Search - news

 
 
JAPAN
Dec 17, 1997

Opposition parties unmoved by tax reductions

Shinshinto said Wednesday that Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's sudden announcement of a 2 trillion yen tax cut demonstrates the failures of his administration's economic policies.
JAPAN
Dec 17, 1997

Clinton lauds Hashimoto's move

In a telephone conversation Wednesday with Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, U.S. President Bill Clinton welcomed the special tax cut plan of 2 trillion yen unveiled earlier in the day, government officials said.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 1997

'Tankan' survey shows business confidence worsening

Business confidence in most sectors has plunged sharply and may slip further, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly "tankan" survey of business sentiment released Monday.
JAPAN
Dec 10, 1997

Chinese laborers lose suit over forced wartime labor

The Tokyo District Court dismissed on Wednesday a lawsuit filed by Chinese forced to work at a copper mine in Akita Prefecture during the last years of World War II.
JAPAN
Dec 5, 1997

Defense Agency seeks more worthy English title

Even though the Defense Agency failed to win ministerial status under Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's new administrative reform plan, agency chief Fumio Kyuma says his agency at least deserves a more worthy English title to allow him to save face when meeting foreign counterparts.
JAPAN
Dec 4, 1997

IMF chief says action will help regain market trust

Decisive measures, including the use of public funds to protect depositors, are necessary if Japan wants to restore confidence in its financial sector at home and abroad, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund said Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 1997

Top banker praises public funds plan

The leader of the nation's top banking association welcomed on Tuesday the government's intention to use public funds for future financial crises, describing the plan as a "safety valve" for contingencies that fall beyond the capacity of the existing system tasked with dealing with such problems.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 1997

Yamaichi collapse didn't faze 'sokaiya'

Ryuichi Koike, who on Tuesday went on trial for allegedly extorting huge sums from five of Japan's biggest financial institutions, showed no emotion when he heard about the recent collapse of Yamaichi Securities Co., according to sources.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 1997

Clarity sought on role public funds would play

As debate heats up within the government over ways public funds can be used to restore Japan's financial stability, Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka stressed Friday that what such an outlay would attempt to do must first be clarified.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 1997

Izui tells Diet he gave 278 million yen to LDP lawmakers

Junichi Izui, an oil wholesaler now on trial for income tax evasion and fraud, said Friday in sworn testimony before the Lower House Budget Committee that he provided 278 million yen to lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, including LDP policy chief Taku Yamasaki.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 1997

Tokyo taking foreign nurse's rights case to Supreme Court

Tokyo Gov. Yukio Aoshima said Friday that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will appeal a high-court ruling that said the city violated the constitutional rights of a foreign public nurse by refusing to let her test for promotion.
JAPAN
Nov 26, 1997

Tokuyo City Bank folds in fourth collapse of month

Tokuyo City Bank, suffering from the weight of 58.8 billion yen in nonperforming loans, effectively collapsed Wednesday.
JAPAN
Nov 24, 1997

Ministry searches for measures to protect depositors

Alarmed at the successive failures of large financial firms -- the latest being Yamaichi Securities Co. -- the Finance Ministry said Monday it has begun studying new measures to ensure market stability and protect depositors, investors and insurance policy holders, with Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka...
JAPAN
Nov 24, 1997

Yamaichi Securities decides to shut down

Yamaichi Securities Co. formally decided Monday to close down voluntarily amid a financial crisis linked to flagging stock prices, fallen credibility from payoff scandals and recently discovered losses from illegal "tobashi" trading activities.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 1997

Writeoffs to leave four banks in red

Five of the nation's 10 city banks announced plans Friday to write off their massive bad loans during fiscal 1997, four of them saying they expect to go into the red at the end of the year.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 1997

LDP gets to work on stability measures

Moving on Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's orders, the Liberal Democratic Party has begun a wild scramble to devise measures, including possible infusion of public money, to drive away fears of financial instability.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 1997

Foley worried about Japanese trade surpluses

U.S. Ambassador Thomas Foley expressed concern Thursday over the increases in Japan's trade and current account surpluses and called for an economic recovery led by domestic demand.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 1997

Use of public funds considered for clearing up loan mess

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto instructed the Liberal Democratic Party on Thursday to consider using public funds to clear up the nation's bad loan mess, a proposal welcomed by a rally on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 1997

Cooperation the cure to currency crisis, Ramos told

Nations must cooperate to counteract the currency crisis gripping Asia, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto told Philippine President Fidel Ramos on Wednesday, according to Foreign Ministry officials.
JAPAN
Nov 18, 1997

Families grieve over massacre in Egypt

The families and friends of the 11 Japanese involved in Monday's terrorist attack in Luxor, Egypt, were stunned Tuesday that their loved ones' honeymoons had ended in bloodshed.
JAPAN
Nov 18, 1997

New economic package aims at accelerating deregulation

The government unveiled a package of pump-priming measures Tuesday that focuses on accelerating deregulation to help boost confidence in the economy, if not real demand, in the short term.
JAPAN
Nov 17, 1997

Japan, U.S. officials concerned about depreciating yen

Japan and the United States expressed concern Monday over the recent depreciation of the yen, with Tokyo saying it was prepared to take action against excessive movements to stabilize foreign exchange markets.
JAPAN
Nov 17, 1997

Ministry plays down bank's collapse

Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka and other ministry officials Monday attempted to underplay the fact that the failure of Hokkaido Takushoku runs counter to the ministry's oft-repeated pledge that the nation's top 20 banks would not be allowed to fail.
JAPAN
Nov 17, 1997

Explosive rally surprises stock analysts

The strong rebound Monday in Tokyo share prices took analysts by surprise.
JAPAN
Nov 14, 1997

North Korea returnee started preparing in February

At least one of the 15 Japanese women from North Korea who ended the first homecoming visit in four decades was told by North Korean authorities last February that she had been selected as one of the group members, it was learned Friday.
JAPAN
Nov 14, 1997

Japan shifts stance on Asia crisis fund

Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka said Friday that a proposed fund to assist Asian economies in financial or currency crises should supplement the International Monetary Fund, indicating a shift in Japan's position regarding the mechanism.
JAPAN
Nov 12, 1997

Saison group to gain control of two U.S.-Japan insurers

In a bid to incorporate insurance products into its credit card business, Credit Saison Co. will acquire stocks in two insurance firms set up jointly by Japanese and U.S. businesses.
JAPAN
Nov 11, 1997

KDD considering merger with Teleway

KDD, the nation's leading international telecommunications carrier, said Tuesday it is moving toward a merger with Teleway Corp., a firm affiliated with Toyota Motor Corp. that handles domestic long-distance services.
JAPAN
Nov 10, 1997

Easing of land-use laws eyed as latest panacea

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto outlined plans Monday to spur land use and housing construction through easing building-to-land ratios in urban areas and other means as a way to bolster the weakening economy.
JAPAN
Nov 10, 1997

Asian economic jitters fuel TSE selling spree

Pessimism reigned Monday over prospects for the Tokyo stock market and the yen's value against the dollar.

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