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BUSINESS
May 16, 2000

Economy hit bottom in early '99: EPA

The head of a study panel of economists for the Economic Planning Agency on Monday said that the Japanese economy hit bottom in spring 1999.
CULTURE / Music
May 16, 2000

A natural woman, yes, but a soul singer?

One of the more thought-provoking critical observations I've come across lately (Amy Linden's, to be exact) is the claim that the current crop of young black singers could learn something from the 22-year-old singer-songwriter Fiona Apple about soul. That's "soul" as in Soul, as in Gladys and Nina, as...
CULTURE / Music / FUZZY LOGIC
May 16, 2000

Blood and gore all over the floor

"Everyone thought I'd fallen on some broken glass by accident. But . . . I just couldn't stand myself anymore, so I went behind the amps with this piece of broken glass, having decided to cut my jugular vein. I just didn't have the guts, though . . . I was aiming for the vein, but I just couldn't make...
CULTURE / Books
May 16, 2000

Japan still has its strengths

PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT: How Japanese Enterprises Meet the Challenge, by Hirotoshi Shibuya and Hideyuki Kamiryo. The Japan Times, 2000, 209 pp., 3,000 yen (cloth). While corporate philosophies and principles may change from country to country, the basics of finance are constants. "Productivity Improvement"...
BUSINESS
May 16, 2000

APEC urged to promote e-commerce

Member countries of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum must endeavor to promote cross-border e-commerce and solve problems such as infringement of Internet security, International Trade and Industry Minister Takashi Fukaya said Monday.
JAPAN
May 16, 2000

New ministry targets quality of life

The new ministry to be created in January by a merger of the Construction and Transport ministries and the National Land and Hokkaido Development agencies will strive for public safety, environmental preservation and economic health, according to a draft policy.
JAPAN
May 15, 2000

Business leaders hail Obuchi's achievements

Japan's business leaders on Sunday praised the efforts of late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to revitalize the country's economy and lift it out of the worst economic downturn since World War II.
JAPAN
May 15, 2000

Obuchi dies 43 days after stroke

Former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, credited with helping pull Japan out of its worst economic downturn since the war, died Sunday at a Tokyo hospital, six weeks after suffering a stroke and falling into a coma, government officials said. He was 62.
EDITORIALS
May 15, 2000

Mr. Putin takes command

Russia made history last week. With the inauguration of President Vladimir Putin, that country marked its first truly democratic transition of leaders in over a millennium. It was a remarkable moment for the nation, as well as for the once-obscure former KGB functionary who took the oath of office as...
JAPAN
May 15, 2000

Japan, U.S. to cap host-nation support

Japan and the United States are poised to agree on measures to keep upper limits intact when they renew a treaty on host-nation financial support for U.S. military facilities in Japan, Japanese government sources said Sunday.
JAPAN
May 15, 2000

Probe demanded of Korean activist's killing

OSAKA -- A Japan-based citizens' group that aids North Koreans is demanding a full police investigation into the slaying of a 51-year-old Korean activist for human rights in North Korea at his home in Hyogo Prefecture, the group said Sunday.
JAPAN
May 15, 2000

Obuchi's 20 months as leader

The following is a chronology of the major events that took place during former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's 20 months in office.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2000

Constructive advice for launching multilateral talks with the WTO

the summit of major industrialized countries kicks off in July, one of the things the world will be waiting to see is whether the leaders of these nations will be able to launch a new round of multilateral trade liberalization talks under the World Trade Organization.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2000

Manufacturers dying for new blood

Japan's manufacturers have a staunch ally in Tokai University Professor Hajime Karatsu.
JAPAN
May 15, 2000

Obuchi conscious for Aoki visit on April 2

Former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi was conscious during an April 2 visit by Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki to Juntendo University Hospital, shortly after his collapse, hospital doctors confirmed Sunday.
JAPAN
May 15, 2000

Foreign leaders express their condolences

World leaders expressed their condolences Sunday at the death of former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, but heaped praise on his achievement of getting Japan's faltering economy back on track and helping Asian neighbors out of their acute financial crisis.
JAPAN
May 15, 2000

Future of transport just round the corner

It's a sunny morning in the spring of 2013. As you ride a commuter train, an information panel on the wall announces a 30-minute delay caused by an accident. With your cellular phone, you search for an alternative route and make a reservation to get to your destination.
COMMENTARY / World
May 15, 2000

Fix the mood, fix the economy

The United States has been urging Japan to expand domestic demand, as if that was the only policy Japan could implement to help promote recovery of the global economy. Washington repeated that demand at the recent Group of Seven meeting of finance ministers and cen- tral bankers.
COMMENTARY / World
May 15, 2000

China: an emerging partner or threat?

Is China a rising colossus that intends to bully its neighbors and dominate Asia? Should Washington adopt a more hardline policy toward China on trade, human rights and national security issues? Or is China a country that has already moved far along the road to a market economy and a more open society...
BASEBALL / MLB
May 15, 2000

Matsuzaka leads Lions over Hawks

Daisuke Matsuzaka, returning to the starter's role Sunday, scattered five hits over eight-plus innings to pace Seibu 5-0 over the Daiei Hawks and lift the Lions into first place in the Pacific League standings.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2000

Female condoms perfect fit for Japanese market

Amid rising concern over the spread of AIDS throughout Asia, The Female Health Company of Chicago has begun shipping the first of 2.5 million female condoms to Japan through local partner Taiho Pharmaceutical.
JAPAN
May 15, 2000

A leader with an uncommon touch

Few leaders have made the prime minister as accessible as Keizo Obuchi did during his 20 months in office.
EDITORIALS
May 14, 2000

The rites of spring

Anyone poking about in newspapers or on the Internet lately might have come across a couple of essays expressing a view that seems to pop up seductively in public discourse whenever the weather turns warm. Like a view of cool woods from the window of a stuffy classroom in spring, this idea offers the...
SOCCER / J. League
May 14, 2000

Marinos beat Avispa 4-2 to stay on top

The Yokohama F. Marinos continued to roll at the top of the J. League's first division on Saturday, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to overcome 10-man Avispa Fukuoka 4-2 in Fukuoka.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji