Search - company

 
 
BUSINESS
May 26, 2005

Kansai airport turns first profit

The operator of Kansai International Airport said Wednesday it posted its first-ever full-year profit in fiscal 2004, thanks to an increase in international flights and a reduction in interest payments on debts.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2005

MMC pinning hopes on new SUV

Struggling Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Tuesday it will launch a new sport utility vehicle in its Grandis minivan series.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 24, 2005

NTT Com to offer fragrances via Net

NTT Communications Corp. said Monday it has developed a way to offer fragrances via the Internet.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2005

Mizuho profit up 54.2% on improved bad debts

Mizuho Financial Group Inc., the nation's biggest banking group by assets, said Monday its group net profit for the last business year rose 54.2 percent from a year earlier amid the economic recovery and strong corporate earnings.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2005

Insurers pay the price for last year's typhoons

Due to record natural disaster-related claims caused by the unprecedented number of typhoons last year, Japan's three largest nonlife insurers on Monday reported sharp drops in fiscal 2004 profits.
EDITORIALS
May 22, 2005

Brave new words

Not so long ago -- six or eight months, perhaps -- we heard a young man describe something as "ginormous." We were impressed. Although we had never heard the word, its meaning was obvious: gigantic plus enormous. How clever of this person, we thought, to coin such a fun, economical new way of saying...
Japan Times
Features
May 22, 2005

Retirees lead the way back to nature

Yoshishige Nagayama started farming when he retired nine years ago at age 60.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2005

U.S. official frets excessive corporate takeover defense

Visiting U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Lawrence Greenwood expressed concern Friday about Japanese companies introducing measures to block hostile takeovers, saying they could block friendly merger attempts of foreign businesses.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2005

Imperial Hotel sees sales, profits fall

Imperial Hotel Ltd. said Friday its group sales and profits suffered marginal falls in fiscal 2004 because some guest rooms and restaurants were closed for repair work during the business year.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
May 20, 2005

Man United-Arsenal F.A. Cup final promises to be a belter

LONDON -- The joke doing the rounds as the F.A. Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester United approaches is that the kickoff should be put back from3 p.m. until after the 9 p.m. watershed.
BUSINESS
May 20, 2005

Chinese exec foresees a rosy future

Despite recent anti-Japan demonstrations in China, business relations between the two neighbors will eventually deepen and expand in a mutually beneficial way, a Chinese business executive predicted Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 20, 2005

Terrestrial digital radio to get early start in 2006

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will allow terrestrial digital radio broadcasting to begin in 2006, five years earlier than originally planned, ministry officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 20, 2005

Japan Net Bank books first profit

Japan Net Bank said Thursday it posted a net profit of 1.1 billion yen in the business year that ended March 31, the company's first net profit since it started operating in October 2000.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / COUNTER CULTURE
May 20, 2005

Camping it up with style

Sexy, salacious and in your face, Dress Camp is an anomaly in the dour world of Tokyo fashion.
BUSINESS
May 19, 2005

TBS takes countertakeover steps

Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. said Wednesday it will issue stock purchase warrants worth 600 million yen to a wholly owned subsidiary of its financial adviser, Nikko Cordial Corp., as a means of tightening its defenses against hostile takeover attempts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
May 19, 2005

Big names, big games, big show

The real "Bond . . . James Bond" is coming to video games. Electronic Arts has signed Sean Connery to reprise his role as British agent 007 in the video game version of "From Russia with Love."
BUSINESS
May 18, 2005

Toyota probes Prius woes in U.S.

Toyota is investigating complaints that its Prius hybrid cars are stalling in the United States, company officials said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2005

Suzuki unveils new, roomier Escudo SUV

Suzuki Motor Corp. unveiled its fully remodeled Escudo compact sport utility vehicle for the domestic market Monday, hoping the new addition will boost sales of compact cars.
COMMENTARY
May 16, 2005

Relax, breathe, leave the smokers alone

WASHINGTON -- One of the most persecuted minorities in America, and increasingly in other countries, is smokers. U.S. cities and states have imposed ever more Draconian restrictions on lighting up a cigarette, and a bipartisan coalition of paternalistic legislators on Capitol Hill now is pushing for...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 15, 2005

Long overdue interleague action playing to good reviews

The concept of the koryu-sen (interleague play) in Japanese baseball is getting great reviews so far from players, fans and media members. Typical comments from participants are, "We should have been doing this 10 years ago" and "It's great to see some different ballparks and towns for a change."
Japan Times
Features / WEEK 3
May 15, 2005

No laughing matter

O n the stage, Charlie Chaplin was known as the tramp who made millions laugh without saying a word. But in his heart of hearts, it seems the great comic wanted to be a statesman whose words could change history.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Nifco set to build new Thai plant

Industrial plastic parts manufacturer Nifco Inc. said Friday it will build a new plant in Thailand to meet growing orders from Japanese automakers.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Sankyo president defends price of acquiring Daiichi

Brushing aside shareholder opposition, Sankyo Co. President Takashi Shoda on Friday defended his firm's decision to acquire Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
May 13, 2005

Tsutsumi used culture to amass, retain iron grip on power

"If you want Sundays off, don't be a manager in my company."
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / VINELAND
May 13, 2005

To cut a long bottle short . . . Champagne gets it, samurai style

There is no sound more synonymous with celebration than the sharp pop of a Champagne cork. Professionals, of course, recommend easing the cork out slowly enough so that only a slight gasp is heard, which one waggish sommelier likened to "the sound of a contented woman."
BUSINESS
May 13, 2005

Steelmakers make hay as demand keeps rising

Strong global demand offset rising materials prices in fiscal 2004, allowing Japan's major steelmakers to log record earnings, according to earnings reports released through Thursday.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 12, 2005

Middle-aged men seek reconciliation with wives

Oh boy. It's happened at last: the junai (pure love) boom of last year that changed even the behavioral patterns of Sentagai no Jyoshikousei (the high school girls of Center-Gai, Shibuya) has reached the last and most difficult segment of the Japanese populace: the over-45 salaryman.

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