search

 
 
BUSINESS
May 23, 2007

MMC to reduce dealerships in domestic revamp

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Tuesday it will start paring its group dealerships to five from 29 on July 1 to help streamline sales channels and turn around its money-losing operations at home.
JAPAN
May 23, 2007

Aso announces 'manga' award for foreign artists

want to make the award something like the Nobel Prize for manga (creators)," Aso told a news conference. "Not as much money will be given as for the Nobel Prize, but we'd like to invite (the winners) to Japan." Foreign Ministry officials said the purpose of the award is to promote Japanese-style comics...
Reader Mail
May 23, 2007

Superficial China-Japan entente

Regarding the May 10 article "And now to trilateralism," by Brad Glosserman and Bonnie Glaser: The supposed entente between China and Japan is superficial and will likely evaporate with the next insult from Japan or aggressive move by China in the East China Sea. The fundamental problem is not China's...
EDITORIALS
May 23, 2007

Certification for better services

A new certification system has started in which the justice minister can certify private-sector organizations that help resolve civil disputes outside courts. This system is based on the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) law, which went into effect April 1, 2007, and will help offer the public more...
BUSINESS
May 23, 2007

Mizuho group profit falls 4.4% on Orient's losses

Mizuho Financial Group said Tuesday its group net profit dropped 4.4 percent to 621 billion yen in the business year to March on losses incurred by consumer lender Orient Corp., Mizuho's affiliate known for its Orico card.
COMMENTARY / World
May 23, 2007

Leave 'patriotism' out of Constitution

In October 2005, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) approved draft proposals whose main thrust is to revise the Preamble and Article 9 of Japan's Constitution. The new preamble includes "the obligation to support ourselves . . . with love for the country and society to which we belong," a veiled...
Reader Mail
May 23, 2007

Just a code for scam and fraud

"Supply and demand" is not the impetus behind outrageous gas prices in America. The impetus comes from hearsay and rumors of war and conflict -- despite the fact that no oil-rich country has ever refused to sell oil to the United States, even countries that are vehemently anti-American -- and from a...
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
May 23, 2007

Can 'organic' feed us all?

Having experienced firsthand the waste, power abuse and nepotism that malign the United Nations from within, I am not usually a fan of its conferences.
COMMENTARY / World
May 23, 2007

How Japan fuels financial instability

NEW YORK — Over the past several years, much attention has focused on the role of China's trade surplus in creating today's global financial imbalances. But too little attention has been paid to the role of Japan's policy of near-zero interest rates in contributing to these imbalances. As global financial...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
May 23, 2007

Mitten crab

* Japanese name: Mokuzu gani * Scientific name: Eriocheir japonica * Description: A curious-looking crustacean, colored light brown or olive green, the mitten crab does indeed appear to be wearing a furry pair of gloves, with dense tufts growing on the claws, which have white tips. Adults and large...
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
May 23, 2007

Internet umbrellas — today's pet rocks?

Once upon a time, during the stone age era known as the 1970s, a product completely devoid of usefulness was created: the pet rock. This thing enjoyed a burst of commercial success that engenders acute embarrassment. Its inventor proved that the alchemists were right, you can make gold out of completely...
BASKETBALL
May 22, 2007

Takushi drafted No. 1 by Golden Kings

To build a house, you need to start with the foundation. To build a basketball team from scratch, you need a point guard — a capable floor leader.
JAPAN
May 22, 2007

Japan rattled on both coastlines

Two moderate earthquakes struck off Japan's coastlines Monday morning, but there was no danger of tsunami from either temblor, the Meteorological Agency said.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes