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BUSINESS
Jun 2, 2005

Nippon Life loses top spot to AIG in premium revenues

Nippon Life Insurance Co. lost its No. 1 position in the domestic market to American International Group Inc. in terms of premium revenues from new contracts concluded with individuals in fiscal 2004, according to financial statements.
COMMENTARY
Jun 1, 2005

French lessons for the European Union

LONDON -- So the French have voted down the proposed EU Constitution decisively. What now? Will the European Union fall apart? Certainly not. Does it mean that the attempt to impose a single "top-down" constitution on all 25 member states is dead? Probably -- especially if the Netherlands also votes...
BUSINESS
Jun 1, 2005

Kanebo posts net profit on cosmetics selloff, debt waiver

Kanebo Ltd. said Tuesday it logged 314.97 billion yen in net profit for the year ended in March, thanks mostly to gains from the selloff of its mainstay cosmetics business and a debt-waiver from lenders.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 28, 2005

Tokyo Families, Fun House maker gets fine start

Why does it come as such a surprise to find Carin Smolinsky with an Audi TT Roadster? Certainly it suits her driving personality -- the bubbling nature of her entrepreneurial spirit. For her own part, it's perfect for nipping ("sedately," she insists) through Tokyo traffic and slides into the smallest...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
May 28, 2005

The books I will someday write

Books play a large part in the life of any foreign resident of Japan. For no matter how pervasive online linkage to the homeland becomes, books have always been, and always will be, a main conduit to the language and culture left behind, especially when socked into riding the trains for hours on end....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / BEST BAR NONE
May 27, 2005

A rock 'n' roll heart

Rock 'n' roll will never die. The sound may have mutated with each passing generation to create a variety of strains: alternative, progressive, metal, punk, noise, grunge. But it's the same 4:4 beat that drives them all and syncs our pulse to the rhythm.
BUSINESS
May 26, 2005

Banks must wait eight months to sell insurance

The Financial Services Agency will not let banks sell savings-based insurance products, including endowment insurance, for another eight months, it was announced Wednesday.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2005

MMC suffers a 475 billion yen loss

Struggling Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Monday that its group net loss widened to a record 474.8 billion yen in fiscal 2004, from 215.4 billion yen posted a year earlier.
COMMENTARY / World
May 23, 2005

Chinese protests stiffen Japanese resolve

The Law of Unintended Consequences has been at work again, this time in the intense Japanese reaction to the Chinese demonstrations last month against Japan, some of them violent. In a word, the eruption in China has backfired in Japan.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2005

LDP draws up bill on card-crime redress

The Liberal Democratic Party has outlined a bill that would oblige financial institutions to compensate victims of cash card thefts and card forgery, party members said.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2005

U.S. official frets excessive corporate takeover defense

Visiting U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Lawrence Greenwood expressed concern Friday about Japanese companies introducing measures to block hostile takeovers, saying they could block friendly merger attempts of foreign businesses.
BUSINESS
May 20, 2005

Daikyo sees red after following state-backed reconstruction

Struggling condominium builder Daikyo Inc. said Thursday it fell into the red in the business year that ended March 31, affected by its withdrawal from noncore businesses under a state-backed reconstruction plan.
BUSINESS
May 20, 2005

Economic assessment left intact

The government on Thursday left its overall assessment of the economy unchanged for a fifth straight month, stating that a slight improvement in exports was offset by weaker housing construction.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
May 19, 2005

Puppies for the digital age

Let me introduce Funky. He's a young, short-haired Chihuahua with a happy temperament and distaste for learning new tricks. With a job and family duties, it's hard to give Funky the attention he deserves. But I've surprised myself. Even though I'm more of a cat-lover than a dog-lover, I'm showing a great...
BUSINESS
May 19, 2005

New law impedes bankruptcy data

Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Wednesday it will substantially cut down its monthly data on corporate bankruptcies due to the new personal information protection law.
BUSINESS
May 18, 2005

M&A, antitakeover bills cleared by Lower House

The House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday to update the corporate legal system to facilitate mergers and acquisitions and strengthen measures to stop hostile takeovers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
May 18, 2005

Roppongi's art gallery boom

Roppongi, which used to be chiefly known as a pick-up party pit for Tokyo's ex-pat population, has recently begun to emerge as a contemporary art center. Spurred by the Mori Art Museum's opening in 2003, the neighborhood now presents the possibility of a short walking tour of new and interesting art...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 17, 2005

Valentine living it up in Japan as Marine faithful think pennant

Bobby Valentine isn't interested in talking about when or if he'll make a return to the major leagues. The former New York Mets manager is perfectly happy here in Japan.
COMMENTARY
May 16, 2005

Relax, breathe, leave the smokers alone

WASHINGTON -- One of the most persecuted minorities in America, and increasingly in other countries, is smokers. U.S. cities and states have imposed ever more Draconian restrictions on lighting up a cigarette, and a bipartisan coalition of paternalistic legislators on Capitol Hill now is pushing for...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 15, 2005

Composing with an eye on the big picture

The Aichi Expo, with its theme on "Nature's Wisdom" and its pavilions packed with technological wonders, obviously sees no irony in its situation. This contradiction may be highlighted, however, when composer Philip Glass brings his ensemble to perform the music of "Koyaanisqatsi." Directed by Godfrey...
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Takara, Tomy agree to merge in 2006

Takara Co., Japan's No. 2 toy maker, and Tomy Co., the third-largest, said Friday they have agreed to merge March 1 next year.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
May 13, 2005

Tsutsumi used culture to amass, retain iron grip on power

"If you want Sundays off, don't be a manager in my company."
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / VINELAND
May 13, 2005

To cut a long bottle short . . . Champagne gets it, samurai style

There is no sound more synonymous with celebration than the sharp pop of a Champagne cork. Professionals, of course, recommend easing the cork out slowly enough so that only a slight gasp is heard, which one waggish sommelier likened to "the sound of a contented woman."
SUMO
May 12, 2005

Asashoryu, three others share lead

Grand champion Asashoryu overpowered Kokkai on Wednesday to remain tied for the lead on the fourth day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2005

Omron to acquire Colin Medical

Omron Corp. said Wednesday it will acquire all shares in medical device maker Colin Medical Technology Corp. from U.S. investment fund Carlyle Group and other stockholders through a wholly owned unit in mid-June.
EDITORIALS
May 9, 2005

Fishing for sustainable profits

The good news for Japan's fisheries is that some of its products enjoy growing demand abroad, particularly in some parts of Asia. This year's government white paper on fisheries stresses the importance of developing overseas markets and highlights a variety of export-oriented initiatives across the country....
Japan Times
Features
May 8, 2005

It's time to get out there and grrrrrrrill!

Years ago, at a friend's house in Kobe, an intense argument broke out between the Americans and Australians present. It turned into quite a searing row, and for a while it threatened to inflame tempers and disrupt the otherwise festive occasion.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear