the quality of young soccer talent coming out of the area's high schools has caught the media spotlight.
BUSINESS
Aug 24, 2001

Advice sought on energy services

Japan Research Institute, an affiliate of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., said Thursday it has tied up with two U.S. energy service ventures to get advice on launching new services when Japan's energy market is expected to be opened further.
BUSINESS
Aug 24, 2001

Local governments slowly accepting PFIs: think tank

Developing social infrastructure using private-sector funds and expertise has been slowly gaining acceptance among local governments, a survey has found.
BUSINESS
Aug 24, 2001

Road-building demands down

The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry plans to seek 479 billion yen for the construction of toll roads and highways in the fiscal 2002 budget, about 7 percent less that this year's budget, ministry sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2001

Insurer reports fake widow after finding husband alive

Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Co. has filed a complaint with police over a case of insurance fraud in which a Japanese woman has allegedly sought compensation for the death of her husband, whom the insurer says is still alive, industry sources said Thursday.

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