Search - about-us

 
 
JAPAN
Oct 31, 1997

Public corporations fail to declare 16 billion yen

The National Tax Administration Agency said Friday that 926 public-interest corporations, including those running private schools and temples, failed to declare 16.443 billion in corporate income for the July 1996 to June 1997 period.
JAPAN
Oct 31, 1997

Death-row convict wins libel case

The Tokyo District Court on Friday ordered commentator Atsuyuki Sassa and Bungei Shunju, a major publishing house, to pay 350,000 yen in damages to Hiroshi Sakaguchi, a former Japanese Red Army activist now on death row, for defamation.
JAPAN
Oct 31, 1997

Rival to challenge Ozawa for helm of Shinshinto

Ichiro Ozawa, the embattled leader of Shinshinto, will face new challenges in December when the largest opposition party is expected to elect its next chief.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 1997

Jewell, Kono recount false accusations from press, police

Staff writer
JAPAN
Oct 29, 1997

Massive Dow Jones rally sparks Nikkei rebound

The Tokyo Stock Exchange staged a strong rebound Wednesday amid ringing reports of a massive rally on Wall Street overnight.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 1997

Hino blames economy, Asian currency woes for eroding profits

Hino blames economy, Asian currency woes for eroding profits>Hino Motors Ltd. on Wednesday said its profits for the first half of the 1997 business year were eroded by the sluggish domestic economy and the recent Southeast Asia currency crisis that greatly affected Thailand.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 1997

Defense hits probing of confessed 'cycle-by' assaults

Defense hits probing of confessed 'cycle-by' assaults>A 20-year-old man who confessed to "cycle-by" attacks on women in Tokyo and Saitama prefectures earlier this year denied in his first trial hearing Wednesday that he intended to kill a man with whom he had been living.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 1997

Asia-Pacific journalists discuss defense guideline issues

Asia-Pacific journalists discuss defense guideline issues> Concern among Asian countries about the revisions last month to the Japanese-U.S. defense cooperation guidelines has still not eased.
JAPAN
Oct 28, 1997

Local poll loss has Shinshinto jittery

The defeat of a Shinshinto-backed candidate in the Miyagi gubernatorial race Sunday is still shaking the party, leaving its members worried about the Upper House election next summer.
JAPAN
Oct 28, 1997

TSE plunges to 16,312

The Tokyo Stock Exchange was shaken Tuesday by successive plunges in share prices around the globe; trading closed with the benchmark Nikkei average falling to 16,312.69, the lowest since July 1995.
JAPAN
Oct 28, 1997

Japan's PC market reaches a crossroads

The red warning light is flashing for the personal computer market.
JAPAN
Oct 28, 1997

Kobe mayor Sasayama back at work

KOBE -- Kazutoshi Sasayama returned to his office Tuesday to begin a third four-year term as Kobe mayor after beating two challengers in Sunday's mayoral election.
JAPAN
Oct 27, 1997

Ex-U.S. official urges 'true' reform

Ex-U.S. official urges 'true' reform> Japan must take the plunge and carry out true deregulation if the nation wants to revive its "half dead" economy and achieve healthier trade relations with the rest of the world, Clyde Prestowitz, a former senior official of the U.S. Commerce Department, said Oct....
JAPAN
Oct 27, 1997

Automaker looks to bring Mercedes touch to other segments

Automaker looks to bring Mercedes touch to other segments> Staff writer
JAPAN
Oct 24, 1997

Hashimoto concerned over stock plunge

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said Oct. 24 that he is concerned about the worldwide plunge in stock prices triggered by the free fall on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange the previous day, adding that Japan will continue to monitor the markets closely.Responding to questions from reporters, Hashimoto...
JAPAN
Oct 24, 1997

Climate change focus of U.N. symposium

Speakers at a climate change symposium said Oct. 24 the Kyoto global warming conference in December will be a crucial test of whether the world will be able to protect the Earth in the next century.During the symposium, held at United Nations University in Tokyo to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of...
JAPAN
Oct 24, 1997

San Francisco mayor leads delegation to sister-city Osaka

San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown led a delegation of business and government officials to Osaka this week to strengthen business ties between the two cities and offer support for Osaka's bid for the 2008 Olympics.The sister-city relationship celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Last spring, Osaka...
JAPAN
Oct 23, 1997

Kan seeks out Prodi for political advice

Naoto Kan, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, called on visiting Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi on Oct. 23 to ask for advice on forming an alliance of center-left political parties.During their 30-minute meeting at a Tokyo hotel, Kan asked Prodi why his Olive Tree centrist-leftist ruling...
JAPAN
Oct 22, 1997

DPJ leader wants SDP, Sakigake to join in electoral push

Naoto Kan, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, on Oct. 22 called on the two non-Cabinet allies of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to break ranks and join an opposition electoral plan.Kan said he will consider cooperating with the two parties in the House of Councilors election next summer,...
JAPAN
Oct 22, 1997

Auto show shifts into environmental gear

CHIBA -- The 32nd Tokyo Motor Show will showcase automotive technologies focusing on environmental protection and safety as automakers address growing concerns over air pollution and global warming.This year's show, previewed by reporters Oct. 22 at Makuhari Messe, comes amid a prolonged slump in auto...
JAPAN
Oct 22, 1997

Bolivia's Lima envoy knew of Tupac Amaru threat

Bolivian Ambassador to Peru Jorge Gumucio, one of the hostages in the 127-day Lima crisis, said he knew Bolivian officials in Peru could be kidnapped at any time by the leftist Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement.Gumucio first alerted his government to the danger in December 1995, when Bolivian authorities...
JAPAN
Oct 22, 1997

Suzuki mulls compact car for GM

Suzuki Motor Co. is considering giving General Motors Corp. a new compact car to be produced at Suzuki's plant in Hungary, a top Suzuki executive indicated Oct. 22.If the deal comes about, the new Suzuki would likely become a major model in the small car segment for GM, as it currently lacks a strong...
JAPAN
Oct 22, 1997

U.S. requests investigation of glass distribution system

The United States called on the Japanese trade watchdog on Oct. 22 to investigate the glass distribution system, which Washington claims is manipulated by three major Japanese firms and limits foreign access.Japan's Fair Trade Commission took note of the request but remained noncommittal on whether...
JAPAN
Oct 22, 1997

Civil servants may get to keep status after reform

A government panel on administrative reform agreed Oct. 22 that government employees transferred to newly created quasigovernmental organizations should be allowed to keep their status as civil servants for the time being.About 15 members of the Administrative Reform Council, headed by Prime Minister...
JAPAN
Oct 22, 1997

Kobe mayor poll faces the quake factor

Staff writerKOBE -- The Kobe mayoral election is slated for this Oct. 26, but Tsuka Izuta would rather stay in that day than spend the 1,000 yen in transportation costs to get to a voting booth.Although she is a registered voter in Nada Ward, 68-year-old Izuta has abstained from voting in any elections...
JAPAN
Oct 21, 1997

Cabinet approves Hashimoto decentralization decree

The Cabinet approved on Oct. 21 a statement by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto expressing his determination to carry out government decentralization in line with four sets of recommendations made by an advisory panel."The government will pay the greatest respect to the recommendations to make the central...
JAPAN
Oct 20, 1997

Foreign students bring new life to traditional dances

Staff writerKimono-clad Ang Chooi Kean floats gracefully along, accompanied by 1,400 years of Japanese tradition. Performing the "kokiriko," a traditional Japanese dance, the Malaysia native, 5,300 km from home, seems an unlikely candidate to be preserving and spreading Japan's ancient arts.Ang is one...
JAPAN
Oct 20, 1997

Carmakers hope drivers rally to environment-friendly push

Staff writerAutomakers have long tried to impress customers with design and driving performance, but now they are paying homage to the latest in added values: environmentally friendly technology.Stranded by lackluster domestic demand, automakers are hoping to stimulate sales by displaying a number of...
JAPAN
Oct 20, 1997

Brief slump, then recovery will resume, BOJ chief says

The economy will regain its recovery pace after a temporary slowdown, Bank of Japan Gov. Yasuo Matsushita said Oct. 20.Presenting the central bank's half-year assessment of the economy during a two-day meeting of BOJ branch managers at the bank's head office in Tokyo, Matsushita said export and fixed...
JAPAN
Oct 17, 1997

U.S. congressman urges more help for Pyongyang

Food aid by the international community is helping avert a disaster in North Korea, but the famine-threatened communist country needs more food and medicine, U.S. Congressman Tony Hall said Oct. 17 in Tokyo.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji