Search - question

 
 
JAPAN
Apr 7, 1997

State plans to win final rights to base land

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto indicated April 7 that his government will try in the future to grant itself legal and ultimate authority to forcibly rent land for use by U.S. military bases.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 1997

DPJ opposes revision of Okinawa lease law

The Democratic Party of Japan urged the government Mar. 26 not to go ahead with its decision to seek a revision to a law that would allow the government to continue legally providing land for the U.S. military in Okinawa Prefecture after lease contracts expire May 14, DPJ officials said.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 1997

Realtor tight-lipped on Tomobe scandal

A Tokyo realtor who allegedly helped Tatsuo Tomobe win his Upper House seat in 1995 refused Mar. 26 to comment on the allegations, saying he did not want to incriminate himself.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 1997

DPJ can't decide where grass is greener

The Democratic Party of Japan, only six months old, continues to experience growing pains as political forces pull it in two directions.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 1997

Tomobe tied to shady cash deposit to politician

Investigators have learned that 50 million yen was deposited into the bank account of a Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member who is believed to have introduced arrested lawmaker Tatsuo Tomobe to Shinshinto, informed sources said Mar. 11.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 1997

Asahara's legal team submits its resignation

The defense counsel for Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara submitted a letter of resignation Mar. 6 to the Tokyo District Court, saying it "cannot fulfill the necessary defense if the current pace of hearings continues."
JAPAN
Mar 6, 1997

U.S. hopes to settle paper products row, Greenwood says

The U.S hopes it will be able to resolve a disagreement with Tokyo over an existing bilateral agreement on expanding foreign access to Japan's paper and paper products market, according to Lawrence Greenwood, economic minister counselor of the U.S. Embassy.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 1997

ITF joins dockworkers in protesting U.S. fines

The International Transport Workers' Federation joined Japan's dockworkers Mar. 6 in denouncing the U.S. decision to impose penalties on three Japanese shipping lines over what it charges are unfair port practices.
JAPAN
Feb 28, 1997

Four Okinawan landlords sign U.S. base lease contracts

Four Okinawan landlords, reversing their earlier opposition, agreed Feb. 28 to sign lease contracts with Tokyo to allow the U.S. military to continue to use their land after the current contracts expire in May, the Defense Facilities Administration Agency announced.
JAPAN
Feb 17, 1997

Tokyo ponders splitup of utility firms

That Tokyo residents have but one option for electrifying their homes has long been an accepted reality, as has been the position of Tokyo Electric Power Co. as the metropolis' supplier.
JAPAN
Feb 13, 1997

Hashimoto donation violated law

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's fundraising body received 500,000 yen in donations from an Osaka-based medical organization that apparently violated the Political Funds Control Law by making the contribution, officials said Feb. 13.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 1997

LDP member hits sex-slave entries in texts

An Upper House member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party raised doubts Jan. 24 about the government's decision to authorize junior high school textbooks that include descriptions of military "comfort women."During an interpellation to Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, lawmaker Kiyoko Ono said teaching...
JAPAN
Jan 17, 1997

Asahara badgers Inoue on stand

Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara appeared restless Jan. 17 during the 22nd hearing of his murder trial, often directing his mumblings toward testifying witness Yoshihiro Inoue, a former senior Aum member.During Inoue's testimony on his involvement in the May 1995 incident in which lethal chemicals...
JAPAN
Jan 2, 1997

U.S. relations seem steady, but Japan will have to live up to commitments

Relations between Japan and the United States are likely to stay calm under their respective new administrations, but the future in both security and economic matters depends largely on whether Japan effectively fulfills its commitments, including those to deregulation and various agreements reached...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jun 22, 2023

Why ASEAN is key to building order in the Indo-Pacific region

Southeast Asia’s geostrategic position is clearly important, and gaining the support of the bloc's 10 members can create significant advantages for major players.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 22, 2023

Titanic tour leader aboard missing submersible had called safety ‘pure waste’

Ocean scientists and at least one former employee of Stockton Rush’s company, OceanGate, have been sounding alarms about its safety procedures for at least five years.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 21, 2023

Kishida comes away from parliamentary session with key goals achieved

Out of 60 bills it submitted, 58 became law, a 96.7% passage rate — a slight drop from the equivalent session last year, where all 61 bills received parliament's approval.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 21, 2023

Eastern Germany's brown coal belt tries to go green

There are plans to build the country's largest battery park, but the region remains skeptical of the transition it symbolizes.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 21, 2023

Modi visits U.S. to deepen ties, saying there's no doubting India's position on Ukraine

Modi has been to the U.S. five times since becoming prime minister in 2014, but his visit until Saturday will be his first with the full diplomatic status of a state visit.
Japan Times
Jun 21, 2023

Kotozna has released ConcierGPT, an interactive communication service for the hospitality and service industry implementing GPT-4

Kotozna (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, CEO Genri Goto, https://kotozna.com/en) is pleased to announce the launch of Kotozna ConcierGPT on June 14, 2023, a multilingual AI concierge available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. By combining the evolution of LLM (Large Language Model) and Kotozna's technology,...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 20, 2023

America must get out of the way if AUKUS is to succeed

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations regime, rules that govern U.S. trade in weapons and defense products, impacts all cooperation envisioned under AUKUS.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jun 20, 2023

Red Bull can win everything, but the gap may be closing in Formula One

Max Verstappen has won six of the eight — including the last four in a row — and is heading for another record-breaking season, but there are glimmers of hope for his rivals.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 19, 2023

COVID-19 was a natural experiment for climate policy

When fossil-fuel demand declines only in some countries, supply does not fall because other parts of the world will absorb the unused fuel at lower prices.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Jun 19, 2023

Amid U.S.-China rivalry, a landmark science deal faces new scrutiny

A debate is underway within the U.S. government about whether to let the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement expire later this year or to renegotiate the deal.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 19, 2023

Trump lacked power to declassify secret nuclear arms document, experts say

The special status of nuclear-related information further erodes what many legal experts say is a weak defense centered around declassification.
SOCCER / J. League
Jun 18, 2023

How Japan's top soccer league is striving to become a climate leader

As the league continues to grow, and as climate change wreaks havoc on operations, its quest to bring healthier lifestyles to the Japanese public has expanded into environmental issues.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 18, 2023

Scathing report on police leaves Minneapolis reeling three years after Floyd murder

Veterans of the city’s Police Department, which has lost more than 300 officers, say they are running on fumes, weary from patrolling under a cloud of suspicion.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 18, 2023

Canada’s snap retreat from China bank shows divided world

Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced it would halt all activities with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank while the government conducts a review.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 17, 2023

African leaders talk peace in Ukraine as missiles explode overhead

The African leaders spoke of hope and dialogue after talking with Zelenskyy, but the Ukrainian leader ruled out peace talks until Moscow withdraws its troops from occupied territory.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.