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BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2004

Store sales down for fifth straight month

Sales at supermarkets and department stores fell in July from a year earlier on a same-store basis for the fifth straight month, according to industry data released Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2004

Ministers fear impact of oil price spikes

Economic ministers voiced concern Tuesday that the recent spikes in crude oil prices could undermine the economic recovery by hurting corporate earnings.
BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2004

Apple's iPod mini proves big hit

The iPod mini, a digital music player made by Apple Computer Inc., has proved extremely popular since hitting the Japanese market a month ago.
JAPAN
Aug 25, 2004

GSDF's Massaki wins promotion

The Cabinet said Tuesday it will promote Gen. Hajime Massaki, chief of staff of the Ground Self-Defense Force, to the post of chairman of the Joint Staff Council of the Self-Defense Forces, as of Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 25, 2004

Typhoon's waves claim two sisters

Powerful Typhoon Aere, which hit Okinawa's Miyako and Ishigaki islands Tuesday morning, has left two young sisters dead in its wake, according to local rescue officials.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Aug 25, 2004

Artists remap Americas

Bombarded as we are with the media's sound bites and video clips, it is difficult to imagine a time when the task of recording and recounting the news of the world was assigned to artists and their paintings.
BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2004

Land ministry ready to ask for 16% spending increase

The land ministry Tuesday compiled its budget request for fiscal 2005, featuring a 16 percent increase in overall outlays and an expansion in tax revenue allocated to local governments to boost their autonomy, government sources said.
BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2004

Koizumi blasts postal reform foes

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed strong dissatisfaction Tuesday over continued opposition within his Liberal Democratic Party to privatizing postal services, saying it's "a done deal."
BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2004

SMFG tries to lure UFJ with deal to merge as equals

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. announced Tuesday that it has offered UFJ Holdings Inc. a deal for the two banks to merge on an equal basis, in its latest attempt to woo UFJ away from rival Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group Inc.
COMMENTARY
Aug 25, 2004

World faces another humanitarian crisis

LONDON -- While politicians and diplomats discuss what to do, many people of Sudan's Darfur region have been forced from their homes, terrorized, tortured and murdered by members of the armed Janjaweed Arab militia, who frequently rape the women they capture. The militia has apparently been aided and...
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2004

Medical practice patents elude amid debate on ethics, costs

Government debate since late last year on whether to introduce a patent system for new types of medical practice, including regenerative medicine, has been deadlocked due to ethical questions and possible sharp increases in medical expenses.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2004

Shootout with cops earns 15 years in prison

A 59-year-old man was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison for shooting and wounding two police officers in a standoff at his Tokyo apartment after a quarrel with his wife.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2004

Parents lose suit over son's death in garbage truck

The Hachioji branch of the Tokyo District Court on Monday rejected a civil lawsuit filed by the parents of a 12-year-old boy who was crushed to death when a municipal garbage truck collected the trash container he was in.
EDITORIALS
Aug 24, 2004

Japan's changing labor structure

Japan's employment situation is improving thanks to the economy's recovery, which in part has been fueled by corporate efforts to deal with changing economic realities. To reduce personnel expenses, companies have been increasingly turning to the recruitment of cheaper "nonregular employees," such as...
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2004

Bomber drops appeal; 20-year prison term stands

A 20-year prison sentence for a former militant over a series of bombings in the 1970s became effective earlier this month after the woman dropped her appeal with the Supreme Court, one of her lawyers said Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2004

Typhoon heads toward Okinawa isles

A powerful typhoon gathered strength Monday afternoon, bringing strong winds to Miyako and Ishigaki islands in Okinawa, the Meteorological Agency said.

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