Search - japan

 
 
JAPAN
Apr 7, 2001

Mori asks that Lee be issued a visa

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori has asked Foreign Minister Yohei Kono to issue an entry visa to former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui should he apply for one, several government sources said Friday.
EDITORIALS
Apr 6, 2001

Asia dusts off some bad habits

Storm clouds are gathering over Asian economies. Although the region has recovered from the worst of the 1997 financial crisis, the slowdown in the United States will give Asia a jolt. The region can overcome those difficulties if Asian economies continue their corporate and financial reforms, but unfortunately,...
JAPAN
Apr 6, 2001

Losers face paying all costs in civil suits

A government body working on an overhaul of the nation's legal system is expected to reach an agreement today on a new scheme that would reduce the financial burden on successful parties of civil suits.
BUSINESS
Apr 6, 2001

Imported car sales up in '00

Sales of imported motor vehicles in Japan turned upward in fiscal 2000 for the first time in four years, rising 0.8 percent to 276,999 units, the Japan Automobile Importers Association said Thursday.
COMMENTARY
Apr 6, 2001

Few worthy leaders in LDP

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori is expected to step down sometime this month, a year after he took office. Widely criticized for his alleged incompetence and lack of qualification for national leadership, Mori is sometimes called Japan's worst postwar prime minister. Even though Mori expressed his apparent...
JAPAN
Apr 6, 2001

Port raids net 30 suspected illegals

Japanese authorities have arrested 17 Asians aboard a South Korean freighter in Kitakyushu and another 13 at Osaka Minami port on suspicion of illegally entering Japan, officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apr 6, 2001

Asia-Pacific council to gather in Tokyo

The Pacific Basin Economic Council will convene for a three-day meeting starting Sunday in Tokyo, bringing together business leaders from 20 Asia-Pacific economies.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2001

Postwar corporate model shed in quest for success

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., known for its Panasonic brand, embarked this month on a drastic reform of its groupwide business by gradually dismantling its "business unit" system, established by founder Konosuke Matsushita.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2001

No more revisions for history text: Kono

The government will not seek further revisions or urge local education authorities to boycott the use of certain school textbooks, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said Wednesday, urging South Korea and China to "settle down" and discuss their differences.
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2001

Microsoft wants Xbox to be center of gaming

The launch of Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox is designed to secure a foothold in the home video-game market for the company, an area seen as critical for long-term growth, according to a top executive of the game console project.
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2001

IHI, Kawasaki Heavy to merge shipbuilding operations

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. said Tuesday they will integrate their shipbuilding operations into an equally owned venture to be formed on Oct. 1, 2002.
EDITORIALS
Apr 4, 2001

A dangerous game of cat and mouse

The timing of the midair collision between a Chinese fighter jet and a U.S. Navy spy plane could not be worse. The handling of the incident seems designed to inflame tensions. The governments in Beijing and Washington must focus on the big picture. Give U.S. diplomatic personnel immediate access to the...
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2001

Temp staff rise said worrisome

Workers dispatched from temporary employment agencies make up one of the fastest-growing sectors of Japan's workforce.
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 4, 2001

J. League Nabisco Cup set to kick off

Featuring all the J. League Division One and Division Two teams, the Nabisco Cup gets under way tonight.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2001

Sub's surprise port call due to U.S. Navy error

The arrival Monday of a U.S. submarine in Sasebo port, Nagasaki Prefecture, without advance notification was due to a misunderstanding by the U.S. Navy in Japan over where the sub was anchored, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said Tuesday.
Events
Apr 3, 2001

Locals hope for USJ windfall

OSAKA -- The local community here hopes the Saturday opening of Universal Studios Japan in Konohana Ward will boost the ailing local economy, which has an unemployment rate above the national average. But some local vendors are not very optimistic.
JAPAN
Apr 3, 2001

Corporate outlook falls across board

Corporate sentiment plunged through all sectors in the March "tankan" survey for the first time in 10 quarters, the Bank of Japan reported Monday.
BUSINESS
Apr 3, 2001

LDP must balance fiscal, party interests

While Tokyo stocks continue to fluctuate wildly, some market participants are saying that stocks have bottomed out and have started an upward surge, following the Bank of Japan's effective return to a "zero-interest-rate" policy and commercial banks' accelerated disposal of bad loans.
BUSINESS
Apr 3, 2001

Economic outlook uncertain: Conference Board

The economic outlook will remain uncertain for months to come, according to a set of economic indexes released Monday by an influential U.S. business research group.
BUSINESS
Apr 3, 2001

Three megabanks make debut

Three new megabank groups started their operations Monday morning, raising hopes that the presence of the new entities will further accelerate the disposal of bad loans held by Japanese banks.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 1, 2001

Time for fans to pick 'em

As promised, this week's column is devoted to predictions sent in by Baseball Bullet-In readers offering their hunches on how the 2001 Central and Pacific League pennant races will play out. Ten people responded and, since I offered to accept the picks by e-mail, there were even a few entries from outside...
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 1, 2001

Kashiwa clips JEF in extra time

ICHIHARA, Chiba Pref. -- Kashiwa substitute forward Naoki Sakai struck the winning goal in the 99th minute, helping one-man-down Reysol edge JEF United Ichihara 3-2 at Ichihara Seaside Stadium in J. League Division One action Saturday.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Apr 1, 2001

Ohkura brings kabuki to life

KABUKI TODAY: The Art and Tradition. Photographs by Shunji Ohkura, text by Iwao Kamimura, translated by Kirsten McIvor. Introduction by Donald Keene. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2001, 194 pp., profusely illustrated. 5,800 yen. This lavish volume, as extravagant as the kabuki itself, is devoted to...
LIFE / Food & Drink / KISSA KULTUR
Apr 1, 2001

Tea fit for royalty glows at L'Epicier

For the last three months, I have been inexplicably drawn to tea shops with yellow color schemes. Is there a magical connection? Maybe only in a subliminal desire for the very best.
COMMENTARY
Mar 31, 2001

Lack of leaders is destroying the LDP

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori announced that the date for electing the next president of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party would be moved up. This was tantamount to him expressing his intention to resign.
BUSINESS
Mar 31, 2001

Trade panel concerned over U.S. Byrd Amendment

An advisory panel to the trade minister voiced concern in an annual report released Friday over a U.S. antidumping law that may violate the World Trade Organization's international trade rules. The Subcommittee on Unfair Trade Policies and Practices under the Industrial Structure Council calls in the...
JAPAN
Mar 31, 2001

Government blocks Yokohama's betting tax plan

The national government on Friday refused approval for Yokohama's plan to impose a tax on horse racing bets organized by the quasi-public Japan Racing Association.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear