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JAPAN
Jan 6, 2005

Japan needs to train Iraqi officials to be self-reliant, diplomat says

Japan should help to train Iraqi engineers and local administrative officials who will play key roles in rebuilding the nation, according to a Foreign Ministry official who heads Japan's diplomatic office in the southern Iraq city of Samawah.
JAPAN
Jan 5, 2005

Massive response to tsunamis still not enough: aid groups

Japanese aid groups participating in the largest international disaster relief operation in Southern Asia said Tuesday that efforts to help the survivors are falling short despite the unprecedented level of support and donations.
JAPAN
Jan 4, 2005

Holiday return rush to Tokyo peaks

The "U-turn" of vacationers traveling back from hometowns and resorts after the yearend and New Year's holidays peaked Monday, with Tokyo-bound trains, airports and roads crowded throughout the day.
JAPAN / DEMOGRAPHIC DILEMMAS
Jan 4, 2005

Marital expectations help ensure singles ranks soar

She's a 38-year-old Tokyo working woman, enjoys single life, drives a sports car and dines at gourmet restaurants.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 4, 2005

Home schooling finds foothold but not official favor

Mariko Komuro was of the firm belief that children should go to school even if they experienced problems -- at least until her 8-year-old son, Kazutoshi, began to feel sick and throw up in the morning on school days.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2005

Inn finds revival by welcoming foreigners

With its plain concrete and tile exterior and glass double doors, Sawanoya looks like any other ordinary Japanese inn.
EDITORIALS
Dec 31, 2004

Year of shattered ideals

This year was widely expected to be a pageant of democracy. Elections were scheduled around the world, and they went off, almost without exception, without a hitch. That happy outcome was the brightest result in a year colored by disappointment. The year 2004 may well be remembered for the many promises...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 30, 2004

Dentsu poll finds year's top 10 consumer darlings

2004 saw many things strike the fancy of Japanese consumers, especially on the big screen at home, to the extent that some became social phenomena.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Dec 30, 2004

What is behind 'shocking' Hokkaido bid for World Heritage Site status?

Recently I was lucky enough to visit no fewer than six World Heritage Sites (WHS) in northern India. An astonishing cultural, ethnic and biological diversity is well represented in India's array of national parks (NP) and WHS, and, my goodness, they have a huge wow factor.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2004

Daiei, Misawa to get IRCJ bailout

The Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan made it official Tuesday: It will support ailing retailer Daiei Inc. and Misawa Homes Holdings Inc. in what would be the biggest and probably the last case taken on by the bailout agency.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2004

11 diplomats punished for embezzling funds in Vienna

Eleven diplomats have been punished for embezzling public money between 1997 and 2002 while they were stationed at the Japanese diplomatic mission in Vienna, Foreign Ministry officials said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2004

Civilian controls over military matters seen in the balance

As Japan prepares to redefine the Self-Defense Forces as a bona fide military, the government will have to address the sensitive question of how much say SDF officers should have in national security.
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2004

Industrial production climbs 1.5%

The nation's industrial production rose a seasonally adjusted 1.5 percent in November from the previous month for the first increase in three months, due partly to brisk overseas demand for semiconductor machinery, the government said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2004

Reports of Japanese fatalities yet to be confirmed

Foreign Ministry and embassy officials were trying Monday to confirm reports that several Japanese may have been killed in the massive tsunamis that hit South and Southeast Asia the previous day.
BUSINESS
Dec 28, 2004

Big firms' confidence fell in latest quarter

Business confidence among large companies deteriorated in the October-December period, with manufacturers hit by a strong yen and information technology-related firms undertaking inventory adjustments, the government said Monday.
JAPAN / READERS' FUND
Dec 28, 2004

NPO stretched thin aiding ill illegal aliens

Friendly Asians Home (Ajia Yuko no Ie), a nonprofit organization based in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, has been active since the 1960s in helping people from Southeast Asia facing difficulty in Japan.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2004

Koreans lose suit for wages of laborers killed by Allies

Relatives of Koreans who died in Japan in the closing days of World War II after being brought here as forced laborers lost a suit Monday in which they were seeking damages over unpaid wages.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2004

Defense Agency to retain civilian buffer around chief

The Defense Agency said Monday it would maintain the current system that allows only civilian officials to directly advise its director general.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2004

Returning tourists recount tidal terror

Japanese tourists arriving home from Thailand described the terror they experienced on beaches and hotels on the resort island of Phuket, which was struck Sunday by tsunamis triggered by the world's strongest earthquake in 40 years.
Dec 28, 2004

Reports of Japanese fatalities yet to be confirmed

Foreign Ministry and embassy officials were trying Monday to confirm reports that several Japanese may have been killed in the massive tsunamis that hit South and Southeast Asia the previous day.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2004

Relief team prepares to help out in Sri Lanka

The government began preparing Sunday to send a disaster relief team to Sri Lanka following massive tsunami damage from a powerful earthquake that struck off Indonesia's Sumatra Island, Foreign Ministry officials said.
Dec 27, 2004

Relief team prepares to help out in Sri Lanka

The government began preparing Sunday to send a disaster relief team to Sri Lanka following massive tsunami damage from a powerful earthquake that struck off Indonesia's Sumatra Island, Foreign Ministry officials said.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Dec 26, 2004

Mapping out a metropolis

TOKYO CITY ATLAS: A Bilingual Guide, supervised by Atsushi Umeda. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2004, 124 pp., 2,205 yen (paper). Here is the third revised, updated edition of the handiest of all Tokyo atlas guides. Since the 2001 edition came out, there has been, as always, an amount of change in this...
BUSINESS
Dec 25, 2004

FSA to promote financial conglomerates

The Financial Services Agency announced a new two-year plan Friday underlining the nation's need for a legal framework that will allow the country's banks, brokerages and insurers to form financial conglomerates capable of competing on a global level.
BUSINESS
Dec 25, 2004

FSA set to inspect report recheck refusers

The Financial Services Agency said Friday it will strongly urge companies to respond to its orders to review financial statements and will conduct on-site inspections on those who refuse.
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2004

Vietnamese woman, daughters face deportation

A Vietnamese woman and her two daughters in Kanagawa Prefecture are on the verge of being deported because her visa expired in January and the immigration office is withholding an extension.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2004

Tale of Yokota's abduction by North now recounted in comic-book form

Megumi Yokota's status as an abduction victim means that her photos have been staple fare for Japanese newspapers, magazines and television stations for some time.
Dec 24, 2004

Vietnamese woman, daughters face deportation

A Vietnamese woman and her two daughters in Kanagawa Prefecture are on the verge of being deported because her visa expired in January and the immigration office is withholding an extension.

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