Search - 2004

 
 
BUSINESS
May 20, 2005

Daikyo sees red after following state-backed reconstruction

Struggling condominium builder Daikyo Inc. said Thursday it fell into the red in the business year that ended March 31, affected by its withdrawal from noncore businesses under a state-backed reconstruction plan.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
May 18, 2005

Man United fans being irrational about Glazer's takeover

I was asked an interesting question recently.
BUSINESS
May 18, 2005

GMO to invest in Nippon Shinko

Internet service provider Global Media Online Inc. and several other Japanese firms are in final investment talks with Nippon Shinko Bank, industry sources said Tuesday.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
May 14, 2005

Near relegation, Saints wondering where it all went wrong

LONDON -- If Norwich City beats Fulham on Sunday then Southampton will lose the top division status it has held since 1978. Relegation would complete one of the most remarkable and unexpected declines in Premiership history -- two years ago Southampton finished eighth and was beaten 1-0 by Arsenal in...
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

Machinery orders grew 6.5% in '04

Core private-sector machinery orders grew 6.5 percent in fiscal 2004 from the previous year, marking a second straight yearly rise, the government said Friday.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2005

'Indoor dogs' on rise as small pets become part of the family

"Beware of Dog" signs are becoming increasingly rare as a growing number of people choose to keep their pets inside with them and not outside to guard the house.
COMMENTARY
May 13, 2005

China cracks rights window

HONG KONG -- Last month, China issued a white paper that purported to show progress it had made on the human-rights front in 2004. It was immediately dismissed by human-rights organizations as little more than propaganda. While this may well be true, there are signs of significant progress on human rights....
BUSINESS
May 11, 2005

Bandai profit falls on weak U.S. sales

Bandai Co. said Tuesday its net profit fell 21 percent to 11.23 billion yen for the year ended in March, dragged down by a weak performance in the United States.
BUSINESS
May 10, 2005

Hot summer hits Disney operator Oriental Land

Oriental Land Co., the operator of Disney theme parks in Japan, said Monday its net profit for fiscal 2004 dropped 7 percent to 17.22 billion yen as an unusually hot summer hit visitor numbers.
BUSINESS
May 10, 2005

Chairman quits but JAL is back in black

Japan Airlines Corp. said Monday that Isao Kaneko will resign as both chairman and board member at the end of this month and become an adviser to the company.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 7, 2005

Health boom jazzing up production of bottled water

The current health boom in Japan is having a ripple effect on the bottled water industry and sending many beverage makers scrambling to offer products with added health benefits.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2005

Abe, central figure in HIV-tainted blood products scandal, dies

Hemophilia expert Takeshi Abe, who was facing an appeals trial over his acquittal in a professional negligence case, died of heart failure Monday evening at a Tokyo hospital, his family said. He was 88.
LIFE / Lifestyle / ON THE BOOK TRAIL
Apr 28, 2005

"The Mermaid's Manual," "Frozen Billy"

"The Mermaid's Manual," Dawn Applerley, Bloomsbury; 2004; 14 pp. "The Mermaid's Manual" should be a dream come true for many little girls out there. Its vibrant, glittery jacket has a neat press-button on it, which makes this picture-book look like a handy kit for wannabe mermaids.
BUSINESS
Apr 28, 2005

JVC targets 500 jobs in accelerated structural reform

Victor Co. of Japan Ltd. plans to cull 500 people from its 7,400-strong workforce during fiscal 2005 in an effort to accelerate structural reform, company officials said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 28, 2005

Sony net profit skyrockets 85%

Sony Corp. said Wednesday its consolidated net profit for fiscal 2004 surged 85.1 percent to 163.84 billion yen, thanks to a strong performance by its movie unit.
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2005

Jobless rate hits six-year low of 4.6%

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate averaged 4.6 percent in fiscal 2004, down 0.5 percentage point from fiscal 2003 for the best reading in six years, the government said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 27, 2005

TVs, phones give Sharp record profit

Sharp Corp. said Tuesday its net profit for fiscal 2004 jumped 27 percent to a record 76.85 billion yen, driven by brisk sales of liquid crystal display TVs and mobile phones.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 26, 2005

The show's over

Marietta was with some Filipino friends in their local station when they were approached by a group of men they didn't know. One took her arm, and asked to see her alien registration card and passport. His badge showed he was from the Immigration Office. "Now they are checking everybody," she says. ...
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2005

Students improve in standardized tests

Elementary and junior high school students showed improvements in the government's scholastic achievement tests conducted in January and February 2004 from those in 2002, according to the education ministry.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 22, 2005

Colts, Falcons to battle in Japan

Following a one-year absence, NFL action will return to Tokyo this summer.
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2005

Japan settles for 'low-risk, low-return' FTA goals

Prudish about bilateral free-trade agreements just five years ago, Tokyo is now fielding partnership requests from 25 economies and regional blocs.
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2005

Data show China trade is vital

Japan's customs-cleared trade with China exceeded its trade with the United States for the first time in fiscal 2004, underlining the interdependence between the two economies, Finance Ministry statistics showed Thursday.
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2005

Japan tour firms catering to disabled foreigners

English-language tours may be increasingly commonplace in Japan, but programs for disabled foreign tourists are still few and far between.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 16, 2005

Tepco head replaces scandal-hit peer

The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan will appoint Tsunehisa Katsumata, president of Tokyo Electric Power Co., as its new chairman, federation sources said Friday.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2005

Cost-cutting a safety threat: JAL unions

Unions at Japan Airlines Corp. are taking the opportunity of JAL being reprimanded by the government over recent safety shortcomings to fault the policies of management, especially its drastic cost-reduction efforts.
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2005

Wholesale prices post first rise in seven years

Wholesale prices for fiscal 2004 rose 1.5 percent from a year earlier for the first increase since fiscal 1997.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 10, 2005

Schiavo case deepens America's divide

ONTARIO, Calif. -- Seldom can I recall any issue in America producing as much emotion and division as the case of Terri Schiavo. The Iraq war has not come close to reaching this level of emotional expression. After being denied food and water for 13 days, her death on March 31, at 41 years of age, brings...
BUSINESS
Apr 7, 2005

Import auto sales off 3.8% in '04; first fall in three years

Sales of new imported vehicles in Japan fell 3.8 percent in fiscal 2004 from the previous year to 268,703 units for the first decline in three years.
BUSINESS
Apr 2, 2005

Domestic auto sales off 2.2% in '04

Sales of new domestic cars, trucks and buses in Japan fell 2.2 percent in fiscal 2004 from a year earlier to 3,939,734 units, marking the second consecutive yearly decline, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Friday.

Longform

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