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JAPAN
Jan 22, 1997

Shipping lines fight sanctions over cargo dispute

The United States should immediately withdraw its proposal for sanctions against three Japanese shipping lines because the firms are not responsible for cargo handlers at Japan's ports, the head of the Japanese Shipowners' Association said Jan. 22."Japanese shipping lines have no responsibility in the...
JAPAN
Jan 22, 1997

Execs call for legal reform aimed at freeing the market

Japan's legal system should be drastically reformed in order to free up the nation's market, make it transparent and put it in harmony with international standards, according to a report released Jan. 22 by the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai).The report lists a number of revisions...
JAPAN
Jan 22, 1997

Museum to get rare swallowtail butterfly specimens

OSAKA -- The widow of Kaoru Sumiyoshi on Jan. 24 will present 6,086 butterfly specimens left by her husband, who was known for his research on swallowtails, to the Osaka Municipal Natural History Museum.Sumiyoshi was a former professor at Hyogo Education University and passed away in September 1995...
JAPAN
Jan 22, 1997

Yen's quick decline concerns BOJ chief

Bank of Japan Gov. Yasuo Matsushita expressed concern Jan. 22 over the fast pace at which the yen is weakening against the dollar and said authorities will carefully monitor the foreign exchange market.Speaking at a news conference, the head of the central bank said it was desirable for foreign exchange...
JAPAN
Jan 21, 1997

Opposition to push for budget revisions

In a bid to put concerted pressure on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, three non-Communist opposition forces agreed Jan. 21 to discuss joint efforts to call for revisions to a government-proposed supplementary budget.Members of the Diet affairs steering committee from Shinshinto, the largest opposition...
JAPAN
Jan 21, 1997

BOJ beseeches panel for more independence

Bank of Japan officials on Jan. 21 urged a study panel drawing up revisions to the BOJ Law to give the central bank more independence from the government than the panels's deliberations are currently considering, according to the panel's head.Ryuichiro Tachi, a professor emeritus at Tokyo University...
JAPAN
Jan 21, 1997

Yen too low, finance minister says

The recent fall of the yen "has gone too far," Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka said Jan. 21, adding that appropriate action would be taken against any extreme movements in the foreign exchange market. Mitsuzuka made the comment at a regular news conference, after the yen fell into the 118 range against...
JAPAN
Jan 21, 1997

Population's peak expected in 2007

Japanese society is aging faster than projected five years ago and will reach a significant turning point this year with people age 65 and older outnumbering those under 14, the Health and Welfare Ministry said Jan. 21.The nation's population will peak at 127.78 million in 2007 and by 2050, there will...
JAPAN
Jan 21, 1997

American rice campaign kicks off in Tokyo

In an effort to acquire a greater share of the Japanese rice market, the USA Rice Federation embarked Jan. 21 on a campaign to have more Japanese consumers give American rice a try, federation representatives said at a news conference in Tokyo.Imports of American rice have been allowed for two years...
JAPAN
Jan 21, 1997

Hashimoto renews fiscal reform pledge

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto restated his intention Jan. 21 to work out measures to reduce the nation's massive fiscal deficit, saying that he "will never retreat" on this issue despite the obstacles he expects to encounter on the road to successful reform.Hashimoto made the remark at the first...
JAPAN
Jan 21, 1997

ANA is ordered to check security

A senior Transport Ministry official ordered All Nippon Airways on Jan. 21 to investigate how a man managed to carry a kitchen knife aboard an ANA flight from Osaka late Jan. 20 and hijack the aircraft, Transport Minister Makoto Koga said. Yukio Kusuki, deputy chief of the ministry's Civil Aviation...
JAPAN
Jan 21, 1997

Kosugi stands ground on "comfort women" in textbooks

Descriptions of "comfort women" will be printed in junior high school textbooks in April as scheduled, Education Minister Takashi Kosugi said Jan. 21 in a meeting with a group of intellectuals who are demanding the plan be scrapped.Seven members of the Group to Make New History Textbooks demanded that...
JAPAN
Jan 21, 1997

Cabinet told to set targets for public works cuts

As part of efforts to ease the nation's fiscal woes, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto instructed his Cabinet ministers Jan. 21 to set numerical targets for cutting back on the high cost of public works projects.Hashimoto issued the order during the first meeting of Cabinet ministers connected with the...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

Ozawa rallies remaining Shinshinto troops

Shinshinto leader Ichiro Ozawa said Jan. 20 that members of the largest opposition party should unite to enable the party to deprive the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of power."Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and his administration are not capable of carrying out reforms despite repeated pledges,"...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

Tomobe's son linked to 100 million yen yakuza bribe

A 29-year-old son of Upper House member Tatsuo Tomobe, who has been under fire in connection with a mutual fund scandal, gave about 100 million yen to the head of a Yamaguchi-gumi underworld affiliate to settle troubles related to the lawmaker's election campaign, sources close to the fund said Jan....
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

Tora-san postcard series on sale

An assortment of picture postcards featuring scenes from the popular film series "Otoko wa tsuraiyo" went on sale Jan. 20 at post offices throughout Tokyo to honor the series' late star, Kiyoshi Atsumi.A ceremony was held the same day to mark the start of the sales at Shibamata Taishakuten Temple in...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

Ministers mull spill, admit unreadiness

The government Jan. 20 convened the first meeting of 15 Cabinet members to deal with the oil spill in the Sea of Japan, Transport Minister Makoto Koga said.Meanwhile, oil continued to threaten the cooling systems of several nuclear power plants. The operators of the Tsuruga plant in Fukui Prefecture...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

Defense intelligence functions united

To better deal with international crises in the post-Cold War era, the Defense Agency on Jan. 20 inaugurated the Defense Intelligence Headquarters to integrate military and civilian intelligence functions.The headquarters will enable the agency to more swiftly and efficiently collect and analyze military...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

Recovery remains 'moderate,' BOJ governor says

The economy remains on a moderate recovery course, but the causes and possible impacts of the recent fall in stock prices should be studied carefully, Bank of Japan Gov. Yasuo Matsushita said Jan. 20.Given the need to ensure a strong foundation for recovery, there will be no change in the BOJ's easy...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

Ikeda stresses U.S. ties, Asia-Pacific cooperation

Better relations with the United States, China and South Korea are pivotal for Japan as it seeks stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda said at the regular Diet session's opening Jan. 20.Ikeda said Japan will seek cooperation with the U.S. in line with a...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

'Pluthermal' to be pillar of nuclear fuel policy

The so-called pluthermal process -- burning plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel in light-water reactors for power generation -- will be a "pillar" in the nation's nuclear fuel cycle policy for several decades to come, a government advisory panel said in its interim report released Jan. 20.Given...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

ANA 777 hijacking foiled in Fukuoka

A man suspected of hijacking an All Nippon Airways flight from Osaka was arrested late Jan. 20 shortly after the plane landed at Fukuoka Airport, officials said.At 6:40 p.m. Jan. 20, Ryoichi Takeuchi, captain of Fukuoka-bound ANA Flight 217, a Boeing 777, reported to Fukuoka air traffic controllers...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

Hashimoto speech criticized as lip service

Leaders of the opposition camp and some elements in the ruling force Jan. 20 criticized Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's policy speech, saying it sounded empty because he merely read what had been prepared for him by bureaucrats ."The prime minister simply read a manuscript written by bureaucrats...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1997

Hashimoto vows to slash deficits to 3% of GDP by 2005

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto expressed his resolve Jan. 20 to slash annual deficits incurred by the central and local governments to a maximum 3 percent of gross domestic product by fiscal 2005.For the first time in the Diet, the prime minister specified a numerical target for reducing the nation's...
JAPAN
Jan 17, 1997

Groups hit payment of Korean sex slaves

Women's rights activists supporting former sex slaves slammed on Jan. 17 the Asian Women's Fund's recent pledge to make payments to seven South Korean victims, saying it is hurting the relationship between the victims and their supporters, as well as dividing the sex slaves themselves.In a Tokyo news...
JAPAN
Jan 17, 1997

Vows, flowers mark second anniversary of Hanshin earthquake

KOBE -- Marking the second anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, local residents offered prayers Jan. 17 to commemorate the victims of the disaster and promised to rebuild better communities.On Jan. 17, 1995, the quake, which measured 7.2 on the Richter scale, killed more than 6,400 people and...
JAPAN
Jan 17, 1997

Foreign automakers fight to secure market share

With more people in Japan beginning to think that there is nothing special about imported cars, foreign automakers can no longer rely on their once luxurious brand image to do the selling for them.Now foreign carmakers are finding themselves in increasingly fierce competition with domestic automakers....
JAPAN
Jan 17, 1997

Deming urges immediate action of port dispute

U.S. Charge d'Affaires Rust Deming urged Japan on Jan. 17 to take immediate action to rectify port transportation practices the United States considers unfair to U.S. shipping companies, according to Foreign Ministry officials.In his meeting with Vice Foreign Minister Sadayuki Hayashi, Deming said he...
JAPAN
Jan 17, 1997

Ruling allies await LDP reform plans

With dark political and economic uncertainties hanging over the nation, the government and ruling Liberal Democratic Party are expected to face several challenges during the 1997 regular Diet session that convenes Jan. 20.The LDP, which lacks a majority in the Diet, is expected to place priority on...
JAPAN
Jan 17, 1997

Asahara badgers Inoue on stand

Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara appeared restless Jan. 17 during the 22nd hearing of his murder trial, often directing his mumblings toward testifying witness Yoshihiro Inoue, a former senior Aum member.During Inoue's testimony on his involvement in the May 1995 incident in which lethal chemicals...

Longform

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How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan