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COMMENTARY
May 27, 2003

Recovery debate overlooks sensible economic policies

Is there something in the Japanese mind that prevents sensible economic debate?
BUSINESS
May 27, 2003

Tokyo to issue bonds on own terms

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government decided Monday to issue bonds under terms it will set by evaluating market conditions, officials said.
BUSINESS
May 27, 2003

Profit dips 13.4% for Shinsei Bank

Shinsei Bank said Monday that its group net profit fell 13.4 percent in fiscal 2002 to 53.03 billion yen.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 27, 2003

Banks remain in the red for second straight year

Japan's seven major banking groups stayed mired squarely in the red for the second year in a row, spending more than 5 trillion yen to dispose of bad loans and shouldering over 3 trillion yen in stock-related losses for the 12 months ended March, business results confirmed Monday.
BUSINESS
May 27, 2003

Japan carmakers' banner year not likely to repeat

Restructuring efforts and strong sales in the United States helped the five major Japanese automakers record drastically higher profits in the year through March 31.
BUSINESS
May 27, 2003

Fukuda, Shiokawa clash on sales tax

The government has yet to make a decision on raising the consumption tax in fiscal 2007, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Monday, downplaying the finance minister's remark the previous day in favor of such a hike.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
May 27, 2003

Painless driving instruction and a move to Japan

More on DIY trading "Gaijin" writes that further to my answer to Wilma Jay (Lifelines; April 29), there are around 60 Internet brokers through which she could do day trading. (Gaijin himself/herself makes a living through trading).
BUSINESS
May 27, 2003

Norway to push whale meat exports

Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, who arrived Monday in Tokyo, will promote controversial plans to export whale meat to Japan during three days of trade and business talks.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / NOTES FROM THE SMOKE
May 27, 2003

Japan's cup, it runneth over

This week, Notes From the Smoke features a saucy deviation from the usual format.
COMMENTARY
May 27, 2003

Is there something in the Japanese mind that prevents sensible economic debate?

Japan's semi-public National Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) recently gave more than three hours of prime time for a round-table discussion on how to save the economy. Predictably, much of the talking revolved around Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's claim that "structural reform" is the key to recovery....
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
May 26, 2003

Floating ABCPs on open market could repair interest rate gap

On May 17, the finance ministers of the world's major powers gathered in Deauville, France as part of efforts to set the stage for the annual Group of Eight summit in Evian. A statement adopted at the meeting urged Japan to pursue structural reforms in its financial and corporate sectors and overcome...
COMMENTARY
May 26, 2003

Megawati deserves greater U.S. support

LOS ANGELES -- What country has the largest population while probably remaining the least known among Americans? It's Indonesia -- an awesome archipelago of maybe 13,000 islands and some 220 million people. Most of them are moderate Muslims, and there are more of those in Indonesia than anywhere.
COMMENTARY
May 26, 2003

French reforms under fire

PARIS -- Six weeks ago, his strong opposition to the war in Iraq won French President Jacques Chirac overwhelming support in the polls. Today he has been forced to turn away from the international scene and face a rapidly developing social crisis centered on pension and education reforms.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 26, 2003

Fighters rip Lotte

D.T. Cromer and Tomochika Tsuboi both hit three-run homers on Sunday to lead the Nippon Ham Fighters to a 19-1 drubbing of the Lotte Marines at Tokyo Dome.
SUMO
May 26, 2003

Asashoryu wins Summer Basho

Mongolian Asashoryu wrapped up his first Emperor's Cup as a yokozuna on Sunday after Musoyama slapped down Kaio on the final day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
MORE SPORTS
May 26, 2003

Still in Love wins second jewel

Okasho champion Still in Love (Sunday Silence-Bradamante, by Roberto) captured her second crown in the filly classics as she easily topped the field in Sunday's Oaks by a length and a quarter.
COMMENTARY
May 26, 2003

High cost of the farm lobby

The outlook for the World Trade Organization's new round of trade negotiations is uncertain after member nations failed to agree on farm-trade "modality" before the March 31 deadline. The U.S.-European split over the Iraq war has slowed the momentum for talks. The initial goal of reaching a comprehensive...
EDITORIALS
May 26, 2003

Talking down the dollar

The United States has apparently changed its dollar policy. At the weekend before last, U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow pointedly excluded the traditional measure of strength -- the dollar's value against other currencies -- when asked to define what "strong" meant. While a spokesman added that there...
MORE SPORTS
May 26, 2003

Russians hand Japan 43-34 defeat

Japan's build up toward the 2003 Rugby World Cup suffered yet another setback on Sunday with a 43-34 loss to Russia in a Super Powers Cup game at Tokyo's Chichibunomiya Stadium.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
May 26, 2003

Casualties soar in America's war on words

NEW YORK -- During war, news manipulation comes to the fore; so does language manipulation. In the latest war against Iraq, as in the Persian Gulf War, the Pentagon sold a "Star Wars" depiction of U.S. technological prowess, blithely hiding the carnage it created. And many American news organizations...
COMMENTARY / World
May 25, 2003

Imagine there's convergence of religion

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- In these turbulent times, when the term "religion" is so often hijacked by the proponents of its very antithesis -- namely, conflict and strife -- an academic initiative to discuss religious topics in the framework of globalization feels like a refreshing breeze. This welcome...
COMMENTARY
May 25, 2003

Clouds over Blair's parade

LONDON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair is riding high these days. His popularity ratings have never been better, and he is about to receive U.S. government honors unparalleled by any non-American since British statesman Winston Churchill. World leaders flock to see him, and he moves among the people...
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 25, 2003

Late Fukunishi strike keeps Jubilo top of J. League

Japan midfielder Takashi Fukunishi struck a late equalizer to salvage a point for leaders Jubilo Iwata in a tense 1-1 draw with Nagoya Grampus Eight in the J. League first division on Saturday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 25, 2003

Still stomping up a storm

Who needs drums when you've got a bucket and a broom? Who needs maracas when you've got a box of matches? Who needs cymbals when you've got garbage-can lids?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 25, 2003

Getting into hot water for health

In the hot-spring heaven that is Japan, there are a countless number of onsen from Hokkaido to Okinawa, from those of luxurious spas in nondescript concrete buildings to rotenburo set in pristine natural surroundings.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 25, 2003

Kansai rides the onsen wave

It's a sunny Saturday afternoon, and Spa World in Osaka's Naniwa Ward is crowded with people of all ages drawn to its 16 different kinds of baths. True to its name, it's an onsen theme park with a global approach.

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