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Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2002

Court rules against disabled in vote suit

The government's refusal to accept mail-in ballots filled out on behalf of physically disabled people is not an illegal act meriting damages, but it violates their voting rights and is unconstitutional, the Tokyo District Court ruled Thursday.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2002

Hashimoto faction targets Takenaka

Senior members of the Liberal Democratic Party's largest faction urged Financial Services Minister Heizo Takenaka on Thursday to quit next month.
Japan Times
JAPAN / THROUGH THE DOOR
Nov 29, 2002

Reluctance to accept refugees draws fire

Since October last year, there have been at least 34 cases in which asylum seekers at immigration facilities purposefully injured themselves, with some even going so far as to attempt suicide, the Justice Ministry has admitted.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2002

Market for top-notch TVs growing

The market for high-quality large TVs is showing steady growth on increased product selection and price cuts, an industry association said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2002

Publishers look to fit all books with IC tags

The publishing industry will launch a study aimed at incorporating integrated circuit tags into all books sold in Japan by 2005, industry sources said Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Nov 29, 2002

Crime report lacks bite

Families and schools play a fundamental role in preventing crime, yet their effectiveness is waning. That is the key message of this year's white paper on crime. Crime is a mirror of a nation's social condition, and, simply put, Japanese society is sick.
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2002

SDP 'expels' disgruntled lawmaker

The Social Democratic Party said Thursday it has "expelled" Kinuko Ofuchi, a House of Councilors member, from the party, even though last month she was the one who wanted out.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Nov 29, 2002

Department stores gear up for yearend gift season

Department stores nationwide go into full swing this weekend for the all-important yearend gift-shopping season, hoping to finish on a high note a year marked by battered sales.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 29, 2002

NATO mission remains foggy

LONDON -- The invitations issued at the recent Prague conference to seven former Eastern Bloc states to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are a dramatic demonstration of how the world has changed in just a few short years.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Nov 29, 2002

Venables needs divine intervention at Leeds

LONDON -- Terry Venables has been in football long enough to know that his days at Leeds United are almost numbered before they have really begun.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2002

Konami turns in strong performance

Major game maker Konami Corp. said Thursday it posted strong earnings for the fiscal first half and more than doubled its midterm dividend.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2002

Resigning Nippon Shinpan chief to become adviser

Despite resigning Thursday as president of Nippon Shinpan Co. over a scandal involving payoffs to racketeers, Yoji Yamada will stay on as an adviser at the nation's largest consumer credit card firm.
COMMENTARY
Nov 29, 2002

A state led by the power of nine

HONG KONG -- While many foreign press reports recently stressed the ways in which China was becoming more capitalist, only London's Financial Times cautioned readers about how the country remains indubitably communist.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2002

Cigarette tax examined as reform item

A tax hike on cigarettes is being considered as part of tax reforms for fiscal 2003, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Thursday.
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2002

Hachiyo solicited funds during dividend default

A defunct Okinawa-based health-food firm that allegedly engaged in a Ponzi scheme collected about 1.7 billion yen from investors even on the day it failed to pay dividends, sources said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2002

NTT phone access fees should stay same: panel

A Lower House panel said Thursday that interconnection fees charged by NTT East Corp. and NTT West Corp. to other carriers for accessing their phone lines should remain unchanged for the 2003 business year.
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2002

Insurance system for elderly eyed

In an attempt to ease the financial strain of a rapidly aging society, a panel from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party released an interim report Thursday that calls for the establishment of an independent medical insurance system into which those aged 75 and older would have to contribute.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2002

Pyongyang won't talk nukes with Japan

North Korea will discuss its nuclear weapons program only with the United States, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2002

Shelter for 300 street people opens in Osaka Castle Park

OSAKA -- The Osaka Municipal Government on Wednesday opened the city's third shelter for homeless people at a park in Chuo Ward.

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