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JAPAN
Apr 11, 1997

Majority approval sends bill on base leases to Upper House

A government-sponsored bill that will enable the state to continue forcibly leasing land for U.S. military bases in Okinawa Prefecture was sent to the Upper House Friday after receiving overwhelming support in the Lower House.
JAPAN
Apr 10, 1997

Okinawa base lease bill clears Lower House panel

With the backing of major opposition parties, a government-sponsored bill aimed at giving Tokyo the power to continue forcibly leasing land for U.S. military bases in Okinawa easily passed a Lower House special committee without amendment April 10.
JAPAN
Apr 10, 1997

LDP, allies agree on Okinawa aid plan

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its two smaller non-Cabinet allies agreed April 10 on a program designed to promote the economic development of Okinawa Prefecture and help it achieve financial independence. The program suggests that a large part of the island prefecture be turned into a free-trade...
JAPAN
Apr 9, 1997

Nago support sought with heliport study

The government hopes the city of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, will reverse its position and cooperate with the state to launch a feasibility study for the proposed relocation of the Futenma U.S. Marine heliport to a sea-based facility off Camp Schwab, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano said April...
JAPAN
Apr 8, 1997

Lack of vision stalls Ex-Im Bank merger with aid fund

More than two years after the government decided to merge the Export-Import Bank of Japan and the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund, officials involved in its preparation are now unable to find a good way to unite the two institutions.
JAPAN
Apr 7, 1997

Medical treatment to be capped by 2000

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its two non-Cabinet allies on April 7 agreed to implement by 2000 a new medical payment system that will cap the total amount that medical institutions can charge per illness.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 1997

Upper House asks Tomobe to resign

The House of Councilors adopted a resolution Apr. 4 calling on chamber member Tatsuo Tomobe to resign in connection with his indictment for fraud.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 1997

3,000 rally against revision of Okinawa land lease law

About 3,000 unionists rallied late Apr. 2 in Tokyo to protest a planned legal revision that would enable the government to continue the forced use of land in Okinawa Prefecture for U.S. military installations after the land lease contracts expire in May.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 1997

Kajiyama speech hints at stiffer base land law

Tough new legislation could be introduced in the future to help the central government override opposition from landowners and local governments when leases for property within U.S. bases expire, the government's top spokesman hinted Apr. 2.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 1997

Revision of base law moves to fast track

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto on Mar. 31 announced that he will try to revise a law -- hopefully by late this month -- to enable the government to legally continue providing land for use by U.S. military bases in Okinawa after leases for some plots expire.
JAPAN
Mar 28, 1997

Ikeda to inform China of resumed grant-in-aid

Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda leaves Mar. 29 for China for a two-day visit, during which he will tell Chinese President Jiang Zemin and other leaders of the decision to resume grant-in-aid to China.
JAPAN
Mar 28, 1997

MITI continues meddling with other ministries

The Ministry of International Trade and Industry has a long-standing reputation in government circles of meddling in the turf of other ministries, and on Mar. 28 it was the posts ministry that felt its toes stepped on.
JAPAN
Mar 21, 1997

Ainu bill approved but void of legal rights

The government on Mar. 21 officially approved a bill to create a new law on the Ainu people of Hokkaido, but failed to grant them special rights as an indigenous group.
JAPAN
Mar 21, 1997

Japan to push its position on ports

Despite U.S. dissatisfaction with an interim agreement on Japan's port practices between the Transport Ministry and three related industry groups, the Japanese government will try to make Washington understand the significance of the agreement and Japan's position, Transport Minister Makoto Koga said...
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1997

Reform must be gutsy to overcome less services: Mitsuzuka

Public understanding of the inevitable reduction in public services that will result from the government's drive for fiscal austerity must be won by showing a strong resolve to push forward with reform measures, Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka said Mar. 19.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 1997

LDP panel proposes boost in crisis response

A panel within the Liberal Democratic Party drew up a proposal Mar. 18 for strengthening the government's ability to cope with crises such as natural disasters and war.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 1997

LDP panel releases reform plans

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's task force for administrative reform on Mar. 14 announced a set of comprehensive plans to promote deregulation.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 1997

LDP ranks support freeze on Diet salaries

A number of senior lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party expressed their support Mar. 14 for a proposal to freeze the salaries of Diet members because of the state of debt-ridden national coffers.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 1997

Zedillo invites Imperial Couple to Mexico

Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo on Mar. 11 invited the Imperial Couple to visit Mexico to boost bilateral friendship, officials said.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 1997

Tourism bill aims to bring foreigners to small cities

A bill to attract more foreign tourists to Japan is to be submitted to the Diet Mar. 12.
JAPAN
Mar 4, 1997

Police Agency drafts more-forgiving traffic law

The National Police Agency has drafted a bill revising the Road Traffic Law that would remove minor traffic offenses from the records of drivers whose licenses have been suspended if they attend traffic school or participate in volunteer activities.
JAPAN
Feb 25, 1997

Okinawans to get U.S. education

The government will establish a program to send high school students from Okinawa to study in the United States, Education Minister Takashi Kosugi said Feb. 25.
JAPAN
Feb 21, 1997

JR West president to step down

Masataka Ide, president of West Japan Railway Co., will step down April 1 and Vice President Shojiro Nanya will take his place, Transport Minister Makoto Koga announced Feb. 21.
JAPAN
Feb 17, 1997

TV Asahi hit over radio left at hostage site

TV Asahi came under government fire Feb. 17 for having left a radio device at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima for about one month in attempt to communicate with captives being held inside the compound by Marxist rebels.
JAPAN
Feb 13, 1997

Tokyo may revise law on U.S. land leases

The government may revise a special law so that it can smoothly extend forced leases on land used for U.S. military facilities in Okinawa Prefecture, Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama hinted Feb. 13. It is the first time that Kajiyama, who is responsible for affairs related to U.S. bases there,...
JAPAN
Jan 29, 1997

Tomobe arrested for fraud as Diet strips him of immunity

Tatsuo Tomobe, an Upper House Diet member and the main figure in an alleged mutual fund fraud, was arrested on Jan. 29 after the Diet revoked his immunity by unanimous vote earlier the same day.Metropolitan Police Department investigators arrested Tomobe, a 68-year-old former Shinshinto member who is...
JAPAN
Jan 28, 1997

Minister firm on keeping public money from ailing banks

The government has not changed its stance on refusing to use public funds to help banks erase their nonperforming loans, Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka said Jan. 28.After the tremendous uproar last spring caused by the infusion of 685 billion yen in public funds to help cover losses left by seven...
JAPAN
Jan 28, 1997

Panel eyes Diet approval for BOJ board members

A study panel drafting revisions to the Bank of Japan Law basically agreed Jan. 28 that appointment of central bank policy board members should be approved by the Diet.A majority of the panel's members said the three board members representing the BOJ -- including its governor and deputy governor --...
JAPAN
Jan 27, 1997

Kajiyama elaborates on sex-slave comments

Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama apologized Jan. 27 to the South Korean people for his remarks concerning the "comfort women" that overshadowed the weekend Japan-Korea summit. Comfort women is the term Japan euphemistically used to refer to its wartime sex slaves.But he then repeated his earlier...
JAPAN
Jan 27, 1997

Public works budget up for review

The government's top spokesman on Jan. 27 hinted at the possibility of reviewing a plan to spend 630 trillion yen on public works projects between fiscal 1995 and 2004."As the government is now working to reconstruct the nation's fiscal situation, the government may need to delay (the implementation...

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