Search - 2000

 
 
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2001

Court rejects Mizushima's claim

The Tokyo District Court on Thursday rejected a demand by former Sogo Co. Chairman Hiroo Mizushima that Sogo and its creditor, Industrial Bank of Japan, return shares of stock he voluntarily gave to the firm free of charge.
JAPAN
May 31, 2001

DoCoMo launches trial of high-speed service

NTT DoCoMo Inc. on Wednesday launched a trial run of its third-generation mobile phone service that promises to eventually allow users to watch video transmissions on their handsets.
BUSINESS
May 31, 2001

More Gucci stores, brands coming

Italian fashion giant Gucci Group N.V. will open more stores in Japan and introduce new brands this year, Gucci Group President Domenico De Sole said Wednesday at a news conference in Tokyo.
JAPAN
May 30, 2001

3,708 fewer visa violators deported

There were 51,459 foreigners deported for violation of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law in 2000, down 3,708 from the previous year, Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 29, 2001

Petrochemical firms will have to disband price cartel

The Fair Trade Commission will order seven major petrochemical firms to scrap a polypropylene price cartel and pay billions of yen in penalties, sources familiar with the case said Monday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 27, 2001

Sip your way to a green, healthy state of mind

URESHINO, Saga Pref.-- Green tea is back.
BUSINESS
May 26, 2001

Youth favors new Fuji chief

Kyoji Takenaka, the incoming president of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., is determined to make the company a full-fledged global player with "premium brand" vehicles.
BUSINESS
May 26, 2001

Two major banking groups suffer losses

Bad loans continued to make a dent in major banks' profits in fiscal 2000, even as the heat intensified to get to the bottom of the problem, according to fiscal earnings reports announced by Friday.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2001

Domestic sales rise at Toyota, Nissan, Honda

Three of Japan's five major automakers registered domestic sales expansions in April thanks to new models, according to data released Thursday.
JAPAN
May 23, 2001

Loan firms linked to rise in personal bankruptcies

With colorful billboards at train stations, TV commercials showing Brazilian soccer legend Zico or a carefree, successful young woman, major consumer loan firms seem to have shed the shady images that previously haunted them.
CULTURE / Art
May 23, 2001

Bright horizon seen from Odaiba

Reflecting the energy and vibrancy of the surrounding Odaiba district on Tokyo Bay, the "New York Philip Morris Art Award: 24 Winners from 1996 to 2000" exhibition is housed in the Fuji Television Forum, on the 22nd floor of the landmark Fuji Television Headquarters Office Tower.
JAPAN
May 22, 2001

Matsushita, Hitachi mull tieup

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and Hitachi Ltd. are in the final stage of negotiating a cooperation pact that would allow them to streamline their home appliance units and compete more efficiently with foreign manufacturers.
BUSINESS
May 19, 2001

MHI posts group net loss for second year in a row

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. reported Friday a consolidated net loss of 20.35 billion yen for the 2000 business year, falling into the red for the second consecutive year.
BUSINESS
May 19, 2001

Snow Brand to abolish 1,000 jobs

Due to a sharp decline in sales after a massive outbreak of food-poisoning last summer, Snow Brand Milk Products Co. said Friday that it will cut 1,000 jobs by the end of September and close an additional three factories by the end of March.
BUSINESS
May 19, 2001

Meager gains in premiums precede mergers of insurers

Increased competition saw premium revenue rise only incrementally at Japan's largest property insurance companies, according to fiscal 2000 earnings reports released Friday.
JAPAN
May 18, 2001

'Elderly households' hit record 6.2 million

Households comprising only elderly residents or only elderly residents and children have topped 6 million for the first time, according to a survey released Thursday by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
JAPAN
May 17, 2001

Toyota's 972 billion yen profit sets Japan corporate record

Toyota Motor Corp. on Wednesday reported a 22 percent rise in group pretax profit to 972.2 billion yen for the business period that ended in March, the highest ever posted by a Japanese company.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 15, 2001

Ichiro show rolls on in Canada

TORONTO -- The Ichiro Show has played to rave reviews in the U.S. for the first six weeks of the baseball season. This past weekend, it was a smash hit in its Canadian debut.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2001

Bridge authority may get 800 billion yen lifeline

The Transport Ministry is sounding out local governments invested in the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority about investing for 10 more years, which would use 800 billion yen more in local taxpayer money to keep the loss-making facility afloat, ministry officials said Monday.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2001

Sanyo, IBM develop Net-connectable chip

OSAKA -- Sanyo Electric Co. and IBM have developed a new semiconductor for home appliances that can be connected to the Internet, Sanyo officials said Monday.
SUMO
May 13, 2001

Taka ready for another title

Despite much speculation over the last month that ozeki Kaio would secure promotion to yokozuna in the Natsu Basho that starts today, yokozuna Takanohana now appears to be a strong favorite to take the yusho against only lackluster opposition.
BUSINESS
May 11, 2001

Omron unveils earnings targets

KYOTO -- Omron Corp., a major automated control equipment manufacturer, said Thursday it intends to raise return on equity to 10 percent from the current 6.7 percent through sales of 750 billion yen and pretax profits of 80 billion yen by the end of fiscal 2004.
BUSINESS
May 9, 2001

Domestic PC shipments surge with Internet use

Domestic shipments of personal computers hit record highs in value and volume in fiscal 2000, amid growing demand from individuals as the Internet continues to gain popularity, an industry group said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 8, 2001

Komatsu profits halve on slow domestic sales

Komatsu Ltd. on Monday reported a consolidated net profit of 6.91 billion yen in fiscal 2000, down 48.4 percent from the previous year.
BUSINESS
May 8, 2001

Nagasakiya gets breathing room

Supermarket chain operator Nagasakiya Co., which is currently protected from creditors under the corporate rehabilitation law, said Monday it has been granted six more months to compile a business rehabilitation plan, due partly to the large number of its creditors.
BUSINESS
May 5, 2001

DoCoMo's 3G service delay raises more questions

Last week's decision by NTT DoCoMo Inc. to scale back the introduction of third generation (3G) mobile phone services confirmed the skepticism of many observers about its launch date. But it proved the company was willing to cut prices to allow more consumers to access its richer, higher-speed content....
JAPAN
May 4, 2001

Humanitarian groups yet to hit their stride

Staff Writer When the Diet was immersed in heated debate in 1992 over whether to send Self-Defense Forces troops to Cambodia for U.N. peacekeeping operations, Toshihiro Shimizu thought that something very important was missing from the discussions.
BUSINESS
May 2, 2001

REITs banked on to ease market fears

As stock market woes and asset deflation continue to cast a cloud over Japan's economic recovery, a new type of investment trust will be introduced this month in a bid to solve these problems in one fell swoop.
BUSINESS
May 1, 2001

Major retailers strive to form new identity

One of the most popular areas on the food floor at Isetan's Tachikawa branch offers not groceries, but quick recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?