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BUSINESS
May 14, 2003

JR East posts increases in revenue, profit

East Japan Railway Co. reported Tuesday an increase in revenue and consolidated profit in fiscal 2002, despite seeing a 3 billion yen decline in its core transport business due to the sluggish business environment, officials said.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2003

Nikon 2002 figures deeper in red

Nikon Corp. said Monday it fell deeper into the red with a consolidated net loss of 8.14 billion yen in fiscal 2002, against a loss of 6 billion yen the previous year.
BUSINESS
May 10, 2003

Sorting out the recent fuss over pension funds, share prices

Thought Tokyo stock prices could fall no further? Think again. Corporate pension managers are poised to sell between 2 trillion yen and 3 trillion yen worth of stocks in the coming months -- and think tanks estimate that figure could double.
BUSINESS
May 10, 2003

Nippon Steel posts 51.7 billion yen loss

Nippon Steel Corp.'s group net loss widened to 51.69 billion yen in the 2002 business year, up from 28.40 billion yen the previous year, due to restructuring-related losses and appraisal losses on land and stockholdings.
BUSINESS
May 9, 2003

Kokuyo swings back into black

Office supplies maker Kokuyo Co. said Thursday it swung back into the black in fiscal 2002, posting a group net profit of 231 million yen against a loss of 1.42 billion yen the previous year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 3, 2003

Minivehicle, truck makers hope to cash in on hybrid market

With the success of the Toyota Prius, a gasoline-electric hybrid compact that debuted in 1997, such models have become a major focus of an automotive industry eager to clear tougher environmental regulations and improve its image.
BUSINESS
May 2, 2003

Namco sets deadline for Sega answer on merger

Video game maker Namco Ltd. said Thursday that rival Sega Corp. has until May 9 to make a decision on a merger proposal submitted by Namco.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 25, 2003

Travel agencies open theme branches to lick SARS, Iraq war

Amid the sharp decline in the number of Japanese taking overseas trips, travel agencies are opening novelty branches to lure customers.
BUSINESS
Apr 23, 2003

Seibu to dismiss 250 employees at four outlets due for closure

Seibu Department Stores Ltd. will dismiss about 250 full-time employees at four outlets to be closed later this year in line with the firm's restructuring drive, company sources said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2003

Hoya logs record-high pretax profit

Optical glass and eyeglass maker Hoya Corp. said Monday its group pretax profit for the 2002 business year, which ended March 31, rose 11.1 percent from the previous year to a record 50.87 billion yen.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2003

Suzuki prepares a 'mini' blitz

Suzuki Motor Corp., Japan's top minivehicle maker three decades running, is preparing an assault on the global market with a new line of compact cars, according to company President Hiroshi Tsuda.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Apr 17, 2003

Big screens on grand scale win back new generation of film fans

The magic of Harry Potter and "The Lord of the Rings" may not be the only reason that people are returning to movie theaters.
BUSINESS
Apr 15, 2003

Corporate bankruptcies record 5.6% slide in fiscal 2002

A total of 18,928 companies went bankrupt in the 2002 business year, down 5.6 percent from a year earlier and the first decline in two years, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Monday.
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2003

Seven-Eleven earnings up 23rd straight year

Convenience store chain Seven-Eleven Japan Co. said Thursday it racked up its 23rd consecutive year of record earnings in the year through Feb. 28, thanks to aggressive store openings.
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2003

Takashimaya swings to net profit

Takashimaya Co. said Thursday its group net balance swung into the black for the year to Feb. 28 but that its consolidated revenue and pretax profit dropped due to continued economic stagnation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / INTERNATIONAL RATIONALE
Apr 9, 2003

Domestic firms missing out on slice of medical device market

Dr. Kiyoshi Namba is a hard-core believer in medical technology. A breast cancer specialist, Namba has invested heavily in state-of-the-art medical equipment at his two clinics in Miyazaki Prefecture, claiming this provides exactly what he needs to counter the killer disease -- the earliest detection...
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2003

First over-the-counter sleeping pills hit stores amid barrage of inquiries

The country's first over-the-counter sleeping pills hit shelves Thursday, with their maker forecasting that the drug could meet its original sales target for the year within the first month.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 30, 2003

Lock & key

KAZUYOSHI UEHARA -- not the Kazuyoshi Uehara -- rang the doorbell. He sensed a pause, a hesitation, an interrupted action -- his imagination no doubt -- and tensed slightly as approaching footsteps grew audible.
BUSINESS
Mar 29, 2003

Tokyo consumer prices fell 0.9% in '02

The key gauge of consumer prices in Tokyo fell 0.9 percent in 2002, down for a record fourth straight year and indicating the increasing deflationary pressure across the country, according to a government report released Friday.
BUSINESS
Mar 27, 2003

Five Wal-Mart execs join Seiyu's board

Struggling supermarket chain Seiyu Ltd. said Wednesday that five representatives of Wal-Mart Store Inc. have joined its board of directors, formalizing the U.S. retail giant's involvement in Seiyu's management.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 23, 2003

English text lays bare a secret

Fanc a trip to a not-so-secret but hitherto inaccessible part of Japan?
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2003

Iraq question said hurting U.S. auto market

The U.S. automotive industry will remain weak until the uncertainty surrounding the possible war in Iraq is clarified, General Motors Corp. Chairman John Smith Jr. said Monday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / INTERNATIONAL RATIONALE
Mar 15, 2003

Multilateral alliance good for ANA, but JAL isn't convinced

All Nippon Airways Co. President Yoji Ohashi could hardly contain his joy last month when he witnessed the entry of Asiana Airlines Inc., South Korea's No. 2 carrier, into Star Alliance, the world's largest airline coalition.
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2003

Japan Tobacco strikes back with smoking salons

With the stock market hitting 20-year lows and the economic outlook getting worse, Japan's smokers have even more excuses to light up. Yet, in a country which has long been tolerant of tobacco use, a growing antismoking trend has made life for addicts more difficult.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2003

Seiko hopes to double its net profit

Watch maker Seiko Corp. said Wednesday its group net profit will more than double over the next three years under a new business plan through March 2006. By then, Seiko expects a group net profit of 8.5 billion yen, up from an estimated 3.5 billion yen profit for fiscal 2002.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2003

GSK unit allegedly hid income

The Japanese affiliate of GlaxoSmithKline, the world's second-largest drug maker, failed to declare about 65 billion yen in income over a period of three years through its business year to Dec. 31, 2001, sources said Monday.
BUSINESS
Mar 7, 2003

UFJ spearheads bid to save small firms

The UFJ group, the nation's fourth-largest lender, will team up with financial services company Orix Corp., trading company Marubeni Corp. and others to set up a fund aimed at turning around small and medium-size firms, UFJ officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Mar 6, 2003

Group formed to drum up support for deregulation

A government panel established a working group Wednesday to encourage deregulation measures in 12 key areas.

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?