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JAPAN
Feb 20, 2003

Professors targeted in blackmail bid

Some 60 professors at public universities have been sent messages alleging their "secrets" were known and would be made public unless they paid money, the education ministry said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Feb 20, 2003

Rengo lobbies coalition partners on job measures

Japan's largest labor organization called Wednesday on New Komeito and the New Conservative Party to review the draft government budget for fiscal 2003 in hopes of reinforcing employment measures, Rengo officials said.
BUSINESS
Feb 20, 2003

Kirin Beverage sees record sales

Kirin Beverage Corp. said Wednesday it registered a record 319.2 billion yen in group sales in the business year that ended Dec. 31, up 5 percent over the previous year.
COMMENTARY
Feb 20, 2003

Farcical economic flip-flops

Japan's economic debate has moved from the bizarre to the ridiculous. Just two years ago we were told that fiscal restraint was the key to economic recovery. Annual bond issues to finance government spending would not be allowed to exceed 30 trillion yen ($250 billion). In other words, cutting demand...
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2003

Flu alert issued to all prefectures

Authorities have now issued all 47 prefectures with a flu alert, as the epidemic continues to spread throughout the country, according to a report released Wednesday by the Infectious Disease Surveillance Center.
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2003

Opposition calls for Moriyama to resign over prison abuse case

Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama was the focus of a Diet row Wednesday over alleged contradictions in her remarks over the death of a prison inmate that the opposition camp slammed as an attempt to cover the scandal up.
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2003

Japan, China, South Korea scholars to debate history texts

Scholars and educators from Japan, China and South Korea will hold a three-day symposium in Tokyo starting Feb. 27 to discuss history textbooks and related issues.
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Feb 20, 2003

Nokia fails to N-Gage Japan

Nokia's N-Gage mobile telephone/video game system, unveiled earlier this month, plays better than GameBoy Advance-quality games and has a built-in cellular telephone. So why aren't Nintendo executives shaking in their boots?
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2003

Talks may focus on but won't solve fundraising scandals

A spate of recent fundraising scandals involving Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers has sent shock waves through the Diet, prompting the LDP-controlled Lower House Budget Committee to schedule a special session Thursday to discuss money in politics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2003

Space travel must go on, veteran astronauts say

Space exploration should go ahead despite the dangers shown by the Feb. 1 disintegration of the U.S. space shuttle Columbia and the loss of its seven-member crew, astronaut Mamoru Mohri said Wednesday.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Feb 20, 2003

The real story on Beckham and the boot

LONDON -- Imagine if the boot was on the other foot -- and in this case the phrase could hardly be more appropriate.
EDITORIALS
Feb 19, 2003

No cause to celebrate GDP growth

It may come as a bit of a surprise to learn that Japan's sluggish economy expanded for four straight quarters in calendar 2002. The truth is, though, it expanded only after the effect of deflation, or the continued decline in the prices of goods and services, was applied. The nation's deflation-adjusted...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 19, 2003

Dragons made right move in getting rid of disgruntled Millar

The Chunichi Dragons did the right thing in giving up the contract of outfielder Kevin Millar. Sure, the team had a legitimate beef, and owner Bungo Shirai had every right to insist Millar honor the agreement to which he had committed. But, really, why try to force the guy to play here when he clearly...
MORE SPORTS
Feb 19, 2003

New sports newspaper to start

is going to launch a weekly bilingual sports paper this summer, the sports media company has announced. The newspaper will put more weight on the coverage of international sports, primarily north American sports, than domestic sports news.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2003

Group to plant 1,000 cherry trees in Beijing

A nonprofit organization is planning to plant 1,000 flowering cherry-tree seedlings in Beijing this summer as part of cultural exchanges and a gesture of bilateral friendship.
BUSINESS
Feb 19, 2003

Patent screening costs to double

The fee for applying for a patent screening will double next year, according to a plan released Tuesday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
BUSINESS
Feb 19, 2003

Desperate firms offer shareholders incentives

The number of companies offering shareholders special benefits, including compact discs and gold coins, has been increasing and now stands at three times the figure a decade ago.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2003

Symposium eyes more help for hard-hit Japanese-Brazilians

The government must do more to protect Japanese-Brazilian workers who have been severely affected by the protracted recession, Japanese and Brazilian scholars said at a symposium held Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 19, 2003

Don't fear deregulation failures: Koizumi

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi urged his Cabinet on Tuesday to consider the hundreds of proposals by local municipalities nationwide seeking to create special deregulated zones.
COMMENTARY
Feb 19, 2003

Missile defense is an offense

BRUSSELS -- It is difficult to understand the Bush administration's determination to deploy a national missile defense system, or NMD. All test launches to date -- to prevent theoretical nuclear missile attacks -- have been either failures or "partial successes."
BUSINESS
Feb 19, 2003

BOJ against shouldering further risk

The Bank of Japan will not risk worsening its balance sheet by increasing its outright purchases of government bonds or by raising its purchases of banks' shareholdings, BOJ Gov. Masaru Hayami said Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Feb 19, 2003

Salsa Day

It's derived from the day's date in Japanese -- SAn, maRU, SAn, get it? -- but it's really just a good excuse for a party. And a party it will be. This year, the third annual event will showcase West Coast salsa phenomenon Johnny Polanco y Su Conjunto Amistad and feature the vocals of Ray De La Paz,...
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2003

Canned pork and beans recalled

Food wholesaler Nakashimato Co. said Tuesday it is recalling cans of pork and beans which fail to state that they contain bacon with egg white, which could cause allergic reactions.
BUSINESS
Feb 19, 2003

Coalition to delay insurer yield-cuts plan

The ruling coalition said Tuesday it will put off until after the spring elections a contentious plan to allow troubled life insurers to cut the yields they have guaranteed to policyholders, because the plan is unlikely to win public support.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 19, 2003

It's no longer just the economy, stupid

WASHINGTON -- In recent weeks, as often in the past, many key Democrats have contributed importantly to American national-security debates. They have been trying to increase funding for homeland security efforts, prodding President George W. Bush to remain multilateral in his approach to Iraq even as...

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear