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JAPAN
Jun 7, 2005

Bone-marrow bank probed for having too much money

Internal reserves held by a foundation operating the nation's only bone-marrow bank have swollen to more than 500 million yen, exceeding a government-set ceiling for a nonprofit entity, sources said Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2005

Machimura seeks first ODA budget hike since 1999

The Foreign Ministry will try to have Japan's budget for foreign aid increased in fiscal 2006 for the first time since 1999, Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2005

Agency probes language schools

The Social Insurance Agency has launched inspections of foreign-language schools nationwide to make sure their foreign teachers are covered by social insurance, the agency said Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2005

Quarterly capital spending up 7.4% to four-year high

Capital spending by companies grew 7.4 percent in the January-March quarter from a year earlier to 13.697 trillion yen, the highest level in nearly four years, the Finance Ministry said Monday.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jun 7, 2005

Massage, reading kanji and ATMs

Hands on D is a U.S. trained massage therapist with a spousal visa, currently living in Hiroshima.
BUSINESS
Jun 7, 2005

BOJ balance back in target range

The outstanding balance of current account deposits held by private financial institutions at the Bank of Japan returned Monday to the central bank's liquidity target range of 30 trillion yen to 35 trillion yen for the first time in three business days.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jun 7, 2005

Have you heard the one about . . ?

'And then, when he saw the other side of the car, where his date had been sitting not 15 minutes earlier, on the door handle, hung . . . a bloody . . . HOOK!"
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2005

North Korea eager to return to talks: Koizumi

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Monday that he believes North Korea is eager to return to the stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear ambitions although it has yet to clearly say so.
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2005

Nonstop circumnavigator, 71, sails into record books

MISAKI, Kanagawa Pref. — Sailing legend Minoru Saito cruised into the record books Monday evening when his aging, battered sloop Shuten-dohji II crossed a line off the port of Misaki, ending a 7 1/2-month, nonstop unassisted solo circumnavigation and making him at 71 the oldest person ever to perform...
BUSINESS
Jun 7, 2005

Panel eyes target for cutting social security spending

An advisory panel to the finance minister recommended Monday that the government take steps to curb swelling social security-related spending by setting targets when compiling the budget for next year.
COMMENTARY
Jun 7, 2005

Kudos here, detention there

LOS ANGELES -- Journalism free from government constraint just isn't for everybody. It certainly wasn't for Richard M. Nixon while he was president. Unrestrained investigative journalism of the Watergate variety ultimately pushed Congress in the direction of potential impeachment and shoved Nixon onto...
BUSINESS
Jun 7, 2005

Yokogawa Bridge chief to resign over bid scandal

Yokogawa Bridge Corp. said Monday that President Yasuo Harada will resign June 20 to take the blame for the company's role in rigging bids for public bridge construction projects.
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2005

Married detainees illegally held: SDP

Nearly a quarter of the 127 foreigners who have been detained at detention centers for more than six months as of April 30 have Japanese spouses, according to government data released Monday by an opposition party.
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2005

Info exchange on refugees rapped

Japan may explicitly legalize providing personal information on people seeking asylum to authorities in their country of origin, where they fear persecution, lawyers said Monday.
BUSINESS
Jun 7, 2005

Sales of imported cars snap five-month decline

Sales of imported automobiles, including overseas models made by Japanese automakers, grew 5.5 percent in May from a year earlier to 20,606 units, snapping a five-month decline, an industry body said Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2005

Private-sector firms to process parking violations next year

Starting next June, police will shift the task of cracking down on parking violations to the private sector as part of efforts to privatize administrative duties related to law enforcement.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jun 6, 2005

Swallows edge Eagles 3-2 for win in interleague battle of baseball's birds

Shohei Tateyama tossed a three-hitter over eight strong innings Sunday as the Yakult Swallows edged the Rakuten Golden Eagles 3-2 in interleague play.
MORE SPORTS
Jun 6, 2005

Asakusa Denen gallops to victory

Seventh-pick Asakusa Denen earned the title of No. 1 mile race horse of the spring when he surged to victory in the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS
Jun 6, 2005

Tanno, Sugimori set new records

Asami Tanno and Miho Sugimori claimed their second straight titles with record-breaking runs while high school runner Yuzo Kanemaru won the men's 400 meters at the national track and field championships Sunday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 6, 2005

Catalyst for global stability

Asia's rapid economic growth, vast population and strategic geographical location are among the factors suggesting that the region should play a more prominent role in the international community. To cite but one example of Asia's influence on global issues, it is predicted that the rapid growth of energy...
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2005

Granddaughter of Tojo still against separate enshrinement

A granddaughter of Hideki Tojo, the prime minister executed as a Class-A war criminal after World War II, reiterated Sunday her opposition to removing her grandfather and other Class-A war criminals from the list of those enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 6, 2005

China showing a knack for taking risks

SINGAPORE -- A China that is willing to take ideological and political risks is emerging not only in affairs involving Hong Kong and Taiwan but also in the increasingly troubled relations with Tokyo and Washington.
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2005

JT Readers' Fund shares 1.19 million yen

The 2004 Japan Times Readers' Fund has distributed 1,194,919 yen to five organizations to help finance projects for Asian people in need.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight