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COMMENTARY / World
Jan 26, 2001

Japan's banking system still shaky despite 'reforms'

Japan's banking system can still be described as "fragile" or even "precarious" despite nearly a decade of supposed reforms and a wave of industry realignment, according to Benn Steil, New York-based senior fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations.
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2001

Three groups dominate underworld

About 68 percent of some 83,600 known gangsters in Japan were affiliated with three large "boryokudan" underworld syndicates as of the end of last year, reflecting the growing oligopolization of the mob, a National Police Agency report said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jan 26, 2001

NKK discussing ties with Thyssen Krupp

NKK Corp., Japan's second-largest steelmaker, said Thursday it is holding talks with a steel unit of major German industrial group Thyssen Krupp AG to strengthen technological cooperation.
SOCCER / World cup
Jan 26, 2001

National soccer team chooses 45 members

Midfielder Koji Kumagai and forward Takayuki Suzuki of the J. League champion Kashima Antlers have been called up for the first time to Japan's national team training camp next month, the Japan Football Association announced Thursday.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 26, 2001

Many rivers to cross in Les Rivieres Pourpres

On what attracted him to the project -- Matthieu Kassovitz: "The book was a best seller in France, and the producer came to me with the project. Jean was already interested in playing the lead, and I also thought it was a good chance to work with Vincent again. So getting this script was like a big present...
MORE SPORTS
Jan 26, 2001

Giants hope backs can provide spark against Ravens

TAMPA, Fla. -- The weather report says it'll be fine with partly cloudy skies on Sunday, but the New York Giants will be looking for "Thunder and Lightning" at Raymond James Stadium when the NFC champions square off against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV.
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2001

Preventing child abuse main priority: ministry

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has ordered prefectural governments to make sure their child welfare agencies are complying with a newly enacted law against child abuse.
CULTURE / Music
Jan 26, 2001

ATDI: scary monsters and super afros

If there's any doubt as to how beholden Rolling Stone magazine is to the record industry (or, for that matter, Hollywood), all one has to do is take a look at their Best Album list for 2000 and note that there isn't an indie release in the whole batch. What's more, the best new band is At the Drive-In,...
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2001

Ministry plans e-voting legislation

The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications has started working toward the introduction of electronic voting in local elections and may submit related bills to the Diet session slated to start later this month, government officials said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Jan 26, 2001

LDP panel to push buyback review

A ruling party panel examining measures to bolster the sagging stock market plans to seek a legal amendment that would allow companies to buy back shares up to an amount equivalent to their earned surplus, a senior official of the panel said Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 26, 2001

It's up to Japan to act on trade ties

The new administration of George W. Bush has placed low priority on trade policy toward Japan, making it crucial that Tokyo take the initiative in developing closer trans-Pacific economic ties rather than waiting for overtures from Washington, a U.S. think tank member told a symposium held just before...
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2001

Fired Foreign Ministry official facing embezzlement charges

A senior Foreign Ministry official was fired Thursday for allegedly embezzling state funds and a criminal complaint was filed against him with the Metropolitan Police Department, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said.
BUSINESS
Jan 26, 2001

Tokyo Sowa buyer to restore bank's niche role

Officials of Tokyo Sowa Bank's new owner-to-be said Thursday they intend to rebuild the failed regional bank's "niche retail" functions by targeting small firms and individuals left behind in the era of megabank mergers.
EDITORIALS
Jan 25, 2001

Scandal threatens the Mori Cabinet

An unfolding bribery scandal surrounding an insurance group for small business led to the resignation of Mr. Fukushiro Nukaga, state minister for economic and fiscal policy, on Tuesday. Just a week earlier, Mr. Takao Koyama, a Liberal Democratic member of the Upper House, was arrested on charges of receiving...
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2001

Japanese astronauts get go-ahead for space station

Two Japanese men were officially recognized as astronauts on Wednesday by The National Space Development Agency of Japan, making them eligible to take part in the International Space Station project.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2001

Sales down for fourth year at supermarkets and stores

Sales at supermarkets and department stores fell for a fourth straight year in 2000, underlining depressed consumer spending, industry associations reported Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2001

Waseda fears final exams stolen

Officials at Waseda University's School of Political Science and Economics said Wednesday that some final examination papers for about 100 courses may have been stolen from its office.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2001

U.S. firms in hunt for Tokyo Sowa

Two financial groups, both of which include U.S. investment funds, are leading the race to buy the failed Tokyo Sowa Bank, industry sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2001

Mori, Bush agree to hold early summit

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori agreed Wednesday in a telephone conversation with U.S. President George W. Bush to hold a bilateral summit as soon as possible.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2001

Mitsubishi, Nissho Iwai to combine steel dealings

Major trading houses Mitsubishi Corp. and Nissho Iwai Corp. have agreed to integrate their steel business operations, industry officials said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2001

NTT likely to survive legal revision

Proposals to amend the telecom law being worked out by the government will probably not call for the dismantling of the current holding company structure of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., according to draft bills obtained Wednesday by Kyodo News.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2001

Automakers zero in on Thailand

BANGKOK -- As Thailand gradually recovers from the financial crisis of 1997, Japanese automakers will likely see whether their effort to cut costs over the past few years has given them the strength to tackle intensifying competition in the market they have dominated for so long.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2001

Trade surplus drops for a second year

Japan's merchandise trade surplus in 2000 shrank 12.5 percent from the previous year to 10.74 trillion yen, the second consecutive yearly decline, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by the Finance Ministry.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2001

Shareholders back restructuring

Troubled construction firm Kumagai Gumi Co. received the approval of its shareholders during an extraordinary meeting Wednesday for the firm's plan to reduce its capital by 65 billion yen to 17 billion yen on March 1.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2001

Mapping of lethal E. coli bacteria gene completed

OSAKA -- Researchers at Osaka University say they have succeeded in reading all the gene information on the O-157 strain of E. coli bacteria that caused a massive, and deadly, outbreak of food-poisoning in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, in 1996.

Longform

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