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JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

Town mergers, decentralization go together: Noda

Mergers of cities and towns should be promoted along with decentralization to reduce administrative costs, said Takeshi Noda, the new home affairs minister.
JAPAN
Jan 11, 1999

Japan, EU to halt WTO action on 'Burma Law'

Japan and the European Union will ask the World Trade Organization to indefinitely suspend procedures to settle their row with the United States over a sanctions law against Myanmar, government sources said Monday.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 1999

Protests seen for Myanmar junta official

A top Myanmar military intelligence official will visit Japan later this month at the invitation of the Foreign Ministry in efforts to strengthen dialogue between Tokyo and Yangon through personnel exchanges, ministry officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 5, 1999

Yokohama maps out language lessons

The "Yokohama Map Guide for Volunteers' Japanese Classes '98" has been published to help foreigners searching for Japanese-language lessons.
JAPAN
Dec 22, 1998

Tax cuts in sight, public now worried by huge budget

With a record 81.86 trillion yen budget for fiscal 1999, the government is determined to put an end to the prolonged economic slump. But both the general public and those in the business community still worry about the nation's fiscal health.
JAPAN
Dec 22, 1998

Koreans' eviction from Utoro upheld

OSAKA -- The Osaka High Court dismissed an appeal Tuesday filed by 12 Korean families facing eviction from the wartime forced laborers' squatter community of Utoro in the city of Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, upholding a lower court ruling.
JAPAN
Dec 22, 1998

Myanmar men gain refugee status

The Justice Ministry granted refugee status to two Myanmar men on Tuesday, bringing the number of refugees recognized this year to 16, sources said.
JAPAN
Dec 17, 1998

Obuchi backs missile strikes on Iraq

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi expressed support Thursday for U.S.-British missile strikes against Iraq, saying that Iraq violated agreements with the United Nations to cooperate with arms inspections by the world body.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 1998

Hiroshima mayor's refusal to run laid to economic woes

HIROSHIMA -- The announcement by Hiroshima Mayor Takashi Hiraoka that he will not seek a third term has thrown next year's election into uncertainty.
JAPAN
Nov 24, 1998

Jiang visit may be turning point for Sino-Japanese ties

Staff writer
JAPAN
Nov 16, 1998

Package sufficient: Keidanren

The nation's business community welcomed the latest pump-priming package Monday and renewed calls for the government to quickly decide on the particulars of planned tax cuts worth some 7 trillion yen.
JAPAN
Nov 13, 1998

Trilateral cooperation key to Korea tension: Seoul

Cooperation between Japan, South Korea and the United States is essential to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula, South Korean Ambassador Kim Suk Kyu said Friday in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Nov 11, 1998

World Bank president presses for Asian reform

The recovery of crisis-hit East Asian economies requires world economic and financial support and time-consuming efforts to implement social and structural reforms, the president of the World Bank said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 1998

Politicians make progress in coupon debate

Despite oppositions raised from within both the government and the business community, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and two opposition forces moved a step forward Wednesday to realize a proposed plan to distribute merchandise coupons to the public.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 1998

Japan to ease Pakistan sanctions, withhold aid

Japan has decided to partially lift sanctions imposed on Pakistan following its nuclear tests in May and will approve international bank loans to Islamabad, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told his Pakistani counterpart, Sartaj Aziz, on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 1998

Mahathir calls for international hedge fund controls

Staff writerMalaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, currently in Japan for a five-day visit, reiterated his criticism of hedge funds Friday and called on the international community to work out some form of measures to control their activities.In a joint interview with The Japan Times and other media...
JAPAN
Oct 14, 1998

Jamaican leader joins economic chorus

Staff writerJamaican Prime Minister Percival Patterson urged Japan on Monday to make an early economic recovery because its weakness negatively impacts not only Jamaica but the international community as a whole."The problems which have occurred in the Japanese economy extend well beyond Japan itself....
JAPAN
Oct 2, 1998

ODA reduction requires greater efficiency: white paper

Reform of Japan's official development assistance is needed to achieve efficient and effective ways of extending foreign aid, an ODA white paper released Friday says."Japan's ODA in the current fiscal year, which ends March 31, 1999, has been cut by 10.4 percent. ... Therefore, efficiency and effectiveness...
JAPAN
Oct 1, 1998

Endocrine disrupters causing alarm

Staff writerA team of scientists in Tokyo announced last weekend that it has found eggs in the spermaries of three out of 20 male flounder caught in the sea near the Kanto region.The scientists said the abnormality may have been caused by suspected endocrine disrupters, chemicals believed to disrupt...
JAPAN
Sep 29, 1998

Tokyo to resume KEDO project role

Japan will soon resume its involvement in a project to build two light-water nuclear reactors for North Korea, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura indicated Tuesday.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 1998

Obuchi slams North Korea launch in U.N. speech

NEW YORK -- In an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi criticized North Korea for launching its rocket over Japanese territory, calling on nations to embark on a serious disarmament campaign.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 1998

Education council issues final recommendations on change

Local governments should be given greater freedom to run schools in the 21st century, such as discretion in setting up smaller classes, an advisory panel to the education minister said in its final report Monday.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 1998

Gist of key school reform proposals

The following are the key proposals outlined by the Central Council for Education:
JAPAN
Sep 17, 1998

Japan urges Iran to abstain from using force against Taliban

Iran should not take military action against Afghanistan's Taliban movement following the deaths in Afghanistan of nine Iranian diplomats, the director general of a Foreign Ministry bureau was quoted as saying Thursday.
JAPAN
Sep 10, 1998

First international charter in 20 years to leave Haneda

A chartered All Nippon Airways jetliner will depart Tokyo's Haneda airport today for Hawaii, becoming the first international chartered flight to depart from the airport in 20 years.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 1998

State to continue pursuit of Russia peace treaty

Japan's policy of seeking a peace treaty with Russia by the end of 2000 is unchanged, despite political and economic difficulties in Russia, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Sep 3, 1998

Diet condemns North over firing of missile

Both houses of the Diet unanimously adopted resolutions Thursday condemning North Korea's missile launch earlier in the week and urging the government to take a stern stance against Pyongyang.
JAPAN
Sep 1, 1998

Preventing Disaster: Flood damage dampens national drills

Hundreds of thousands of people across the country participated in annual disaster drills Tuesday, while many prefectures canceled or scale-downed their exercises in the wake of flood damage triggered by Typhoon No. 4.
JAPAN
Aug 28, 1998

Malaysia proposes skills plan for APEC workforces

Staff writer
JAPAN
Aug 26, 1998

Japan to keep Iran loans suspended despite historical visit

KharraziLoans to Iran will not be resumed when Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi visits Japan in the fall, although Japan will continue to assist Iranian reforms, a top Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday.

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