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EDITORIALS
May 21, 2006

Mr. Matsui's apology

'Mind the gap," the British warn commuters stepping off trains. It's good advice in East-West relations, too, since there are some gaps that appear to be unbridgeable. A rather wide one was revealed last week in the hubbub in the United States over the apology of New York Yankees left fielder Hideki...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 21, 2006

See how Japan's TV entertainment evolved in Fuji TV's drama "The Hit Parade" and more

The model for the modern Japanese talent agency or "production company," which dominates all aspects of show business in Japan, was created by the late Shin Watanabe and his wife, Misa, in 1955. This Friday and Saturday Fuji TV will present a special two-part drama, "The Hit Parade" (9 p.m. each night),...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 20, 2006

It's a dog's life and I wan it!

The last time I went home to the U.S., my parents told me sternly over the telephone: "This time when you come home, bury your dog. He's been on that shelf in the garage for years now." And they were right. My dog, Dammit, had died while I was in Japan, and the few times I went home, I was either too...
COMMENTARY
May 19, 2006

Pride in a Yankee apology

LOS ANGELES -- In the sports-happy, internationally oblivious country of the United States, probably more people know who Hideki Matsui is than who Junichiro Koizumi is.
BUSINESS
May 19, 2006

Publishers find silver lining in coloring books for the elderly

For many people, coloring conjures up fond memories of childhood -- books scattered across the table, engrossed in one's work, clutching crayons until one's hands ached.
JAPAN
May 18, 2006

Three held over allegedly rigged Ken-o road bids

A former land ministry employee and two corporate executives were arrested Wednesday for allegedly fixing a bid for a land survey project for the Ken-o Expressway, the 300-km route circling Tokyo and traversing four prefectures.
BUSINESS
May 18, 2006

Bankruptcies surged 14.9% in April

The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan jumped 14.9 percent in April from the previous year to 1,087, with debts totaling 426.78 billion yen, and among them are contractors stung by a state crackdown on bid-rigging, Tokyo Shoko Research said Wednesday.
JAPAN
May 17, 2006

Reduce NHK channels, reorganize NTT: panel

An advisory panel to communications minister Heizo Takenaka proposed Tuesday that NHK user fees be lowered by reducing the number of the public broadcaster's channels.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2006

Aiful reports 13% fall in profit for '05

Troubled Aiful Corp. reported Tuesday that its net profit for fiscal 2005 dropped 13.1 percent to 65.827 billion yen on a consolidated basis due to a rise in customer demands that excess interest on loans be returned.
JAPAN
May 16, 2006

'Waribashi' from China to end

Walk into any noodle shop or restaurant and chances are high you'll soon be eating with a pair of disposable wooden chopsticks from China.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
May 14, 2006

Home and away

AUSTRALIA Respect brings harmony without being workaholic
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
May 13, 2006

Success stories cap memorable season for Premier League

LONDON -- After a couple of disappointing high-profile matches, those who rarely attend football games but love to put the boot into the national sport were almost at grievous bodily harm level with their attacks.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 12, 2006

Mancunian with a golden voice

He's a lifelong fan of Manchester United, but don't hold that against him.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2006

Automakers' profits up on overseas sales

Japan's major carmakers got a boost in earnings and profits in fiscal 2005 but the figures show many are relying on overseas sales, mainly in the United States, as domestic sales stagnate.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 12, 2006

Pages stages world premiere

Avant-garde Spanish flamenco dancer Maria Pages stages the world premiere of her production "Sevilla" in Tokyo from May 14 to 16.
MORE SPORTS
May 11, 2006

JSF plans to accuse ex-president for embezzlement

The Japan Skating Federation plans to file civil and criminal charges against its former president for suspected embezzlement, acting federation president Yasuakira Hayashi said Wednesday.
JAPAN
May 11, 2006

Transsexuals gain freedoms but still face barriers

To most people, Takafumi Fujio -- with cropped hair, thick arms and deep voice -- is a typical, middle-aged salaryman. But until four years ago, when the food company worker started on a range of hormonal treatments, he was a woman, a housewife and mother of two.
BUSINESS
May 11, 2006

Softbank logs 1 trillion yen sales due to broadband

Softbank Corp. reported Wednesday that group sales reached 1.108 trillion yen in the business year that ended at the end of March, up 32 percent from a year earlier and achieving the 1 trillion yen threshold for the first time.
BUSINESS
May 11, 2006

Coke recall jumps to 2.37 million bottles

The Coca-Cola group in Japan will increase the number of soft drinks it is recalling, due to suspected iron contamination, to 2.37 million bottles from the initially planned 570,000.
BUSINESS
May 11, 2006

ChuoAoyama handed suspension order, heads roll

The chairman of the ChuoAoyama PricewaterhouseCoopers board said Wednesday that both he and the deputy chairman will resign to take the responsibility for the firm's failure to prevent three of its accountants from conspiring in the earnings falsification at Kanebo Ltd., just hours after the auditor...
BUSINESS
May 10, 2006

OSE, Jasdaq open talks on backing each other up

The Osaka Securities Exchange and Jasdaq Securities Exchange have begun talks on using each other's trading systems as a backup in case of a disruption caused by a terrorist attack or natural disaster, the two bourses said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 10, 2006

Murakami asks TSE for railway info

An investment fund led by financier Yoshiaki Murakami said Tuesday it has asked the Tokyo Stock Exchange to instruct Hanshin Electric Railway Co. and Hankyu Holdings Inc. to expedite disclosure of information on their merger talks.
BUSINESS
May 10, 2006

Disney properties' profit down in '05 due to Aichi Expo

The operator of Tokyo Disneyland said Tuesday it posted a pretax profit of 26.69 billion yen in fiscal 2005, down 13.5 percent, due to the World Exposition in Aichi.
BUSINESS
May 10, 2006

Auditor to face FSA sanctions

The government will slap major auditing firm ChuoAoyama PricewaterhouseCoopers with a business suspension order for its accountants' involvement in window-dressing by Kanebo Ltd., Financial Services Minister Kaoru Yosano said Tuesday.
JAPAN
May 9, 2006

Startup carrier for Kansai airport still only in pie in the sky stage

OSAKA -- Moments after takeoff, passengers on "Air Kansai" watch two flight attendants explain the safety procedures in rapid-fire Osaka "manzai" comic dialogue.
JAPAN
May 9, 2006

Bean diet draws viewer complaints

Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. has received more than 30 complaints from viewers who suffered nausea or diarrhea after trying a diet aired on one of its TV programs, the company said Monday.
BUSINESS
May 9, 2006

Isetan group net profit leaps 48.3%

Department store chain Isetan Co. said Monday its group net profit in fiscal 2005 jumped 48.3 percent from the previous year to 18.71 billion yen due to good sales at the parent company's stores and its overseas arms, as well as the consolidation of Kyushu-based Iwataya Department Co. into its results....
BUSINESS
May 9, 2006

Hanshin board fight seen heating up

The tug of war between Hanshin Electric Railway Co. and its largest shareholder, the Murakami fund, is expected to heat up this week over the selection of Hanshin board members, with a Murakami candidate for the board demanding an explanation from Hanshin for its objection to his candidacy.
EDITORIALS
May 8, 2006

Bracing for a new level of oil prices

Oil prices hovering at a historically high level are threatening to destabilize the world economy. Domestically they could exert a cooling effect on the economy just as it appears to be emerging from a long period of deflation, thus undermining the foundation for economic recovery. The public is now...

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji