Search - 2004

 
 
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2003

Diet may be taken out of attack-response equation

The Defense Agency may simplify the procedures under which the prime minister can order countermeasures in the event of a ballistic missile attack on Japan, it was learned Tuesday.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2003

Collegian job offers highest since '99

The hiring outlook has brightened for students who will graduate from college or finish graduate school next spring, with the number of job offers for such students rising 4.2 percent from last year to 583,600, the highest since 1999, according to Recruit Co.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2003

Tokyo Station a mecca for outlying colleges

Hoping to ensure their survival, better meet students' needs and enhance ties with the business community, universities are increasingly opening offices and satellite campuses around Tokyo Station.
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2003

Unease over Sony, banks drags Nikkei to fresh low

The benchmark Nikkei index ended Monday trading at another 20-year low as investors dumped technology shares amid earnings concerns triggered by Sony Corp.'s dismal estimate last week and falls in bank shares.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2003

Women, independents make progress

Female and independent candidates made major advances amid record-low voter turnout this weekend in mayoral and municipal assembly elections around the nation, with almost all of the victors having been declared by Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2003

State-paid pensions short on funds, faith

Mariko Horiuchi, a 30-year-old part-time English-language teacher living in Tokyo, wonders if she should trust what the government promises for her future: a sound retirement covered by state pension benefits.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FRONT-RUNNERS
Apr 29, 2003

Latecomer Sharp leads the pack in LCD TV sales

It took a while for the average engineer at Sharp Corp. to tune into the idea of the company dumping cathode-ray tube televisions by 2005.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Apr 28, 2003

Lakers getting a little help from their friends

LOS ANGELES -- If I was David J. Stern, commissioner of the NBA beat, I would give serious thought to calling one Mr. Glen Taylor, owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and pledge to return all draft choices and fine money from the Joe Smith affair several years ago. In fact, I would even throw in bonus...
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2003

Support waning for hikes in pension premiums: poll

The number of people expressing understanding of a rise in public pension premiums has dropped compared with 10 years ago, according to recent government survey.
COMMENTARY
Apr 28, 2003

Asian politicians slowly embrace the Net

MANILA -- Irrespective of ideological leanings, all politicians are keen on receiving media coverage. As one U.S. political campaign publication noted, "If you don't exist in the media, you don't exist."
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2003

Science minister to visit Europe

The state minister of science and technology policy said Friday he will visit four European countries next week to ask them to participate in a global science and technology convention to be held in Japan in September 2004.
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2003

Electoral vows Koizumi has kept -- and the rest

Following is a summary of the campaign promises that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has kept -- and those he has not:
BUSINESS
Apr 26, 2003

Fujitsu slashes group net loss but remains in red

Fujitsu Ltd. remained in the red in fiscal 2002, posting a consolidated net loss for the second consecutive year after booking a restructuring cost of 151.49 billion yen, the firm reported Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 25, 2003

Tokyo under pressure to do more to upgrade ASEAN state economies

The success of Japan's proposal for a comprehensive economic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations depends greatly on Tokyo's "strong interest and capacity to assist ASEAN's industrial upgrading and competitiveness," said Hank Lim, director for research with the Singapore Institute...
COMMENTARY
Apr 23, 2003

A bigger Europe may not be any better

LONDON -- A few days ago in Athens, the birthplace of democracy, EU leaders approved a major expansion of the European Union that will embrace 10 new members and 73 million more European citizens.
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2003

NCP to ban Matsunami from holding party posts

Despite mounting public pressure for Kenshiro Matsunami to resign from the House of Representatives, the New Conservative Party decided Monday it would only prevent him from holding any party posts.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 21, 2003

EU troubles will also expand

LONDON -- The symbolism could hardly have been better. Against a background of the columns of ancient Athens, the birthplace of democracy, 25 government leaders signed documents that will bring into the European Union countries that spent much of their postwar existence under communist dictatorship....
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 19, 2003

Daiei reports return to the black for '02

Ailing retailer Daiei Inc. reported Friday it returned to profitability in its 2002 business year due to lower restructuring costs, which weighed heavily on its earnings in the previous term.
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2003

Sky Perfect looks to wipe out losses

Sky Perfect Communications Inc. said Thursday it may eliminate all of its accumulated losses, which stand at some 120 billion yen, by the end of March 2004.
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2003

METI eyes online credit market

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will create an online credit market as early as in 2004 to give small and midsize firms more ways to procure funds, METI officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2003

Tobishima returns to banks for 30 billion yen bailout

Struggling construction firm Tobishima Corp. said Wednesday it will ask its three main creditor banks to buy 30 billion yen in new preferred shares.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2003

Japan lags behind in e-government programs: report

Japan still lags behind in terms of the maturity of e-government programs for the implementation of online services by state agencies, according to a recent survey by U.S. consulting firm Accenture.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 12, 2003

Slash taxes and spending, not interest rates

UBUD, Indonesia -- Alan Greenspan denounced the recent round of tax-cut proposals by the Bush administration. As governor of the world's most important central bank, his words carry a considerable amount of gravitas.
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.
BUSINESS
Apr 10, 2003

China firm, Toyota pen production deal

Toyota Motor Corp. and FAW Group Corp., China's largest automaker, signed an agreement Wednesday to jointly manufacture four Toyota models in China to cash in on the world's fastest growing auto market.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2003

Candidates begin stumping for local assembly elections

Official campaigning for the April 13 local assembly elections got under way Friday.
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2003

Nationalization guidelines said lacking teeth, conviction

The Financial Services Agency on Friday published an elaborate set of criteria outlining when and how the government can nationalize a bank, but some analysts called the guidelines useless, pointing out that banks will find legal ways to make ends meet and that the FSA is clearly reluctant to follow...
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 4, 2003

Dragons rough up Hodges, Swallows

Kazuyoshi Tatsunami hit a two-run homer to cap a seven-run outburst in the second inning as the Chunichi Dragons went on to crush the Yakult Swallows 8-3 on Thursday night.
BUSINESS
Apr 3, 2003

Mizuho to speed up branch mergers

Mizuho Bank will accelerate the consolidation of its branches this fiscal year, bank sources said Wednesday.

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building