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EDITORIALS
Apr 2, 2003

A timely resignation

It's deja vu all over again. Yet another lawmaker has fallen into disgrace over money scandals. On Monday Mr. Tadamori Oshima, the minister of agriculture, fisheries and forestry, resigned his post in order to take responsibility for the alleged graft and misuse of campaign funds by his former secretaries....
BUSINESS
Apr 2, 2003

946,000 high school, college graduates enter workforce

Around 946,000 graduates entered the workforce Tuesday, joining company welcoming ceremonies on the first day of the 2003 business year amid lingering concerns over the economy and the Iraq war, the labor ministry said.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2003

Japan suspects missile launch by North

Japan said Tuesday it had obtained information that North Korea fired into the Yellow Sea another Silkworm antiship missile earlier the same day.
BUSINESS
Apr 2, 2003

New farm minister follows Oshima's lead

New agriculture minister Yoshiyuki Kamei said Tuesday he will seek a "realistic and balanced" agreement on farm trade liberalization during World Trade Organization negotiations, adopting the same stance as his disgraced predecessor.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2003

Matters tied to North Korea dominate 'blue book' agenda

Japan's most pressing diplomatic task is to resolve issues related to North Korea, including its suspected development of nuclear weapons, according to the annual Foreign Ministry "blue book," which was endorsed Tuesday by the Cabinet.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2003

Mergers lead to formation of 11 new municipalities

Eleven municipalities across Japan came into being Tuesday through municipal mergers, reflecting the acceleration of such consolidation ahead of the March 2005 expiration of the special merger law.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Apr 2, 2003

Jon Madof: "Rashinim" -- oud is in Webby --

Jewish music is as varied as the people that make up the diaspora. Depending on where you're tuning in, the music might be traditional or it might lean toward funk, jazz, metal, punk, orchestral or even spaghetti western. The Jewish guitar power trio, though, remains elusive. There is, of course, Yossi...
BUSINESS
Apr 2, 2003

Fujitsu, AMD to meld flash-memory divisions

Fujitsu Ltd. and U.S. chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. have agreed to integrate their flash-memory operations under a joint venture to create the world's second-largest manufacturer of such devices.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2003

Compaq fined over hidden income

Tokyo tax authorities penalized the Japan unit of U.S. computer maker Compaq Computer Corp. for failing to report 3.6 billion yen in taxable income, industry sources said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2003

Obituary -- Hyosuke Kujiraoka

Hyosuke Kujiraoka, a former vice speaker of the House of Representatives, died Tuesday of colon cancer at his home in Adachi Ward, Tokyo, his family said. He was 87.
BUSINESS
Apr 2, 2003

Mitsui to buy 15% of Brazil firm

Mitsui & Co. said Tuesday it has agreed to take a 15 percent stake in Valepar S.A., the top shareholder in Companhia Vale do Rio Doce of Brazil, the world's largest iron ore producer.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2003

Koizumi, Yeltsin discuss importance of bilateral trust

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and visiting former Russian President Boris Yeltsin discussed on Tuesday the need to boost bilateral trust in dealing with political issues as well as energy projects.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2003

Koizumi's power appears to be slipping

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has gone from bypassing his party's power brokers to pleading with them -- unsuccessfully.
BUSINESS
Apr 2, 2003

National tax revenues tumble 5.9%

With deflation undermining corporate profits, national tax revenues in February fell 5.9 percent from a year earlier, marking the 18th consecutive month of decline.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 2, 2003

Godzilla a winner in big league debut

TORONTO -- Godzilla paid immediate dividends for the New York Yankees. In his much-anticipated major league debut Monday night, Hideki Matsui hit the first pitch he saw for an RBI single, sending New York on its way to an 8-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the season-opening game for both teams....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Apr 2, 2003

Yo La Tengo: "Summer Sun"

The first thing people notice about any record is its title. "Summer Sun," the latest offering by Yo La Tengo, might appear to be a collection of bright pop singles. Indeed, the band has covered the Beach Boys in the past and always includes original pop songs on their records amid the ambient experimentation...
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 1, 2003

Buffs stomp Hawks, ace rookie Arakaki

Naoyuki Omura hit a bases-clearing double in the sixth inning as the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes came from behind to beat the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks 5-2 Monday at Osaka Dome and spoil Nagisa Arakaki's Pacific League debut.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2003

Two Japan medical teams in Iraq to leave due to deteriorating security

Japan decided Monday to expedite the pullout of two medical teams in Iraq due to deteriorating security, Senior Vice Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2003

Nikkei dives below 8,000 amid fears of longer war

Tokyo stocks plunged Monday, the final day of fiscal 2002, with the key Nikkei index ending below 8,000 amid growing concerns over a prolonged U.S.-led war in Iraq and its effects on the global economy.
EDITORIALS
Apr 1, 2003

A window of opportunity in Chechnya

The results of a referendum hold out hope for an end to the bloody conflict that has ravaged the Russian republic of Chechnya. Overwhelming support for continued affiliation with the Russian Federation was as much the product of hope as resignation.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2003

Resignation of farm minister could be a slow-burning fuse

The sudden resignation Monday of farm minister Tadamori Oshima is a further blow to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, already fighting battles over public opinion and his handling of the economy.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2003

Oshima steps down over aides' scandals

In another blow to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, tarnished farm minister Tadamori Oshima stepped down Monday.
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2003

Chemical giants scrap plans for October tieup

Sumitomo Chemical Co. and Mitsui Chemicals Inc. said Monday they have agreed to scrap plans to integrate their operations under a holding company.
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2003

Industrial production sees 1.7% decline

Industrial production fell a seasonally adjusted 1.7 percent in February from the previous month after posting a 1.5 percent rise in January, prompting the government to say it remains on a weakening trend.
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2003

Companies slash winter bonuses 5%

The average bonus paid by companies this winter came to 432,261 yen, down 5 percent from the year before for the largest comparable percentage drop on record, the labor ministry said Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2003

Bilateral talks center on Pyongyang

Japanese and South Korean lawmakers agreed Monday that multilateral cooperation is vital to resolve North Korea's nuclear crisis and maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight