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JAPAN
May 8, 1997

Making sense of the tax mystery for foreigners

Japan's tax system appears to be one of the most difficult concepts for foreigners to understand. It would come as no surprise if a foreigner working in the country -- in particular someone employed without a proper visa -- knew little or nothing about income tax returns.
JAPAN
May 8, 1997

Submit your own reform plan, Muto says

Management and Coordination Agency chief Kabun Muto dealt with spotted resistance to change May 8 by instructing each state ministry and agency to submit individual proposals for administrative reform, according to top government spokesman Seiroku Kajiyama.
JAPAN
May 7, 1997

Attending the Nagano Games will be no easy feat

As opening day of the 18th Winter Olympics in Nagano Prefecture draws closer, many sports enthusiasts are beginning to wonder how they will be able to experience the Games.
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 7, 1997

Japan restates reluctance to give food to North Korea

Tokyo reiterated its reluctance to extend food aid to North Korea at a senior officials' meeting May 7 among Japan, South Korea and the United States, Foreign Ministry officials said.
JAPAN
May 7, 1997

Tokyo ready to set up non-Japanese advisory council

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will launch this fall a council of about 25 foreign residents.
JAPAN
May 6, 1997

Coalition allies reach agreement on health insurance reform

The Liberal Democratic Party scored a political victory May 6 when it reached an agreement with its two non-Cabinet allies on a bill that would at least double medical bills, starting Sept. 1.
JAPAN
May 2, 1997

Osaka unveils guideline for hiring non-Japanese

OSAKA -- The Osaka Municipal Government introduced a new guideline May 2 allowing foreigners with permanent residency to engage in virtually all municipal jobs except posts involving policymaking or unilateral decision-making in matters concerning local residents' rights.
JAPAN
May 2, 1997

Hashimoto to visit Lima May 9 to voice thanks

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto plans to visit Peru between May 9 and 12 to personally express his gratitude to President Alberto Fujimori for the rescue of all 24 Japanese held in captivity by leftist rebels, government and Liberal Democratic Party sources said May 2.
JAPAN
May 1, 1997

May Day events sidestep thorny politics

An estimated 2 million people gathered for May Day celebrations May 1 at about 1,000 locations throughout the country, according to sponsors of the events.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 1997

Fukui disbands oil-spill task force

FUKUI -- The Fukui Prefectural Government disbanded its special oil-spill task force on April 30 as the clean-up of crude oil spilled from a Russian oil tanker in the Sea of Japan is nearly complete and the bow of the ship removed.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 1997

Hokkaido officials return taxpayers' money

Officials at the Hokkaido Prefectural Government on April 30 refunded a total of 180 million yen, including interest, to the government's finance office.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 1997

Nurse recounts sex slave system of Imperial Navy

Chiyo Nakazato, 71, a former nurse for the Imperial Japanese Navy, remembers that during the war, her male colleagues at the navy hospital on Hainan Island in the South China Sea were so anxious to go out at night they queued up by the door even before 6 p.m., when they were officially off duty.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 1997

Chief determined to build JR West into truly private enterprise

While Masataka Ide, the former president of West Japan Railway Co., was seen as a man of action, Shojiro Nanya, 55, who took over the JR West helm on April 1, is seen as a man of quiet resolve.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 1997

Supporters of homeless held after clash with police

Two supporters of homeless people living at Shinjuku Station were arrested early April 29 on suspicion of battery and obstructing justice.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 1997

ODA for Cambodian industrial park in works

Japan plans to conduct a feasibility study on the development of a major industrial park at a site close to Sihanoukville Port, Cambodia's only seaport for international commerce, through official development assistance, government officials said April 29.
JAPAN
Apr 28, 1997

Disclosure for disposal of arms left in China urged

The government must make public information on how it will dismantle poison gas weapons abandoned in China at the end of the war, a citizens' group holding exhibitions on Japan's wartime development and use of poison gas demanded April 28.
JAPAN
Apr 28, 1997

Dollar continues to rise despite intervention talk

The uptrend in the dollar's value continued unabated April 28 in Tokyo, with an intervention threat by finance officials from the Group of Seven industrialized nations going largely unheeded.
JAPAN
Apr 28, 1997

G-7 agrees to constrain dollar, surplus

WASHINGTON -- The Group of Seven industrialized nations, warning against a further upswing of the dollar against the yen, joined hands April 27 in an attempt to check the U.S. currency's rise and to keep Japan's external surplus from increasing markedly.
JAPAN
Apr 25, 1997

Disaster-relief bill is unveiled

Lawmakers and activists jointly unveiled a bill April 25 that would provide financial support to survivors of natural disasters, including the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
JAPAN
Apr 25, 1997

Witnesses relive Tokyo subway gas attack

Three witnesses for the prosecution testified at the April 25 session of Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara's trial, telling the court how they cared for victims of the 1995 Tokyo subway nerve gas attack immediately after the incident occurred.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 1997

New ministry estimate puts JNR debt at 70 trillion yen

Repaying the debts of the now defunct Japanese National Railways will eventually cost the government 70.21 trillion yen, the Transport Ministry said April 24.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 1997

Okinawa, surplus, and Koreas to dominate U.S. summit

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and U.S. President Bill Clinton are expected to reaffirm their commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations, especially in the security field, when they meet April 25 in Washington.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 1997

Nomura in black despite taking big hit for subsidiary

Nomura Securities Co. made 124.19 billion yen in pretax profits for the business year ending March 31, up 35.7 percent from the year before, the company announced April 24.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 1997

Asahara denies guilt in gas attack, 16 other cases

In a barely intelligible statement, sometimes using English and sometimes Japanese, Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara said April 24 that he is not guilty of ordering the 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system or a series of other crimes.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 1997

Izui pleads guilty to tax evasion

Osaka-based oil dealer Junichi Izui pleaded guilty April 24 to committing massive tax evasion between 1992 and 1994.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 1997

Aum lawyers dispute majority of evidence

Shoko Asahara's lawyers disputed on April 24 most of more than 11,000 pieces of evidence presented by the prosecution on the 1995 Tokyo subway attack.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 1997

Aum Shinrikyo data on sarin gas came from Russia

The apocalyptic cult Aum Shinrikyo had obtained Russian blueprints for producing nerve gas sarin by spring 1994, a former senior Aum figure told the Tokyo District Court on April 23.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 1997

Shinshinto adopts agenda to work with, dethrone LDP

Shinshinto's third national convention on April 23 adopted a set of policy agenda resolutions stating, among other things, that the party will work harder to overthrow the administration of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and that it will also work with his Liberal Democratic Party to realize reforms....
JAPAN
Apr 23, 1997

Questions raised over Japan's crisis management system

The hostage crisis in Lima ended with the release of all but one of the hostages by Peruvian forces, but questions have been raised about Japan's readiness to deal with a similar situation in the future.

Longform

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The second life of Japan's net cafes