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BUSINESS
Apr 12, 2006

Japan tells China to change 'unfair' trade practices

Japan urged China on Tuesday to alter trade practices that it considers unfair, such as imposing tariffs on auto parts that are as high as those on assembled cars, and expanding its list of hazardous chemicals on short notice to effectively block exports of items that contain them.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Apr 12, 2006

Peacock butterfly

* Japanese name: Kujaku-cho * Scientific name: Inachis io geisha * Description: Instantly recognizable, with its chocolate-brown body, striking red wings and eye spots, the peacock is in the Nymphalid family of butterflies. In members of this family, the front pair of legs are reduced and useless for...
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2006

JAL, Skymark presidents give unsworn Diet testimony

have to secure robust profit." The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry launched a special inspection into Skymark in March after it was found to have flown a plane nine months past its repair deadline.
BUSINESS
Apr 12, 2006

BOJ maintains zero interest rate money stance

The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy unchanged after a two-day Policy Board meeting ended Tuesday, effectively leaving interest rates at zero.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 11, 2006

Japanese sports officials to step up anti-doping controls

Japanese sports officials intend to conduct random out-of-competition drug tests at the annual National Sports Festival in their stepped-up efforts to fight doping, sources familiar with the move said Monday.
SUMO
Apr 11, 2006

Taiwan training tour set for Aug.

The Japan Sumo Association finalized plans Monday for a five-day training tour of Taiwan in August.
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2006

Over 4 million foreign tourists visited last year

The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan hit a record 4.37 million in 2005, up 13.8 percent from the previous year and surpassing 4 million for the first time, a government-affiliated organization said Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2006

Youths get a say in governance with mock mayoral vote

A 14-year-old boy voted in front of a railway station on a rainy Sunday in February in a mock mayoral election in Tokyo's Machida city organized by the Junior Chamber of Commerce.
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2006

City mergers seen tailing off as the initial excitement fades

The number of villages, towns and cities has fallen by 40 percent to 1,820 in the seven years since the so-called Heisei Era annexation was begun in 1999 as a means of strengthening local governments.
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2006

Koike in hospital for another week

Environment Minister Yuriko Koike, suffering acute pneumonia, will remain hospitalized at least through this week, a ministry official said Monday.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 11, 2006

Science crisis in the making

Last November I delivered a lecture on complex-system economics at a world-famous institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I also attended a conference on science education in the same city, along with a physicist from Turkey who was visiting there at the time.
EDITORIALS
Apr 11, 2006

Thailand's new crisis

It is in keeping with his singular style of governance that Thailand's embattled prime minister, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, lost his job by winning an election. His victory in snap elections has precipitated a constitutional crisis. Sensing that a numerical majority would not allow him to govern, Mr. Thaksin...
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2006

BOJ talks unlikely to yield interest rate hike

The Bank of Japan's decision-making panel opened a two-day meeting Monday as analysts widely expect the central bank to maintain its zero-interest rate policy by holding the overnight call money rate near zero.
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2006

Killer gets 13 years for 1990 Tokyo stabbing

The Tokyo District Court on Monday sentenced a man to 13 years in prison for a 1990 murder in Tokyo. He had been indicted just 10 days before the 15-year statute of limitations expired.
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2006

Koizumi ready to take role in base talks

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Monday he is willing to meet Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine, who remains opposed to a plan to relocate a U.S. air station within the prefecture, following a deal struck Friday on the plan with local governments.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 11, 2006

Sick, desperate Japanese turn to booming Chinese organ trade

When Kenichiro Hokamura's kidneys failed, he spent four years on dialysis before going online to check out rumors of organs for sale.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji