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JAPAN
Dec 15, 2000

Clinics urged to maintain fixed fees for aged

The Japan Medical Association, an umbrella organization of doctors nationwide, plans to urge affiliated clinics to retain the current fixed-amount billing system for elderly patients instead of adopting a new, government-approved alternative of charging patients 10 percent of the bill.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2000

SDF to get four aircraft for midair refueling

Japan will introduce four airborne refueling planes to help extend the flight range of Self-Defense Forces aircraft in its midterm defense buildup plan for the five years from fiscal 2001, coalition sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2000

Obara pleads innocent to rape

The man police say may be connected to a high-profile hostess-abduction case pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of drugging and raping two other foreign women.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2000

Suspensions for school violence rise

Eighty-four students were suspended from publicly run junior high schools for violence in the 1999 school year to March 31, 2000, the Education Ministry said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2000

Retail clerks, cabbies turn pessimistic

Japanese workers sensitive to economic cycles are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the economy, according to a survey released by the Economic Planning Agency on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2000

NEC sells British arm in streamlining effort

NEC Corp. said Thursday it has sold its British operation for manufacturing mobile phones to a Canadian electronics firm as part of its effort to streamline production.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2000

Mori hopes to visit U.S. soon

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori offered his congratulations Thursday to U.S. President-elect George W. Bush and said he hopes to visit the United States "as quickly as possible" after Bush takes office in January.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2000

Bush expected to focus on Japan rather than China

Experts on Japanese-U.S. relations broadly see George W. Bush's victory in the U.S. presidential election as a good sign for Tokyo, as the Republican Party places relatively strong importance on Japan in its Asia policy, and the new administration is expected to take a less-confrontational approach to...
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2000

Yasuda Fire to merge with two insurers in April 2002

Yasuda Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Japan's No. 2 nonlife insurer, signed a basic agreement Thursday to merge with middle-tier insurers Nissan Fire & Marine Insurance Co. and Taisei Fire & Marine Insurance Co.
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2000

Euro heats up as U.S., dollar cool down

The euro's long bear run against the dollar has run its course amid concern over slower U.S. economic growth.
CULTURE / Music
Dec 15, 2000

The Choir of St. John's currently touring Japan

Choral music is something of a specialty in Britain, which leads the world in the number of professional-level choral groups. This strength is rooted in Britain's many collegiate and cathedral choirs, which provide a steady supply of trained and experienced singers to groups like the Hilliard Ensemble...
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2000

GDP actually fell in third quarter

The Economic Planning Agency will likely revise the gross domestic product data for the July-September quarter from a 0.2 percent quarter-to-quarter expansion to a contraction, an EPA official acknowledged Thursday.
COMMENTARY
Dec 15, 2000

Japan ties under Bush hinge on U.S. economy

Call it U.S. exceptionalism or a deep distrust of government. Whatever it is, Americans have demonstrated a historical preference for divided government as a check against one-party dominance. But nobody had ever expected a U.S. election with a hairline split and as much divisiveness as the one that...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 15, 2000

Hopes of peace rise with dawn of the 21st century

On the last day of the 20th century, the world seemed to resonate with the mournful aftermath of tragedies perpetrated across the globe during the previous 100 years. It appeared necessary to pin one's hopes on the dawn of the new century in order to dissipate the tones of violence and death still lingering...
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Dec 15, 2000

Streamlining hopes face roadblocks: Hashimoto

The ongoing process of realigning central government ministries and agencies remains trapped in a bureaucratic vise, according to former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, who is currently state minister in charge of streamlining the nation's bureaucracy.
EDITORIALS
Dec 14, 2000

Help needed for discontented workers

Despite the continuing bleak employment picture, perhaps partly because of it, many Japanese working men and women say they are unhappy in their jobs. This is not surprising, since changes in the traditional workplace are occurring so rapidly that the old rules and procedures for minimizing employee...
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

LDP, partners hope tax relief fires economy

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partners reached a basic agreement Wednesday on a final draft of their annual tax code revisions for fiscal 2001 that features steps to support the nation's fragile economic recovery through tax breaks totaling some 177 billion yen.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

Ships to just view Antarctic's blue, minke whales

Two Japanese vessels will depart today from Setoda, Hiroshima Prefecture, to join an international study of blue and minke whales in Antarctic waters, the Fisheries Agency said.
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2000

Panel urges review of tax relief

The government's Tax Commission on Wednesday proposed reforms for fiscal 2001 that, among other things, seek to facilitate corporate realignment.
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2000

Bank execs to aid Daiei rehab

Compiled from wire reports The four banks that have pledged to help ailing supermarket chain Daiei Inc. regain its financial footing are considering dispatching senior managers to clarify their support for its reconstruction, informed sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

Panel eyes PET recycling rate of 50%

A Health and Welfare Ministry panel released a report Wednesday calling for raising the recycling rate of plastic drink bottles to 50 percent by fiscal 2004, ministry officials said.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

Mori sues over story on gangster ties

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori filed a libel suit with the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday against a magazine that published an article and photographs allegedly linking him to a rightwing gangster, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2000

No money for ailing Kansai airport, ministry says

The Finance Ministry will reject the Transport Ministry's request for a 2 billion yen budget allocation for fiscal 2001 to help revamp the management of the loss-making Kansai International Airport, government sources said Wednesday.

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