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BUSINESS
May 25, 2001

Banks cautioned against second waivers

A second waiver for struggling companies whose debts were partially forgiven once should be given by banks only in exceptional cases, Financial Services Minister Hakuo Yanagisawa said Thursday.
JAPAN
May 25, 2001

Japan's tour operators asked to join global battle against child sex trade

Leaders of the battle against child-sex tours have recently called on major Japanese travel groups to join a growing international campaign against the widespread practice.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2001

Nippon Steel profit margin jumped 137% in fiscal 2000

Nippon Steel Corp. said Thursday it posted a group net profit in fiscal 2000 of 26.49 billion yen, up by 137.1 percent.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2001

Specter of intervention points to firmer yen

The dollar, having risen to close to 127 yen in early April, has given up much of its recent gains and is now hovering around 120 yen.
JAPAN
May 25, 2001

Japanese team finds enzyme that stops Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at an affiliate of a Japanese government-backed research institute said they have discovered that an enzyme in the brain plays a key role in preventing or delaying the development of Alzheimer's disease, the U.S. magazine Science reported Friday.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2001

MTFG, Sumitomo Mitsui put different spin on bad loans

Two major banking groups that announced their earnings results for fiscal 2000 Thursday showed diverging strategies as they strove to balance mounting bad loans with immediate earnings.
COMMENTARY / World
May 25, 2001

Racial quotas widen social gaps, not rectify them

SINGAPORE -- When some 600 ethnic Chinese students who passed a string of examinations with distinction failed to gain admission to public universities in Malaysia recently, a controversy erupted in the media over a major flaw in university entrance criteria.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2001

Budget needs must freeze: Shiokawa

Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa stressed Thursday he wants no increase in budget requests from ministries and agencies for fiscal 2002, so that government spending can be restrained.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2001

Japan stumped by politics of AIDS

Japanese government officials are scratching their heads over a turn of events that has taken place since last summer's Group of Eight summit in Okinawa, where Tokyo tried to make the fight against AIDS a major topic.
JAPAN
May 25, 2001

Rent cuts set for nursing-care NPOs

The Land and Health ministries will institute a 30 percent reduction in rent for office space in governmental housing complexes used by nonprofit organizations that provide local nursing-care services, ministry officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2001

Japan preparing to discuss import quotas with China

The government is preparing to hold talks with China on the emergency import restrictions imposed on three agricultural products, a senior trade ministry official said Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2001

Four new execs for Japan Telecom

Japan Telecom Co. announced Thursday that four executives from Vodafone Group PLC of Britain will be members of its board, which is expected to be approved at the shareholders meeting June 28.
JAPAN
May 25, 2001

Koizumi's 'no faction' call shunned before poll

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi failed Thursday to make his "no faction" policy an official party strategy for the upcoming House of Councilors election.
JAPAN
May 25, 2001

Cabinet to reach out via e-mail magazine

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, basking in record approval ratings, hopes to score another hit with a weekly Cabinet e-mail magazine.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 25, 2001

Dragons silence Tigers

Chunichi hurler Shigeki Noguchi tossed a one-hitter over the distance for his third shutout victory of the season as the Dragons beat the Hanshin Tigers 2-0 on Thursday at Ishikawa Prefectural Stadium in Kanazawa.
JAPAN
May 25, 2001

Politician sued for sexual harassment

OSAKA -- A woman in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, filed a damages lawsuit Thursday against an Osaka Prefectural Assembly member, alleging she was sexually harassed by the man last year.
JAPAN
May 25, 2001

Six sex-change recipients file for official recognition

Six people who underwent sex-change operations have separately filed petitions at four family courts in eastern Japan to change their gender as recorded in family registrations, it was learned Thursday.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
May 25, 2001

Contribution to game will put Nomo into the Hall of Fame

"When he tossed his second career no-hitter on April 4 against the Baltimore Orioles, Nomo assured his entrance to the Baseball Hall of Fame."
MORE SPORTS
May 25, 2001

Kentucky Derby winner also a success in Japan

California-based American jockey Kent Desormeaux made Japanese racing history this past Sunday as he took home first prize in the prestigious filly classic, the Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse.
JAPAN
May 25, 2001

Tanaka puts reforms ahead of diplomacy

Staff writer Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took the nation by surprise in late April by appointing the key foreign ministry post to Makiko Tanaka, who despite her enormous popularity with voters obviously lacked experience in foreign policy.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past