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JAPAN
Feb 3, 2000

Joblessness of high school graduates hits record

A record-low 71.3 percent of high school students hoping to work after graduation last March had found jobs as of the end of December, according to the results of an Education Ministry survey released Thursday. The figure was 5.5 percentage points down from the previous low logged for the same period...
COMMUNITY
Feb 3, 2000

A mountain-high price for goat chic

Admit it. You don't know what or who pashmina is. And you certainly would never let anyone touch your shatoosh. Never fear: If you have not encountered these words until recently -- or ever -- you are not alone.
JAPAN
Feb 3, 2000

Five Aum sites to be searched

Officers from a Justice Ministry agency will inspect five premises belonging to the Aum Shinrikyo cult today under the new anti-Aum law, agency officials said Thursday. The Public Security Investigation Agency announced its plan to an independent panel, the Public Security Examination Commission, which...
JAPAN
Feb 3, 2000

LDP's Nikaido dies of heart failure

Susumu Nikaido, a former vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party, died at a Tokyo hospital Thursday due to heart failure, his family said. He was 90. Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Nikaido graduated from the University of Southern California in 1941. He was elected to the Diet's House of Representatives...
BUSINESS
Feb 3, 2000

Citigroup unit to participate in pension business

A Japanese unit of Citigroup of the United States is ready to tie up with the vast nationwide network of state-run post offices in entering the new pension business.
JAPAN
Feb 3, 2000

Undecided voters seen as key to Osaka poll

Staff writer OSAKA -- With the gubernatorial by-election just around the corner, campaign officials for the three major candidates are making last-ditch efforts to win the support of the floating voters, who may once again decide the outcome of the poll. Recent media surveys have found that Fusae Ota,...
JAPAN
Feb 3, 2000

DCI unveils programming for digital data broadcasts

Digital Cast International Ltd. on Thursday unveiled programs it plans to deliver on a digital data broadcasting service it is planning to launch Dec. 1. The Tokyo-based broadcaster will offer a 24-hour schedule of news, weather forecasts, local government bulletins, sales programs for books, regional...
JAPAN / Media
Feb 3, 2000

The made-for-TV tragedy of Rumiko and Kenya

He: "She always said, 'I made you what you are today.' It was too much for me."
LIFE / Style & Design
Feb 3, 2000

Clues to health are at your fingertips

In the West, there is a general acknowledgment that the appearance of one's nails can reflect the state of one's health, but in many Eastern medical traditions the nails are used quite directly in the diagnosis. Despite their role as protective shields for the fingertips, nails are actually more sensitive...
JAPAN
Feb 3, 2000

Europe ethnic strife solutions a lesson for Asia: OSCE chief

Staff writer Asia can learn from Europe's experiences in tackling ethnic minority problems in order to reduce potential conflict, according to a senior European official in charge of ethnic minority issues in the region. "It is possible to find ways that would avoid splitting up a state and satisfy...
MORE SPORTS
Feb 3, 2000

Stevenson handles media like a pro

Tennis player Alexandra Stevenson could be excused if she chose to respond to questions on her family background with a terse "no comment."
LIFE
Feb 3, 2000

Harvesting the world's profusion

"In Japanese, we call that shrub an asebi," says botanist and potter Gufudo Watanabe. Without a pause, the sinewy man with the graying goatee tells me the two other common names in Japanese, the Latin name (Pieris japonica) and the English common name (Japanese andromeda).
JAPAN
Feb 3, 2000

Bengal tiger put down after killing its keeper

A 25-year-old man died Thursday after being mauled by a Bengal tiger in a holding pen operated by an animal leasing firm in Machida, western Tokyo, police said. The man was identified as Masaru Watanabe, a part-time employee at the facility. He appeared to have been bitten in the neck when he was feeding...
BUSINESS
Feb 3, 2000

Demand recovery in offing

The New York Stock Exchange remained on a roller-coaster ride through much of last month, but no lasting de cline appears in the offing.
EDITORIALS
Feb 2, 2000

Watching what you eat

The delegates from over 130 countries who gathered in Montreal last weekend surprised just about everyone by reaching agreement on new rules to govern international trade in genetically modified foods. A similar effort broke down a year ago, and the failure to launch a new round of world trade talks...
COMMENTARY
Feb 2, 2000

Is the U.S. on the right track?

As we enter the Year of the Dragon, U.S. bilateral relations with key states in Northeast Asia generally appear on track. Ties with America's two key allies, Japan and Korea, remain steady, as the Trilateral Cooperation and Oversight Group process has helped to keep all three in sync when dealing with...
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2000

Loan firms aim to mend image by joining banks

Staff writer Major consumer finance companies, despite their soaring profits and superb risk assessment skills, still lack one thing: a positive image. Hiroki Jinnai, president of top consumer moneylender Promise Co., is well aware of that weakness. And it is exactly why he wants the firm's planned...
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2000

Nago airport plan seen as dugong threat

Less playful than dolphins and not as awesomely powerful as whales, dugongs have somehow failed to capture the popular imagination like their more dynamic cetacean brethren.
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 2, 2000

New manager Ardiles wants Marinos to clean up their act

Play fair and win the championship.
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2000

Landmark decision grants residency to Iranian family

In a landmark decision Wednesday, three members of an Iranian family were granted special residence permission by Justice Minister Hideo Usui. The three, having overstayed their visas, petitioned immigration authorities for special status in September. It is the first time the government has issued...
ENVIRONMENT
Feb 2, 2000

Look out for masked bandits at roadside

It is amazing what one can see out of the corner of an eye.
BUSINESS
Feb 2, 2000

Chuo relinquishes helm of merged bank to Mitsui

Top executives of Mitsui Trust & Banking Co. and Chuo Trust & Banking Co. were inundated with questions from reporters Monday as they announced the reversal of an earlier decision regarding the leadership structure of a bank to be set up through a merger of the two firms in April.
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2000

College to launch first air ambulance service

The Osaka College of Aviation Technology plans to introduce in the near future the nation's first air ambulance service funded by the private sector. Under the new Civil Aeronautics Law that took effect Tuesday, the transport minister's permission will no longer be necessary for commercial helicopters...
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2000

Report fails to link chemicals to illnesses

The Environment Agency presented its first report on "chemical sensitivity conditions" to the head of Tokyo's Suginami Ward, explaining Wednesday that experts have yet to agree that the rising number of unexplained health complaints are in fact the result of chemicals. In recent years, illnesses generally...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Feb 2, 2000

Valentine's in Japan, oh how sweet it is

Here's a fun fact to sweeten your life: The average Japanese consumes about 1.1 kg of chocolate per year.
LIFE / Travel
Feb 2, 2000

New winter travel bargains opening domestic flight doors

Winter brings Japan's best travel bargains, and this millennium year the bargains are better than ever.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 2, 2000

High-tech juggernaut is a dangerous ride

Apparently, sales of dog food by the U.S. shopping giant Wal-Mart were bigger than the worldwide sales chalked up by e-commerce last year. Even if that is true, the current media frenzy about e-commerce makes it hard to countenance. There is a danger that this current fashion for one particular technology...
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2000

Analysis: Obstinacy may backfire on both sides

The ruling coalition on Wednesday dug its heels in even deeper as a political battle for public sentiment with the opposition camp took another turn.
BUSINESS
Feb 2, 2000

Half of Myanmar's yen loans remain outstanding

Nearly half of the approximately 270 billion yen in Japan's outstanding official yen loans to Myanmar have gone sour.
BUSINESS
Feb 2, 2000

Factors work to lift dollar

The dollar has rebounded strongly against the euro and yen amid optimism about U.S. economic growth.

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