Search - 2003

 
 
JAPAN
Jul 17, 2004

Sumitomo Trust tries to block tieup

Sumitomo Trust & Banking Corp. on Friday filed an application with the Tokyo District Court to seek an injunction to halt merger talks between UFJ Holdings Inc. and Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group Inc., saying the UFJ group's decision to cancel its plan to sell UFJ Trust Bank to Sumitomo is a breach...
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2004

Suzuki aide in fund scam sees suspended term upheld

The Tokyo High Court on Thursday upheld a suspended 16-month prison term for a former aide of ex-House of Representatives member Muneo Suzuki convicted of funds misuse and bid-meddling.
COMMENTARY
Jul 16, 2004

Lawyers set sights on alcohol producers

WASHINGTON -- There's nothing new about lawyers, especially in the United States, attempting to profit from tragedy. When an individual dies after behaving irresponsibly, an attorney always can be found to blame someone with deep pockets.
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2004

Suzuki aide in fund scam sees suspended term upheld

The Tokyo High Court on Thursday upheld a suspended 16-month prison term for a former aide of ex-House of Representatives member Muneo Suzuki convicted of funds misuse and bid-meddling.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2004

Struggling UFJ pursues merger deal with MTFG

Ailing UFJ Holdings Inc. on Wednesday asked rival Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group Inc. to merge with it in a deal that would create the world's biggest banking group, with 190 trillion yen in assets.
LIFE / Lifestyle / MATTER OF COURSE
Jul 15, 2004

Japan's kindergartens could serve families better

Procreation just ain't what it used to be.
Japan Times
JAPAN / BY THE NUMBERS
Jul 14, 2004

Brewers hope to bask in suds sales as mercury rises

The mood at breweries goes up with the mercury -- when it's blazing hot, ice-cold beer is irresistible and sales skyrocket.
BUSINESS
Jul 14, 2004

Postal privatization talks to resume next week

Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Heizo Takenaka said Tuesday the government will resume postal privatization discussions next week and draw up a final report on the issue in September.
BUSINESS
Jul 14, 2004

Record 74% of Japan manufacturers see profits in China

A record 74.4 percent of China-based Japanese manufacturers responding to a poll posted operating profits in 2003, the Japan External Trade Organization said Tuesday.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jul 13, 2004

The big squeeze

The news from Japan these days is untypically sunny. The economy is performing at its sharpest clip for 13 years, investment and profits are up and analysts are gingerly forecasting a sustained recovery.
BUSINESS
Jul 13, 2004

Tokyo food price gap shrank in '03

Gaps in retail food prices between Tokyo and New York, Paris and London shrank last year, according to survey results released Monday by the government.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 13, 2004

Singer, skier, Korean win seats

Okinawa singer and peace activist Shokichi Kina, one of the celebrity hopefuls who ran in Sunday's House of Councilors election, won a seat in the Diet.
COMMENTARY
Jul 12, 2004

Summits of East Asian unity

East Asia is moving toward regional integration, albeit at a slow pace. In a series of meetings held in Indonesia from late June to early July, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed on a package of measures to expedite economic, financial, political and security integration. This signals...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 11, 2004

Classic love-tragedy finds new blood

Noh, contemporary classical music and calligraphy -- each is an artistic form with its own appeal.
Japan Times
LIFE
Jul 11, 2004

Believe it ... or not

Japan's vast hoard of war booty known as Yamashita's Gold was long thought to be buried in caves in the Philippines. But in their book 'Gold Warriors,' Sterling and Peggy Seagrave sensationally claim that the treasure trove was secretly recovered -- and continues to oil the wheels of politics in Japan...
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2004

Hunger-striker returns to cell after hospital visit

IBARAKI, Osaka Pref. -- A 37-year-old Iranian who has been held at the West Japan Immigration Center here since February 2003 and has been on a hunger strike for over a month, was briefly hospitalized Friday, according to his supporters.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / THEN AND NOW
Jul 9, 2004

Dancing in the streets

South of the Chinzanso/Four Seasons Hotel on the Kandagawa -- where our walk finished last month -- Kagurazaka is a vibrant town named after its sloped main street, The Kagurazaka. This hilly area has a maze of lanes and short but steep hills, making it a thrilling adventure for urban walkers. In pockets...
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2004

Thai girl can stay three more months

The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau said Thursday it has renewed the short-term resident status of a 13-year-old Thai girl living in Japan with her family, allowing her to stay three more months.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2004

Resort rattles isle's ecological sensitivities

IRIOMOTE ISLAND, Okinawa Pref. -- Dubbed by some as the "Galapagos in the East," Iriomote boasts subtropical forests, mangrove swamps and a surrounding coral reef.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jul 9, 2004

Long season has stars worn out for international play

LONDON -- Euro 2004 needed big names rather than long names to shine.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 9, 2004

Cosmetics firms want men to invest in their faces

Cosmetics manufacturers are starting to market cosmetics for men, believing the economic recovery will encourage them to "invest" in their faces.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2004

Schools plan HIV-awareness classes to battle rise in STDs

About 80 secondary schools in 10 prefectures are planning to teach students about ways in which to prevent HIV infection and AIDS this academic year, government officials said Thursday.
COMMENTARY
Jul 9, 2004

Hu's star will keep rising

HONG KONG -- Ever since Hu Jintao took over as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2002 and assumed the presidency in 2003, there has been much speculation as to whether he really wields the powers of those offices or whether his predecessor, Jiang Zemin, who remains head of the armed...
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Jul 8, 2004

Renewable energy sources offer global chance to shed fossil fuels

As the leading national consumer of fossil fuels, the United States churns out almost a quarter of all the industrial carbon dioxide worldwide. Apologists say this is the price that must be paid in exchange for driving the global economy. Realists see such hubris as eventually undermining human viability...
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2004

Electric power body sat on data

The Federation of Electric Power Companies admitted Wednesday that it failed to disclose data it compiled in February 1996 on the cost of burying spent nuclear fuel.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004

Adopted Thai girl allowed to stay

Backtracking on an earlier decision, the Justice Ministry has decided to extend a short-term visa to a 13-year-old Thai orphan who came to live with her grandmother in Tokyo after losing her parents, officials said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004

Unlicensed medicine sales net Aum arrests

Senior Aum Shinrikyo member Naruhito Noda and five others from the cult were arrested Tuesday over the alleged unlicensed sale of medicine.

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