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LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 13, 2003

The indispensable vagueness of 'domo-domo'

It's when I'm away from Japan and forced to speak in another language (in this case English) that I realize just how vague Japanese can get. At home, it's possible to go through a whole day without uttering one coherent sentence built on spontaneous thought and logic.
BUSINESS
Nov 13, 2003

Marubeni to raise cash via preferred share issue

Struggling trading house Marubeni Corp. said Wednesday it will raise 75.5 billion yen by issuing preferred shares through third-party allotment mainly to financial institutions.
BUSINESS
Nov 12, 2003

NTT posts nation's largest operating profit

NTT Corp. posted the nation's largest operating profit for the fiscal first half of 2003.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2003

Barber chain QB Net's innovations clipped by tight regulations

The experiences of one Tokyo-based hair-cutting operator seem to show how archaic rules in Japan can stifle innovative business ideas.
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2003

JDC, Pony Canyon eye movie rights

Japan Digital Contents Inc. has come up with a new way to acquire Hollywood movie copyrights.
BUSINESS
Nov 7, 2003

Nippon Steel returns to black thanks to China demand

Nippon Steel Corp., the nation's largest steelmaker, said Thursday it swung back into profitability during the fiscal first half on the back of strong demand in China.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 6, 2003

Women lose Kanematsu wage-bias suit

The Tokyo District Court rejected a damages suit Wednesday against Kanematsu Corp. by six women who said they suffered gender-based wage discrimination at the trading house.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 5, 2003

Weathernews finds silver lining in abnormal global patterns

Many countries witnessed abnormal weather this past summer, from devastating heat waves in Europe to economy-chilling cold weather in Japan.
COMMENTARY
Nov 4, 2003

True structural reform tied to end of bureaucratic rule

The biggest question in the Nov. 9 Lower House election is which side should take power -- a coalition headed by the Liberal Democratic Party or an alliance led by the Democratic Party of Japan. Also at stake is whether Japanese politics will be able to extricate itself from bureaucratic control.
COMMENTARY
Nov 3, 2003

China, EU working to justify closer ties

HONG KONG -- China and the European Union, each rapidly growing in its own way, are poised to develop a closer relationship that encompasses virtually all spheres, including global politics and economic cooperation.
EDITORIALS
Nov 1, 2003

Last man standing

The arrest of the richest man in any country is always an earthshaking event, and the jailing of Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the premier among Russia's oligarchs, is no exception. There are a number of explanations for Mr. Khodorkovsky's arrest, but there is no mistaking the chief beneficiary of the move:...
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2003

ANA swings back into black

Despite the impact of the SARS epidemic across Asia and the Iraq war, All Nippon Airways Co. said Friday it swung back into the black in the first half of fiscal 2003, posting a group net profit of 20.57 billion yen.
BUSINESS
Oct 31, 2003

KDDI profit up 320% to 86 billion yen

KDDI Corp. said Thursday its group net profit for the first half soared 320 percent from a year earlier to 85.86 billion yen.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2003

Horse-race tipster targeted over 300 million yen tax scam

Tax authorities have filed a criminal complaint against a Tokyo firm that provides betting tips on horse races, alleging it evaded some 300 million yen in corporate taxes on 1 billion yen in income during the 18-month period to March 2002, sources said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Oct 30, 2003

Daiei rehab plan features asset sales, banking help

The proposed rehabilitation of Daiei Inc.'s Fukuoka hotel, ballpark and baseball business will feature the sale of assets and financial assistance from the supermarket giant's six main banks, sources connected with the plan said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Oct 30, 2003

Widespread risk-hedging seen limiting short-term menace of rising yen

A strong yen is not good news for Japanese export-driven companies. But the impact of the yen's recent surge against the dollar to three-year highs is expected to be limited for now since firms have hedged the currency risk, economists and major manufacturers said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 29, 2003

Troubled Sony unveils restructuring plans

Sony Corp. on Tuesday unveiled sweeping restructuring measures, including plans to shed 20,000 jobs and close domestic TV plants, with the consumer electronics giant struggling to reclaim a competitive edge over its rivals.
BUSINESS
Oct 28, 2003

Matsushita eyes merit pay in China

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. plans to introduce a merit-based pay system for plant workers and sales staff at its Chinese subsidiaries beginning in fiscal 2004.
BUSINESS
Oct 28, 2003

Sharp to hike Spain output of LCD TVs

Sharp Corp. plans to double the output capacity of liquid crystal display TVs at its Spanish factory in April, seeking to meet surging demand in Europe.
COMMENTARY
Oct 27, 2003

EU may bite off more than it can chew in euro-dollar rivalry

LONDON -- How fares Europe's single currency, the euro? Much too well.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 24, 2003

Popularity of drum-beating video game has makers stumped

In a galaxy of video games boasting state-of-the-art graphics and prohibitively complex play, an offering with the surprisingly simple object of beating a drum has been a long-running smash hit.
BUSINESS
Oct 24, 2003

Chrysler to boost profile in Japan via new models

MAKUHARI, Chiba Pref. -- Chrysler hopes to lift its profile in Japan by rolling out many new models in the near future, a top marketing official of the North American unit of DaimlerChrysler Corp. said.
BUSINESS
Oct 23, 2003

Matsui Securities sees its first-half profit surge 327%

Matsui Securities Co. said Wednesday it chalked up a consolidated net profit of 2.51 billion yen in the first half of fiscal 2003, up 326.6 percent from the 588 million yen earned in the first half of fiscal 2002.
BUSINESS
Oct 22, 2003

'Unfair' currency rate hit

Japan's attempts to weaken the yen in foreign-exchange markets give its automakers "an unfair advantage" in the United States, a top executive of General Motors Corp. said Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 21, 2003

Recruitment exec says change must be embraced

As Japan's economic slump lingers and its once near-universal lifetime employment system collapses, many of the nation's workers are sharing an increased sense of insecurity. But the top executive of a global recruitment consultancy tells them not to fear change.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past