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JAPAN
Jan 29, 1998

Taipei wants China talks held on own terms

Taipei wants to start with business-level talks with Beijing on a variety of practical, serious issues to improve the two nations' strained relations, rather than political dialogue, as China again proposed earlier this week, a Taiwan spokesman said Thursday in Tokyo.Visiting The Japan Times head office,...
JAPAN
Jan 28, 1998

DKB data on 'sokaiya' loans allegedly erased by finance official

Koichi Miyakawa, a Finance Ministry inspector who is under arrest, deleted part of a 1994 ministry report on problem loans extended by Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank to "sokaiya" corporate extortionist Ryuichi Koike, the key figure in a huge financial-sector payoff scandal, at the request of a Dai-Ichi Kangyo...
JAPAN
Jan 28, 1998

NEC's profit to plunge to 45 billion yen

Due to lackluster sales of personal computers and electronic devices, NEC Corp. announced Wednesday that its consolidated net profit will plunge to 45 billion yen in the 1997 business year, down 51 percent from its previous estimate of 80 billion yen."Investment in information technology was supposed...
JAPAN
Jan 27, 1998

Mitsuzuka to step down over bureaucrat arrests

Giving in to pressure from both the opposition and allies of the Liberal Democratic Party to step down, Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka announced Tuesday that he will resign to take responsibility for the arrests of two ministry inspectors accused of taking bribes.The decision was conveyed to Prime...
JAPAN
Jan 26, 1998

Finance Ministry inspectors arrested over bank bribes

Two officials of the Finance Ministry's Finance Inspection Department are under arrest on suspicion of accepting bribes from banks in the form of wining and dining, the special investigative squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office announced Monday night.The two arrested were identified...
JAPAN
Jan 26, 1998

Koike made direct payoff demands, court told

Ryuichi Koike, a "sokaiya" corporate racketeer on trial for extortion, demanded payoffs during direct meetings with executives of firms involved in the huge financial scandal surrounding him, prosecutors said Monday during his Tokyo District Court trial.Describing Koike, 54, as a "skillful" and "aggressive"...
JAPAN
Jan 23, 1998

Mitsuzuka vows internal probe of corruption

The Finance Ministry will conduct an internal probe to check on excessive wining and dining of its officials in light of the arrest of a former ministry bureaucrat for alleged acceptance of bribes, Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka said Friday.The results of the investigation will be made public, he...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1998

Banks, brokers lavished millions of yen on highway director

A Japan Highway Public Corp. director was entertained by some 10 banks and securities companies, including Nomura Securites Co., to the tune of about 10 million yen, it was learned Tuesday from statements made by those involved.Tekehiko Isaka, 54, was allegedly entertained by the firms over a 2 1/2...
JAPAN
Jan 19, 1998

Banks under pressure to cut salaries

Several Cabinet members said Monday that banks should be urged to lower their salary levels, known to be considerably higher than those at firms in other industries, at a time when the government is preparing to use public money to handle the banking crisis.According to Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanezo...
JAPAN
Jan 16, 1998

MPD cop allegedly helped halt Daiwa investigation

An Metropolitan Police Department officer arrested this week on suspicion of taking bribes from Daiwa Securities Co. was asked by the brokerage to help halt a 1993 investigation into the firm, police and prosecution sources alleged Friday.It is possible the MPD's investigation targeting an employee...
JAPAN
Jan 16, 1998

Japan, EU to recognize test results on electrical goods

Staff writerIn the first breakthrough in nearly two years of tough negotiations, Japan and the 15-nation European Union have agreed in principle to mutually recognize test results for electrical goods and telecommunications peripheral devices, government officials said Friday.The Japanese government...
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1998

Donors sought for North Korean refugees

An Osaka-based civic group has launched a campaign to raise financial assistance for the children of North Korean refugees who have fled to China.According to Rescue the North Korean People/Urgent Action Network (RENK), an estimated 20,000 North Koreans have entered China over the past two years to...
JAPAN
Jan 13, 1998

Debate sought as banks triple figures for sour loans

Figures indicating that the nation's banks have more than triple the amount of bad loans than originally thought will help spur Diet debate on using public funds to stabilize the financial system, Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka said Tuesday.On Monday, the Finance Ministry said independent assessments...
JAPAN
Jan 12, 1998

Hashimoto vows efforts to protect financial system

In a departure from the norm, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto opened the 150-day Diet session Monday with a speech focusing solely on financial markets and the economy, stressing that Japan will not let its woes drag the rest of Asia and the world into more turmoil."It is our firm resolve that neither...
JAPAN
Jan 12, 1998

Dai-Ichi Kangyo executives plead guilty to payoffs

Four former executives of Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank pleaded guilty Monday to extending illegal loans to a "sokaiya" corporate extortionist in violation of the Commercial Code, in their first trial hearing before the Tokyo District Court.The four, all wearing navy-blue suits and white shirts, are former Vice...
JAPAN
Jan 9, 1998

Free home stays available for Paralympics participants

The Nagano Olympic and Paralympic Homestay Program Committee is inviting friends and families of officials and athletes participating in the Games to apply for free accommodation in Nagano.Between Feb. 1 and Mar. 15, qualified visitors will be able to stay two or three nights -- but no more than a week...
JAPAN
Jan 8, 1998

Agency rates 20 life insurers' ability to pay claims

Amid growing public concerns about financial institutions, the Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) on Thursday released a ranking of 20 major life insurance firms in terms of ability to provide payouts.The list included 10 life insurers whose ratings had been previously released in accordance with paid...
JAPAN
Jan 7, 1998

Brokers' shady deals target of amendment

Steps to amend the Securities and Exchange Law will be submitted to the upcoming Diet session so that profits made by brokerages through shady means such as market manipulation can be confiscated, Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka said Tuesday.The proposed revision is part of the ministry's package...
JAPAN
Jan 2, 1998

Tokyo, Pyongyang bending to renew ties

Staff writerPositive developments have been emerging between Japan and North Korea in their efforts to resume negotiations aimed at establishing diplomatic ties, but a bumpy road still lies ahead, partly because of the deterioration of the South Korean economy.A resumption of full-scale normalization...
JAPAN
Dec 31, 1997

'Big Bang' will expose scrimpers' savings to big risks

Staff writer
JAPAN
Dec 31, 1997

Keep reform momentum going, Toyoda urges

BY SAYURI DAIMON
JAPAN
Dec 30, 1997

Vacationing masses forgo holiday exodus

The annual yearend and New Year's holiday exodus from major cities to hometowns has been slow-moving, making traffic less congested than in previous years.
JAPAN
Dec 26, 1997

Tokyo avoids disclosure of wining and dining expenses

The Tokyo District Court rejected on Friday a lawsuit seeking to force Gov. Yukio Aoshima and other Tokyo municipal officials to make public all documents on entertainment expenses.
JAPAN
Dec 25, 1997

Ascii to join CSK group

Ascii Corp., a major game software maker and a publisher of computer magazines, will become part of the group led by major information service firm CSK Corp. by issuing new shares to CSK and game machine giant Sega Enterprises Ltd., the three companies announced Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 25, 1997

Osaka reveals abuse of 1.33 billion yen in taxpayers' funds

OSAKA -- Osaka Gov. "Knock" Yokoyama formally announced here Thursday that 1.33 billion yen in taxpayers' money was misused by the prefectural government between 1994 and 1997.
JAPAN
Dec 23, 1997

Feature: Horse-drawn globe-trotters come to Japan

Staff writer
JAPAN
Dec 19, 1997

Three scientists awarded Japan Prize

Three scientists, one Japanese and two Belgians, were selected as recipients of the 1998 Japan Prize, the Tokyo-based Science and Technology Foundation of Japan announced Friday in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Dec 16, 1997

Ozawa hints that dissenters should leave

Ichiro Ozawa, leader of Shinshinto, the largest opposition party, indicated Tuesday he would accept splitting the party if members disagree with his policy proposals.
JAPAN
Dec 16, 1997

Business leaders hail tax reforms, finance package

Most business leaders, who have demanded corporate tax cuts of 10 percentage points, welcomed the tax reform package and financial stabilization measures hammered out by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 11, 1997

Plan for new government bond issue wins tentative approval

A Liberal Democratic Party task force expressed its support Thursday for the principles of a plan to set up a 10 trillion yen fund through bond issues to help protect depositors.

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