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COMMENTARY
Sep 1, 2003

Merger of opposition parties may bring grand reform era

On July 24, lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Party approved an agreement for the two opposition parties to merge before the end of September. Some pundits criticized the scheduled merger as "unprincipled," but I disagree. I believe it has major significance for the nation.
BUSINESS
Aug 27, 2003

Resona Holdings to pare group

Resona Holdings Inc. will reduce the number of its subsidiaries and affiliates to a quarter of the current level, President Eiji Hosoya said Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2003

BOJ exec floats vague inflation-targeting plan

Deputy Bank of Japan Gov. Kazumasa Iwata has proposed a three-step "dynamic targeting program" that includes the introduction of a numerical target to stem deflation.
BUSINESS
Aug 5, 2003

Execs less downbeat over economy after pickup in earnings, share prices

An increasing number of major Japanese businesses are less pessimistic about the economy, as earnings and share prices have started picking up, according to a recent Kyodo News survey of executives at 100 big firms.
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2003

Economy, deficit least served by budget caps

Although the government faces two important goals -- shoring up the fragile economy and cutting its enormous budget deficit -- the cap on core fiscal 2004 budget outlays the Cabinet endorsed Friday only increases concern that neither can be achieved anytime soon.
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2003

Mitsui Mining, Dia Kensetsu mull seeking IRCJ assistance

Natural resources firm Mitsui Mining Co. and condominium builder Dia Kensetsu Co. are considering seeking a bailout from the Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan, sources said Friday.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

Sony net profit nosedives 98% amid sluggish sales

Sony Corp.'s group net profit for the first quarter of this fiscal year nosedived 98 percent to 1.1 billion yen from a year earlier, the company said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jul 24, 2003

BOJ vows to take risks until prices start rising

Bank of Japan Gov. Toshihiko Fukui underscored on Wednesday his determination to fight deflation, stating the central bank will take "unlimited risks" until prices rise.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 23, 2003

Top lobby set to restart party donations

The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) hopes to restore its political influence by encouraging member firms to pay donations to parties and by evaluating how the parties measure up.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 9, 2003

Popular nightclub a microcosm of pain, potential of deflation-beset Japan

Tokyo nightclub owner Sakura Masui is nowhere close to the modern-day geisha girl she appears to be, shuffling demurely in a purple kimono as she pours drinks and chats in hushed tones.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2003

Web suicide sites have officials worried

The pattern has become eerily familiar. After forging a pact with strangers over the Internet, young people get together to carry out a carefully planned task -- suicide.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2003

Governors' wages rise while mayors' drop

The average income of governors in 35 prefectures rose to 24 million yen in 2002, while that of mayors of 10 of the nation's 13 largest cities fell to 22.37 million yen, with many having their pay and bonuses cut due to tight budgets, according to income reports released Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2003

'Worn out' Fukuda hints at fall Cabinet reshuffle

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi may reshuffle his Cabinet in the fall if he is re-elected LDP president in September, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda indicated Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2003

'Worn out' Fukuda hints at fall Cabinet reshuffle

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi may reshuffle his Cabinet in the fall if he is re-elected LDP president in September, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda indicated Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2003

Distance limit eyed for Haneda overseas flights

The transport ministry proposed Thursday that Tokyo's Haneda airport be used for regular short-distance international flights by 2009, when it completes construction of a new 2,500-meter runway.
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2003

Distance limit eyed for Haneda overseas flights

The transport ministry proposed Thursday that Tokyo's Haneda airport be used for regular short-distance international flights by 2009, when it completes construction of a new 2,500-meter runway.
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2003

Distance limit eyed for Haneda overseas flights

The transport ministry proposed Thursday that Tokyo's Haneda airport be used for regular short-distance international flights by 2009, when it completes construction of a new 2,500-meter runway.
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2003

Tesco buys into Japan market

Major British retailer Tesco PLC announced Tuesday it will acquire Tokyo-based supermarket chain C Two-Network Co. for 32.8 billion yen, joining the growing list of foreign retail giants gaining a foothold in the world's second-largest economy.
BUSINESS
Jun 10, 2003

Reform debate gets personal as boycott called

A rift between the national and local governments over decentralization appears to have developed into an unprecedented attempt to boycott products made by one of the nation's major consumer electronics makers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2003

People made ill by water in wells to get state help

The Environment Ministry will pay the medical bills of residents of Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture, who fell ill after drinking water from wells contaminated by arsenic. The measures were announced Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2003

People made ill by water in wells to get state help

The Environment Ministry will pay the medical bills of residents of Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture, who fell ill after drinking water from wells contaminated by arsenic. The measures were announced Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2003

People made ill by water in wells to get state help

The Environment Ministry will pay the medical bills of residents of Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture, who fell ill after drinking water from wells contaminated by arsenic. The measures were announced Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2003

Former Duskin chief held on fund misuse

Tokyo prosecutors on Wednesday arrested the former chairman of Duskin Co. on suspicion of misusing some 180 million yen of the company's money to help an ailing firm run by a friend.
EDITORIALS
May 25, 2003

Auguries in a coffee cup

Eight years ago, there was no such thing as a Starbucks coffee shop in Japan. Now they are part of the landscape; in the big cities, you can often find two or three of the ubiquitous stores with the round green logo within a couple of blocks of each other. That might sound like the ultimate definition...
BUSINESS
May 20, 2003

Ailing contractors to delay merger

Troubled contractors Kumagai Gumi Co. and Tobishima Corp. said Monday they will delay the deadline for their planned merger for a year until April 2005 so they can prepare more carefully.

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person