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BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2003

Japan, U.S. pledge more mutual investment

Senior Japanese and U.S. government officials ended a one-day teleconference Wednesday with an agreement to boost mutual direct foreign investment, officials said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2003

Rash of theme park failures blamed on lack of vision, poor management

As large theme parks go bust across Japan, Tokyo Disneyland and its affiliate, Tokyo DisneySea, are exceptions, attracting more than 20 million visitors every year with the help of their innovative business strategy.
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2003

Workers win average 1.69% hike

Company employees have won a pay increase of 1.69 percent on a weighted average in this year's spring wage negotiations, slightly less than the previous year, the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) said in an interim report Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2003

Latest WTO farm trade proposal nixed

The latest WTO proposal regarding agricultural trade is unacceptable to Japan in that it urges big tariff cuts, farm minister Tadamori Oshima said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2003

Water pushed as human right

KYOTO -- Is access to water a basic human right? This is one of the fundamental questions government delegates to the World Water Forum are grappling with as they prepare for a ministerial conference this weekend.
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2003

Nozomi bullet train fares to fall 10%

In an attempt to give airlines a run for their money, rail companies said Wednesday they will reduce reserved-seat fares on Nozomi bullet trains linking Tokyo and Fukuoka Prefecture.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2003

Higuchi will run for governor of Tokyo

Seventy-year-old university professor and social critic Keiko Higuchi announced Wednesday that she will run in the April 13 Tokyo gubernatorial election.
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2003

Hayami says Jesus guided him through five-year ordeal

Outgoing Bank of Japan Gov. Masaru Hayami on Wednesday credited his faith in God for pulling him through a turbulent and difficult five-year term.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2003

Iraq reconstruction bills could be in Diet by May

The government will submit a package of bills to help in the postwar reconstruction of Iraq to the Diet probably by early May, Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Taku Yamasaki said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2003

Overall sales off 14.2% from '99

The combined sales of retailers and wholesalers in 2002 were off 14.2 percent from 1999, coming in at 548.58 trillion yen, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report released Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2003

JNOC unit files for court protection

Japan National Oil Corp. said Wednesday it has authorized a plan by subsidiary Japan Oil Development Co. to rehabilitate itself under court protection from creditors.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2003

Major Tokai quake could cost 10,000 lives

A large earthquake in the Tokai region of central Japan could claim up to 10,000 lives and cause economic losses of 37 trillion yen, according to a government disaster prevention panel.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2003

Newcomers fan a breeze of change

With his goatee and buttoned-up, collarless shirt and jacket, Satoru Aiko blended in seamlessly with other young Japanese hanging out near JR Kamakura Station on Sunday evening. Except that Aiko stood perfectly still, ceremoniously erect.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 20, 2003

JFA may change its mind on friendlies

Japan Football Association chairman Saburo Kawabuchi hinted Wednesday that Japan could make an about face and cancel two friendlies in the United States at the end of this month if a U.S.-led war against Iraq begins.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2003

Iraq envoy urges Japan to steer U.S. to peace

The charge d'affaires at the Iraqi Embassy in Tokyo on Wednesday nudged Japan to lean on the U.S. to avert a war in his country.
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2003

Firms to raise price of wine, 'happoshu'

Three major beverage companies plan to raise the prices of their wines and low-malt beer known as "happoshu" to offset increased costs from planned increases in the liquor tax, officials of the firms have said.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2003

Medical care for elderly to be reformed

The health ministry and the ruling coalition parties have agreed to consider dealing with the expected rise in the nation's medical insurance burdens by examining a proposal to create an independent scheme for people over 75 years old.
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2003

Firms asked to secure communications lines

The telecom ministry on Wednesday asked communications and broadcasting companies to ensure the stability of international communications lines with Iraq and neighboring countries ahead of a looming U.S.-led war.
LIFE / Language / KANJI CLINIC
Mar 20, 2003

Katakana-happy Japan must again look to China

During times of friendly relations with Western nations, the Japanese have laid out a linguistic welcome mat to foreign vocabulary items, particularly English.
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2003

Boost sought for loan-firm checks

The Financial Services Agency has asked prefectural governments to screen applications from prospective loan business operators more stringently to stave off illegal lending.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2003

Relatives demand probe into death of Iranian detainee

Relatives of an Iranian man who died in an immigration detention facility in 1997 are demanding an investigation into why public prosecutors chose not to charge eight bureau officials with assault resulting in death.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Mar 20, 2003

Stunt by Davis ranks among lowest in NBA history

NEW YORK -- In Sunday's pre-game prattle, master motivator Byron Scott referred to the home hoedown with the surging Sixers as the biggest game of the season.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2003

Panel tells real estate agents to treat foreigners better

A governmental panel has called on Japanese real estate authorities to work harder at assisting foreign nationals seeking rental accommodations.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / ON THE BOOK TRAIL
Mar 20, 2003

"Coraline," "Frankenstella and the Video Shop Monster"

"Coraline," Neil Gaiman, Bloomsbury; 2002; 171 pp.     "We are small, we are many     We are many, we are small     We were here before you rose,     We will be here when you fall."
ENVIRONMENT
Mar 20, 2003

Campaigners contest water selloff Catch-22

As the Third World Water Forum enters its fifth day, debate over who should control the world's fresh water has become sharply polarized.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years