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EDITORIALS
Oct 2, 2004

Recommitting to nuclear safety

A government panel investigating the Aug. 9 nuclear reactor accident, which killed five workers and injured six others, has published an interim report that reveals a pattern of loose safety management. The central message is that the tragedy -- the worst in the history of Japan's nuclear power industry...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

Last staff exit Fuji weather station; outlook automated

The Meteorological Agency pulled out its last employees from the weather station atop Mount Fuji on Friday, automating the facility that had been regularly staffed since 1932.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

Japan will continue fueling Arabian Sea warships for free

Japan intends to continue providing free fuel to U.S. warships in the Arabian Sea, despite a pact that allows it to charge fees, according to government sources.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

Chiyoda smoking ban a blazing success

Friday marked two years since Chiyoda Ward became the nation's first municipality to enforce a "living environment ordinance" aimed primarily at prohibiting smokers from lighting up in public and throwing cigarette butts on the streets.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

DPJ policy chief's remarks seen as endorsing terrorism

The policy chief of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan has suggested that a car-burning incident at the Diet on Friday should have occurred at the Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

New locations sought for U.S. bases

The government will work to reduce the U.S. military presence in Okinawa by searching for alternative host cities elsewhere in Japan, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Friday.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

WFP shows how school meals fight hunger

The World Food Program opened a monthlong exhibit Friday in Tokyo that features photos of children worldwide benefiting from the WFP school meal program and relief goods they have received.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

Justice chief's mandate: make Japan safe, refugee-friendly

Restoring Japan's image as one of the world's most crime-free nations is a key demand of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi -- and one newly appointed Justice Minister Chieko Noono hopes to meet.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

Living wills need legal recognition: conference

Living wills created by terminally ill patients need to gain greater legal recognition in order to ensure their effectiveness, participants at the opening of an international conference on the right to die said Friday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 2, 2004

Dragons back into CL title

Koichi Ogata hit a grand slam in the top of the 12th inning Friday as the Hiroshima Carp defeated the Central League champion Chunichi Dragons 5-2.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Oct 2, 2004

Drive into the sea, then put up guardrail

On my planet, the United States, used car salesmen have a classic line for selling a car with low mileage: "This car was driven by a little old lady who only used it to drive to the grocery store." In Japan, if I ever get rid of my lightweight pickup truck, the salesman will say, "This truck was driven...
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

'Tankan' rosiest in 13 years, but future cloudy

While business sentiment among Japan's large manufacturers in the July-September quarter was the highest in more than 13 years, the future looks far from rosy.
BUSINESS
Oct 2, 2004

Toyama, Ibaraki get digital TV

Terrestrial digital broadcasting began Friday in Toyama and Ibaraki prefectures, the first time for these broadcasting services to become available outside Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
BUSINESS
Oct 2, 2004

NTT units to cut fixed-line phone fees to match rivals

Two firms in the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. group unveiled plans Friday to lower charges for fixed-line phone services to the same level as those offered by rival carriers KDDI Corp. and the Softbank group.
BUSINESS
Oct 2, 2004

Yoshinoya expands loss estimate

Restaurant chain Yoshinoya D&C Co. said Friday it expects to post a greater-than-expected group net loss of 2.54 billion yen for its current business year ending in February.
BUSINESS
Oct 2, 2004

BOJ report may forecast deflation end

The Bank of Japan might forecast in its upcoming biannual economic outlook report that the nation's deflationary pressure will end in fiscal 2005, sources said Friday.
BUSINESS
Oct 2, 2004

August jobless rate sees little change

Japan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in August dropped 0.1 percentage point from the previous month to 4.8 percent, partly due to a sizable decrease in the number of jobless males, the government said Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 2, 2004

Tokaido Shinkansen Line fetes 40 years

Ceremonies were held Friday marking 40 years since the Tokaido Shinkansen Line opened, pioneering the bullet train service linking Tokyo and Osaka just ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.
BUSINESS
Oct 2, 2004

New Matsushita memory card doubles as smart card

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. on Friday unveiled a new SD Memory Card that doubles as a smart card, allowing consumers to use the product as a wallet or a train ticket, as well as to store music and pictures.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

Pre-emptive strike ability said necessary for Japan

A Defense Agency panel report says Japan needs the capability to launch a pre-emptive strike against a foreign target, such as a ballistic missile installation, according to sources close to the panel.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

Japan reports 50 years of its ODA amounted to $221 billion

Japan has provided some $221 billion in official development assistance to 185 nations since 1954, the Foreign Ministry said Friday in releasing its annual white paper on ODA.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2004

Police demand public's help in fighting crime

Police want more public participation in crime prevention, claiming it is impossible for them alone to ensure public safety, according to a 2004 white paper released Friday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Oct 2, 2004

Wayne Crothers

"To be an honest artist, you have to be concerned with living life to the fullest," said Wayne Crothers.

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