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BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2004

Nikkei crumbles over fears of China rate hike

Tokyo stocks ended lower practically across the board on Thursday following a volatile session, with fears over a possible interest rate increase in China spurring selling in the afternoon.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2004

Japan poised to reject U.S. entreaty for reform of 'kampo' insurance

Japan will turn down a U.S. request to reform its publicly run "kampo" life insurance services, Japanese government officials said Thursday.
Japan Times
Uncategorized
Jun 4, 2004

Insatiable thirst for English boosts language schools

You have probably come across a goofy rabbit waving a flag, a grim-faced businessman looking upward into the sky, or a smiling trio comprising a Japanese and two foreigners giving the thumbs up.
EDITORIALS
Jun 4, 2004

Bumpy road ahead for Kanebo

Kanebo Ltd., once an icon of Japanese industry, faces a grim future as it begins to restructure under the direction of a government-run corporate bailout agency. The cosmetics business is already in the hands of a new independent company owned by the agency. The latest revival plan, unveiled earlier...
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2004

Tax revenue debate said clouding reforms

Recent wrangling over the transfer of tax revenue sources from the central government to local governments is clouding the future course of Japan's fiscal reform, analysts said Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 4, 2004

Seoul's labor moves could destroy jobs

LUXEMBOURG -- Democracy everywhere increasingly involves politicians seeking short-run gains for themselves and small interest-groups while imposing large costs on most of the population. This trend toward cynical, zero-sum games is most evident in South Korea when it comes to the labor market. It is...
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jun 4, 2004

Mourinho not lacking in confidence and not afraid to show it

LONDON -- On the face of it English football should be delighted that the coaches of the Champions League and UEFA Cup winner are coming to the Premiership.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2004

'Self-indulgent' Sony plans comeback

Sony Corp. will release a series of products beginning later this year as part of a drive to regain its market strength, company President Kunitake Ando said in a recent interview.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 4, 2004

Zen-modern cuisine on a higher plane

Like a lotus growing from the mud of a murky pond, Gesshinkyo is a still point of serenity amid the hubbub of Harajuku. Its simple wooden door lies just steps away from Omotesando's fashion boutiques and preening temples to high-end spending. But when you step past the the coarse-woven hempen noren you...
COMMENTARY
Jun 4, 2004

A celebration and reckoning

PARIS -- The European Union should figure heavily in the headlines this month. To start with, U.S. President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, Russian President Vladimir Putin and many other heads of states, including German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder,...
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 4, 2004

Olympics for Ono?

Feyenoord midfielder Shinji Ono looks set to be picked for Japan's Olympic team as an over-age player for this summer's Athens Games, soccer sources said Thursday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jun 3, 2004

Godzilla draws first blood

NEW YORK -- Hideki Matsui got the ball rolling with a two-run homer, Jorge Posada chipped in with his own two-run shot and Derek Jeter added a pair of solo home runs as the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 Tuesday night.
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2004

3 trillion yen target set for tax transfer to regions

Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki and home affairs chief Taro Aso agreed Wednesday to set a target of transferring 3 trillion yen in tax revenue sources from the national government to local governments between April 2005 and 2007.
EDITORIALS
Jun 3, 2004

Copyright ethics for the digital age

As a result of rapid advances in the digitization and networking of information, the environment surrounding copyrights is undergoing dramatic change. Unfortunately, understanding of copyrights in Japan is far from adequate. Culture won't be nurtured unless the ethics exist in which the beneficiaries...
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2004

FSA comes down on UFJ group

The Financial Services Agency is set to slap a banking group headed by UFJ Holdings Inc. with a series of business-improvement orders over its inappropriate handling of loans to small companies and other operational problems, sources said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY
Jun 3, 2004

1-2 punch to modern health

LONDON -- In the "bad old days," tuberculosis and epidemics of infectious diseases were the main killers. In advanced societies today, the No. 1 killers are cardiovascular problems and various forms of cancer. Some of these diseases can be traced to hereditary causes, but lifestyle and environment are...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 3, 2004

Shall we meet at Sutaba, Tsutaya or the dog's tail?

Doing the machiawase (setting up a meeting place) is one of things that define Japanese relationships, especially relationships in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2004

Fujitsu, Sun expand server tieup

Fujitsu Ltd. and Sun Microsystems Inc. said Wednesday they plan to jointly develop next-generation computer server systems by 2006 for corporate users by merging their product lines.
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2004

Eco-friendly convenience stores eyed

The government will help finance convenience stores' efforts to counter global warming, hoping their actions will encourage other entities to take similar steps nationwide, the Environment Ministry said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2004

Suntory to pitch drinks via subway tunnel ads

Advertisers here will start using a U.S. idea to exploit untapped terrain in an effort to offload their products: subway tunnel ads.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Jun 3, 2004

Our woodland's magic is a joy to behold

A very kind Japanese man who has served for more than 30 years in children's homes told me recently that 70 percent of the youngsters in his care nowadays have been abused or seriously neglected by their parents. Early in his career, he said, such abuse was very rare indeed. And, he assured me sadly,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Jun 3, 2004

Sims creator: always unique

Will Wright, the creator of "The Sims," may be most accurately described as a cross between Stephen Hawking and Willy Wonka. He has a quirky and ironic sense of humor and a large and loyal following in the gaming world.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2004

Foreigners dominate used-vehicle export trade in Japan

KOSHIGAYA, Saitama Pref. -- There is a bleep, pictures of cars pop up on two big screens, and meters show prices rising.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jun 3, 2004

'Johnny' Kuroki gets first win in three years as Marines blast Hawks

Tomohiro Kuroki pitched five shutout innings for his first win in three years and Tasuku Hashimoto hit his first career grand slam Wednesday as the Chiba Lotte Marines crushed the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks 15-5 in Kitakyushu.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 2, 2004

The unbearable heaviness of being

21 Grams Rating: * * * * (out of 5) Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu Running time: 125 minutes Language: English Opens June 5 [See Japan Times movie listings] "21 Grams" struts and shows off like a cowboy in a rodeo -- the director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu pulls out all the stops...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 2, 2004

Insatiable appetite for destruction

The Day After Tomorrow Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 5) Director: Roland Emmerich Running time: 124 minutes Language: English Opens June 5 [See Japan Times movie listings] Stership Troopers 2 Rating: * * * (out of 5) Director: Phil Tippett Running time: 92 minutes Language: English Opens...

Longform

Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell