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JAPAN
May 21, 2004

Harassment of Korean residents may come up in Koizumi-Kim talks

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi might express concern over the harassment of Korean residents in Japan that followed North Korea's admission in 2002 that it had abducted Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, government sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
May 20, 2004

State relents, allows NTV to cover Koizumi trip

The government backtracked Wednesday on its decision to ban Nippon Television Network Corp. reporters from joining the press corps for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang on Saturday.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
May 18, 2004

Bilingualism, creativity and Shanghai trips

Creative classes The New Center for Creative Arts has just opened in Moto-Azabu, Tokyo.
BUSINESS
May 18, 2004

Agency eyes building 10 new nuclear reactors by fiscal 2030

The energy agency envisions a need to build about 10 nuclear reactors by fiscal 2030, according to a draft long-term outlook on energy supply and demand.
JAPAN
May 17, 2004

Tokyo eyes talks with Pyongyang in June

The government hopes to resume stalled normalization talks with North Korea in June if the families of former abductees are allowed to come to Japan as a result of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang on Saturday, according to government sources.
EDITORIALS
May 17, 2004

Fresh hope for a reunion of families

In a renewed bid to improve relations with North Korea, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will visit Pyongyang on Saturday for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Mr. Koizumi's first one-day visit, in September 2002, led to the return home of five Japanese abductees, but the mission was only half...
JAPAN
May 17, 2004

Tokyo eyes talks with Pyongyang in June

The government hopes to resume stalled normalization talks with North Korea in June if the families of former abductees are allowed to come to Japan as a result of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang on Saturday, according to government sources.
Features
May 16, 2004

A guide by any other name

We don't know when she was born, or when she died -- was it April 9, 1812, at age 25, or perhaps Dec. 20, 1884, aged nearly 100? We don't even know her real name, but the Shoshone woman who accompanied Lewis, Clark and the Corps of Discovery has a fair claim to being the most celebrated woman of color...
Features
May 16, 2004

On the trail of manifest destiny

Two hundred years ago this week, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and their Corps of Discovery set out to explore the American West. Sunday TIMEOUT asks what the expedition, its leaders and the Shoshone woman who was their guide still mean to us today
JAPAN
May 15, 2004

Relatives of missing demand results from Pyongyang trip

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi must achieve concrete results when he meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on May 22 in Pyonygang, relatives of Japanese abducted to North Korea, and others working on their behalf, demanded Friday.
JAPAN
May 14, 2004

COMJAN 'abduction' list grows -- despite lack of evidence

OSAKA -- On the afternoon of Feb. 1, 2003, 42-year-old Naruki Okita, operator of a small marine transport company in Taisho Ward here, showed up near the docks of Izumi Kita with his luggage in tow.
JAPAN
May 14, 2004

COMJAN 'abduction' list grows -- despite lack of evidence

OSAKA -- On the afternoon of Feb. 1, 2003, 42-year-old Naruki Okita, operator of a small marine transport company in Taisho Ward here, showed up near the docks of Izumi Kita with his luggage in tow.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2004

Daiei, while still ailing, now deemed 'out of intensive care unit'

Once a month, bank officials in charge of struggling Daiei Inc.'s financial affairs hold a meeting to assess how well the leading supermarket chain is rebuilding.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2004

Daiei links up with other businesses to target niche customers

Daiei Inc. is collaborating with other businesses for the sake of its survival after nearly collapsing three years ago.
JAPAN
May 12, 2004

Municipalities promoting own bonds

With national financial support decreasing and competition in the municipal bonds market intensifying, local governments are trying to enhance their creditworthiness.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
May 11, 2004

Insurance, pension cash and divorce

Health Insurance I have been in Japan for almost 6 years and I have paid into the social health insurance system during my 3 years on the JET Program. After I had finished JET, I dropped out of the system and have not enrolled in the national health insurance system.
JAPAN
May 11, 2004

Group against Koizumi trip to North

A support group for people kidnapped to North Korea and their families protested on Monday a possible visit to Pyongyang by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to pick up five former abductees' relatives there.
JAPAN
May 11, 2004

U.S. Embassy receives bomb threat

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has received a threat via the Internet about a possible bomb attack this week, although it has yet to determine its credibility, the embassy said in an e-mail message sent Monday to American citizens living in Japan.
JAPAN
May 11, 2004

Group against Koizumi trip to North

A support group for people kidnapped to North Korea and their families protested on Monday a possible visit to Pyongyang by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to pick up five former abductees' relatives there.
BUSINESS
May 11, 2004

Softbank sinks deeper into red

Softbank Corp. said Monday its net loss widened in fiscal 2003 for the third consecutive year in the red due to heavy spending to attract subscribers to its high-speed Internet connection service.
EDITORIALS
May 9, 2004

Casualty of pension politics

The political battle over pension reform has taken an unexpected -- and ironic -- twist. Accepting responsibility for failing to make mandatory payments to the national pension program, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda resigned abruptly Friday. With national elections two months away, his departure...
Features
May 9, 2004

Lost in translation on Japanese screens

Unlike the countries that tend to dub foreign movies, Japan has been mainly using subtitles for more than 70 years. No one knows exactly why, but some say the Japanese simply enjoy hearing the original voices of the actors and the sounds in the background. Most now take it for granted that going to the...
JAPAN
May 8, 2004

Exit seen as pre-election damage control

While Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda's resignation came as a surprise to many, Nagata-cho watchers described it as damage control in the leadup to the House of Councilors election in July.
JAPAN
May 8, 2004

Changes eyed for vehicle-recall system

The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry has unveiled measures to fundamentally revise the existing vehicle-recall system.

Longform

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