Search - 2003

 
 
EDITORIALS
Oct 8, 2002

The U.S. returns to Pyongyang

The visit by Mr. James Kelly, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs, to Pyongyang yielded no breakthrough in relations between North Korea and the United States. Nonetheless, the two sides are talking and appear committed to a serious dialogue. The U.S., like Japan, should give...
COMMENTARY
Oct 7, 2002

Seize the chance for peace

At their historic Pyongyang summit Sept. 17, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il opened a new chapter in the history of Northeast Asia by agreeing to resume bilateral talks on diplomatic normalization this month. The agreement was announced in the Pyongyang declaration...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Oct 6, 2002

Takafumi Goda: the man at the helm

As director of the university division of the higher education bureau at the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, Takafumi Goda is at the helm of national policy on university education. Recently, one of his chief tasks has been to oversee long-awaited reforms to Japan's university...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 29, 2002

Speculation rife as CPC Congress nears

The Communist Party of China's leadership-succession process remains shrouded in secrecy, but six broad scenarios have been identified by China-watchers as likely to unfold in the next six months as that process is completed at the 16th Party Congress starting Nov. 8, and then at the National Peoples'...
BUSINESS
Sep 28, 2002

NKK, Kawasaki Steel set up holding company

NKK Corp. and Kawasaki Steel Corp. on Friday set up JFE Holdings Inc., a joint holding company, as the first step toward forming the JFE Group and becoming the world's fourth largest integrated steelmaker.
BUSINESS
Sep 27, 2002

Matsushita, Toshiba in CRT venture

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and Toshiba Corp. said Thursday they have agreed to consolidate their cathode ray tube business into a single joint venture.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2002

It's not the economy, stupid!

Gerhard Schroeder will remain the German Chancellor after Germany's recent elections, but his majority in Parliament has become extremely narrow. His Social Democrats (SPD) got 38.5 percent of the vote, and so did the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) of his rival, Edmund Stoiber. The main reason Schroeder...
EDITORIALS
Sep 26, 2002

A harmful exception to the rule

Banking reform in Japan continues to disappoint. The general perception is that both authorities and banks are mostly taking stopgap measures, such as the Bank of Japan's plan to buy bank shares. Another notable example of expediency is the de facto reversal of the government decision to abolish full...
BUSINESS
Sep 25, 2002

Toshiba develops new voltage chip

Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday it has developed a voltage regulator integrated circuit for automobile applications that achieves the world's lowest power consumption in this class of device.
JAPAN
Sep 23, 2002

Japan, North Korea hold unofficial consultations

Japan and North Korea held unofficial consultations over the weekend, with Tokyo demanding a thorough investigation into the abductions of its nationals, it was learned Sunday.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 2002

Five local lenders may take over Ishikawa Bank operations

Banking regulators are aiming to hand over the operations of the failed Ishikawa Bank to five local lenders, sources said Saturday.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2002

France losing steam for radical reform

PARIS -- Three months ago, the French center-right scored two stunning electoral victories. As a result of miscalculations and voter apathy, the Socialists who had formed the government since 1997 crashed to defeat, and President Jacques Chirac was re-elected with 82 percent of the vote in a runoff ballot...
COMMENTARY
Sep 21, 2002

Underestimating the players

SEOUL -- The success of Tuesday's Japan-North Korea summit in Pyongyang shows just how much critics underestimated both Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Both demonstrated a considerable amount of diplomatic skill, and courage, during this historic one-day...
EDITORIALS
Sep 20, 2002

Following up the Pyongyang summit

North Korea's acknowledgment of its involvement in the kidnappings of Japanese nationals marks a major milestone in the off-and-on normalization talks between Tokyo and Pyongyang that began in 1991. With the negotiations resuming next month, following Tuesday's summit agreement between Prime Minister...
BUSINESS
Sep 20, 2002

Fujisawa licenses drug-coated stent to Italy's Sorin

Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co. said Thursday it has concluded a contract with Sorin Biomedica Cardio SpA to license to the Italian firm its immunosuppressive drug-coated stents used for heart disease treatment.
EDITORIALS
Sep 19, 2002

The Pyongyang achievement

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on Tuesday achieved a breakthrough, although a qualified one, in ending decades-long mutual enmity between Japan and North Korea. In fact, the outcome of the talks between the two leaders at the historic summit in Pyongyang was more...
Japan Times
JAPAN / BABY BUST
Sep 19, 2002

Birthrate suffers as women face unattractive choices

Mayumi Shinde, 40, has worked for seven years as a system engineer at a Tokyo firm, at one stage attaining a job capability assessment of S -- one special level higher than A, the normal top ranking.
BUSINESS
Sep 19, 2002

Nissan to forge alliance with China's Dong Feng

Nissan Motor Co. will soon forge a business alliance with Chinese auto giant Dong Feng Automobile Co. to produce cars in China beginning next year, sources said Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Sep 18, 2002

Playing at democracy

Palestine Authority President Yasser Arafat is coming under increasing pressure to adopt democratic reforms. In an important development, the traditionally passive Palestinian Parliament appears to have taken up the call for real change. Mr. Arafat has so far responded with his old tricks: talking a...
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 14, 2002

Cabrera cracks No. 51 as Lions cruise past Buffaloes

Alex Cabrera hit his 51st homer of the season and drove in four runs on a 3-for-4 night as the front-running Seibu Lions routed the Kintetsu Buffaloes 7-3 at Osaka Dome on Friday night.
BUSINESS
Sep 14, 2002

Mazda to sell unit rights to Sandvik

Mazda Motor Corp. said Friday it will sell the operating rights of its wholly owned subsidiary Mazda Earth Technologies Co. to Sandvik Tamrock Japan Co., an affiliate of Sweden's Sandvik Group, on Nov. 1.
BUSINESS
Sep 14, 2002

Aichi Steel unit inks car parts deal

Aichi Steel Corp. said Friday its wholly owned subsidiary in the United States will begin producing sintered automobile parts in October. The special steel maker is affiliated with Toyota Motor Corp.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 14, 2002

Pyongyang summit light at end of tunnel?

When Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi engages in his historic summit in Pyongyang next Tuesday, he will have two major goals: learning the fate of the Japanese believed to have been abducted to North Korea, and setting the stage for the resumption of security dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington....
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 13, 2002

Malaysia's security law loses some of its Draconian bite

KUALA LUMPUR -- The focus of attention surrounding a controversial Malaysian security law has shifted to Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi after the country's highest court allowed an appeal of five opposition detainees in a dramatic decision last Friday. The legislation allows detention of suspects,...
LIFE / Lifestyle / MATTER OF COURSE
Sep 13, 2002

School selection comes to Japan at last

In many countries, parents have a choice of public schools. Not Japan. Here, you get just one choice: Send your child to the closest public school, or pay a lot of money for private school. But this is changing. School choice is coming to Japan.

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