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JAPAN
Sep 9, 2000

DPJ race for Upper House begins

The ultimate goal of the Democratic Party of Japan to wrest power from the current ruling triumvirate is seen to mainly hinge on whether party leader Yukio Hatoyama can steer his party to victory in next summer's House of Councilors election.
BUSINESS
Sep 9, 2000

Japan's hopes of holding new round of trade talks this year begin to fade

Although top leaders from the Group of Eight fired themselves up in late July to get a new round of global trade liberalization negotiations started by yearend, their agreement appears likely to fizzle out.
BUSINESS
Sep 9, 2000

Moody's cuts rating on state's yen bonds

Moody's Investors Service Inc. said Friday it has lowered its rating on yen-denominated domestic securities issued or guaranteed by the Japanese government to Aa2 from Aa1, given Japan's massive public-sector debt.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2000

Bird calls go high-tech for classes

The Wild Bird Society of Japan plans to bring the fowl call of the wild into the classroom.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Sep 9, 2000

Putin's obscure mind games

I know very little about judo. Actually, I know nothing about it at all. Yet I like the image of two people wearing cool outfits accentuated by stylish belts, circling the mat with stony faces, waiting for the right moment to jump at each other like two splendid bobcats. It is undoubtedly the sport of...
COMMENTARY
Sep 9, 2000

Parties plan for the 2001 vote

A new political season begins in Japan when an extraordinary Diet session starts later this month.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2000

Historical irony haunts Chinese uprising

HONG KONG -- Last March 8, the Chinese government executed a former vice governor of the southeast province of Jiangxi, in the hope that this would demonstrate its determination to act against corrupt and oppressive officials.
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Sep 9, 2000

Putting no price on the beautiful

If all the pottery that I live with and use suddenly disappeared from my home, I would find myself quite blue. Those pieces, in their silent voices, spark my imagination and encourage me to live each day with grace and style; they are good friends. Someday I know I will have to part with them; that is...
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2000

China should give notice of maritime research: Kono

Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said Friday that China should give Japan about six months notice before conducting maritime research in Japan's exclusive economic waters.
BUSINESS
Sep 9, 2000

Sumitomo insurers eye policy sales cooperation

Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. and casualty insurer Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance Co. are considering selling each other's policies and jointly developing insurance products, officials of the two firms said Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2000

Nationalism before the national interest

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia -- If you ever chance to fly in the wintertime to the disputed Northern Territories -- a cluster of volcanic islets claimed by both Russia and Japan, and known as the southern Kuril Islands to Russians -- be prepared to be stranded.
CULTURE / Art
Sep 9, 2000

Photographer, gallery meet at the edge of Shinjuku

You'd never suspect it to look at the polite 27-year-old German photographer, but a survey of David Steets' work can lead to no other conclusion: Here is a man who loves to live on the edge.
EDITORIALS
Sep 8, 2000

No hurry when it comes to NMD

U.S. President Bill Clinton announced last week that he would put off any final decision on national missile defense. Instead, his successor will have to decide whether to go ahead with the controversial program. It is the right decision. The United States should not rush to deploy an antimissile program...
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2000

Parties' fundraising totals fell in 1999 amid slack economy

Japanese political parties collected 151.8 billion yen in donations, fees and government subsidies in 1999, down 18.6 percent, or 34.7 billion yen, from the year before, the largest decline since the government began tracking the statistic in 1976.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2000

MITI kills off proposal for carbon tax

A key government panel reviewing the nation's Basic Environment Plan released an interim report calling for the introduction of economic measures to resolve environmental problems.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2000

Miyake Island evacuees found to be physically, mentally taxed

The process of evacuation from volcanic Miyake Island and the glare of the national spotlight is taking its toll on some evacuees.
BUSINESS
Sep 8, 2000

April-June investment rose 2.2% on year

Capital investment by Japanese companies expanded 2.2 percent in the April-June quarter from a year earlier on an all-industry basis for the second consecutive quarter of increase, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 8, 2000

'Squadzilla' squashes Japan

OMIYA, Saitama Pref. -- The United States men's Olympic team put a wrap on its brief Japan tour Wednesday night by scoring a decisive 105-49 victory over the host nation in the final game of the Super Dream Games 2000 tournament at the new Saitama Super Arena.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 2000

Jobless grads opt for civil service sector

The National Personnel Authority said Wednesday a record 49.2 percent of candidates who passed the "category 2" senior civil service exam for fiscal 2000 are jobless graduates.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 2000

Miyake gets power back after 21 hours

Power was restored to most areas of Miyake Island on Wednesday after the essential personnel who remain on the volcanic island went 21 hours without electricity, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said.
BUSINESS
Sep 7, 2000

Fujitsu wins order to link Singapore, Jakarta and Sydney

Fujitsu Ltd. said Wednesday it has received an order from Nava Networks Ltd., a U.S. fiber-optic network company, to build an undersea fiber-optic cable network between Singapore, Jakarta and Sydney.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 2000

Two new typhoons form off Okinotori, China

Typhoon Bopha, the 15th of the season, was forming Wednesday morning in the Western Pacific, while Typhoon Wukong, the 16th, was developing over the South China Sea, the Meteorological Agency said.
BUSINESS
Sep 7, 2000

Pacific Century takes 55% stake in Jaleco

Pacific Century CyberWorks, a major Hong Kong Internet company, said Wednesday it acquired a controlling stake of 55 percent in Japanese game-software developer Jaleco after the firm issued new shares via third-party allocation.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 2000

School libraries short 66 million books

Libraries at the nation's elementary schools and junior high schools are a combined 65.79 million books short of government standards for class sizes, the Education Ministry said.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 2000

Japan, Iran to agree on investment talks

Japan and Iran will agree this autumn to open negotiations on concluding an investment protection pact to encourage private-sector Japanese investment in the Persian Gulf nation, government sources said Wednesday.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years