Search - 2003

 
 
BUSINESS
Oct 4, 2005

Latest Bali blasts to have limited impact, travel agencies say

Japanese travelers appear to be taking Saturday's deadly bombings in Bali calmly, with relatively few tour cancellations reported by travel agents so far.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2005

Japan's tech may be up to SST task but business prospects adding drag

Preparing for a crucial flight test this week, officials with the key contractor developing a Japanese supersonic jet said they are confident they have the technology to make the project fly -- but not so sure of its future business prospects.
BUSINESS
Oct 4, 2005

Heisei Denden files for court protection

Telecommunications venture firm Heisei Denden Co. said Monday it has filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors, with debts reaching some 120 billion yen as of the end of September.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Oct 4, 2005

Hidden wisdom of 'the guv,' Shintaro Ishihara

Adored by large sections of the Japanese public, reviled in equal measure by the foreign community and courted tirelessly by the domestic media: There are few more divisive figures in Japan today than Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara.
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2005

Obituary: Takao Ode

Former Supreme Court Justice Takao Ode died of heart failure at his home in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, on Thursday, the court said Sunday. He was 73.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Oct 2, 2005

Sheets a key player for Tigers in pennant-winning season

Congratulations to the Hanshin Tigers on winning their second Central League pennant in three years. The victory was a true team effort highlighted by a potent offensive attack, a balanced pitching staff and clever use of an adequate pool of talent by manager Akinobu Okada.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2005

Telecom exec wanted over share-price scam

A former executive of a failed telecommunications firm has been placed on the nationwide wanted list on suspicion of announcing an unrealistic mobile phone service to raise the stock price of its parent company, investigative sources said Saturday.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 2, 2005

A stinging voice of conscience who told it like it is

He would have turned 80 this month. And in our time of ill-lived religious fanatics and retrograde policy planners, we feel his loss all the more.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 1, 2005

Riggs launches two homers as Swallows take advantage of hung over Tigers

Adam Riggs homered twice to drive in four runs as the Yakult Swallows beat the Central League-winning Hanshin Tigers 8-4 Friday night at Jingu Stadium.
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2005

FTC expects Japan Highway to sue execs for collusion damages

The Fair Trade Commission said Thursday 45 domestic bridge-builders rigged bids for 260 billion yen worth of state and Japan Highway Public Corp. contracts from 2002 to 2004.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2005

Six labor bureaus found to have embezzled funds

Officials at six regional labor bureaus, including those in Tokyo, Aomori, Kyoto and Hokkaido, have embezzled more than 70 million yen in public funds, Board of Audit officials said Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Sep 29, 2005

Raku's hand-held universes and the unseen pots of Kamoda

The phrase "contemplation of the everyday object as a mystical resource" graces the back of a catalog from the 1998 Raku exhibition that toured Europe. I say it over and over in my mind like a mantra, challenging myself to be aware of the things I live with and how they not only satisfy my needs but...
JAPAN
Sep 28, 2005

LDP OKs bill to extend antiterror law

The Liberal Democratic Party approved a bill Tuesday to extend the special counterterrorism law for another year, keeping the Maritime Self-Defense Force in the Indian Ocean to provide fuel to the U.S.-led naval forces there.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Sep 27, 2005

Time well spent

Living in the world's second largest economy, it's often tempting to forget that there are people and organizations in Japan in dire need of help.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Sep 25, 2005

TV Tokyo's "Giants of Beauty" looks back on photographer Ihei Kimura's works, and more

On Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m., NHK will broadcast in two parts an award-winning French miniseries about "The Dominici Affair" on its BS-2 channel. The 2003 dramatization revisited one of France's most notorious criminal cases, introducing new evidence.
JAPAN
Sep 24, 2005

After-lunch nap can perk up kids who get the nods in class: expert

It's an afternoon class and most of the pupils are trying to fight off drowsiness -- an experience most people perhaps can identify with.
Sep 24, 2005

North Korea may have mineral bounty

North Korea may be considered a country with few natural resources, but the United States and Europe are eyeing possible large deposits of minerals there that could be used in the high-tech and weapons industries.
BUSINESS
Sep 23, 2005

Trade surplus plunges as import bill soars

The nation's customs-cleared trade surplus plunged by 79.7 percent in August to 116.3 billion yen on a year-on-year basis, as the imports bill ballooned to record levels amid an ongoing runup in oil prices, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
COMMENTARY
Sep 23, 2005

Chinese show commendable patience

LOS ANGELES -- In very important negotiations, the Chinese tend to work things in a manner different from the West. Their diplomats generally dislike framing positions in an edgy, confrontational, take-it-or-leave-it style. That approach strikes them as too risky. They tend to process an initial rebuff...
BUSINESS
Sep 23, 2005

Assessment of economy unchanged

The government on Thursday kept its upbeat overall assessment of the economy unchanged from the previous month, and even upgraded its view on capital investment and housing construction.
Sep 23, 2005

Violence by kids in elementary schools hit record in '04

The number of reported violent acts by children at public elementary schools reached a record high of 1,890 in the 2004 academic year through March, an education ministry survey showed Thursday.
JAPAN
Sep 23, 2005

Sony plans workforce, plant cuts in bid to stem losses

Sony Corp. announced Thursday it will slash 10,000 employees, or about 7 percent of its global workforce, and close 11 production facilities as part of a sweeping restructuring plan in a bid to revive its fortunes.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 23, 2005

Breast cancer threat ignored

Japanese women must bring about radical change in their country's health-care culture to stem a worrisome increase in breast cancer, a prominent cancer-awareness advocate said ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
EDITORIALS
Sep 22, 2005

Social assistance for crime victims

To become the victim of a crime is a tragic experience that can cause lasting physical, psychological or financial damage. In the past, crime victims and their family members have not received much help from society. Last December, however, the Diet passed the Basic Law for Crime Victims, which recognizes...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 22, 2005

'Manga' publishers see cell phones as the future

Cartoon-strip publishers, whose printed-matter sales have been losing steam, are actively embracing mobile media because cell phones are what young people are spending their time and money on.

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