Search - 2004

 
 
JAPAN
Aug 15, 2005

Police suspect Joyu may try to retake Aum's helm

Fumihiro Joyu, the nominal head of the Aum Shinrikyo cult that launched the deadly sarin attack on the Tokyo subway system in 1995, may be attempting a comeback, police sources said Sunday.
JAPAN / 60 YEARS,AND ONWARD
Aug 14, 2005

War's end brought cash to Hokkaido

When the 77th Division of the 9th Army Corps landed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, on Oct. 4, 1945, it began a low-key U.S. presence in Japan's northernmost prefecture which continues to this day.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2005

Bureaucrat weighs election run as 'assassin' for Koizumi

Senior Finance Ministry official Satsuki Katayama said Saturday she is "positively" considering a request from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to run in the Sept. 11 general election against a candidate in Shizuoka Prefecture opposed to postal privatization.
BUSINESS
Aug 13, 2005

FSA orders Nagoya bourse to safeguard confidential info

The Financial Services Agency issued a business improvement order Friday to the Nagoya Stock Exchange due to its failure to protect confidential information in violation of the Securities and Exchange Law.
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2005

Charges urged in bureaucrat embezzling

A civic ombudsman association filed a criminal accusation with prosecutors Thursday against a former trade ministry bureaucrat who allegedly embezzled 24 million yen in public money, association members said.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2005

Oil spike dents current account surplus

Japan's current account surplus shrank 8.9 percent in the first half from a year earlier to 8.752 trillion yen, marking a first decline in four half-year periods, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2005

Itoham Aussie unit sells beef to China

Itoham Foods Inc. said Thursday its Sydney-based subsidiary began selling Australian beef in Beijing in July, in a bid to expand overseas sales.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2005

Don Quijote buys big 'bento' stake

Discount retailer Don Quijote Co. said Thursday it has acquired a 23.62 percent stake in Origin Toshu Co., which runs a chain of shops selling "bento" boxed meals, for 8.09 billion yen.
COMMENTARY
Aug 12, 2005

Dreams drive the nightmare

WASHINGTON -- Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel is again pushing legislation to reintroduce a draft in America. He first did so in 2003 to slow the Bush administration's rush to war. Now he says conscription is necessary to provide the bodies necessary for Iraq's occupation.
BUSINESS
Aug 11, 2005

July wholesale prices up 1.5% on energy cost rise

Wholesale prices rose a preliminary 1.5 percent in July from a year earlier for the 17th straight month of gain, due mainly to higher energy prices, the Bank of Japan said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Aug 11, 2005

Police launch traffic safety campaign

The National Police Agency said Wednesday it would try to achieve the world's best traffic safety by introducing comprehensive safety education and reviewing licensing requirements for elderly drivers.
BUSINESS
Aug 10, 2005

Toshiba lowers profit ratio goal despite expected sales growth

Acknowledging Toshiba Corp. has not met its targets in the last five years, the firm's new president lowered profit ratio forecasts Tuesday, indicating that while it expects sales to grow, profits will likely decline -- or will not grow as fast.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2005

House dissolution may delay critical diplomacy

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's decision Monday to call a general election may end up stalling Japan's diplomatic agenda, including talks on realigning the U.S. forces in Japan.
JAPAN / 60 YEARS AND ONWARD
Aug 9, 2005

Japan's veterans bemoan lack of U.S.-style respect

OSAKA -- Every Aug. 15, all manner of people gather at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine. But often lost among the parade of rightwing loudspeaker trucks, leftwing protesters and formally attired senior political figures swarmed by the press are the veterans themselves.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 7, 2005

Falcons fly past Colts

Atlanta backup quarterback Matt Schaub completed 11 of 13 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Atlanta Falcons to a 27-21 comeback victory over the Indianapolis Colts Saturday night in the NFL Tokyo 2005.
JAPAN / 60 YEARS AND ONWARD
Aug 6, 2005

Koreans here inclined to assimilate to dodge racism

It was a big leap for Takae Hayama to switch from her Japanese name to her real name when she went to college.
EDITORIALS
Aug 5, 2005

Safeguards for a DNA database

The National Police Agency has been implementing a phased plan to construct a database of DNA patterns of suspects and convicted criminals to facilitate criminal investigations. DNA patterns, also called DNA fingerprints, can identify individuals almost as accurately as real fingerprints. A 2002 Interpol...
Japan Times
JAPAN / 60 YEARS AND ONWARD
Aug 5, 2005

Postwar labor scene still grim for working women

Choice has been a long time coming for Japan's working women.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2005

Money-transfer fraud up but total crimes down

The number of reported money-transfer frauds and the losses from them increased in the first half of 2005 from the same period last year, but total crimes, including those committed by minors, decreased for a third straight year, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Aug 5, 2005

McDonald's to pay millions in unpaid overtime

The decision earlier this week by McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan) to make up for inadequate overtime wages and nonscheduled cash earnings owed to nearly 130,000 part-time and regular-payroll workers has sent a shock wave through industries heavily dependent on employees paid by the hour.

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