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BASEBALL / MLB
May 15, 2001

Ichiro show rolls on in Canada

TORONTO -- The Ichiro Show has played to rave reviews in the U.S. for the first six weeks of the baseball season. This past weekend, it was a smash hit in its Canadian debut.
SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH
May 15, 2001

Who will stand up to captain Japan?

My friend Dave's grandfather once did a nude scene with Brad Pitt in the movie "Johnny Suede." This was doubtless extremely nerve-wracking and almost certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
JAPAN
May 15, 2001

Tanaka reverses stance on history texts

Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka, in a reversal of her earlier remarks, told the Diet Monday that further revision of controversial history textbooks that have already been approved by education authorities will be difficult.
COMMENTARY
May 14, 2001

Signs of creative destruction

Japan today needs what the economist Joseph A. Schumpeter once called "creative destruction." The immediate need is to shake up the political and economic systems from the ground up. Without such drastic changes Japan will not be able to regain vitality.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2001

Isuzu to slash 10% of total workforce

Isuzu Motors Ltd., the financially beleaguered truck-making affiliate of General Motors Corp., has outlined a reconstruction plan that calls for the abolition of 3,000 jobs -- 10 percent of the Isuzu group's 28,000-strong workforce -- and cutting 30 percent of its output capacity, Isuzu officials said...
JAPAN
May 13, 2001

Maglev link between Osaka, Tokyo starts to move forward

A plan to operate magnetically levitated -- or maglev -- trains between Tokyo and Osaka in one hour at speeds of up to 500 kph is moving ahead, with the government starting a feasibility study.
JAPAN
May 12, 2001

Activist gives draft CFC bill pass mark

Citizen lobbying and government dithering is moving the nation closer to realizing a scheme to promote the retrieval of ozone-depleting and greenhouse gases.
EDITORIALS
May 11, 2001

The ugliness in Ukraine

Ukraine is descending deeper into political turmoil. The country has been battered by scandals that are alleged to reach as far as President Leonid Kuchma. The country's most popular politician, Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko, was booted from office last month when he lost a no-confidence vote in Parliament....
BUSINESS
May 11, 2001

Net profit at Bandai soars 906.7%

Bandai Co., Japan's largest toy maker, said Thursday its group net profit skyrocketed 906.7 percent in fiscal 2000 to 12.9 billion yen on strong sales of its character goods and one-off gains from the sale of some of its shareholdings in affiliates.
BUSINESS
May 11, 2001

Uniden establishes new unit in U.S.

Telecom equipment manufacturer Uniden Corp. said Thursday it has set up a new company in the United States to sell phones for business use.
BUSINESS
May 10, 2001

Kawasaki Heavy wins Embraer deal

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. said Wednesday it has struck a basic agreement with Brazilian aircraft makerEmbraer SA to develop and manufacture the main wings of Embraer's next-generation small jets.
JAPAN
May 10, 2001

Koizumi rules out tax increases

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told the Lower House plenary session Wednesday that the government will not hike taxes to mend Japan's debt-ridden finances, but will instead try to curb spending and the issuance of state bonds.
BUSINESS
May 9, 2001

Shiokawa rules out leap to austerity

Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Tuesday that he will strive to carry out the two-step approach to fiscal reform unveiled this week by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, although he ruled out an immediate shift to belt-tightening policies that could hurt the fragile economy.
JAPAN
May 9, 2001

Coalition agrees on bill to destroy ozone-harming gases

The ruling coalition agreed in principle Tuesday to legislation that would mandate the collection and destruction of chlorofluorocarbon gases known to deplete the ozone layer and induce global warming, coalition officials said.
JAPAN
May 9, 2001

Koizumi orders changeover to low-pollution autos by '05

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi instructed Cabinet members Tuesday to replace the central government's fleet of cars with low-pollution vehicles by March 2005.
JAPAN
May 9, 2001

Shinmachi takes lead in sports for kids

Kyodo News Shinmachi, a small town of about 13,000 people in Gunma Prefecture, has drawn the attention of several municipalities because of its comprehensive regional sports club -- a concept common in Europe but relatively new to Japan.
BUSINESS
May 9, 2001

Takefuji reports 10th straight year of record profits

Takefuji Corp., the nation's largest consumer finance company, on Tuesday reported a record group net profit for fiscal 2000 for the 10th straight year on the strength of ultralow interest rates that have dramatically reduced its fundraising costs.
EDITORIALS
May 8, 2001

The real test lies ahead

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Monday declared that his administration is determined to initiate the hard-hitting structural reforms needed for Japan's "resurrection and development."
BUSINESS
May 8, 2001

Sumitomo Life selects new president

Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. said Monday it will promote Vice President Shinichi Yokoyama, 58, to president.
BUSINESS
May 5, 2001

Foreign firms vie to crack drugs, distribution markets

Despite Japan's moribund economy and stagnant consumption, many foreign firms are still keen to enter the Japanese market, with some eyeing the pharmaceutical and distribution industries.
JAPAN
May 2, 2001

Japan to launch first Venus probe in 2007

Japan plans to launch its first unmanned space probe to Venus in 2007, with the probe expected to begin orbiting the planet in 2009, according to project members at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science.
BUSINESS
May 2, 2001

REITs banked on to ease market fears

As stock market woes and asset deflation continue to cast a cloud over Japan's economic recovery, a new type of investment trust will be introduced this month in a bid to solve these problems in one fell swoop.
JAPAN
May 2, 2001

Elephant makes Ueno zoo debut

A female elephant calf that the Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo received as a gift from India in April made her first public appearance at the zoo on Tuesday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 29, 2001

Making room for urban home companions

Keeping a pet in the big city isn't easy. With many urban residents living in rented housing, landlords as well as limited space can prove to be obstacles. Some tenants, unwilling to part with their companions, even at the risk of eviction and their pet's discomfort, "smuggle" them in and keep them in...
BUSINESS
Apr 28, 2001

Honda sales soar but profit takes 7.5% dive

Honda Motor Co. posted a record 6.46 trillion yen in consolidated sales in fiscal 2000, but its profits fell mainly due to a rise of the yen against the euro and in expenses, according to the automaker's earnings report released Friday.
BUSINESS
Apr 28, 2001

Profits, group sales up for major firms

The five major electronics companies in Japan enjoyed increases in both group sales and consolidated operating profits in fiscal 2000, according to their earnings reports released Friday.
BUSINESS
Apr 27, 2001

Saitama to get cheap, fast Internet service on May 25

SpeedNet Inc. announced Thursday that it will start offering a high-speed wireless Internet service based on Tokyo Power Electric Co.'s optical fiber networks in parts of Saitama Prefecture on May 25.

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