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SOCCER / World cup
Apr 5, 2006

Zico to announce roster on May 15

Japan coach Zico said Tuesday he will submit the 23-man World Cup finals roster to the Japan Football Association on May 15.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2006

Livedoor exec Kumagai free on bail

The Tokyo District Court decided Tuesday to grant bail to former Livedoor Co. Representative Director Fumito Kumagai, who has been indicted for corporate accounting fraud and has been in detention since his arrest Feb. 22, court officials said.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2006

Nagata walks away from Diet over 'disruption'

The House of Representatives approved Tuesday the resignation of opposition lawmaker Hisayasu Nagata for disrupting Diet business by using a fake e-mail message to attack a top Liberal Democratic Party official.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2006

Law changes aim to get dads into child-rearing

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will propose revisions to the Maternal and Child Health Law in an effort to encourage fathers to take a more active role in raising their children, it was announced Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
Apr 5, 2006

Africa's despots put on notice

The arrest of Mr. Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, and his arraignment before a United Nations-sponsored war-crimes court, could herald the beginning of a new era in Africa. Mr. Taylor is the first African head of state to be held responsible for the atrocities he set in motion during...
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2006

Ozawa, Kan look set to seek DPJ helm

, former Democratic Party of Japan vice president, has reportedly decided to seek his party's presidency, while two-time President Naoto Kan indicated he was almost ready to throw his hat into the ring.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2006

Aso says he can't understand why Hu won't talk

Foreign Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday characterized as "beyond comprehension" Chinese President Hu Jintao's ruling out a summit with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi unless he stops visiting Yasukuni Shrine.
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2006

E-cash floated as causing March drop in coin usage

The outstanding balance of coins in circulation fell slightly in March from a year earlier for the first year-on-year decline since the Bank of Japan started its survey in 1971, according to a report released Tuesday that prompted speculation the spread of electronic money has eaten into the use of hard...
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2006

Tanigaki worried about rate hike

Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki voiced concern Tuesday over recent rises in long-term interest rates, saying sharp increases are detrimental to growth, especially when the economy is still suffering mild deflation.
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2006

Half the members of beef safety panel step down

Half of the 12-member group of experts tasked with assessing the safety of U.S. beef have apparently resigned, because the government announced their replacements Monday.
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2006

Softbank to borrow 1.28 trillion yen

Softbank Corp. plans to take out 1.28 trillion yen in loans to buy British mobile phone operator Vodafone Group PLC's Japan business, company sources said Tuesday.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Apr 5, 2006

Patrolling the seas from on high

On February 28 this year, I was invited by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force base at Hachinohe to give a lecture on naval history to the officers of Fleet Air Wing Two. So for me it was to be a sudden switch from the coral seas and pleasant climate of Okinawa (with which I regaled you in this...
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2006

N. Korea, Iran firms on WMD watch list

Japan has added 20 North Korean and four Iranian companies and research institutions to its export control list over fears that high-technology exports to the entities could be used in the development of weapons of mass destruction, the trade ministry said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2006

Postal savings, insurance caps face gradual hikes

The head of a governmental advisory panel on Japan Post is ready to recommend gradually raising the maximum deposit in postal savings in the planned privatized bank and boosting the coverage limits in the envisioned insurer.
SOCCER / World cup
Apr 4, 2006

Ref's World Cup dream to come true

Japanese referee Toru Kamikawa, who has been picked to officiate at this summer's World Cup, said Monday his dream is to stand on the pitch in the final of the tournament.
BASKETBALL
Apr 4, 2006

All Super League teams to go pro

All seven corporate teams in the Super League have shown their intentions to join a men's professional basketball league, the Japan Basketball Association said Monday.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 4, 2006

Teen Kameda to fight Nicaraguan

Popular teenage flyweight boxer Koki Kameda will fight Carlos Fajardo of Nicaragua in a non-title 10-rounder on May 5, his Kyoei Gym said Monday.
EDITORIALS
Apr 4, 2006

A divide over the income gap

The perceived widening in the gap between the haves and have-nots in Japan has become a frequent topic of public debates. Those conscious of the gap refer to it as a negative byproduct of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reforms. Meanwhile, the government denies that the income gap is growing.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2006

Iran to get 10 million yen in quake aid

Japan will provide 10 million yen worth of relief supplies, including tents and blankets, to Iran following a major quake there last week, government officials said Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2006

China told to come clean on defense costs

is the reason why China's image, for the most part, comes out (to the international community as) negative," Miyamoto said, adding that he hopes to urge China to take steps toward more disclosure of its defense spending and convince the country that such a move would be to its own benefit. Miyamoto meanwhile...

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