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JAPAN
Nov 2, 1998

Filmmaker's documentary probes education alternatives for Japan

The Japanese version of a documentary video focused on children who stay away from school in Japan was put on sale by the Children Rights Information Center in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 1998

Heating miso could turn pot into projectile

OSAKA -- Consumers should beware when attempting to reheat miso soup in a stainless steel cooking pot because the contents of the pot may suddenly boil over -- and with a loud explosive noise -- overturn the pot, consumer protection officials warned Wednesday.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 1998

Ramos tells Asian states to act as one

Staff writerKAKEGAWA, Shizuoka Pref. -- Asian nations need to transcend narrow national interests and act as a region to overcome the current economic slump, Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos said in a keynote address here Friday."We must reinforce Asian solidarity ... because each of our countries,...
JAPAN
Oct 29, 1998

Banks again asked to take public funds

OSAKA -- For the second time this week, Bank of Japan Gov. Masaru Hayami on Thursday urged Japanese banks to quickly apply for public funds to accelerate their bad-loan writeoffs.In his keynote speech at the 24th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting here, he said that Japanese financial institutions, facing...
JAPAN
Oct 27, 1998

Tsukiji to reveal fish market's inner sanctum

The Tsukiji Market in Tokyo's Chuo Ward will fully open to the public for the first time ever during a two-day event offering fish and produce at bargain prices.The event, to take place on Nov. 6 and 7 from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., will provide the public with a rare chance to enter the inner market, which...
JAPAN
Oct 27, 1998

Toshiba, Hitachi report huge midterm losses

Plagued by the prolonged economic slump and falling semiconductor prices worldwide, electronics giants Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. on Tuesday reported their first midterm net losses in decades.And they were huge. Hitachi Ltd. posted an unconsolidated net loss of 124.7 billion yen -- the first midterm...
JAPAN
Oct 26, 1998

Software exports cut by half in '97

Computer software exports in 1997 tumbled to roughly half of the previous year's levels, due mainly to the Asian economic crisis, a joint survey released Monday by four industry associations in Japan and the U.S. indicated.Exports totaled 2.8 billion yen, while imports increased by 20.7 percent to hit...
JAPAN
Oct 19, 1998

E-money system could mean hassle-free concert tickets

To spare concertgoers the nuisance of buying tickets by phone and picking them up at the box office, major promoters have teamed up with an information technology firm to begin limited sales of tickets by use of electric money, officials said Monday.Late last month, the All-Japan Concert Tour Promoters'...
JAPAN
Oct 19, 1998

Small firms slow to face Y2K bug

Not even a third of Japan's small and medium-size firms have begun to face the millennium bug problem out of a lack money or knowledge, the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency said Monday.The agency sent out surveys to about 10,000 small and medium-size companies in September, to which 2,026 companies...
JAPAN
Oct 15, 1998

Quick recovery unlikely, BOJ reports

A speedy economic recovery will be difficult to achieve despite the government's economic stimulus measures and the Bank of Japan's easier monetary policy, the central bank said in a report released Thursday.According to the BOJ's monthly report on recent economic and financial developments for October,...
JAPAN
Oct 15, 1998

Recapitalization plan on verge of becoming law

The new bank recapitalization bill is expected to be enacted today on the last day of the current Diet session.The bill, which cleared the Lower House Tuesday, is expected to be approved by the Upper House's plenary session this afternoon.At the same time, the chamber's plenary session will also approve...
JAPAN
Oct 13, 1998

Bank bill clears Lower House; enactment seen Friday

The new bank recapitalization bill designed to keep capital-short banks afloat cleared the Lower House Tuesday and was immediately sent to the Upper House, which is expected to enact the measure Friday.
JAPAN
Oct 12, 1998

NPA bucks Justice plan to scrap fingerprinting

The Justice Ministry and National Police Agency are at sharp odds over the ministry's recent announcement that it plans to abolish the practice of fingerprinting foreigners living in Japan.The Liberal Democratic Party's subcommittee on immigration policies basically approved the ministry's stance Thursday,...
JAPAN
Oct 12, 1998

Bank bill nears passage as LDP gains two allies

A new bank recapitalization bill is expected to clear the Lower House today and the Upper House by the end of this week as at least two opposition parties have agreed to jointly propose the bill put forward by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
JAPAN
Oct 12, 1998

EU pressures Japan for speedy recovery to rescue Asia

The European Union on Monday called on Japan to enact policies to expand its economy so the nation can lead Asia out of its crises, Foreign Ministry officials said.At a meeting of ministers from Japan and the EU, Sir Leon Brittan, vice president of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said...
JAPAN
Oct 9, 1998

Tokyo offers counseling for foreigners

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will hold counseling sessions on everyday life problems this month and next month, with English and Chinese speaking staff for non-Japanese residents, officials said.Counseling for foreigners will cover such problems as status of residence, housing, marriage, education,...
JAPAN
Oct 9, 1998

Give banks in need of funds breathing space, Nonaka urges

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka voiced concern Friday about imposing excessive restrictions on banks asking for public funds.Sufficient information disclosure and clarification of management responsibility should be preconditions for infusions of public funds, the chief government spokesman told...
JAPAN
Oct 5, 1998

Investment firm puts trust in disclosure

18th in an occasional series on financial deregulationStaff writerAlliance Capital Investment Trust Management Inc. of Tokyo is attempting to calm anxious customers by fully explaining how their funds have been hurt amid global financial instability, company President Takahiro Fujino said.The severe...
JAPAN
Oct 5, 1998

Japan kicks off Asia intellectual property forum

Underscoring the need for Asian economies to protect intellectual property rights and counter counterfeits with their ever-growing borderless economic activities, delegates from 22 countries assembled Monday in Tokyo for a three-day forum on the issues.The forum, the second of its kind following one...
JAPAN
Sep 29, 1998

Social tyranny keeps Japan far from U.N. rights ideals: expert

Staff writer
JAPAN
Sep 29, 1998

Ballots available for Australians

Australia's federal election is scheduled for Oct. 3. Australians residing in Japan are eligible to vote in the election if they have registered with the nation's electoral commission.
JAPAN
Sep 28, 1998

Defense Agency delays results of internal probe

The interim results of the Defense Agency's in-house probe of a suspected coverup in an overcharging scandal will be released in October, a month later than originally scheduled, the agency said Monday.
JAPAN
Sep 25, 1998

Toyota test-drive center caters to younger buyers

KOBE -- Responding to requests from younger customers, Toyota Motor Corp. will open a test driving center here on an unprecedented scale today in Nishi Ward.
JAPAN
Sep 25, 1998

Second bribed bank inspector walks off with suspended term

The Tokyo District Court sentenced a former Finance Ministry bank inspector to a suspended 28-month prison term Friday for accepting 4.47 million yen in bribes from five major banks.
JAPAN
Sep 24, 1998

Bank inspector gets suspended sentence for bribes

A former Finance Ministry bank inspector was given a suspended prison term Thursday for receiving bribes worth more than 8 million yen from four major banks in exchange for providing tips on the ministry's bank inspection schedules.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 1998

Kajima unveils plant deal with Jacobs Engineering

Corp. said Tuesday it has joined hands with a major U.S. engineering firm to provide plant services to drug firms and food makers.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 1998

In and around Kansai

Kyoto International readies school bazaar>Kyoto International School will hold its annual PTA bazaar on Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 1998

LDP to pursue criminal punishment for kids 14 and up

A subcommittee within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Thursday agreed to "actively pursue" a revision of the Juvenile Law to lower the minimum age at which juvenile offenders face criminal punishment from 16 to 14.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 1998

World Food Day set for Yokohama

A symposium on Asian environment and food issues will be held Oct. 18 in Yokohama to commemorate World Food Day.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 1998

Emperor takes trip to the future

The Emperor visited the Time 24 Building on the Tokyo waterfront in Koto Ward on Wednesday to get a firsthand look at future business activities and shopping via computer. The building mainly houses government organizations promoting future high-tech businesses.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami