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JAPAN
Dec 11, 2004

Defense policy overhauled to meet new global threats

The government announced Friday plans to conduct a sweeping overhaul of its defense policy, adjusting Japan's armed forces to better handle new threats such as terrorism and giving them a greater global role.
BUSINESS
Dec 11, 2004

Seibu Railway listing hopes dashed

Seibu Railway Co. said Friday it has abandoned efforts to get its shares listed on the Jasdaq over-the-counter market by the end of the current fiscal year.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2004

Schroeder, Koizumi agree to back each other's UNSC candidacy bid

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder agreed Thursday to support each other's candidacies for permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / VINELAND
Dec 10, 2004

Six sure-fire gift ideas for fellow wine-lovers

There appears to be an entire cottage industry dedicated to making the kind of wine-themed gifts that imbibers everywhere are hoping not to receive this season -- our favorite of which is the doormat which says, "We love good wine. Did you bring any?"
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2004

State looks to photograph, fingerprint all foreign arrivals

A government task force has drafted an antiterrorism plan that includes fingerprinting and photographing all foreign visitors upon entry into Japan, government sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2004

NPA report lists the usual suspects: Islamic terrorists, Aum, Pyongyang

International terrorist organizations run by Islamic extremists are expected to continue carrying out attacks worldwide, and the possibility of Japan becoming a target cannot be ruled out, the National Police Agency reckoned in an annual report on security released this week.
EDITORIALS
Dec 9, 2004

Closing the curtain on a hard life

Mr. Charles Jenkins on Tuesday arrived in Sado, Niigata Prefecture, together with his wife Ms. Hitomi Soga, a former abductee to North Korea, and their two daughters after serving a short sentence for desertion from the U.S. Army. Sado is Ms. Soga's hometown. Procedures for Mr. Jenkins' dishonorable...
BUSINESS
Dec 9, 2004

Banks' new service ploy a flop: Matsui

The latest strategy of banks to raise revenues via one-stop, across-the-board financial service shops is doomed to fail, the chief of online securities firm Matsui Securities Co. said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Dec 8, 2004

Limited-term foreign professors seen cornering workload but not benefits

OSAKA -- A nationwide survey of foreign professors in Japan reveals that those who do the most work are younger, less experienced teachers either on limited term or part-time contracts, rather than tenured professors.
JAPAN
Dec 4, 2004

Foreign students pass 117,000, but tight screening slowing pace

There were 117,302 foreign students in Japan as of May 1, but the pace at which they are entering Japan has slowed because universities are tightening admissions criteria, a survey by a student-support organization showed Friday.
BUSINESS
Dec 4, 2004

Capital spending surged in third quarter

Capital spending by Japanese companies grew 14.4 percent in the July-September quarter from a year earlier, the Finance Ministry said Friday, fueling hopes that Japan's economic growth data for the third quarter will be revised upward.
BUSINESS
Dec 4, 2004

Recycling of household appliances 'going smoothly'

YASHIRO, Hyogo Pref. -- A Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. plant that recycles household appliances in the town of Yashiro, Hyogo Prefecture, attracts 10,000 visitors annually.
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2004

Crime victims may get key role in trials

The Justice Ministry is considering introducing legislation that would allow victims of crime to play a greater role in the trials of their accused offenders, ministry sources said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2004

Banks start brokerage services following market deregulation

Banks in Japan were permitted to begin selling stocks directly Wednesday as part of a deregulatory effort to bring more investors into the securities market.
BUSINESS
Dec 1, 2004

Japan Post, Sankyu eye Asia delivery service

State-run Japan Post and private delivery company Sankyu Inc. said Tuesday they will begin a joint door-to-door delivery service for small freight in Asia.
BUSINESS
Dec 1, 2004

Industrial output at seven-month low

Industrial production fell to its lowest level in seven months in October, weighed down by slower exports and global inventory adjustments in the information technology sector, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
Nov 30, 2004

Ms. Rice's nomination raises concern

Observers both here and abroad are worried that the second administration of U.S. President George W. Bush may assume a more unilateralist stance in foreign policy. Such concern stems mainly from the imminent resignation of Secretary of State Colin Powell, a firm believer in international coordination...
Japan Times
Features
Nov 28, 2004

WATCHING THE DETECTIVES

On a rainy Saturday night in the neon-drenched streets of Shinjuku, Kenji Shimura looks like 1,000 other salarymen: off-the-rack black suit, sensible shoes and a face made for anonymous middle-management in an insurance firm.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2004

Kokudo employee found dead in suspected suicide

An employee of scandal-hit Kokudo Corp. was found dead Nov. 21 on the seashore in Yamagata Prefecture, and police are looking into the possibility he killed himself, according to sources familiar with the case.
JAPAN
Nov 27, 2004

Revised Child Welfare Law enacted

The Diet enacted a revised children's welfare law Friday that aims to upgrade the child-counseling system and bolster local-level efforts to address the growing problems of child abuse and juvenile delinquency.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2004

Once 'poor food,' cereals now healthy choice

Barn grass, millet, foxtail millet and other cereals, regarded as "poor food" at a time when people had little rice to eat, are becoming more popular with health-conscious women.
JAPAN
Nov 26, 2004

NHK can skip correction, but not redress

Although it upheld a redress award against NHK for defamation, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a 58-year-old woman's claim against the broadcaster, reversing a lower court ruling that had ordered it to air a correction to a 1996 program that referred to her divorce.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 26, 2004

Photographer captures images of youths on death row in U.S.

The subjects of photographer Toshi Kazama -- all young boys and girls -- stare straight into the lens of his camera, some smiling shyly, others looking serious.
CULTURE / Art
Nov 26, 2004

Dynastic heritage show

An exhibition showing in Shinjuku, Tokyo, focuses on the culture of Ancient Persia (present-day Iran). Starting with Persia's ancient civilization, from around 6,000 B.C., through the Achaemenian and Sassanian dynasties to the Islamic period.
JAPAN
Nov 26, 2004

Japanese-Latin American internees need redress: trio

Three U.S. activists assisting Japanese-Latin Americans interned during World War II urged Japan and public Thursday to heighten their awareness of the issue and support their quest for more redress from Washington.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / BEST BAR NONE
Nov 26, 2004

Where creative juices flow in Tokyo

Time Magazine recently proclaimed SuperDeluxe, a gallery and lounge space near Roppongi, as one of the best 100 spots in Asia. When it comes to Tokyo venues, I'd put it in my top three. But SuperDeluxe is no overnight sensation. It is a rare flower that has been skillfully nurtured since its seeds were...
COMMUNITY
Nov 26, 2004

Ichikawa on digital

Raizo Ichikawa, who died of cancer in 1969 at the age of 37, is a movie star who still attracts many fans even today.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Nov 25, 2004

Now may be the time to finesse U.S. 'bully'

Beneath the buzz of news last week, it was easy to overlook one important story -- as much of the media did. On Thursday, the Russian Federation submitted to the United Nations its ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, beginning a 90-day countdown to the protocol's entry into force. As a result, on Feb....

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