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BUSINESS
Jan 22, 2003

Mizuho group plots huge fundraising effort as losses jump to 1.9 trillion yen

The Mizuho Financial Group said Tuesday its fiscal 2002 losses will hit 1.9 trillion yen, a nine-fold jump from estimates issued in November, after its two banks swallow more than 2 trillion yen in loan-loss provisions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / HIGH NOTES
Jan 22, 2003

Common: "Electric Circus"

Hip-hop and Hollywood share at least one thing in common: Star-studded lineups never guarantee a work of art. In fact, some material's strength is often diluted proportionately to the number of egos featured.
JAPAN
Jan 22, 2003

Rightist admits killing politician

A 48-year-old rightwing extremist pleaded guilty Tuesday to stabbing to death Diet member Koki Ishii of the Democratic Party of Japan.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2003

Christian-nuptial fad calls on fake pastors

Seeing a job ad placed by a Tokyo wedding company two years ago in an English daily, a 32-year-old Australian man applied for a position performing Christian-style nuptials at hotels and wedding halls on weekends.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2003

USJ to add weddings to its array of themes

OSAKA -- Universal Studios Japan, the troubled Hollywood theme park in Osaka, will be open to hosting weddings starting this spring, according to Shin Sasaki, president of USJ Co.
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2003

Toyota to add more hybrid models

Toyota President Fujio Cho said Monday his firm plans to increase its range of hybrid car models to about 10 within five years.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2003

High school students face record low job promises

At the end of November, an all-time low of 60.3 percent of high school students had been promised jobs after graduation, surpassing the previous record low of 63.4 percent registered a year earlier.
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2003

New bonds to pay 0.09% per annum

The Finance Ministry said Monday it will issue on March 10 the nation's first government bonds targeted specifically at individuals, and the first interest payments of the 10-year floating-rate bonds will be made in September at a coupon rate of 0.09 percent per annum.
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2003

'02 bankruptcies second most on record

There were 19,458 corporate bankruptcies in 2002, the second-highest figure in the postwar period, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Monday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jan 21, 2003

Matsui works out in Kawasaki

Hideki Matsui had his first workout before the media Sunday after being introduced as a New York Yankee last Tuesday following the signing of a three-year, $21 million free-agent deal.
EDITORIALS
Jan 21, 2003

Tasks for the newly opened Diet

Economic revival is the main theme of the 150-day regular Diet session that opened on Monday. One of the first items to be discussed is a supplementary spending package for fiscal 2002 designed to shore up the sluggish economy. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's policy speech, scheduled for delivery...
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2003

Audi Japan unveils sales targets

The Japanese unit of Audi, part of the Volkswagen group of Germany, unveiled its sales goals Monday, shooting for 12,000 units in 2003 and 16,000 by 2006.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2003

Footage, photos of actress's 1949 visit to U.S. discovered

Reels of 1949 films and photo negatives of Kinuyo Tanaka, one of Japan's most famous actresses, have been found among the belongings of a late relative, the relative's assistant said Monday.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2003

People in advanced years opting for music lessons

A growing number of middle-aged and elderly people are turning their attention to playing musical instruments in their retirement years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2003

Snow's successor hopes red cartons gain consumers' blessing

On Jan. 7, red milk cartons debuted at stores nationwide, with dairy farmers and retailers hoping the new brand will boost consumption, which has been down since contaminated milk products sickened thousands of people three years ago.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2003

Ex-security guard collared over ATM cubicle blaze

OSAKA -- Police arrested a former security guard Monday on suspicion that he set fire to an automated teller machine cubicle in central Osaka in June, causing an explosion and seriously injuring himself.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2003

Japan backs U.S. plan on North Korea

Japan reiterated its support Monday for a U.S. plan to strike a new deal with Pyongyang that would replace a 1994 U.S.-North Korea agreement for the North to scrap its nuclear development program.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2003

Geothermal heat pump systems to get trial use

The Environment Ministry plans to introduce an experimental program to use a geothermal heat pump system for public facilities as part of Japan's efforts to curb global warming, ministry officials said Monday.
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2003

Recovery projection pushed back

Driven by deep recession at home and a cloudy economic outlook abroad, a key government panel said Monday it will postpone the target year of an expected economic recovery by about two years.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 21, 2003

Leaving Japan, getting organized and cash refunds

Being thankful Hello from Tokyo. For all of our complaints, isn't it wonderful to be in Japan? With war, hunger and strife rampant in the world, Japan, with all its problems, is an oasis. It's a good time to be thankful, as we enter the new year, for the simple blessings of peace, trains that run on...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 21, 2003

Gadgets gnaw at polite society

A funny thing happened to me on the train home the other day. I had a conversation with a total stranger.
COMMENTARY / JAPAN IN THE GLOBAL ERA
Jan 20, 2003

Intellectual alienation spawns hazy polic

WASHINGTON -- The main purpose of my visit to Washington at the beginning of 2003 was to carry out discussions on U.S. perspectives, policies and strategies for the Doha Development Round, in particular, and global economic policy in general. Meetings were held with U.S. government departments, foreign...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 20, 2003

The folly of inflation targets

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said recently the next governor of the Bank of Japan must take aggressive action to fight deflation, giving rise to expectations of inflation targeting among government and ruling coalition officials. I doubt, however, that inflation targeting will cure deflation. In...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 20, 2003

Australian attitudes harden against illegals

SYDNEY -- Burn, baby, burn. That's how arsonists among illegal arrivals held in detention centers across Australia greeted the new year. What an inglorious way to start 2003!

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo