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BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2005

Jobless rate rises to 4.4%

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage point to 4.4 percent in July from June partly because more people were seeking better jobs amid the economic recovery, the government said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2005

Retail sales rise fifth straight month

Retail sales rose 0.6 percent in July from the prior year to 11.12 trillion yen for the fifth straight monthly rise, aided by continued oil price hikes and brisk sales of men's clothing, the government said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2005

Koizumi reinvents race as issue-specific affair

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is changing the face of election campaigns, and one place this is being felt is the Liberal Democratic Party's Kyoto prefectural chapter, which traditionally has been the LDP's nerve center for local candidates.
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2005

NEC, Hitachi to sell some Elpida shares

Elpida Memory Inc. said Tuesday its two largest shareholders, NEC Corp. and Hitachi Ltd., will sell part of their stakes in the sole supplier of dynamic random access memory chips in Japan by March 31.
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2005

Ministries requesting 85.3 trillion yen for fiscal 2006 budget

The government as a whole is seeking 85.3 trillion yen in fiscal 2006 to finance public services and institutions and pay down its mammoth debt, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2005

TSE panel doesn't see regulatory spinoff

Tokyo Stock Exchange executives indicated Tuesday chances are slim for the bourse to transfer its regulatory duties to a new firm when it goes public as early as this fiscal year.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2005

ANA captain held in theft of jetliner manuals

An All Nippon Airways pilot was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of stealing jumbo jet flight operation manuals that were later sold to the general public by an aircraft goods dealer via the Internet, police said.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2005

20 former Lower House members decide not to run

Twenty politicians who held House of Representatives seats in the last term, including former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, are not running in the Sept. 11 general election.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2005

Panel refuses to link Isahaya to fish damage

The Environmental Dispute Coordination Commission on Tuesday rejected a request by fishermen to determine that a major government reclamation project in Kyushu has damaged the local fishery industry, saying a causal link cannot be scientifically confirmed.
COMMENTARY
Aug 31, 2005

The meaning behind Koizumi's moves

On the surface, most elections are about personalities, false promises and special interests. But Japan's general election Sept. 11 is about a deeper historical reconciliation -- the effort to resolve differences between the country's cultural and behavioral preferences, and the organizational practices...
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2005

U.S. approves Takeda diabetes drug

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. said Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the sale of its new Actoplus Met drug for diabetes.
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2005

Household spending sinks 3.3%

Spending by wage-earning households fell a real 3.3 percent in July from a year earlier to 323,515 yen, for the first decline in two months, the government said Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Aug 31, 2005

Porcelain horizons, modern monoliths

There are works of art that, maybe only once in our lifetime, may define an era and capture life's boundless spirit with a beauty that both moves the heart and deepens the experience of existence.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 31, 2005

The nature of the mind

Shunmyo Masuno calls his works "expressions of my mind," and they have the power to stir up depths of emotion and even tap into the subconscious. They are not psychedelic paintings, however, nor are they virtual reality installations -- they are gardens. And the man who creates them is a Buddhist priest....
SUMO
Aug 30, 2005

Kotooshu promoted after fine showing in Nagoya

Bulgarian bruiser Kotooshu has been rewarded for his giant-killing show in Nagoya with promotion to sekiwake for the upcoming Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament.
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2005

DPJ narrows gap with LDP, tracking poll shows

The Liberal Democratic Party's lead in voter support over the Democratic Party of Japan is diminishing in the runup to the Sept. 11 election, and the approval rate for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Cabinet has edged down, according to a Kyodo News tracking poll taken over the weekend.
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2005

Foreign Ministry to seek 11.9% boost for ODA

The Foreign Ministry will request an 11.9 percent year-on-year increase in its budget for official development assistance for fiscal 2006, ministry officials said Monday.
EDITORIALS
Aug 30, 2005

A timely warning to Tokyo

It is tempting to overreact to warnings that al-Qaeda is preparing an attack on a large financial center in Asia. That would be a mistake. If accurate a big if the reports should spur officials to better prepare for that awful possibility. But the news is not really new: Japan has already suffered one...
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2005

Koizumi vows to step down if ruling bloc loses election

Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party President Junichiro Koizumi stressed Monday he will step down immediately if the ruling coalition fails to win a majority in the 480-seat House of Representatives in the Sept. 11 election.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 30, 2005

Injured Tamesue to sit out athletics meet

Japan's Dai Tamesue will not take part in the upcoming IAAF World Athletics Final in Monaco due to an injury he sustained at the world athletics championships earlier this month, his management office said Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2005

METI vice minister dealt pay cut

Shoichi Nakagawa, minister of economy, trade and industry, announced Monday a 20 percent pay cut for two months for his vice minister, Hideji Sugiyama, over a series of public fund misuse scandals involving officials at METI.
Japan Times
JAPAN / POLL SHOWDOWN
Aug 30, 2005

Okada hopes to shift election focus

Democratic Party of Japan leader Katsuya Okada is calling for voters' support in the Sept. 11 general election to bring about regime change and rebuild Japan in the face of ballooning government deficits and a rapidly aging population.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2005

Airport runway closed over bomb threat

Sendai airport closed a runway and evacuated a jetliner Monday after an unidentified caller claimed to have planted a bomb on board, authorities said. No bomb was found and the runway was later reopened.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2005

Postal rebel Yashiro to run against New Komeito pick

Former posts minister Eita Yashiro declared Monday he will run as an independent in the Tokyo No. 12 district in the Sept. 11 general election and tendered his resignation from the Liberal Democratic Party, alleging he was betrayed by LDP executives.
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2005

45% of schools ban smoking on their premises

Hoping to reduce young people's exposure to secondhand smoke, 45 percent of schools across the nation have imposed total bans on smoking on their premises, according to a recent education ministry survey.
BUSINESS
Aug 30, 2005

Keidanren backs LDP once again this election

The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) will support the Liberal Democratic Party in the Sept. 11 general election, the business lobby's chairman said Monday.

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