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JAPAN
Aug 3, 2001

Prince Akishino, wife off to Thailand

Prince Akishino and his wife, Princess Kiko, left Thursday for an unofficial visit to Thailand through Sunday, where the prince will receive honorary degrees from two universities.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2001

Tanaka gives in to Koizumi; U.S. envoy to be removed

Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka backed down Thursday in a feud with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi over personnel changes at the Foreign Ministry, agreeing to replace Japan's ambassador to the United States, a government source said.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2001

ETFs proving darling of online traders

Having long shunned investment trust funds, online investors have reacted positively to the launch of exchange traded funds. There is good reason.
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 3, 2001

J. League All-Star roster change

J. League All-Star players Jubilo Iwata midfielder Hiroshi Nanami and Avispa Fukuoka defender Takashi Hirashima were replaced by midfielders Toshita Fujita of Jubilo and Daisuke Nakahara of Avispa, respectively, the J. League announced on Wednesday ahead of Saturday's game.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2001

Nasdaq Japan trade value fell for fifth month in July

The total value of transactions on the Nasdaq Japan stock exchange fell 22 percent to 32.1 billion yen in July, marking the fifth straight monthly decline, according to the Osaka Securities Exchange.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2001

Average life spans up to record level in 2000

The average life spans of Japanese women and men rose in 2000 to records of 84.62 years and 77.64 years, respectively, according to a survey released by Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry on Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 3, 2001

The Thai dilemma: ethics or stability?

BANGKOK -- Is Thailand's prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra just an entrepreneurial businessman in a hurry, anxious to bring to the country the same benefits that he won in the telecom business, where he became a U.S.-dollar billionaire and very quickly, one of the world's richest 500 people? Or does...
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2001

DoCoMo ups expectations for demand

NTT DoCoMo Inc. has revised upward its projection for domestic demand for mobile phones in 2010 in a sign that it is pinning high hopes on the popularity of phone functions in digital cameras, TV sets and refrigerators, company officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2001

Carrefour nixes store-opening plan

Carrefour Japan Co., the Japanese unit of major French retailer Carrefour, has canceled plans to set up shop in the failed Sogo Co.'s department store in Tokyo's Sumida Ward, industry officials said Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 3, 2001

Waka signs to play in Japan's X League

Masaru Hanada, well-known as former yokozuna Wakanohana, has given up his attempt to play in the National Football League for now and decided to play in the X League, Japan's non-professional company league, this fall. The Onward Skylarks, one of the X League's elite clubs, announced Wednesday that they...
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2001

Nikkeiren calls on government to implement jobless aid fund

FUJIYOSHIDA, Yamanashi Pref. -- The Japan Federation of Employers' Associations (Nikkeiren) called on the central government Thursday to implement a 1 trillion yen emergency employment scheme to help cope with rising unemployment.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2001

Koizumi to attend A-bomb event

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will visit Hiroshima on Monday to attend a ceremony marking the 56th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2001

JETRO says trade in IT decelerating

The Japan External Trade Organization said Thursday that global trade in products related to information technology, which has supported growth in world trade since 1999, has been slowing rapidly since the beginning of this year.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2001

LDP policymakers push PFI merits

Several policymakers of the Liberal Democratic Party said at a meeting Thursday that private finance initiatives should be deployed to improve the nation's infrastructure and boost the ailing economy.
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Aug 3, 2001

Common toad

* Japanese name: Nihon hikigaeru * Scientific name: Bufo japonicus * Description: This is one of the biggest amphibians in Japan. Adults are between 8-18 cm long; tadpoles are 3.5-4 cm long. They have the classic toad traits of poisonous, warty skin and yellow, bulging eyes. Male toads are yellowish-brown...
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2001

Nippon Mitsubishi Oil to buy out refinery

Nippon Mitsubishi Oil Corp.'s oil refining unit Tohoku Oil Co. will become a wholly owned subsidiary on Oct. 1 through an equity swap, the two companies said Thursday.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 3, 2001

Poetry, music and art make for a peaceful soul

Several summers ago, while at St. John's University in Minnesota, I came across a book that had matched a poem by Ntozake Shange with paintings by American artist Romare Bearden (1912-88).
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2001

Illegal loans, most other forms of crime up in first half of year, NPA says

The number of illegal high-interest loans extended to owners of small companies in the first half of this year rose by 33 cases over a year ago to 116, apparently reflecting the economic slump, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2001

Six banks expand writeoff estimates

Under pressure to get to the bottom of their bad loans, six major banks tripled their bad loan disposal projections for fiscal 2001 in revised business plans submitted to financial regulators Thursday.
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Aug 3, 2001

Japan skittish about emerging from FTA lab

Think of it as entering a long tunnel with no light at the other end anywhere in sight.

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