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EDITORIALS
Aug 27, 2002

Strict political ethics are overdue

The indictment last week of Lower House member Muneo Suzuki on fresh charges of bribery is a reminder that money politics is alive -- if not well -- and that genuine political reform remains a long way off. Public prosecutors are reportedly building new cases against him for possible campaign-fund abuse...
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2002

Koizumi to visit U.S. for Sept. 11 ceremony, meet Bush

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will visit the United States to observe the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2002

North Korea on trilateral agenda

Japan, South Korea and the United States will hold high-level talks in Seoul on Sept. 7 to discuss issues relating to North Korea, the Foreign Ministry announced Friday.
COMMENTARY
Aug 23, 2002

Chen eyes Taiwan's 'own road'

HONG KONG -- In the days following Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's provocative declaration Aug. 3 that Taiwan and China are separate countries, there has been much speculation regarding his motives, with some analysts suggesting it was an unintentional slip of the tongue. Others said his words were...
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2002

Victims of bad medicine slated for relief in 2004

A new independent administrative agency will be set up in April 2004 to support victims of tainted or faulty medications and to simplify approval procedures for new drugs and medical equipment, health ministry sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 19, 2002

Memorial pitch expected by yearend

A government advisory panel is expected to propose the creation of a new memorial facility for Japan's war dead by year's end.
JAPAN
Aug 18, 2002

Kawaguchi aims to boost ties on first visit to China

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi will visit China for the first time Sept. 8-10 in a bid to improve relations that have been soured by politicians' visits to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, government sources said Saturday.
EDITORIALS
Aug 16, 2002

Aug. 15: day to renew peace efforts

The 57th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II passed quietly, in part because Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi skipped a visit to Yasukuni Shrine this month. His trip to the shrine last August stirred up controversy both here and abroad, particularly in China and South Korea. To avoid a similar...
Japan Times
JAPAN / THE OKINAWA FACTOR
Aug 16, 2002

The Okinawan dollar-yen juggling act

Tenth in an occasional series By MAYUMI NEGISHI Staff writer NAHA, Okinawa Pref. -- On Aug. 15, 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon took the dollar off the gold standard and introduced floating exchange rates, sending the greenback plummeting.
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2002

Koizumi restraint sidelines Yasukuni row

One year ago, a diplomatic row erupted over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 13 -- two days before the anniversary of Japan's surrender ending World War II -- in the face of protests from China and South Korea.
COMMENTARY
Aug 13, 2002

Protecting Japan's interests

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's advisory panel on ministry reform came up with its final report in late July. On the basis of the panel's recommendations, the ministry this month will formulate an action plan on ways of implementing reform. A spate of scandals involving the ministry have prompted...
EDITORIALS
Aug 11, 2002

Another fallen political idol

Former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka's resignation from the Diet on Friday was a surprise even though her political fortunes had waned visibly in recent months amid a smoldering money scandal. Did she take responsibility for the "trouble" she had caused? Was she unable to bear the brunt of public criticism?...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 10, 2002

Former Foreign Minister Tanaka tenders Diet resignation

In a surprise move, former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka on Friday tendered her resignation to the House of Representatives in an apparent move to take responsibility for allegations that she misappropriated her secretaries' salaries.
EDITORIALS
Aug 9, 2002

A setback in fiscal reform

Earlier in his administration, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi projected an image of aggressive leadership as he called for "no pain, no gain" structural reform. His bold plans included streamlining the bloated government budget. With the economy still struggling to recover, however, he seems to have...
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2002

National servants looking at 2.03% reduction in wages

The National Personnel Authority recommended Thursday that the Diet and Cabinet introduce a 2.03 percent cut in monthly wages for national government employees for the current fiscal year.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2002

Koizumi to avoid Aug. 15 shrine visit

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will not visit Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the 57th anniversary of the end of World War II, to pay his respects to the nation's war dead, the top government spokesman said Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2002

Government to file charges against Nippon Ham subsidiary

The government will file a criminal complaint against a unit of Nippon Meat Packers Inc. if it finds that the firm abused a beef-buyback program by disguising imported meat as domestic, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Aug 7, 2002

Keep the antinuke torch burning

That fateful moment is etched in the minds of the Japanese people: At 8:15 a.m., Aug. 6, 1945, the world's first atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima. Inscribed on the memorial cenotaph for the deceased victims, located at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, is a vow "never to repeat the mistake." The...
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2002

Suzuki bribe info faxed to property firm

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office mistakenly faxed a witness account about indicted lawmaker Muneo Suzuki's bribery case to a Tokyo real estate firm in June, a top official of the office said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2002

Defense Agency investigates data leak

The Defense Agency opened an investigation Tuesday into a suspected case of blackmail involving data allegedly leaked through a subcontractor hired to help develop a 1.1 billion yen computer network for the Self-Defense Forces.
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2002

48.1 trillion yen cap approved for fiscal '03 budget

The Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy approved Tuesday the guidelines for budgetary requests for fiscal 2003, capping outlays at 48.1 trillion yen.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2002

Glitches, protest greet launch of resident registry network

The government on Monday launched a national resident registry network that encodes people's personal information and gives everyone an 11-digit number. But glitches emerged, some municipalities refused to go online and critics cried "Big Brother."
BUSINESS
Aug 6, 2002

FSA to relax rules on stock sales at banks

The government plans to ease rules on commercial banks selling stocks at their branches through affiliated brokerages to encourage individuals to invest in the stock market, Financial Services Agency sources said Monday.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 5, 2002

Risks preclude nuclear option for Japan

WASHINGTON -- "Just like the Constitution . . . the amendment of (Japan's nonnuclear principles) is also likely."
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2002

Law eyed to prevent 'wangiri' phone scams

Toranosuke Katayama, the minister of telecommunications, said Friday his ministry may submit a bill to the Diet in the fall to put an end to the phone scam known as "wangiri."
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2002

Kokubunji snubs state resident registry

The western Tokyo suburb of Kokubunji on Friday became the latest municipality to refuse to take part in a national resident registry network that the central government plans to launch Monday, saying it will not join the system until a law to protect personal information is enacted.

Longform

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