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JAPAN
Sep 30, 2006

Abe looks to compel schools to push 'patriotism'

As the extraordinary Diet session began Friday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid out his legislative agenda and left political observers speculating over the government's apparent tilt to the right and its push for "patriotism."
Japan Times
BUSINESS / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 30, 2006

Single rate cap needs five years, FSA chief says

A transition period of about five years in introducing a lowered, single interest-rate ceiling for consumer loans is necessary to meet potential demands from customers who want to borrow money for a short period, Financial Services Agency chief Yuji Yamamoto reckons.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 29, 2006

Abe hopes shrine coyness won't miff China: Aso

A Japan-China summit could be in the works, but Tokyo is waiting for Beijing to move forward on negotiations, reappointed Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 28, 2006

Moving toward an East Asian Community

One of the first tasks the new administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe needs to address is to mend bilateral fences with China and South Korea, which have been strained primarily as a result of his predecessor Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 28, 2006

'New Europe' has plenty of old problems

GENEVA -- The riots in Budapest, incited by leaked tapes that show Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany openly admitting that his government had lied for over a year about the country's dire finances, are but the latest evidence that things are going seriously wrong across Eastern Europe.
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2006

New lineup a good indicator where policy emphasis will be

The new Cabinet lineup announced Tuesday shows where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is placing his emphasis, such as the North Korean abductions, education and various reforms, and he wants his closest allies working in those areas.
SOCCER
Sep 26, 2006

No final match for Hide

Hidetoshi Nakata will not have a final match to mark his retirement, Japan Football Association President Saburo Kawabuchi said Monday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 26, 2006

Kanemura hit with fine, suspension

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters right-hander Satoru Kanemura received a suspension until the end of the playoffs and a 2 million yen fine Monday for criticizing the decision of team manager Trey Hillman, officials of the Pacific League club said.
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2006

Abe's LDP exec picks told to gear up for '07 Diet poll

joins other LDP leaders in a show of unity after appointing Hidenao Nakagawa (third from left) as secretary general, Yuya Niwa (second from left) as chairman of the Executive Council and Shoichi Nakagawa (third from right) as chairman of the Policy Research Council. KYODO PHOTO
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2006

Ozawa retains DPJ helm, is hospitalized

and Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama during a party convention Monday in Tokyo. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO
JAPAN
Sep 25, 2006

Abe likely to put Shiozaki in Cabinet

Shinzo Abe is likely to give Cabinet posts to his key supporters in the governing Liberal Democratic Party, including Senior Vice Foreign Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki, after he formally becomes prime minister, ruling coalition lawmakers said Sunday.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Sep 24, 2006

NHK's "Ongaku Idenshi," Nihon TV's "Diet Combat" and more

One of the most common questions asked of pop musicians is, Who are your influences? This question is the premise behind a new series on NHK, "Ongaku Idenshi" (NHK-G, Mon., 11 p.m.), which literally means "The Genes of Music." According to the show's producers, a musician's particular sensibility is...
JAPAN
Sep 23, 2006

575 defense workers took unauthorized trips: agency

A total of 575 Defense Agency employees, including Self-Defense Forces personnel, have traveled abroad without informing their superiors, agency officials said Friday.
JAPAN
Sep 23, 2006

City Hall to appeal 'Kimigayo' ruling

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara said Friday that City Hall will appeal Thursday's 12.03 million yen district court ruling against the "Kimigayo" directive, which obliges Tokyo's teachers to sing the national anthem before the national flag at school ceremonies.
EDITORIALS
Sep 23, 2006

Stepping up pressure on Pyongyang

Japan imposed financial sanctions on North Korea earlier this week. The action, which came more than two months after the North's July 5 test-firing of seven missiles, may have been be unavoidable since Pyongyang has not shown any sign that it will return to the six-nation talks on its nuclear-weapons...
BUSINESS
Sep 23, 2006

Lawmaker vows cross-party agreement to revise lending bill

Masazumi Gotoda, former parliamentary secretary in charge of financial services, said Friday he will work to revamp a consumer lending bill to get the ceiling on interest charges lowered and the higher rate on small loans scrapped.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 2006

Koizumi moves out, signs off

Outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi moved out of the Prime Minister's Official Residence Thursday evening as he gets ready to hand the reins of government to new ruling party leader Shinzo Abe next Tuesday.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Sep 22, 2006

Unfinished symphony finally gets first closure

Anton Bruckner's (1824-96) final symphony will be performed in full for the first time ever by the Tokyo New City Orchestra, conducted by Akira Naito at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space in Ikebukuro on Sept. 28.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2006

Abe wants NSC-style body, extra advisers to boost agility of Cabinet

Having been forced to deal with a string of disputes ranging from North Korea's missile tests to territorial disputes and rows over history, Shinzo Abe, newly elected head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is stressing the need for a government that can make decisions quickly and decisively.
BUSINESS
Sep 21, 2006

Itoyama takes stake in TV Tokyo

Financier Eitaro Itoyama said Wednesday he has acquired a 5.09 percent equity stake in TV Tokyo Corp., becoming its second-largest shareholder after Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2006

Political career of Shinzo Abe

Major events in Shinzo Abe's career:
JAPAN
Sep 20, 2006

Tokyo cuts North's cash supply

Japan on Tuesday dealt another blow to North Korea, imposing financial sanctions under a U.N. Security Council resolution that urges countries to prevent the transfer of funds for Pyongyang's weapons program.
COMMENTARY
Sep 18, 2006

A sure-win guards his cards

It is a foregone conclusion that Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe will win the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election Wednesday. He is then likely to be named prime minister at an extraordinary Diet session a week later and to launch a new Cabinet.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Sep 17, 2006

Japan's bid to host 2016 Olympic Games a pipe dream

"Yes means maybe. Maybe means difficult. Difficult means impossible."
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Sep 17, 2006

MLB scouts: Fukudome best Japanese position player in NPB

Who do you think is the best Japanese position player in Japanese baseball right now?

Longform

Construction equipment sits idle in a park near Shiba Toshogu shrine in Tokyo's Minato Ward. While Japan has a history of treating its trees with reverence, green coverage is said to be lacking in most of the major cities.
Do Japan's trees no longer occupy the sacred space they used to?