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JAPAN
Oct 8, 1997

SDP, Sakigake tell Hashimoto to rescind emissions proposal

The Social Democratic Party and New Party Sakigake jointly demanded Oct. 8 that Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto withdraw Japan's proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 5 percent from 1990 levels.The two parties, saying they were not consulted on the proposal until it was announced Oct....
JAPAN
Oct 8, 1997

Effects of Kim's ascension too early to predict

Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi said Oct. 8 that it will be difficult to judge any immediate changes in North Korean policy under the new leadership of Kim Jong Il and that developments in the communist state will be closely watched.Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanezo Muraoka echoed Obuchi's assessment.Commenting...
JAPAN
Oct 3, 1997

SDP doubts worth of postal reform proposal

The Social Democratic Party, one of two non-Cabinet allies of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, questioned on Oct. 3 the wisdom of a government panel's proposal to break up the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry.During an Upper House plenary session debate, SDP policy chief Kazuo Oikawa said in...
JAPAN
Oct 3, 1997

Ruling party, allies to send delegation to North Korea

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its two smaller non-Cabinet allies -- the Social Democratic Party and New Party Sakigake -- will select a joint delegation to visit North Korea, LDP Secretary General Koichi Kato said Oct. 3.The visit, the first of its kind in two and a half years, will be made...
JAPAN
Oct 2, 1997

LDP slams postal privatization plan

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party announced its opposition Oct. 2 to a proposal by a government advisory panel to privatize two of the three postal services currently provided by the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry.During Diet debate, Kenji Manabe, policy chief of the LDP's House of Councilors...
JAPAN
Oct 1, 1997

Former minister gets 18 months for bribery

Former Construction Minister Kishiro Nakamura was sentenced Oct. 1 to 18 months in prison for accepting a 10 million yen bribe from a construction company trying to block a government bid-rigging probe.The Tokyo District Court also sentenced Shinji Kiyoyama, 71, former vice president of construction...
JAPAN
Sep 30, 1997

SDP strategy to curb corrupt politicians gets LDP nod

A Social Democratic Party proposal to study measures to restrict activities of politicians who have earlier been convicted of corruption received approval Sept. 30 from a decision-making body of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 1997

Hashimoto opens Diet with apology over Sato

In his policy speech before the Diet on Sept. 29, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto reiterated apologies to the public for appointing a politician once convicted of bribery to the Cabinet he formed earlier this month.
JAPAN
Sep 26, 1997

Extraordinary session to be stage for ethics debate

Staff writer
JAPAN
Sep 22, 1997

Ruling alliance agrees to examine ethics

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its two smaller allies said Sept. 22 they will examine their funds and political ethics to salvage the public's trust in the wake of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's ill-fated appointment of convicted bribe-taker Koko Sato to his new Cabinet.
JAPAN
Sep 19, 1997

Okinawa to get 1 billion yen for jobs

The government announced Sept. 19 that it will allocate 1 billion yen to promote employment-related projects in Okinawa Prefecture as part of a package to help placate local concerns over U.S. military bases.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 1997

New transport chief on course for clash over JR debt, taxes

When the new transport minister began talking about solutions to the long-running and lingering problem of debts left over by the former Japanese National Railways, one word kept coming up: "taxes."
JAPAN
Sep 16, 1997

Kyuma stays firm on defense review

Reappointed to a second term as Defense Agency chief, Fumio Kyuma reaffirmed that he will complete the review of the Japan-U.S. defense guidelines and implement the relocation of the U.S. Marines' Futenma Air Station in central Okinawa.
JAPAN
Sep 12, 1997

Mitsuzuka firm on budget austerity measures

Suggestions by some U.S. officials that Japan should slacken the pace at which it implements budget austerity are understandable but go against the nation's interests, Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka said.
JAPAN
Sep 10, 1997

SDP attacks administrative reform report

The Social Democratic Party held its first meeting on administrative reform Sept. 10, criticizing a report compiled last week by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's blue-ribbon government panel.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 1997

Debt, tax costs raise budget requests

Budget requests for the fiscal 1998 general account budget totaled 80.554 trillion yen, up 4.1 percent from the current budget, the Finance Ministry reported to the Cabinet on Sept. 9.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 1997

Izui claims he gave cash to top LDP lawmakers

Junichi Izui, an oil wholesaler on trial for alleged income tax evasion and fraud, said Sept. 8 he provided 278 million yen to six Diet members of the Liberal Democratic Party, including Taku Yamasaki, chairman of the LDP's Policy Affairs Research Council.
JAPAN
Sep 5, 1997

Legal war on 'sokaiya' planned

The government has decided on a set of legal measures to root out "sokaiya" corporate racketeers and to have stricter penalties imposed against them, officials said Friday.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 1997

Hashimoto arrives in China with 200 billion yen in hand

BEIJING -- Japan pledged to provide Beijing with an aid package worth more than 200 billion yen Sept. 4, the first day of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's four-day visit to China.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 1997

Ambassador Fuji to attend Diana's funeral

The government has decided that Ambassador Hiroaki Fujii will attend the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, on Sept. 6, Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama said Sept. 4.
JAPAN
Sep 3, 1997

Stumbling blocks to administrative reform still remain

Staff Writer
JAPAN
Sep 3, 1997

Hashimoto to bring up defense issues in China

During a four-day visit to China from Sept. 3, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto will call for bilateral defense dialogue to be strengthened in meetings between high-ranking officials from the two countries.
JAPAN
Sep 2, 1997

Legislators to draft bill guarding patients' rights

Legislators working on the reform of the health insurance system confirmed Sept. 2 that they will draft a bill for protecting patients' rights and submit it to the next regular Diet session, in January.
JAPAN
Sep 1, 1997

Tokyo, Pyongyang set venue to discuss wives' visits

Japan and North Korea have agreed to meet in Beijing on Sept. 6 for the first round of preparatory talks regarding visits to Japan by Japanese women living in North Korea, Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama said Sept. 1.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 1997

Blueprint for reform of health system is first step

and YOKO HANI
JAPAN
Aug 28, 1997

Ruling allies approve health insurance reforms

After intensive debate, the Liberal Democratic Party and its two non-Cabinet allies agreed August 28 on a plan to rescue the nation's health insurance systems from bankruptcy.
JAPAN
Aug 28, 1997

Tokyo to join global land mine meeting

Tokyo will participate in an international conference on banning land mines slated for September in Norway, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano said August 28.
JAPAN
Aug 26, 1997

Panel to prioritize bullet train work

A panel examining the construction of bullet train networks agreed August 26 to decide by late November which of seven sections of four bullet train lines in the Hokkaido, Hokuriku, Kyushu and Tohoku regions will have priority.
JAPAN
Aug 25, 1997

Government to make move against dioxin emissions

The Cabinet August 26 will take the nation's first step to deal with highly toxic dioxin emissions, which are 10 times higher here than in the U.S. or Europe.
JAPAN
Aug 22, 1997

Division of posts ministry proposed by reform council

The Administrative Reform Council has proposed privatizing the life insurance business operated by the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry and placing two of its other major operations -- postal savings and delivery -- under a new governmental agency.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
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