Search - 2004

 
 
BUSINESS
Sep 10, 2005

MHI begins production of gas turbine parts in China

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Friday it has started producing core components for gas turbines in China in a joint venture with a major Chinese turbine manufacturer in a bid to meet surging demand.
BUSINESS
Sep 10, 2005

Japanese firms stronger, S&P says

Japanese companies are now in a much better position than in 2001, although some have shown slowing profit growth, Standard & Poor's Ratings Service said Friday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Sep 10, 2005

Just 14 more mountains to climb for jackpot 100

Some long-term visitors to Japan choose to count the days. Others make the decision to suck every drop of juice out of the opportunity. Take Ginger Vaughn, for example. She falls most definitely into the latter category -- and all power to her facial and calf muscles!
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2005

Man found guilty in 'koban' scrap

The Tokyo District Court gave a 53-year-old man a suspended seven-month prison term Thursday for obstructing police in Tokyo in February 2004.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2005

Key bid-rigging figure makes bail

The Tokyo High Court said Thursday it will release Michio Uchida, a former vice president of Japan Highway Public Corp. suspected of being involved in bid-rigging, on bail of 15 million yen.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2005

Claims from Kanto quake would outdo Katrina: S&P

If a huge temblor like the one in 1923 hits the Kanto region, insurance claims will rocket to nearly 7 trillion, yen topping the cost of any past natural disaster to date, U.S. credit rating agency Standard & Poor's said Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 8, 2005

Downsizing government sounds great

Downsizing the public sector has been high on the agenda of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's government, and both his Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan are promising this campaign season to reduce the number of people on the government payroll.
BUSINESS
Sep 8, 2005

Asbestos in Bridgestone bike brakes

Bridgestone Cycle Co. said Wednesday it has discovered about 19,500 children's bicycles sold between October 2004 and last month have asbestos in their brakes and is offering to change the components for free.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 2005

Train crash report lays main blame on speeding

An interim report on the deadly April 25 crash of a speeding commuter train on West Japan Railway Co.'s Fukuchiyama Line touches on the driver's apparent erratic behavior but leaves many questions unanswered.
BUSINESS
Sep 7, 2005

Rakuten to buy ad firm LinkShare

Rakuten Inc. said Tuesday it will acquire major U.S. Internet advertising agency LinkShare Corp. for about $425 million (about 46.5 billion yen), a deal that will enable the Japanese online shopping mall operator to expand into the U.S. market.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 2005

Plutonium from spent fuel at 43 tons

Japan's stockpile of plutonium extracted and separated from spent nuclear fuel increased to 43.1 tons as of the end of 2004, up 2.5 tons from the previous year, the government reported to the Atomic Energy Commission on Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 6, 2005

Postal plan no cure for spiraling debt, critic says

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's plan to privatize the giant postal system will not resolve Japan's ballooning fiscal debt, which is hampering plans to create a smaller government, according to outspoken critic Yasuyo Yamazaki.
EDITORIALS
Sep 5, 2005

A child-rearing environment

Policy proposals for creating an economic and social environment conducive to childbearing and child-rearing should be an important issue for voters to consider in next Sunday's Lower House election. An accelerating decline in the birthrate, followed eventually by a smaller labor force, will have a great...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 5, 2005

Rich-poor divide poses unrelenting threat

NEW YORK -- According to the just released U.N. report "The Inequality Predicament," increasing poverty and the growing gap between the rich and poor will be major threats to developing coun- tries' peace and stability. The report, prepared by the United Nations' Economic and Social Affairs Department,...
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2005

LDP leading in polls with a week to go

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is likely to win a majority Sept. 11, while the Democratic Party of Japan may not end up with the 175 seats it held when the House of Representatives was dissolved, a Kyodo News survey shows.
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2005

Koizumi remains firm on visiting Yasukuni

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi indicated his firm determination Sunday to continue his controversial annual visits to Yasukuni Shrine.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Sep 4, 2005

How to beat the high price of Japanese pro baseball tickets

Have you ever thought about going to a Japanese baseball game but, upon checking prices, thought the tickets are rather expensive?
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 4, 2005

Selective thinking devalues the V-word's worth

There is a six-letter word so abused and perverted these days that I wouldn't blame the media for banning it altogether. It is the V-word and, I must confess, I hesitated to write this column about it myself. But journalists must not be daunted by trends that pollute . . . and so, here we go. The word,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 3, 2005

LDP, DPJ said on nearly same reform page

Despite heated debate between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan over which is the real champion of reform, both parties would pursue the ongoing fiscal reconsolidation the same way, a key member of the government's deregulation panel said.
BUSINESS
Sep 3, 2005

Japan Post may close loss-making 'kampo' lodgings

Japan Post may close or sell 11 of its "kampo" inn and leisure facilities by the end of fiscal 2005 because they are losing money, sources said Friday.
JAPAN
Sep 2, 2005

Thai FTA defers sticking points

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his visiting Thai counterpart, Thaksin Shinawatra, agreed Thursday on a basic accord to lower mutual trade barriers that left key decisions on high tariffs on Japanese cars and Thai rice unresolved.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 1, 2005

Guru appeal deadline missed

Lawyers for Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara missed the Wednesday deadline to submit a document stating the reason they are appealing his death sentence.
JAPAN
Sep 1, 2005

New rocket with bigger payload to launch in '08

The science and technology ministry plans to launch sometime in fiscal 2008 a rocket that can carry a payload 50 percent larger than the current H-IIA rocket.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2005

It's now a case of what clicks with voters

As campaigning officially kicked off Tuesday for the Sept. 11 election, attention is focused on voters and their priorities.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2005

Panel refuses to link Isahaya to fish damage

The Environmental Dispute Coordination Commission on Tuesday rejected a request by fishermen to determine that a major government reclamation project in Kyushu has damaged the local fishery industry, saying a causal link cannot be scientifically confirmed.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2005

Pat Robertson gives religion a black eye

NEW YORK -- Statements broadcast last week by television evangelist and former U.S. presidential candidate Pat Robertson throw a disturbing light on the influence of religion in American politics. Robertson told his audience that American agents should assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to...
EDITORIALS
Aug 28, 2005

Win-win in a downloading culture

The start of Apple Computer Inc.'s music-downloading service Aug. 4 heralds big changes in the landscape of Japan's music business and culture. Music lovers can now choose their favorite songs from among 1 million songs offered by iTunes Music Store. With Apple's entry into the Japanese market, an increasing...
COMMENTARY
Aug 27, 2005

Beware the green terrorists among us

WASHINGTON -- Political terrorism, exemplified by 9/11 and most recently in London, may pose the greatest security threat facing most nations. But other terrorists also lurk among us, mostly in the guise of animal rights and environmental activists.

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