Search - 2004

 
 
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2001

Asahi Mutual may sell off unit to Tokio

Asahi Mutual Life Insurance Co. is in final talks with Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance Co. to sell off its sales division to the nonlife insurer's wholly owned subsidiary, Tokio Marine Life Insurance Co., sources close to the talks said Saturday.
BUSINESS
Oct 3, 2001

Komatsu to trim 10% of workforce

Komatsu Ltd. said Tuesday it will cut 2,200 jobs, or about 10 percent of its group domestic workforce, by March 2004.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Aug 29, 2001

A bearded Gore and the shrinking surplus

WASHINGTON -- At long last, Al Gore has reappeared! He is pursuing the political training school program that he had floated in a more full-blown way last spring. Al, sporting a full beard, is working with his fellow Tennessee loser, Republican presidential wannabe Lamar Alexander, training young people...
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Aug 9, 2001

Times get tougher for Bush

WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush has now been in the Oval Office for a little more than one half year, and it has been the best of times and the worst of times for him.
JAPAN
Jun 27, 2001

Insurance-yield cuts put forward in plan

A government panel presented a plan Tuesday that would enable life insurers to reduce yields promised to policyholders as a way to help weak insurers restructure.
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2001

Long road ahead for planned judicial reform

Following Tuesday's proposals by the Judicial Reform Council, which came after two years of strenuous deliberations, attention has shifted to how the government will introduce the sweeping changes in cooperation with judicial parties.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 2001

Greece hopes renewal of air links will spur bilateral ties with Japan

An agreement reached between Japan and Greece earlier this week to improve air links by code sharing will hopefully spur bilateral ties, Grigoris Niotis, Greek deputy foreign minister, said in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN
May 24, 2001

15,000 more day-care centers vowed

The government has decided in principle to provide an additional 15,000 after-school day-care centers for elementary school children by fiscal 2004, using vacant classrooms, government officials said.
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....
BUSINESS
Mar 17, 2001

Kyoei set to join Millea group

Kyoei Mutual Fire & Marine Insurance Co. is planning to join the Millea Insurance Group to be formed by Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance Co. and two other insurers by around 2004, industry sources said Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 26, 2001

Nice Treaty upholds Britain's interests

BRUSSELS -- A "stronger Britain in a wider Europe" has been the vision of a succession of British governments but increasingly this debate on the future of Britain in Europe is one in which the media is having to place severe constraints. The strong tradition of English exceptionalism and isolationism...
BUSINESS
Jan 12, 2001

Three insurers to merge in '04 deny units will tie up sooner

The presidents of Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Asahi Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Nichido Fire & Marine Insurance Co. -- scheduled to consolidate under a holding company in 2004 -- on Thursday denied the possibility of an immediate merger of the companies' subsidiaries.
BUSINESS
Dec 12, 2000

Mazda to build Premacy in China with local maker

Mazda Motor Corp. said Monday it will produce its Premacy wagon in China starting in June in collaboration with Chinese carmaker First Auto Works Hainan.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Dec 2, 2000

The new American autism

George W. Bush, Al Gore or civil war? This is the question being asked now by alarmists, especially those with a taste for theatrical overstatement.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2000

Ruling camp to study pension plan for parents of under-16s

The three ruling parties will start studying a plan to provide parents of children under 16 with monthly benefits as a way to curb the declining birthrate, party officials said Sunday.
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2000

Chemical safety plans urged by '05

An intergovernmental forum will call on governments to establish national plans by 2005 to safely manage hazardous chemicals, according to draft documents obtained by Kyodo News.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2000

Japan looks to cleaner sources of energy

Tokai disaster prompts nation to take a new look at alternative power Staff writer
BUSINESS
May 20, 2000

FamilyMart opens joint e-commerce firm

Japanese convenience store operator FamilyMart Co. was to set up a joint venture with six other firms Friday to bring e-commerce to convenience stores.
COMMENTARY / World
May 12, 2000

Malaysia's Islamists counting on Chinese to tip balance of power

KOTA BAHRU, Malaysia -- Malaysia's opposition theocratic Islamic Party (PAS) sees Chinese support as crucial to its bid to head an alternative broad-based multiracial coalition party capable of taking over the federal government of Malaysia in future, and is working very hard to dispel their fears of...
JAPAN
Jun 9, 1998

One-year delay hits Kobe airport project

KOBE -- The opening of the controversial Kobe airport, which had been scheduled to start up in 2004, will be delayed at least one year until autumn 2005, city officials said Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 1997

Osaka named candidate for 2008 Olympic Games

The city of Osaka defeated rival Yokohama 29 to 17 in a vote by the Japanese Olympic Committee and sports officials Aug. 13 to become the nation's candidate for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 8, 2023

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ travels highlight gaps in disclosure rules

The latest incident has raised concerns about whether the judiciary’s existing regulations are enough to expose potential conflicts of interest and ethics violations.
JAPAN / Explainer
Mar 19, 2023

Japan on high alert as avian flu rages across the country and heads north

Amid egg shortages and soaring prices, how worried should people be about the potential impacts of bird flu on human health?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 16, 2023

The Japanese venture capital star bagging 35% returns mining science papers for gold

Tomotaka Goji, a bureaucrat-turned-technology guru, has his sights set on transforming Japan's startup culture.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 7, 2023

'Xi Jinping's guy': Longtime acolyte Li Qiang set to be China's next premier

Leadership watchers say Li Qiang's closeness to Xi is both a strength and a vulnerability: While he has Xi's trust, he is beholden to his longtime patron.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 17, 2023

Scientists use laser to guide lightning bolt for first time

A team of scientists from six research institutions have been working for years to replace the humble lightning rod with a far more sophisticated and precise laser.

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