Search - 2012

 
 
JAPAN
May 21, 2008

Africa ODA to be doubled: Fukuda

The government promised Tuesday to double its official development assistance to Africa to around ¥200 billion by 2012 on a disbursement basis.
JAPAN
May 21, 2008

Onus on Japan to spur African development

Given that Japan is hosting both the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development and the Group of Eight summit this year, the international community expects it to show leadership in promoting the sustainable development of African countries, Sadako Ogata, president of the Japan International...
BUSINESS
May 17, 2008

Lifenet to offer 30% cheaper insurance online

Lifenet Insurance Co., a newly established online life insurer, said Friday it will start selling polices Sunday via the Internet at rates up to 30 percent cheaper than those offered by major life insurers.
JAPAN
May 15, 2008

Clark, Fukuda concur on all but agriculture

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda agreed Wednesday to cooperate on global warming, security and other areas but failed to make progress on signing a free-trade agreement, according to a joint statement issued after their summit in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
May 8, 2008

Nippon Oil, PetroChina in refining JV

Nippon Oil Corp. said Wednesday it agreed to form a refining venture with PetroChina Co., expanding their alliance to capture growing Asian demand.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 6, 2008

A Finnish way for the Japanese educational system?

Ever since students in Finland emerged as top performers in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), many teachers and policymakers in Japan have turned to this Scandinavian country of 5.2 million for insights on how to educate...
JAPAN
May 3, 2008

China warms to emissions goals

China is expected to express support for Japan's sector-by-sector approach to setting goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / G8 COUNTDOWN
May 1, 2008

U.S. looking for 'accountability' at July summit

KYOTO — The United States' agenda for the upcoming Group of Eight summit in Toyako, Hokkaido, emphasizes health and development issues, making sure previous agreements are carried out in a publicly accountable way and guaranteeing that developing nations are part of a post-Kyoto Protocol treaty, said...
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 28, 2008

Combating climate change

SINGAPORE — Two recent news reports have underscored China's voracious appetite for oil and the impact of unrestrained burning of coal and other fossil fuels on global climate change. Both point to the need for Japan, the United States, Canada, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand — the six Asia-Pacific...
OLYMPICS
Apr 26, 2008

New swimsuits have Japan quite worried

For the Japan National Team's swimmers and coaching staff, this is a question that'll pop up often over the next several months: Will their choice of swimsuits diminish their chance of success at the upcoming Beijing Summer Olympics?
EDITORIALS
Apr 24, 2008

Warming up Tokyo-Seoul ties

South Korean President Lee Myung Bak's visit to Japan this week heralds the start of a new relationship between South Korea and Japan. It is the first visit to Japan by a South Korean president since December 2004, when Mr. Roh Moo Hyun met with then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Prime Minister Yasuo...
BUSINESS
Apr 24, 2008

J-Power eyes outside director

Electric Power Development Co., the nation's largest electricity wholesaler and better known as J-Power, said Wednesday it will study hiring an outside director in fiscal 2009 to strengthen corporate governance.
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2008

Japan blocks TCI from upping J-Power stake

The government on Wednesday rejected a U.K.-based hedge fund's request to raise its stake in Japan's largest electricity wholesaler, citing a potential threat to national security.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Apr 16, 2008

Change sweeping North Korea

Drastic changes appear to be taking place in North Korea as its Korean Workers' Party (KWP) further strengthens its grip and its strongman Kim Jong Il tackles three major tasks: to pave the way for announcing his successor, to minimize whatever damage may result from the birth of a new conservative government...
BUSINESS
Apr 16, 2008

TCI turned down in bid to raise J-Power stake

A government panel said Tuesday night that a bid by a British investment fund to boost its stake in Electric Power Development Co., better known as J-Power, could "disturb the maintenance of public order."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 15, 2008

Method in the madness?

In November, Japan became only the second country in the world (after the United States) to introduce mandatory fingerprinting and photo-taking at all international entry points, as part of beefed-up "antiterrorism" measures by the Ministry of Justice.
COMMENTARY
Apr 12, 2008

Games failing to meet Olympian ideals

LONDON — The Chinese government sought the 2008 Games for Beijing to promote Chinese national interests. There is nothing new or exceptional about Chinese motives. Britain sought the 2012 Games for London for political purposes as well.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 3, 2008

Taiwan politics: Back to the good old days under the KMT

HONOLULU — Surprises and exciting finishes are the rule in Taiwan's elections. In the months before the presidential election on March 22, Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Ma Ying-jeou led Democratic Progress Party (DPP) candidate Frank Hsieh Chang-ting in public opinion polls by as much as 20 percent,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 1, 2008

'Half-alien' group foresees disaster, Japan UFO landing

In December, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura caused quite a stir with his bold statement that "UFOs definitely exist." In subsequent clarifications, the government claimed that there have been no confirmed sightings, but if a UFO was to appear, "fighter jets would be scrambled to attempt...
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2008

MHI to double turbocharger output

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said it has prepared a ¥40 billion plan, including a new factory in Thailand, to almost double turbocharger production.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’