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BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2003

Confectioner Takarabune goes under

OSAKA -- Confectioner Takarabune Corp. said Friday it has filed for court-led rehabilitation under the fast-track Civil Corporate Revival Law, crippled by debts of 25.53 billion yen.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2003

Alien tick plague threatening nation's beetle population

When Koichi Goka heard rumors about the mysterious deaths three years ago, he started snooping around. What he found has put government officials on alert against a new plague, one that causes the limbs of its victims to rot and fall off.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 25, 2003

The world needs a new nuclear doctrine

After getting its first taste of an atomic holocaust in 1945, mankind has made various efforts to avoid nuclear calamity by enforcing a stalemate based on the doctrine of mutual assured destruction and an international agreement against nuclear proliferation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2003

Fujitsu, Intel in Linux server deal

Fujitsu Ltd. and Intel Corp. of the United States announced Friday they have agreed to jointly develop low-cost, high-performance Linux-based servers.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2003

Ministry Web site to provide info on screening of new drugs

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will release reports on the screening of new drugs on its Web site immediately upon their approval -- a result of the drug-related deaths of more than 100 Japanese last year, ministry officials said.
EDITORIALS
Jan 25, 2003

Diet's role in cleaning up politics

The economic debate in the Diet appears to be distracting legislators from an issue that is no less important: political ethics. It would be a great pity if this issue were to be sidelined under the pretext of prioritizing economic-recovery measures. Recent developments involving scandal-tainted politicians...
Japan Times
JAPAN / PREFECTURAL FARE
Jan 25, 2003

Sake, sweets part of Shimane's spell

Once upon a time, there was a violent god named Susanoo-no-mikoto who challenged a giant serpent that had demanded the life of a young woman every year. The god killed the eight-headed Yamata-no-crochi, a dragonlike creature with eight tails, when it became drunk on the local Yashiori-no-sake.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2003

Sapporo lowers projections for group earnings

Sapporo Breweries Ltd. said Friday it has lowered its consolidated earnings projections for its 2002 business year, which ended Dec. 31, due to falling sales of beer and "happoshu," as well as appraisal losses on its stockholdings.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2003

Daihatsu, FAW Huali tie up on compact SUV production

OSAKA -- Daihatsu Motor Co. said Friday it has agreed to provide technology to China's FAW Huali (Tianjin) Motor Co. to manufacture Daihatsu's Terios compact sport utility vehicle.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2003

Bank tax may be frozen for extra year in Osaka

OSAKA -- The Osaka prefectural government told the assembly Friday of its intention to freeze for another year the imposition of a planned local bank tax if the Tokyo metropolitan government loses an appeal over the legality of a similar levy.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Jan 25, 2003

Mariko Asano

Americans Millard and Linda Fuller began Habitat for Humanity International in 1976. Appalled to know that more than one-fifth of the world's people were living without decent shelter, this couple set out to do something about poor housing and homelessness. They called on volunteers to help build simple,...
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2003

Japan 'can seek pre-emptive strike'

Japan's war-renouncing Constitution does not prohibit it from requesting a pre-emptive attack against North Korea's ballistic missile bases if weapons are targeted at Japan and there is no other way for the country to defend itself, government ministers told a key Diet panel session on Friday.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2003

Kumagai Gumi ponders spinoff

Ailing construction company Kumagai Gumi Co. plans to spin off its money-losing real estate business and carry out a massive restructuring in the hope of surviving as a slimmer company half its present size, industry sources said Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2003

Former Coca-Cola exec arrested on suspicion of insider trading

OSAKA -- A former senior official of Mikasa Coca-Cola Bottling Co. and one of his acquaintances were arrested Friday on suspicion of making 4.2 million yen through insider trading.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2003

Green-car proponents urge alliances

Participants at the International Meeting on Environmentally Friendly Vehicles called Friday for voluntary partnerships among automobile-related industries to promote the development and proliferation of low-emission cars.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 25, 2003

Festival celebrates 400 years atop Atago-yama

Meet the Matsuoka family: Mineo (that's Dad), Yuriko (Mum), older sister Rie and younger sister Iku. Oh, and let's not forget Vino, the Mexican Chihuahua, who wears a hand-knit coat against the cold and makes pretense to be as fierce as a Rottweiler.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2003

Trendy teas try to give soda, coffee a run for their money

With a couple of Starbucks and at least one other big-name coffee shop within easy walking distance, not long ago Tomohiro Tsuchiya would have been better off opening his little cafe somewhere else.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2003

Culture Affairs Agency to extend movie copyrights

An advisory panel to the Cultural Affairs Agency compiled a report Friday that includes a proposal to extend copyright protection for movies to 70 years from their release date, up from the current 50.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2003

Subsidies in 2003 budget hit new high

Government subsidies for policy programs in the proposed fiscal 2003 budget come to a record 22.32 trillion yen, up 1.1 percent from the previous year's initial budget, reflecting the nation's growing social welfare costs, the Finance Ministry said Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2003

Garbage amount hits record level

Households and businesses nationwide produced a record 52.36 million tons of general waste in fiscal 2000, the Environment Ministry said Friday.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2003

Cerberus, SMFG vie for controlling stake in Aozora

The number of contenders for a controlling stake in Aozora Bank was effectively trimmed Friday to two -- U.S. private equity fund Cerberus K.K. and the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2003

Supermarket sales declined 2.1% in 2002

Sales at supermarkets slipped 2.1 percent in 2002 on a same-store basis from the previous year for the sixth straight yearly fall, the Japan Chain Stores Association said Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2003

Third time lucky for Ueno panda?

The Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo unveiled a plan Friday to loan its only giant panda, Ling Ling, to a Mexican zoo in order to carry out a third breeding attempt, following two previous failures.

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