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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.
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2000

Biggest union calls for performance-based pay

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.'s 210,000-strong labor union decided Wednesday to push for the adoption of a new wage system that gives priority to results rather than seniority.
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2000

FRC executive to head up FSA after realignment

Shoji Mori, secretary general of the Financial Reconstruction Commission, will replace Masaharu Hino as head of the Financial Services Agency, government sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

Business confidence has stalled: 'tankan'

The rising optimism reported by the nation's large manufacturers in the last quarter has ground to a halt, according to a key business sentiment survey released Wednesday by the Bank of Japan, fueling concerns that the nation's main engine of recovery is running out of steam.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 14, 2000

Fighters re-sign three foreigners

The Nippon Ham Fighters have re-signed sluggers Sherman Obando, Nigel Wilson and southpaw Kevin Ohme at baseball's winter meetings in Dallas, officials of the Pacific League club said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

Green tax among panel proposals

The Central Environmental Council proposed Wednesday that the government consider introducing an environmental tax as one measure to combat global warming and air pollution.
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2000

Dollar no safe haven as U.S. economy ebbs

International investors rushed to safe havens such as dollar-based securities in recent years on news of finan- cial crises in the Far East and elsewhere.
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2000

Japan set for B2B e-commerce explosion

Japan's business-to-business e-commerce market will grow faster than expected and develop in a unique way, according to Joseph Kim, president and chief executive officer of ICG Japan K.K. ICGJ provides financial and operational support to companies engaged in the B2B market.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

Allies agree on financing of increased child benefits

The three ruling coalition parties have agreed on the pending issue of how to finance the proposed expansion of the child benefits program, coalition officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

Researchers develop cancer-promoting agent

A Japanese research team has succeeded in developing an efficient cancer-promoting agent and will announce its findings at an international conference in Honolulu that starts Thursday, according to a member of the group.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

Obituary: Marius Jansen

Marius Jansen, a U.S.-trained historian of modern Japan and professor emeritus of Princeton University, died Sunday at a New Jersey hospital, Princeton officials said Tuesday. He was 78.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

Foreign suffrage faces LDP roadblock

A group of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers reconfirmed Wednesday that they will block a plan to give permanent foreign residents the right to vote in local elections when the bill comes up in the next regular Diet session.
LIFE / Food & Drink / NIHONSHU
Dec 14, 2000

As the mercury drops, new sake rises to the top

'Tis the season when almost everything around us is slowing down, gravitating toward hibernation. The sake world, however, is just gathering steam with the birth of the brewing season's first batch of sake.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Dec 14, 2000

Owners taking the hands-on approach

Watching Mario Lemieux as he made his rounds in Japan this past October, one could sense there was something very wrong with the picture. At various functions in Tokyo leading up to the National Hockey League opening games, here was this strapping 6-foot-5 man, just turned 35, looking healthy and fit...
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2000

Liberal Party leader re-elected

Ichiro Ozawa was re-elected uncontested as leader of the Liberal Party for a second three-year term Wednesday, officials said.
LIFE / Food & Drink / WINE WAYS
Dec 14, 2000

Perfect match for sushi found in Deppisch wine

When all 194-cm of Johannes Deppisch looms before you, complete with his warm, spontaneous smile, you're inclined to think that his wines must be as powerful as he is. In fact, they're light, dry and fruity, and as refreshing as a visit to Josef Deppisch Weingut. Founded in 1872 in Marktheidenfeld, the...
COMMUNITY
Dec 14, 2000

Network crusades for dogs in distress

If the pope were to visit Yokohama, he would have to consider Kiyoto Kitaura for sainthood, for the modern-day St. Francis is nothing short of a godsend to animals in need.
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2000

NEC, Toshiba to tackle space market together

NEC Corp. and Toshiba Corp. announced Wednesday that they have agreed to integrate their space business operations by establishing a joint venture in April in an effort to boost their presence in the global aerospace market.

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