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JAPAN
Nov 18, 1997

Corporate heads praise measures, point to financial system

The nation's business leaders on Tuesday welcomed the government's package of pump-priming measures as effective, but called for measures to solve problems in the financial sector and for the government to reform the nation's taxation and administrative systems to stimulate the economy.
JAPAN
Nov 17, 1997

Hokkaido Takushoku folds; BOJ sends emergency loans

Marking the biggest collapse in the nation's financial industry, ailing Hokkaido Takushoku Bank announced Monday its de facto failure by saying it will transfer its operations to Hokkaido-based North Pacific Bank and other financial institutions.
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 14, 1997

EPA says economy mired in a standstill

In a monthly report released Friday, the Economic Planning Agency said that although the economy has stalled and business sentiment is dimming, the economy has not yet entered recession. In a retreat from the government's long-held assessment of a mildly recovering recovery, the agency described the...
JAPAN
Nov 12, 1997

Exports help Daihatsu post record profit

Daihatsu Motor Co. on Wednesday reported record-high sales of 396.92 billion yen and record-high pretax profits of 9.03 billion yen for the first half of the 1997 business year.
JAPAN
Nov 12, 1997

Keidanren exec backs long-term emissions goal

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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

Mitsubishi Motor funds were payoffs: 'sokaiya'

A "sokaiya" corporate racketeer has admitted that payments from Mitsubishi Motors Corp. were made to him in exchange for his services, police sources said Monday.
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.
JAPAN
Nov 7, 1997

Japan slams delay in dumping levy clarification

Japanese trade officials expressed strong concern Friday over Washington's failure to clarify the process leading up to the recent levying of dumping charges on Japanese supercomputers.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 1997

BOJ chief defends easy monetary policy

Bank of Japan Gov. Yasuo Matsushita defended the bank's prolonged easy monetary policy Wednesday as he responded to commonly asked questions and criticisms over its low interest rates.
JAPAN
Oct 31, 1997

Panel agrees on abolishing securities tax

A blue-ribbon subcommittee on revisions to the taxation system basically agreed Friday that securities transaction and brokerage taxes should be abolished, or at least reduced, beginning in fiscal 1998. The subcommittee is to draw up an interim report by the end of November for the general meeting of...
JAPAN
Oct 31, 1997

Japan, Spain agree on annual summit

Spain and Japan have agreed to hold an annual summit in a bid to strengthen their political dialogue, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar Lopez said Friday.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 1997

Muraoka shoves ministries toward deregulation

Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanezo Muraoka pressed 12 ministries Thursday to work harder to swiftly compile deregulatory measures to boost the economy.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 1997

Profits climb at JAL but dive at competitors

Japan Airlines posted sharp increases in profits and sales in April-September period of 1997 due to a favorable domestic market, while the two other major airlines reported profit drops, according to earnings reports released Thursday by the three carriers.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 1997

MMC chairman, president exit over scandal

Takemune Kimura, president of Mitsubishi Motors Corp., said Thursday that he and Chairman Hirokazu Nakamura will quit their posts to take the blame for the recent arrest of four MMC executives suspected of illegally paying off "sokaiya" corporate extortionists.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 1997

Massive Dow Jones rally sparks Nikkei rebound

The Tokyo Stock Exchange staged a strong rebound Wednesday amid ringing reports of a massive rally on Wall Street overnight.
JAPAN
Oct 28, 1997

Government continues push to eliminate racketeers

The government will continue calling on the private sector to cut all ties with "sokaiya" corporate extortionists, the Cabinet agreed Tuesday.
JAPAN
Oct 28, 1997

Transport chief regrets U.S. decision to collect shipping fines

Transport Minister Takao Fujii expressed strong regret Tuesday over the decision by the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission to collect fees from three Japanese shipping lines in retaliation for inefficient and costly harbor practices in Japan.
JAPAN
Oct 27, 1997

Improved consumption key to recovery, BOJ says

Improved consumption key to recovery, BOJ says> Economic growth has been slowing since April and business sentiment has weakened, but there are no signs of a sharp decline in corporate profits, employment and income conditions, the Bank of Japan said Oct. 27.
JAPAN
Oct 24, 1997

Act now to prevent chill from taking economy, Horiuchi warns

The business climate may get chilly unless the government acts decisively now, Mitsuo Horiuchi, minister of international trade and industry, warned Oct. 24."We're coming to a stage where we must promptly hammer out measures to brighten up the corporate mind and the sentiment of consumers," Horiuchi...
JAPAN
Oct 24, 1997

JAS and KLM sign cooperation agreement

Japan Air System Co. has signed an agreement for opening comprehensive business cooperation with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to strengthen the two carriers' competitiveness between Japan and Europe.The two airlines exchanged a memorandum of understanding at KLM's headquarters in Holland on Oct. 23, a JAS...
JAPAN
Oct 23, 1997

Large chain stores seek tax relief

Large retailers urged the government Oct. 23 to stimulate private consumption by reducing income taxes and allowing greater income tax breaks for part-time workers.The Japan Chain Stores Association made the request during a meeting with trade chief Mitsuo Horiuchi, according to a Ministry of International...
JAPAN
Oct 22, 1997

Kobe mayor poll faces the quake factor

Staff writerKOBE -- The Kobe mayoral election is slated for this Oct. 26, but Tsuka Izuta would rather stay in that day than spend the 1,000 yen in transportation costs to get to a voting booth.Although she is a registered voter in Nada Ward, 68-year-old Izuta has abstained from voting in any elections...
JAPAN
Oct 21, 1997

GM execs call for balance, brawnier yen

Top executives of General Motors Corp. voiced support Oct. 21 for a stronger yen, continued investment in Southeast Asia and a "global solution" to greenhouse warming.John Smith, GM's chairman, president and CEO; Richard Wagoner, president of GM's North American Operations; and other executives were...
JAPAN
Oct 21, 1997

Pump-priming package leaves analysts disappointed

The package of pump-priming measures decided Oct. 21 by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party does not seem capable of giving the sluggish economy a quick jolt because it lacks sufficient stimulus targeting personal consumption.Disappointment over the measures forced the benchmark Nikkei average of the...
JAPAN
Oct 15, 1997

Mercosur and Japan to step up ties

Japan and Mercosur, the South American common market comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, will step up cooperation, according to Alvaro Ramos, the foreign minister of Uruguay and leader of the Mercosur delegation.After three days of meetings with public and private sector officials, Ramos...
JAPAN
Oct 15, 1997

Small, medium-size firms urge prompt cuts in taxes

Small and medium-size enterprises urged the government Oct. 15 to promptly reduce corporate and income taxes to stimulate the economy.The request was made during a meeting between Mitsuo Horiuchi, the minister of international trade and industry, and representatives for four organizations of small and...
JAPAN
Oct 14, 1997

Navy port calls raise eyebrows

Was there something going on under the surface when U.S. Navy ships recently made an unprecedented string of calls across the nation?There's no evidence of that, but plenty of speculation by military analysts and elements of the general public.The port calls -- the official line is that the navy was...
JAPAN
Oct 13, 1997

22 homeless people apply for Tokyo job counseling

After a number of clashes over the years with homeless people living in Shinjuku Station's underground concourse, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has organized a job counseling program that accepted applications Oct. 13 at a briefing for the concourse dwellers.Such a service has been hindered partly...

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