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JAPAN
Apr 7, 1997

State plans to win final rights to base land

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto indicated April 7 that his government will try in the future to grant itself legal and ultimate authority to forcibly rent land for use by U.S. military bases.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 1997

3,000 rally against revision of Okinawa land lease law

About 3,000 unionists rallied late Apr. 2 in Tokyo to protest a planned legal revision that would enable the government to continue the forced use of land in Okinawa Prefecture for U.S. military installations after the land lease contracts expire in May.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 1997

4,590 taxis across Japan revise initial fares

As a result of deregulation, 88 taxi companies in Tokyo, Chiba, Okayama, Hiroshima and Tokushima on Apr. 1 reduced their minimum fares to between 330 yen and 410 yen for the first kilometer.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 1997

Red Cross looking for language helpers

The Japanese Red Cross Language Service Volunteers are seeking volunteers to help with management, planning, translation and other activities.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 1997

Akita governor quits over wining, dining shame

Akita Gov. Kikuji Sasaki, who held office for nearly 18 years in Tohoku Prefecture, resigned Mar. 31 to take responsibility for the local government's illegal spending on wining and dining.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 1997

Revision of base law moves to fast track

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto on Mar. 31 announced that he will try to revise a law -- hopefully by late this month -- to enable the government to legally continue providing land for use by U.S. military bases in Okinawa after leases for some plots expire.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 1997

Okamitsu admits taking bribes in nursing home scandal

A former top bureaucrat at the health ministry and two others pleaded guilty Mar. 26 in their first trial hearing to bribery charges in connection with the construction of special subsidized nursing homes.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 1997

Outdoor 'camp' helps workers fight postbubble frustration

When asked to draw a symbol of their company, participants in Anthony Willoughby's courses often draw pictures of sinking ships and burning buildings. "We've even gotten some fire-breathing dragons," Willoughby added.
JAPAN
Mar 25, 1997

District Court orders Osaka to name those wined, dined

OSAKA -- The Osaka District Court ruled Mar. 25 in favor of a citizens' group seeking greater transparency in administrative spending, ordering the Osaka Municipal Government to disclose the names of those who were wined and dined by the city with taxpayers' money.
JAPAN
Mar 24, 1997

Japan vying to be China's choice for high-tech railway

China has yet to decide which country's technology it will adopt for a planned new high-speed rail system between Beijing and Shanghai, and hopes to have more exchanges of technology and experts on the subject with Japan, an executive member of China's Ministry of Railways said recently.
JAPAN
Mar 21, 1997

Tomobe denies misuse of Orange Kyosai funds

Upper House member Tatsuo Tomobe, who has been indicted on suspicion of massive fraud, denied on Mar. 21 allegations that he misappropriated funds collected by Orange Kyosai Kumiai, a mutual aid society run by his family, to buy a Diet seat.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1997

Daiei head urges 'new' Kobe as global city

OSAKA -- Rather than compete with Osaka as a business center, Kobe should be rebuilt as a city that offers a pleasant living environment, and priority should be given to economic development of the bay area, according to Isao Nakauchi, chairman, president and CEO of Daiei Corp.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1997

Two nonhemophiliacs settle lawsuit over HIV

OSAKA -- A court-mediated settlement was reached Mar. 18 in a suit filed against the central government and Green Cross Corp. by two nonhemophiliacs who became infected with HIV through unheated blood products.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1997

Long-term radiation effects difficult to gauge, experts say

TOKAI, Ibaraki Pref. -- While facts continued to trickle out about the nation's worst radiation leakage, which occurred at the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant here last week, officials of the governmental Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp. (PNC) kept claiming the leak posed no serious bodily...
JAPAN
Mar 17, 1997

Weekend quake biggest to hit Aichi since '26

An earthquake that shook the Chubu, Kansai and Kanto regions on Mar. 16 was the strongest tremor to be recorded in eastern Aichi Prefecture since record-keeping began in 1926, according to Meteorological Agency officials.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 1997

LDP panel releases reform plans

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's task force for administrative reform on Mar. 14 announced a set of comprehensive plans to promote deregulation.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 1997

No-show by defense counsel halts Asahara trial

The trial of Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara took another twist Mar. 14 when the Tokyo District Court opened but then canceled the proceedings because the defense counsel boycotted the session.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 1997

Mexico gets loans of 24.13 billion yen

Tokyo will extend up to 24.13 billion yen in yen loans to Mexico for a water supply and sewage project to help the Latin American country's efforts to protect the environment, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto told Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo on Mar. 12, according to Foreign Ministry officials....
JAPAN
Mar 12, 1997

Ministry official denies guilt in HIV affair

Akihito Matsumura, a former senior Health and Welfare Ministry official, pleaded not guilty Mar. 12 to charges of professional negligence in connection with the death of a hemophiliac in 1991 and the death of a liver disease patient in 1995.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 1997

High-speed trains may solve more than timing problems

OKAYAMA -- Building better bullet trains will be the solution to difficult environmental issues and other industrial problems, participants at the two-day International High-Speed Railway Conference 1997 said Mar. 12.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 1997

Tourism bill aims to bring foreigners to small cities

A bill to attract more foreign tourists to Japan is to be submitted to the Diet Mar. 12.
JAPAN
Mar 7, 1997

Kyoto cab firm offers Tokyo top-service taxis, discount fares

Neatly dressed in a uniform designed by Hanae Mori, Japan's leading fashion designer, an MK Taxi driver can make you feel like you are riding in a limousine. The driver will greet you as you climb aboard and, upon arrival at your destination, open the door for you, instead of relying on the automatic...
JAPAN
Mar 7, 1997

IBM targets potential of electronic commerce

IBM Corp. will focus on the growing potential of electronic commerce by using its strengths in the field of enterprise network computing, according to Louis Gerstner, the firm's chairman and chief executive officer.
JAPAN
Mar 7, 1997

Dai-ichi Kangyo expects to post first-ever pretax loss

Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank announced Mar. 7 that it will revise downward its earnings projections for the current business year and post its first-ever pretax losses to place greater priority on writing off its bad loans.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 1997

Transport doles out new Haneda flight slots

In a move aimed at promoting further competition in the nation's aviation industry, the Transport Ministry has favored small and fledgling airlines over the dominant All Nippon Airlines in its final distribution of slots for new flights at Haneda airport.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 1997

English teachers say industry needs more regulation, not less

OSAKA -- The English-language conversation industry is in urgent need of reform and, unlike other sectors of the economy, needs more regulation, not less.
JAPAN
Mar 4, 1997

Police Agency drafts more-forgiving traffic law

The National Police Agency has drafted a bill revising the Road Traffic Law that would remove minor traffic offenses from the records of drivers whose licenses have been suspended if they attend traffic school or participate in volunteer activities.
JAPAN
Mar 3, 1997

Prepare for the 38th annual speech contest in Japanese

The International Education Center is seeking participants for its 38th annual International Speech Contest in Japanese, scheduled for June 21.
JAPAN
Mar 3, 1997

Foreigner juggles roles in radio, city hall

IWAMIZAWA, Hokkaido -- When Keith Barton came to Japan in July, he had no idea he would be filling the unusual combination of roles that he does now.
JAPAN
Feb 28, 1997

Execs want more power for prime minister

The Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai) called Feb. 28 for a revision in the Cabinet Law to give more power to the prime minister, in the hope that the prime minister will take a stronger initiative in conducting administrative reform.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes