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JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 6, 2008

Finance Ministry losing its luster

The Finance Ministry has long been known as the most powerful and elitist of Japan's bureaucracy. When Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda repeatedly tried in March to appoint a former vice finance minister as the new Bank of Japan governor — only to be rejected by the opposition-controlled Upper House —...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 5, 2008

Evessa turn back Tokyo

Matt Lottich, Mikey Marshall, Jeff Newton and Lynn Washington combined for 62 of the Evessa's 66 points in their 66-56 win over the Tokyo Apache in the bj-league championship game on Sunday at Ariake Colosseum.
BUSINESS / THE VIEW FROM EUROPE
May 5, 2008

Japan lags European peers on female empowerment

The latest EU-Japan summit wrapped up on April 23, with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda holding talks with European Council President Janez Jansa (the Slovenian prime minister) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. The meeting came at a time when both Europe and Japan are facing an enormous...
Reader Mail
May 4, 2008

Pleased with new look of publication

Regarding the May 1 letter "Why fix what's not broken?": I offer my reason to fix things that aren't broken. Even though the publication might not appear to be broken, it's important to attract new customers as well as keep the old ones. If that means making some changes to the presentation to make it...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 4, 2008

Japan's media plays nursemaid to nation's immature democracy

A major Japanese newspaper publishes an article denouncing the prime minister. Reporters hold a rally to criticize his Cabinet. The government responds by banning sales of the edition of the newspaper that carried the article, indicting its author for violation of the Newspaper Law. Rightwing agitators...
BUSINESS
May 2, 2008

JT expects loss from 'gyoza' aftermath

Japan Tobacco Inc. said Thursday it expects group operating profit for the business year to March 2009 to fall 27.8 percent from a year earlier to ¥311 billion because of the lingering impact of the tainted Chinese dumplings scare.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 2, 2008

Voice of angels from Vienna

Get ready, Japan. The sopranos are coming. And they're bringing 10 altos as muscle. No, not "The Sopranos" from the U.S. TV drama series, but the Vienna Boys' Choir. Their angelic voices will grace concerts across Japan from May 3 until mid-June.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / SHORT TAKES
May 2, 2008

"Grace is Gone"

Director: James C. Strouse
JAPAN
May 1, 2008

Pandas added to summit agenda

Japan will ask China to provide new panda bears to Ueno Zoo during the summit between President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda next week in Tokyo, a Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
May 1, 2008

Plant closure sends Tepco to first group loss in 28 years

Hurt by the closure of an earthquake-damaged nuclear power plant and higher oil and gas prices, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday that it posted a group loss of ¥150.1 billion for fiscal 2007 — its first annual group loss in 28 years.
Reader Mail
May 1, 2008

Why fix what's not broken?

Why fix what's not broken?
BUSINESS
May 1, 2008

J-Power ups dividend just ¥10, braces for fight with TCI

Electric Power Development Co., the country's biggest electricity wholesaler, said Wednesday it will raise its annual dividend by ¥10 — to a total of ¥70 per share — for fiscal 2007, spurning repeated calls by a U.K.-based hedge fund that it double the annual payout to shareholders.
Reader Mail
May 1, 2008

Short and to the point

One thing I like about The Japan Times is that it is short and to the point, with a satisfactory cross section of news and views from home and abroad. With just 22 pages it is easy to carry around and over the course of the day I read most of it. Well, not the ridiculous wastage of sports which, properly...
BUSINESS
May 1, 2008

Hotel sale propels ANA profit up 96.4%

All Nippon Airways Co. said Wednesday its group net profit rose 96.4 percent from a year earlier to a record ¥64.14 billion for the business year ended in March, due to special profit earned from sales of a hotel asset to streamline its business.
EDITORIALS
Apr 30, 2008

DPJ victory in Yamaguchi

The victory of a candidate of the Democratic Party of Japan over a candidate of the Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday's Lower House by-election in the Yamaguchi No. 2 constituency has raised a question mark over Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's political leadership. The DPJ candidate trounced the LDP candidate...
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 29, 2008

Posada's first trip to disabled list overshadows Wang's four-hit gem

An April win with all the texture of one in October was quickly chilled for the New York Yankees.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 29, 2008

Judiciary's 'snake legs' exposed

On April 17 the Nagoya High Court ruled that the dispatch of Air Self-Defense Force personnel to Iraq was unconstitutional. While the ruling made news, it will probably not make much difference to Japan's foreign policy. Its significance may be nothing more than academic — after all, despite the headlines...
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2008

MHI's profit rises 25.6% on power plants

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Monday its group net profit for the business year that ended in March jumped by 25.6 percent to ¥61.3 billion, helped by orders to build overseas power plants amid globally rising energy demand.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 29, 2008

Pension system obligations and benefits

As the social welfare system grows in complexity, non-Japanese in particular are likely feeling a sense of frustration at the lack of information available in their native language.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Apr 29, 2008

By-election loss adds to Fukuda's troubles

The Liberal Democratic Party's defeat in the Lower House by-election in the Yamaguchi No. 2 district on Sunday is yet another blow to the already reeling Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2008

Surging cost of fuel, food drives 1.1% jump in retail sales

Retail sales rose in March as households paid more for gasoline and food, leaving them less to spend on clothing and furniture, government statistics showed Monday.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 28, 2008

Combating climate change

SINGAPORE — Two recent news reports have underscored China's voracious appetite for oil and the impact of unrestrained burning of coal and other fossil fuels on global climate change. Both point to the need for Japan, the United States, Canada, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand — the six Asia-Pacific...

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years