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JAPAN
Apr 19, 2001

Mori to quit in bid to boost faith in LDP

Finally announcing his resignation to the public, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said Wednesday he is leaving office so his Liberal Democratic Party can win back the public's trust after a string of embarrassing scandals and his own gaffes.
JAPAN
Apr 19, 2001

LDP hopefuls stick to the game plan

In what is believed to be their last joint news conference before next week's LDP presidential election, the four candidates on Wednesday debated topics ranging from economic policy to social welfare at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo.
JAPAN / INTERNATIONAL RATIONALE
Apr 19, 2001

Top foreign fashion brands take direct approach

As consumer spending woes continue to weigh on Japan's sluggish economy, foreign apparel makers have expanded their business by taking a more direct approach.
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2001

Ohta touts Osaka as movie capital

OSAKA -- Osaka Gov. Fusae Ohta voiced her support on Tuesday for plans to encourage moviemakers to shoot their films in the western Japan prefecture.
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2001

Stock market incentives won't be considered until May

The Tax Commission, an advisory panel to the prime minister, agreed Tuesday to establish a subcommittee in mid-May to discuss proposed tax revisions that would encourage individuals to invest in the stock market, panel chairman Hiromitsu Ishi said.
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2001

Muraoka irked by son's election loss

Liberal Democratic Party bigwig Kanezo Muraoka said Tuesday he offered to resign over his son's defeat in Sunday's gubernatorial race in Akita but was prevented from doing so by party elders. Muraoka heads the LDP's decision-making Executive Council.
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2001

Train accident victims win workers' compensation bid

Labor standards inspection offices in Tokyo will allow workers' insurance to cover the deaths of a South Korean student and a Japanese photographer who were killed by a train Jan. 26 while trying to rescue a drunken man who fell onto the tracks at JR Shin-Okubo Station, the Labor Ministry said Tuesday....
CULTURE / Books / POETRY MIGNETTE
Apr 18, 2001

Poet forging links from East to West

The longest running English poetry journal in Japan, Poetry Nippon, was founded in the fall of 1967. Edited by Sapporo-based poet and translator Yorifumi Yaguchi, it has helped forge links between Japanese, British and American poetry for over 30 years.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2001

1st-year elementary school pupils get more teachers

Education boards in 17 of Japan's 47 prefectures have increased the ratio of teachers to first-year pupils in elementary schools to combat the widely feared breakdown of classroom discipline, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2001

Lee urges Japan to issue his visa

TAIPEI -- Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui strongly urged Tokyo on Sunday to issue him a visa for a medical checkup in Japan, saying his heart condition is worsening.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 16, 2001

The worst is yet to come in Macedonia

WASHINGTON -- While the world's eyes were fixed on Hainan Island off the coast of China, Macedonia's ethnic Albanian rebels were completing a tactical retreat after an offensive by government forces. Some hope that Macedonia's government will now, as expected, offer greater political rights to its ethnic...
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2001

Minister criticizes climate proposal

Environment Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi on Friday criticized a new proposal to pave the way for key climate change talks in July, saying it is little different from its predecessor and will not help bring the United States back to the negotiating table.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2001

LDP rivals back approval of textbook

All four candidates vying for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency are defending the government's recent approval of a junior high school history textbook that critics say glosses over Japan's wartime aggression in Asia.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 14, 2001

Hawks hit six homers in 18-3 win over Orix

Kenji Jojima drove in seven runs with three homers to highlight the Daiei Hawks' 18-3 batting romp over the Orix BlueWave on Friday night at Green Stadium Kobe.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2001

Steel giants NKK, Kawasaki to join

NKK Corp., Japan's second-largest steelmaker, and Kawasaki Steel Corp., No. 3 in the field, announced Friday that they have agreed to integrate their operations in October 2002 under a joint holding company.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2001

Lee hasn't applied, Kono says

Foreign Minister Yohei Kono on Friday reiterated the government's official position that an application for an entry visa has not been filed for former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Apr 14, 2001

Sylvie Gramegna

"Small and beautiful" is the description people use when they speak of Luxembourg. This little country, tucked between Belgium, Germany and France, has for centuries been a meeting place of Germanic and Latin cultures. It is known for being open to the movement of people and the different influences...
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2001

Koreans lose bid for war pension

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld two rulings that overturned demands by two South Koreans for Japan to compensate them for injuries they sustained while serving in the Imperial Japanese Army during the war.
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2001

Whaling should not overshadow trade talks: Clark

While Wellington and Tokyo must agree to disagree over Japan's whaling program, the issue should not impede trade ties, visiting New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2001

FSA eyes strict rules on rescued banks

The Financial Services Agency will require banks to take drastic restructuring plans, including changes in top management, if they fall into the red and skip dividends after receiving public funds, according to a draft of guidelines obtained by Kyodo News.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2001

Spat over whaling unlikely to sour business

Helen Clark is not afraid to snap at the hand that helps feed her nation.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2001

NKK shares rise on merger rumors

The share price of NKK Corp. has been steadily approaching that of Kawasaki Steel Corp. over the past few weeks amid rumors of an imminent merger.
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2001

Pyongyang welcomes Japan NGO pushing redress

Kyodo News
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2001

LDP rivals trade promises as leadership race heats up

Former health minister Junichiro Koizumi and former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto began shaping their campaign policies Wednesday in the runup to the April 24 Liberal Democratic Party election.
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2001

Postal Agency, union negotiating staff cuts

The Postal Services Agency has begun negotiating with its labor union to trim the 140,000-strong workforce at post offices and rebuild its loss-making operations, according to the chief of the agency.

Longform

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