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JAPAN
Oct 1, 1998

Kim visit may pave Emperor's way to Seoul

Japan hopes that South Korean President Kim Dae Jung's visit next week will pave the way for the Emperor to visit South Korea, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Thursday.The government's chief spokesman made the remarks in reference to media reports that the president, during his four-day visit...
JAPAN
Sep 29, 1998

Government mulls early stimulus implementation

The government is considering earlier implementation of its planned tax reductions and other economic pump-priming measures, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka indicated Tuesday.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 1998

Tokyo to resume KEDO project role

Japan will soon resume its involvement in a project to build two light-water nuclear reactors for North Korea, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura indicated Tuesday.
JAPAN
Sep 28, 1998

LDP, opposition reach final agreement on bills

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition camp reached a final agreement early Monday morning, putting an end to the prolonged dispute over financial stabilization bills.
JAPAN
Sep 28, 1998

Tokyo welcomes Schroeder

Japan is ready to cooperate closely with Gerhard Schroeder, whose Social Democrats won Germany's general election Sunday, to deepen bilateral relations, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said Monday.
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 28, 1998

City banks Tokai, Asahi agree on retail tieup

In a strategic move to strengthen their presence in the retail banking field, Tokai Bank and Asahi Bank, both among the nation's nine major city, or commercial, banks, reached a comprehensive tieup agreement Monday to consolidate their branch offices and jointly develop financial products.
JAPAN
Sep 24, 1998

Lower House deliberating land mine treaty

The government began legislative procedures Thursday to ratify an international treaty banning the production, stockpiling and use of antipersonnel land mines.
JAPAN
Sep 24, 1998

Food poisoning strikes Defense officials

Two ill Defense Agency officials may have become Japan's latest food poisoning victims after eating a dinner prepared at an agency facility Wednesday evening, the agency said Thursday.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 1998

Opposition, LDP policy chiefs agree to meet

After several days of wrangling over financial stabilization bills, opposition parties on Tuesday agreed to a policy chiefs-level meeting with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 1998

Sumitomo Life buys into Taiheiyo

In an aggressive move to expand its financial services, Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. has purchased about 10 percent of outstanding shares in ailing Taiheiyo Securities Co. and its subsidiary Taiheiyo Investment Trust Management Co., the two companies announced Tuesday.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 1998

TSE takes nosedive to new postbubble low

The Nikkei average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange plummeted Monday to a new postbubble low as ambiguities in last Friday's deal on financial stabilization measures between leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition camp ignited disappointment among market traders.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 1998

Honda unveils compact utility vehicle

In a bid to capture younger customers, Honda Motor Co. on Monday introduced the HR-V, a new compact multipurpose utility vehicle, which hits the market today.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 1998

Diet remains stalled over financial bills

Negotiations over key financial stabilization bills remained stagnant Wednesday, with the opposition camp criticizing the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for its lack of meaningful proposals.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 1998

Latin American crisis sparked G-7's emergency call

The economic crisis in Latin America was the biggest factor behind an emergency statement issued Tuesday by the Group of Seven industrialized countries, Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Sep 14, 1998

U.N. campus to offer international courses

United Nations University will offer international courses starting in February for university graduates and postgraduates, university officials in Tokyo said Monday.
JAPAN
Sep 11, 1998

GDP shrinks 3.3% for third quarterly decline in row

The economy shrank by an annualized 3.3 percent in the April-June quarter of fiscal 1998 over the previous quarter, falling for the third straight quarter -- its worst showing since World War II, the Economic Planning Agency announced Friday.
JAPAN
Sep 11, 1998

Toyota to raise stake in Chiyoda to 47.1%

Toyota Motor Corp. will increase its stake in Chiyoda Fire & Marine Insurance Co. from the 37.1 percent at present to 47.1 percent by the end of September to strengthen Chiyoda's financial backbone and ties between the two firms, the automaker announced Friday.
JAPAN
Sep 11, 1998

Too much, too little, too late?

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi instructed his Cabinet ministers Friday to work out measures that will double people's living, business and recreational space within five years, and create some 500,000 new jobs through economic structural reform within the next two years.
JAPAN
Sep 11, 1998

Mitsubishi heavyweights form financial services alliance

In a strategic move to secure an edge over competitors amid ongoing "Big Bang" financial deregulations, four financial firms in the Mitsubishi group announced Friday they are forming a business alliance that will provide a wide range of new financial services.
JAPAN
Sep 10, 1998

Economic council targets 14 issues for recovery

An advisory panel to Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on Thursday selected 14 main issues that it will address in its attempt to help the government achieve full-scale economic recovery within two years.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 1998

BOJ slashes call rate in monetary rescue action

In a surprise move, the Bank of Japan's Policy Board agreed Wednesday to further ease monetary policy by guiding the weighted average of the overnight call money rate down to around 0.25 percent per year.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 1998

North Korea reactor aid to remain frozen

The government will continue to freeze assistance for light-water nuclear reactor projects in North Korea, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 1998

G-7 meeting likely to avoid Russia issue

Senior officials of the Group of Seven industrialized nations are unlikely to devise a program at their weekend meeting to assist the troubled Russian economy, Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 1998

Banking industry backs government bailout plan

Satoru Kishi, chairman of the Federation of Bankers Associations of Japan, expressed support Tuesday for the government's plan to inject public money into ailing banks to prevent failures.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 1998

Ministry may alter entrance exam rules

Education Minister Akito Arima indicated Tuesday that his ministry may reconsider its current stance on the entrance of graduates from "unauthorized" universities to graduate programs at state-run institutions.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 1998

Opposition plan targeted by the FSA

A top official of the Financial Supervisory Agency on Tuesday voiced disapproval at a portion of the financial-stabilization bills submitted by opposition parties to the Diet.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 1998

Okinawa draws more tourists as air fares, yen fall

NAHA, Okinawa Pref. -- Constant conflict over the presence of U.S. military bases and tragic old war stories keep Okinawa in the news.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 1998

Rengo pressures Obuchi to fulfill job, tax cut promises

The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) urged the government Monday to make good on its promised tax reductions, including 4 trillion yen in income tax cuts.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 1998

North Korea remains on condemned list

Although it remains unclear what exactly North Korea launched over Japan on Aug. 31, the government's condemnation of Pyongyang's act still stands, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Monday.

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