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BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Nippon Yusen sees profit sink 18.5%

Nippon Yusen K.K. reported Thursday an 18.5 percent decline in its group net profit for fiscal 2002 but said continued streamlining drives helped lift its pretax profit after a double-digit decline the previous year.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

JR Tokai records sales decline

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) said Thursday it suffered its first fall in group sales in three years in fiscal 2002. It attributed the decline to a slump in core bullet train services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line amid an adverse business environment and intense competition with airlines.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 16, 2003

Nioka cracks homers in three straight at-bats

Yomiuri shortstop Tomohiro Nioka homered in three consecutive at-bats and rookie right-hander Yuya Kubo carried a three-hitter over eight innings in his first career start as the Giants cruised past the Yokohama BayStars 9-2 at Tokyo Dome on Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

UFJ, SMBC to join up on systems development

UFJ Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. have agreed to jointly develop an improved account transfer system that would allow depositors to pay their utility bills automatically, sources said Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Corporate bankruptcies slide for fourth month

Corporate bankruptcies fell 7.7 percent in April from a year earlier to 1,514, down for the fourth consecutive month, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Isuzu expects loss to more than triple

Isuzu Motors Ltd. said Thursday its estimated group net loss more than tripled in fiscal 2002 from a year earlier to 144.3 billion yen due to restructuring costs. The truck maker posted a 42.99 billion yen loss the previous year.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

J-Pop helps Columbia Music out of seven years of red ink

Columbia Music Entertainment Inc., reviving itself under Ripplewood Holdings LLC, reported Thursday its first profit in seven years on a group operating basis.
SUMO
May 16, 2003

Asashoryu leads on his own

Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu shoved out Takanonami on Thursday to move into sole possession of the lead at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2003

Coalition mates 'George and John' savor diplomatic bonhomie

SYDNEY -- Two good friends, George W. Bush and John Howard, were chatting as they walked the American president's Scottish terrier, named Barney, around the "Texas White House." Suddenly Bush said: "You know, John, you should get yourself a dog."
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Mitsubishi Estate back in the black

Mitsubishi Estate Co.'s group net balance returned to the black in fiscal 2002 due to a much smaller special loss than the previous year, when it booked huge valuation losses on fixed property.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Mizuho action won't affect ratings

Standard & Poor's said Thursday that Mizuho Financial Group Inc.'s new corporate revitalization project will improve the soundness of the group's loan portfolio but will not trigger any immediate ratings action on its subsidiary banks.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

LDP ready to aid life insurers

The ruling coalition is ready to endorse a controversial draft bill that would allow troubled life insurance companies to reduce payouts promised to policyholders, the Liberal Democratic Party said Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Nissho Iwai, Nichimen report net losses

Trading houses Nissho Iwai Corp. and Nichimen Corp., which integrated their management under a holding company April 1, reported Thursday sizable group net losses for fiscal 2002.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
May 16, 2003

Strachan looking to complete Southampton's transformation

LONDON -- To mull over a defeat the previous day when he was manager of Coventry City, Gordon Strachan went for a Sunday morning walk.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 16, 2003

Bombay Club: At last, Indian food for kulcha vultures

It's been a very long time -- thankfully -- since we could count the number of places in Tokyo serving real Indian food on the fingers of one hand. These days we don't have to travel too far to find a reasonably authentic curry. In fact, it's a measure of how fortunate we are that our main complaint...
BASEBALL / MLB
May 15, 2003

Nelson plays hero as Buffs choke on Hawks

Bryant Nelson singled home the game-winning run as the Daiei Hawks rallied for five runs in the bottom of the ninth en route to a 9-8 "sayonara" victory over the Kintetsu Buffaloes at Fukuoka Dome.
EDITORIALS
May 15, 2003

Deflation helps generate profits

Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., two of Japan's leading manufacturing companies, chalked up record profits in the business year that ended March 31. Other major firms, including Honda Motor Co., also made their best showings in spite of falling prices. These results indicate that deflation is...
BUSINESS
May 15, 2003

Tokyo department store sales drop

Tokyo department store sales fell 5.6 percent in April from a year earlier to 157.21 billion yen, down for the 17th consecutive month, an industry body said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2003

Hitachi Capital joins mortgage firm

Hitachi Capital Corp., the consumer financing arm of Hitachi Ltd., said Wednesday it has set up a joint venture with home builders Sekisui House Ltd. and Daiwa House Industry Co. to engage in the residential mortgage loan business.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2003

Mizuho eyes borrower-revival units

Mizuho Financial Group Inc. said Wednesday it will form five financial affiliates specializing in reviving feeble corporate borrowers.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2003

Brisk exports widen nation's trade surplus

The nation's current account surplus expanded in fiscal 2002 for the first time in four years on the back of brisk exports to other parts of Asia, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday in a preliminary report.
SOCCER / World cup
May 15, 2003

Ono hires SFX to represent him

Japan midfielder Shinji Ono, playing for Feyenoord in the Dutch first division, signed a management agreement with agent Chiel Dekker of the SFX Sports Group, Ono's Japanese marketing representatives said Tuesday.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
May 15, 2003

Perspective often a casualty after a big win or loss

LOS ANGELES -- Experience testifies it's not a particularly good idea to get bent out of shape by either alarming defeats or elating victories.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 15, 2003

Fast Retailing opens first food outlet

Fast Retailing Co., known for its Uniqlo brand of casual clothing, opened on Wednesday its first food outlet.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2003

Mitsubishi group net profit up 3%

Mitsubishi Corp.'s group net profit in fiscal 2002 rose 3.2 percent from the previous year thanks to strong results at its food and metal resources affiliates.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2003

Kose sets sights on the Philippines

Cosmetics maker Kose Corp. said Wednesday it will sell its products in the Philippines beginning in October under an exclusive sales agency agreement with Rustan Commercial Corp., a leading retail group in that country.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2003

MHI saw profit rise 30% in 2002

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Wednesday that its group net profit jumped 29.8 percent in fiscal 2002 to 34.33 billion yen.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2003

Casio swings back into the black

Casio Computer Co. swung back into the black in fiscal 2002 thanks to cost-cutting efforts and increased sales in its electronics business, the office equipment and consumer electronics manufacturer said Wednesday.

Longform

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