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JAPAN
May 31, 2000

Censure motion seen as blow to Mori's Cabinet

Three opposition parties on Tuesday jointly submitted a nonbinding resolution of censure to the House of Councilors against Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, claiming that his remark that Japan is "a divine nation centering on the Emperor" violates the Constitution.
JAPAN
May 31, 2000

Report suggests environment tax to combat global warming

The 2000 white paper on the environment released Tuesday called for the introduction of an environment tax so Japan can more vigorously combat global warming and waste dumping, government officials said.
BUSINESS
May 31, 2000

BOJ assets ballooned by 33% in fiscal 1999

The balance of the Bank of Japan's assets rocketed 33.2 percent higher to 106.2 trillion yen in fiscal 1999 due mainly to huge lending to the money market arising from its zero-interest rate policy, the BOJ said Tuesday.
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
May 31, 2000

A royal reserve of nature

It is a rare occasion, in a busy schedule, that allows me to spend a whole morning doing almost nothing, but this is one of those times. As I write, I am enjoying the sunshine and the view from the roof of a stone summer house. My sleeping quarters are down below, cool in the shade, but those I have...
BUSINESS
May 30, 2000

Economy needs extra budget, IMF's Fischer says

A top International Monetary Fund official urged Japan on Monday to prepare a supplementary state budget to prevent the nation's economy from worsening later this year.
BUSINESS
May 29, 2000

Job outlook rosy for 2001: survey

Employment prospects for students graduating in spring 2001 have improved for the first time in three years, thanks to a mild recovery in the economy, according to a survey by Kyodo News.
COMMUNITY
May 28, 2000

Conductor says yes to noh style 'Don Giovanni'

Theaters in Nagoya were aghast when Yoko Matsuo came calling. Even though she was born in the city and is conductor and director of the Aichi Prefecture Symphony Orchestra, her plan to stage Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni" in the style of Japan's most revered and challenging dramatic form, noh, created...
CULTURE / Art
May 28, 2000

Reinventing the art of exhibition making

Harald Szeemann's recent visit to Japan, at the invitation of the Benesse House on Naoshima Island and Kanazawa City's museum construction office, was a rare chance to hear the freelance curator's views on exhibition creation.
MORE SPORTS
May 28, 2000

Japanese soccer finished, or glory days still ahead?

This past week the lists of the top income taxpayers in Japan were announced and bantered about in all the media. And, as this country loves youth like just about no other, 17-year-old singing sensation Hikaru Utada and 19-year-old Seibu Lions pitching phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka garnered more attention...
JAPAN
May 28, 2000

177 illegal aliens caught in two raids

Immigration authorities are taking measures against 177 people who have either overstayed their visas or arrived in Japan illegally after a series of raids on premises in Tokyo's Kabukicho district this month, Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau authorities said Saturday.
JAPAN
May 28, 2000

Seven nations prepare for Rimpac 2000

About 22,000 military and coast guard personnel from seven countries will take part in Rimpac 2000, a series of military drills in waters off Hawaii that start Tuesday and continue for about a month.
JAPAN
May 27, 2000

Oldest international school's closure leaves many questions

One of Japan’s oldest international school closes its doors today, leaving behind a 99-year legacy that started as a result of nationalist upheaval and ended under a cloud of bitter protests and suspicions of greed.
JAPAN
May 27, 2000

Rigid schools failing kids in tough times

The rigidity of Japanese schools is suffocating children and is one of the causes behind the recent rise in youth crime, according to education experts.
JAPAN
May 27, 2000

European satellite slated to go on first H-IIA launch

Japan's H-IIA rocket will carry a European data-transmission satellite on its maiden launch, scheduled for next February, Science and Technology Agency chief Hirofumi Nakasone said Friday.
BUSINESS
May 27, 2000

Honda Motor aims to boost global output 20% by 2003

Honda Motor Co. said Friday it will raise annual groupwide car sales to 3 million in fiscal 2003, up about 20 percent from the current volume.
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
May 27, 2000

Sweet treats on a canvas of glaze

Though most of the world loves labels, it's hard to give one to the pottery of Norio Kamiya. Many collectors of Japanese pottery feel more comfortable if they know that this style is called Kutani or that one Arita or that this potter has won this award and exhibits at such-and-such gallery. Only after...
BUSINESS
May 27, 2000

Economy still slowing automakers

A stronger yen and the nation's stagnant economy continued to plague all Japan's five major automakers except Toyota Motor Corp. in fiscal 1999, which ended March 31, according to their annual earnings reports released by Friday.
BUSINESS
May 27, 2000

Secret four-party talks to steer toward new WTO round

Senior officials from Japan, the United States, Canada and the 15-nation European Union will hold secret talks in Ottawa next month to coordinate policy toward a new round of global trade liberalization negotiations, government sources said Friday.
JAPAN
May 26, 2000

Mori under attack for wedding speech

Yukio Hatoyama, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, criticized Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Thursday for attending a wedding in 1995 at which a gang boss was present.
JAPAN
May 26, 2000

Chinese spy ship traverses Tsugaru Strait

A Chinese Navy surveillance ship passed through the Tsugaru Strait in northern Japan this week, according to Japan Coast Guard officials.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2000

Three shipbuilding firms in talks on 350 billion yen alliance

is planning comprehensive talks with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. on a major shipbuilding tieup, industry sources said Wednesday. The alliance, which would have some 350 billion yen in combined sales, would be Japan's largest shipbuilding union, outperforming...
BUSINESS
May 25, 2000

Bank deposit, insurance policy safety nets enacted

The Diet passed a bill Wednesday to create a new mechanism to safeguard deposits in the event of bank failures after the current blanket deposit protection system is lifted in April 2002.
JAPAN
May 24, 2000

Opposition plans no-confidence motion

Four opposition parties agreed Tuesday to form a united front and submit a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's Cabinet in the near future.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2000

Yen hamstrung by fund flows out of stocks

After briefly testing the 110 yen level earlier this month, the dollar has given up much of its recent gains and is now hovering around 107 yen.
COMMUNITY
May 24, 2000

Plutocrat's quiet country place preserved

Tonogayato Garden is located in Kokubunji, about 25 km from Tokyo Station. The garden is now owned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Parks Department but was originally owned by the Iwasaki family, of Mitsubishi fame.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2000

JR East posts triple rise in net profit

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) said Tuesday its group net profit in fiscal 1999 leaped threefold from the previous year, following two consecutive years of setbacks.
LIFE / Travel
May 24, 2000

Lazy days on Yanagawa's canals

Yanagawa, in Fukuoka Prefecture, almost doesn't feel like a castle town. After all, the castle's remains (several heavy stone walls covered with greenery) now have two schools sprawling over them, and today the city is more associated with water, willow trees and writers. However Yanagawa's most distinctive...
CULTURE / Stage
May 24, 2000

Dervish dancing to oneness

The mystical tradition of Sufism is little known outside the Muslim faith, yet all people, regardless of religious background or inclination, can benefit from its methods for developing unity in one's body, mind and spirit.
JAPAN
May 23, 2000

Ishihara's support for Lee visit sought

TAIPEI -- Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian on Monday asked Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara to support a visit to Japan by former President Lee Teng-hui, according to officials of the Presidential Office.

Longform

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With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear