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Japan Times
JAPAN / STAGING A COMEBACK
Dec 26, 2001

Reforms shake higher education's foundations

Scholars at Japan's universities have long been criticized for enjoying "splendid isolation" within their ivory towers.
BUSINESS
Dec 21, 2001

BOJ lowers economic view, again

The Bank of Japan on Thursday downgraded its assessment of the nation's economy for the seventh consecutive month.
Japan Times
JAPAN / INTERNATIONAL RATIONALE
Dec 19, 2001

Foreign retailers relying on adaptability to survive

When French retailer Carrefour and U.S.-based Costco Wholesale Corp. opened their outlets in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture, a year ago, many saw the foreign stores as a threat to domestic supermarkets.
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2001

November bankruptcies surge 10% to new high

The number of corporate bankruptcies last month rose 10 percent from a year earlier to 1,683, setting a new record for the month of November in the postwar period, a credit-research agency said Friday.
EDITORIALS
Dec 14, 2001

Caught in a worsening recession

Japan's economy is in serious condition. Despite years of recovery efforts, its vital signs continue to worsen. Gross domestic product in July through September contracted at an annual rate of 2.2 percent, posting two straight quarters of negative growth -- a condition that is technically defined as...
BUSINESS
Dec 13, 2001

Big steelmakers make it official

Nippon Steel Corp. and Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd., Japan's biggest and fourth-largest steelmakers, officially announced Wednesday their intentions to begin negotiations on a business alliance that would slash production, distribution and material-procurement costs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 13, 2001

'Tankan' reveals sentiment falling but not as steeply

Business sentiment is continuing to fall at Japanese companies as they struggle against declining exports and prices amid the global economic slump, according to the Bank of Japan's latest "tankan" quarterly survey.
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2001

Ex-Jichiro executives indicted over tax evasion

The former chairman of the nation's largest trade union and the union secretariat's former business chief were indicted Wednesday on suspicion of hiding roughly 600 million yen in income and evading 200 million yen in corporate income tax over a two-year period.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2001

Aoki goes under with 522 billion yen in liabilities

The construction industry was dealt another blow on Thursday when general contractor Aoki Corp. effectively went bankrupt, filing for court protection from creditors under a civil rehabilitation law.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 5, 2001

Not fade away

Ka-chan Rating: * * * Director: Kon Ichikawa Running time: 96 minutes Language: Japaneese
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2001

Motivators instill staff with a new enthusiasm

With the economy in deep freeze, motivational firms that claim they have the power to inject new vim into lifeless workers are attracting the attention of executives yearning to recapture lost corporate brio.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2001

Daiei founder surrenders scepter

Isao Nakauchi, founder of the troubled supermarket chain Daiei Inc., has given up the right to represent any of the firms in the group, industry sources said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2001

Daiei founder surrenders scepter

Isao Nakauchi, founder of the troubled supermarket chain Daiei Inc., has given up the right to represent any of the firms in the group, industry sources said Wednesday.
COMMUNITY
Nov 25, 2001

Key insight spells riches for Hollywood nail care magnate

All it took for a small dental supply business to become the world's largest independent manufacturer of nail products was one man's realization that some of his biggest buyers of dental acrylics weren't dentists at all they were manicurists.
BUSINESS
Nov 24, 2001

NTT seeking to boost regional earnings

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. will try to boost earnings at its two regional carriers by 265 billion yen on a pretax basis next business year, partly through transfers of employees to lower-paid subsidiaries, NTT sources said Friday.
BUSINESS
Nov 23, 2001

UFJ writeoffs will balloon to 2 trillion yen

UFJ Holdings Inc. said Thursday its member banks' total bad-loan writeoffs will balloon sixfold from original estimates to an unprecedented 2 trillion yen for the full business year ending March 31, on the back of likely failures among major borrowers.
BUSINESS
Nov 23, 2001

NTT reports 262 billion yen net loss for '01 first half

The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone group reported its first interim net loss Thursday, brought on by special losses of 762.4 billion yen incurred by failed investments in overseas carriers.
BUSINESS
Nov 23, 2001

UFJ writeoffs will balloon to 2 trillion yen

UFJ Holdings Inc. said Thursday its member banks' total bad-loan writeoffs will balloon sixfold from original estimates to an unprecedented 2 trillion yen for the full business year ending March 31, on the back of likely failures among major borrowers.
BUSINESS
Nov 23, 2001

Bank of Yokohama's profits plunge as bad loans bite

The Bank of Yokohama said Thursday its group net profits fell 53.3 percent in the first half ending Sept. 30, mainly due to hefty loan-loss charges and appraisal losses on its stockholdings.
BUSINESS
Nov 22, 2001

Japan Telecom posts losses

Plagued by declining performance in its fixed-line business, Japan Telecom Co. said Wednesday it suffered net losses of 5.19 billion yen in the first half of fiscal 2001.
BUSINESS
Nov 21, 2001

Thai leader urges more investment, trade

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called on Japanese business leaders Tuesday to increase long-term investment and trade in Thailand.
COMMENTARY
Nov 21, 2001

Recipe for economic change

WASHINGTON — In recent weeks, Taiwan has taken two steps to prepare for the transformation of its economy. Taipei's decision to lift many of the restrictions on investment in the mainland and the island's entry into the World Trade Organization will produce fundamental shifts in the way Taiwan conducts...
BUSINESS
Nov 21, 2001

Thai leader urges more investment, trade

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called on Japanese business leaders Tuesday to increase long-term investment and trade in Thailand.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2001

Execs lament poor English of Japanese

Selecting English as its official language was not easy for Nissan Motor Co., but it helped facilitate a smooth tieup with Renault SA of France, Nissan Chairman Yoshikazu Hanawa said at a recent symposium in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2001

Koizumi gives WTO accord his blessing

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Thursday welcomed the previous day's accord by World Trade Organization trade ministers to launch new multilateral trade negotiations.
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2001

JT sees interim net profit grow 4.2%

Japan Tobacco Inc. said Thursday its consolidated net profit for the April-September first half of fiscal 2001 rose 4.2 percent from a year earlier to 35.63 billion yen, thanks to strong growth in its food business, increased volume in international tobacco sales and favorable foreign exchange rates....
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2001

Koizumi gives WTO accord his blessing

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Thursday welcomed the previous day's accord by World Trade Organization trade ministers to launch new multilateral trade negotiations.
BUSINESS
Nov 14, 2001

JR West to shed 6,000 employees

West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) unveiled on Tuesday a plan to cut 6,000 employees and transfer another 3,000 parent company workers to group firms.

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb