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JAPAN
Dec 29, 2005

Toll in quake-proofing scandal at 88 buildings

Three more condominium complexes built with false quake-resistance data have been found in Tokyo and Kawasaki, bringing the number of buildings vulnerable to major temblors to 88 in 17 prefectures, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2005

Banks post net profit record in fiscal first half

Combined parent-only net profit of 129 banks in Japan totaled 2.124 trillion yen in the April-September first half of fiscal 2005, up 5.3-fold over a year earlier.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 29, 2005

Lack of English endangers immigrants

SANTA MARIA, California -- Imagine being a 12-year-old boy and interpreting for your mother. The doctor says your mother has a prolapsed uterus and you need to explain it to her in her language. Difficult? Embarrassing? Impossible?
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2005

Tapes fast disappearing from movie rental shelves

Whether they're couch potatoes or not, people had better get DVD players if they want to check out the latest rental releases or even classic titles this holiday season.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2005

Exodus begins at Narita, Kansai airports

The rush of travelers heading overseas for the New Year's holidays began Wednesday at Narita and Kansai airports.
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2005

JAL to raise fares for domestic flights, cancel pay cuts

Japan Airlines will raise regular one-way fares on domestic routes by 500 yen to 1,300 yen in April to cover higher fuel costs, the mishap-prone carrier said.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2005

Newest 'shogi' pro followed unlikely path

debuts Dec. 12 as a pro "shogi" (Japanese chess) player against amateur champ Toru Shimizugami at Shogi Kaikan in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Dec 29, 2005

Reasons for smiles after the disasters

I participated last Sunday in a thing called the "Dean Martin Memorial Stop Misery Outreach Action." This is a public happening that goes back some 10 years in Japan, and involves distributing one hundred martinis -- shaken on the spot, with uncommonly good gin and vermouth, garnished with pimento-stuffed...
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2005

Retail sales up 0.1% in November

Retail sales inched up 0.1 percent in November from a year earlier to 10.60 trillion yen for the first rise in two months, underpinned by robust sales of fuel due to relatively low temperatures, the government said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2005

November industrial output up 1.4%

Industrial production rose a seasonally adjusted 1.4 percent in November from the previous month, marking four straight months of gains, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 29, 2005

A gradual rise to excellence

A loss of direction appeared to afflict large parts of the Japanese theater world in the beginning of 2005 as last year's promising stream of new actors and directors failed to live up to their 2004 debuts. Dramatists responded by looking outward for inspiration, creating an upsurge in international...
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2005

End deflation before tax hikes: Abe

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe reiterated his stance Wednesday that deflation should be brought under control and the government should do everything to curb its spending and carry out other fiscal reforms before taxes are raised.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 28, 2005

Yankees' Matsui to sit out World Baseball Classic

New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui said Tuesday he has decided not to join Japan's squad and play at the World Baseball Classic next March.
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 28, 2005

Yanagisawa set for J. League

Japan striker Atsushi Yanagisawa told Kashima Antlers officials Monday that he wants to return to the J. League first-division club from Italian League side Messina.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2005

Tokyo mum on diplomat suicide report

The government confirmed Tuesday that a Japanese employee at the consulate general in Shanghai died last year but declined to confirm a newspaper report he committed suicide and left a note indicating he was being pressured to give the Chinese information.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2005

Disparity doubles in the value of a vote

The disparity in vote values between single-seat districts more than doubled in 48 House of Representatives constituencies in 17 prefectures, according to estimates by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry.
EDITORIALS
Dec 28, 2005

Portrait of a year in buzzwords

If it's December, it's time for those list-loving dictionary folks to be announcing their Words of the Year again -- and in the process providing editorial writers with a revealing lens on the past 12 months. This year, their labors yielded a couple of startlingly different scenarios.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2005

Car parts still carry asbestos

All major Japanese automakers except Honda Motor Co. used components containing asbestos to build 1.64 million cars, trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles between 1996 and last month, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2005

Cabinet endorses basic plan to promote gender equality

A basic plan to achieve gender equality was endorsed at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday and features the goal of raising the rate at which woman are recruited for the top-level career track in the central government.

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