Search - time

 
 
JAPAN
Jun 4, 1997

Reclamation claims Isahaya ecosystem

ISAHAYA, Nagasaki Pref. -- As far as the eye can see, cracks running through dried soil have taken over what was a resource-rich wetland only 50 days ago.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 1997

Electronic banking software to debut in August

Intranet Systems Inc. announced June 4 that it will start distributing software for an advanced electronic banking system in Japan in late August.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 1997

'Info-structure' next key to economic growth, expert says

People used to say that a nation needs infrastructure for its economy to grow. But today, according to a former head of a Canadian telecommunications equipment company, it is "info-structure" that plays a key role in a country's economic development.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

Shizuoka sports fans fall for 'futsal' fever

TENRYU, Shizuoka Pref. -- When Mario Yasumitsu, a second-generation Japanese-Brazilian, moved to Japan from Latin America, he packed the daily necessities and one "futsal" ball.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

Neon sign may steal Olympic Games' spotlight

NAGANO -- An ordinary neon sign here has been advertising a Japanese restaurant for the past 10 years without attracting any particular attention.
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

DPJ proposes public works watchdog

The Democratic Party of Japan submitted a bill to the Diet on May 30 to establish a monitoring system for public works projects to improve their cost-effectiveness. DPJ coleader Yukio Hatoyama said the bill was formulated in response to the nation's worsening fiscal crisis.
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

LDP eyes early re-election of Hashimoto

In the wake of a succession of political victories for Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, some key members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have begun to suggest that the LDP bend party rules and hand Hashimoto an early assurance of re-election as LDP president. Hashimoto's term ends at the close...
JAPAN
May 28, 1997

German defense chief praises Japan on security

German Defense Minister Volker Ruhe, praising Japan's security role in the Asia-Pacific region, agreed with Defense Agency Chief Fumio Kyuma to expand military ties between the two countries, Japanese officials said.
JAPAN
May 22, 1997

Nonlife insurers report 2.2% decline in profits

The nation's five major nonlife insurance firms on May 22 released earnings reports for the year that ended March 31, revealing that their combined pretax profits fell 2.2 percent from the previous year.
JAPAN
May 22, 1997

Editor rues not probing Aum for body-burning story

The deputy editor of the Sunday Mainichi weekly magazine testified in court May 22 that he regrets not pursuing rumors that Aum Shinrikyo was burning bodies in an incinerator in 1989.
JAPAN
May 21, 1997

BOJ bill clears Lower House panel

A government-proposed bill to revise the Bank of Japan Law and give the central bank greater independence cleared the Lower House Finance Committee late May 21.
JAPAN
May 20, 1997

Many voices join in battle over 'comfort woman'

Nationwide debate over "comfort women" will probably not end soon. Did wartime Japanese authorities really abduct Korean women for sex slavery, and is it the key question? Should school textbooks cover the issue and should Japan alone be mentioned regarding such practices?
JAPAN
May 20, 1997

Dollar tumbles to 111.98 yen

With the downtrend gathering momentum in Tokyo, the dollar touched the 111 yen level momentarily late May 20 for the first time since Dec. 6, 1996, on a rush of selling by exporters and institutional investors.
JAPAN
May 19, 1997

Deadline for reviewing bureaucracy is set

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto instructed his advisory panel May 19 to review the civil servant system and by the end of fiscal 1998 wrap up a report detailing ways to maximize the effect of ongoing efforts to trim the central government.
JAPAN
May 16, 1997

Russian minister proposes regional security pact

Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda and Russian Defense Minister Igor Rodionov agreed May 16 to push a regional security forum in the Asia-Pacific region to help maintain stability, Foreign Ministry officials said.
JAPAN
May 16, 1997

LDP backs basic plan on expenditure limits

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party endorsed a basic outline May 16 for capping government spending to help the nation regain its fiscal health, but left many specific numerical targets up to the prime minister's Fiscal Structure Reform Council.
JAPAN
May 16, 1997

SEC backs interim reform reports

Interim reports on deregulation of the securities industry -- including calls to further liberalize brokerage commissions beginning April 1, 1998 -- were approved May 16 by an advisory council subcommittee to the finance minister.
JAPAN
May 16, 1997

Let nonbanks raise funds from more sources: paper

Nonbanks should be allowed to secure funds from capital markets through a wider range of sources, including such currently banned means as the issue of bonds and commercial papers, according to a report released May 16.
JAPAN
May 16, 1997

Gifu girl's killer gets 18-year term

The Gifu District Court on May 16 sentenced a 23-year-old man to 18 years in prison for murdering a 7-year-old girl in 1994 in Hashima, Gifu Prefecture.
JAPAN
May 14, 1997

Concerns over safety of nuclear power increasing

PRAGUE -- Nuclear plant safety was, as always, a major issue for atomic power operators from around the world who gathered here May 12 and May 13. Discussions took place amid growing public disquiet about the use and safety of nuclear power despite growing electricity demands in developing countries....
JAPAN
May 13, 1997

Powerful quake rocks southern Kyushu, injures 27

KAGOSHIMA -- A powerful earthquake rocked Kyushu late May 13, injuring 27 people, officials said.
JAPAN
May 13, 1997

Dwindling aid for developing nations puts ADB in spotlight

FUKUOKA -- It will become increasingly important for the Asian Development Bank to offer assistance that would pave the way for the private sector to play a larger role in the development of countries in the region, a vice president of the bank said May 13.
JAPAN
May 13, 1997

Thai finance minister expects Japan to maintain aid

FUKUOKA -- Thailand's finance minister said May 13 that he does not expect a complete reversal in Tokyo's aid policy toward reducing official development assistance, expressing confidence that Japan will remain a key donor.
JAPAN
May 13, 1997

Marine activists demand opening of water gate

A citizens' group concerned over the extinction of marine life in Isahaya Bay, Nagasaki Prefecture, took to the streets May 13 in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district.
JAPAN
May 9, 1997

Fiscal reform is paramount, JR West chief says

OSAKA -- Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's government must concentrate on implementing fiscal reform above all other proposed streamlining initiatives, the chairman of West Japan Railway Co. said in a recent interview.
JAPAN
May 9, 1997

Nursing care bill expected to pass Lower House

A bill to create a nursing care insurance system for ailing elderly people is expected to pass the Lower House next week, a ruling party official said May 9.
JAPAN
May 8, 1997

Health insurance reform passed by Lower House

A bill that would more than double medical costs for the public starting Sept. 1 cleared the Lower House on May 8 with the support of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its two non-Cabinet allies.
JAPAN
May 8, 1997

Banks must gear up for the Asian economic era

Asia, with its huge thirst for capital and infrastructure investment, will be an area of increasing importance for Japanese financial institutions in the years ahead, according to the chairman of Fuji Bank.
JAPAN
May 7, 1997

Japan Red Cross reveals details of quake funds

OSAKA -- The American Red Cross was unaware that some of the 800 million yen it sent to help survivors of the Great Hanshin Earthquake was set aside for other uses until the Japan Red Cross was specifically asked to translate its reports into English.
JAPAN
May 6, 1997

Dow surge sends Nikkei through 20,000 barrier

The Tokyo stock market forged past the 20,000 mark May 6 amid ringing reports that Wall Street's Dow Jones industrial average hit a record closing high in heavy trading overnight.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight