Search - 2005

 
 
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
May 22, 2004

McGrady looking at Suns, Rockets, Spurs, Lakers for future

NEW YORK -- For obvious reasons, Tracy McGrady has narrowed his choices to play next season -- or the following one, at the latest, should the Magic incomprehensibly fail to arrange a trade -- to four teams, all of whom flaunt a centrifugal force.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 22, 2004

Ministry to mint expo, airport coins

Japan will mint special coins to mark the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture and the opening of Chubu international airport next year, the Finance Ministry said Friday.
JAPAN
May 22, 2004

Embattled MMC unveils 'last chance' survival plan

Japan's crisis-hit Mitsubishi Motors Corp. unveiled a survival plan Friday featuring a 450 billion yen cash injection, relocation of its head office from Tokyo to Kyoto and major cuts in its global workforce and Australian output.
JAPAN
May 20, 2004

Hosoda admits omission of donations from fund-report

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda admitted Wednesday that he failed to declare in political funding reports some 31 million yen that a scandal-tainted company shouldered as part of the salary for his chauffeur between 1996 and 2003.
COMMENTARY
May 20, 2004

A Kerry victory would curtail spending

WASHINGTON -- Republicans control both the White House and Congress, but Washington, D.C. remains a fiscal sinkhole. The best hope for budget probity is to turn over one branch of government to the Democrats.
JAPAN
May 16, 2004

Experts are forecasting 60 more cases of mad cow

About 60 more cases of mad cow disease are expected to occur in Japan, with the number likely to peak in 2005 and 2006, according to a Cabinet Office report.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2004

Sony Bank remains mired in the red

Sony Bank Inc. posted a net loss of 2.1 billion yen in fiscal 2003 for third consecutive annual loss since it started operations.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2004

Special farm subsidies face reduction or abolishment

The Finance Ministry wants to reduce or abolish the special subsidies paid to farmers who cultivate land deemed to be at a geographical disadvantage, ministry sources said Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
May 12, 2004

The Emperor's phantom porcelain set

Rarely, if ever, has a dinner set taken on such a mysterious aura as the maboroshi (phantom) porcelain service made by the late Yoshimichi Fujimoto (1919-92). Used only once and then, for reasons that remain enigmatic, hidden away for years, it comprises 230 pieces, enough to serve 15 diners. Only two,...
BUSINESS
May 12, 2004

Bandai net profit hits record 14.2 billion yen

Bandai Co. said Tuesday its net profit rose 12 percent to a record 14.21 billion yen for the year through March, with Power Rangers characters enjoying strong popularity overseas.
JAPAN
May 12, 2004

Popular 'total control' asthma drug to get OK in 2005

The government is expected to approve a new asthma medication next year that is widely used overseas due to its effectiveness.
BUSINESS
May 11, 2004

Softbank sinks deeper into red

Softbank Corp. said Monday its net loss widened in fiscal 2003 for the third consecutive year in the red due to heavy spending to attract subscribers to its high-speed Internet connection service.
MORE SPORTS
May 9, 2004

Japan to play host

Japan will host a revamped World Club Championship in late 2005, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Saturday.
BUSINESS
May 8, 2004

IRCJ starts up ailing Kanebo's cosmetics branch

Ailing Kanebo Ltd.'s mainstay cosmetics business began operations Friday under the state-backed Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan to pay off the group's huge debts.
JAPAN
May 8, 2004

Changes eyed for vehicle-recall system

The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry has unveiled measures to fundamentally revise the existing vehicle-recall system.
JAPAN
May 8, 2004

Nuclear plant exposure levels raise eyebrows

Nuclear plant workers in Japan have suffered the world's highest collective radiation exposure for four consecutive years, prompting the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency to consider improvements, it was learned Friday.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
May 8, 2004

Joe Hideo Morita

To be the 16th generation of a famous family with a recorded history going back 400 years bestowed stature on Joe Hideo Morita. He is the eldest son of Akio Morita, who cofounded Sony Corp. He always knew he would carry on from where his father left off, and recognized that in leadership quality he was...
COMMENTARY
May 3, 2004

Koizumi's open-ended legac

On April 26 the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi entered its fourth year in power. Following his three-year rule under the slogan "No growth without reform," the Japanese economy is finally on a recovery track.
JAPAN
May 1, 2004

Jobless rate slides to three-year low

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to a three-year low of 4.7 percent in March -- a further indication of Japan's burgeoning economic recovery, the government said Friday.
JAPAN
May 1, 2004

Jobless rate slides to three-year low

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to a three-year low of 4.7 percent in March -- a further indication of Japan's burgeoning economic recovery, the government said Friday.
BUSINESS
May 1, 2004

CPI off a sixth year in '03 but deflation pace easing

The key gauge of consumer prices in Japan dropped 0.2 percent in fiscal 2003, down for a sixth straight year, the government said Friday.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2004

Monitors on buoys planned to gauge oceans' CO2 role

The science ministry will create a global-monitoring system to check how much carbon dioxide is absorbed and emitted by the sea, government officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2004

Employment opportunities set to grow amid recovery

More than 40 percent of major companies that took part in a recent survey said they plan to increase the recruitment of workers fresh out of school next spring, according to a report compiled Wednesday by Kyodo News.
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2004

Lower House OKs four expressway bills

The House of Representatives approved government-sponsored bills Tuesday to privatize four expressway corporations with the backing of the ruling coalition.
BUSINESS
Apr 27, 2004

Nissan saw profit reach record level in fiscal '03

Nissan Motor Co. said Monday it posted a record group operating profit of 825 billion yen for fiscal 2003, up 11.9 percent from the previous year.
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2004

Officials agree on global observation framework

Senior officials from more than 40 countries agreed Sunday in Tokyo on the framework of a 10-year plan to integrate global observation systems in order to address environmental threats such as climate change and natural disasters.

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