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JAPAN
Nov 28, 2002

Year added to sentence of girl's killer

The Tokyo High Court on Wednesday added a year to the original 14-year prison sentence of Mitsuko Yamada, who killed the 2-year-old daughter of a female acquaintance in 1999 in a public lavatory in Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2002

Hachiyo chief held over fraud

Police on Wednesday arrested Osamu Tadokoro, former honorary chairman of health food firm Zenkoku Hachiyo Butsuryu (Hachiyo), and 13 of its former employees for allegedly defrauding investors out of some 70 million yen by promising them their money would grow within a certain period.
COMMENTARY
Nov 28, 2002

Jiang's 'thought' deified in his own time

HONG KONG -- The constitution of China's Communist Party, revised at the recent 16th Party Congress, elevates President Jiang Zemin to virtually the same level as that of party founder Mao Zedong and the late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. Each is identified as "chief representative" of the Communists...
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Nov 28, 2002

Superfly just f- f- f- fades away, showing that insects age too

Neil Young referred to it with, "It's better to burn out than to fade away" while Pete Townshend echoed the sentiment with the line, "I hope I die before I get old."
BUSINESS
Nov 28, 2002

Bills for splitting public entities pass

The Diet passed nine bills Wednesday to convert designated special-purpose public corporations, including the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, into nine independent administrative entities.
MORE SPORTS
Nov 28, 2002

Thai champ romps Honda for title

Thai champion Pongsaklek Kratindaenggym pounded out a unanimous decision over Japan's Hidenobu Honda to retain his World Boxing Council flyweight title Tuesday. Southpaw Pongsaklek outclassed second-ranked challenger Honda throughout the 12-rounder at Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium, scoring with crisp...
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Nov 28, 2002

From oil-dependent past to hydrogen future

Making a global transition from fossil fuels to clean hydrogen-energy systems seems like pure science fiction -- until you meet Amory Lovins.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2002

Fugitive's wife pleads not guilty to passport charges

A fugitive's wife charged with violating the Passport Law argued Wednesday in the first session of her trial that a government order to surrender her passport in 1988 was without grounds and unfair.
BUSINESS
Nov 28, 2002

Wholesale and retail sales continue downward spiral

Wholesale and retail sales fell 1.5 percent in October on a year-on-year basis, marking a 21st consecutive month of decline, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Nov 28, 2002

Takeda signs R&D pact with Albany Molecular

Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd. said Wednesday it has signed an agreement to conduct joint research and development on new pharmaceuticals with New York-based biotechnology venture Albany Molecular Research Inc.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2002

Labor ministry eyes spending spree to help jobless

The labor ministry called on the government Tuesday to spend 931.4 billion yen out of a planned supplementary budget to fund employment-related measures and other welfare steps.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2002

Banks pushed on restructure efforts

Cabinet ministers urged the nation's major banks Tuesday to make further restructuring efforts to improve their financial health.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2002

Keep tax cuts under 1.5 trillion yen, Shiokawa says

Tax cuts for the next fiscal year should not top 1.5 trillion yen, Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Tuesday, citing the country's tight fiscal conditions.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2002

Business chief proposes hike in consumption tax

Hiroshi Okuda, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren), on Tuesday proposed hiking the rate of the consumption tax 1 percentage point per year beginning fiscal 2004 until it reaches 16 percent in 2014 to stabilize Japan's finances.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 27, 2002

Seibu plans to keep its own Matsui

General manager Kenji Ono said Monday the Seibu Lions do not intend to exercise the posting system and put up Kazuo Matsui for auction for a chance to play in the major leagues next season.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2002

Towa secures 230 billion yen bailout

Towa Real Estate Development Co. said Tuesday that UFJ Bank and other creditor banks have agreed to a 230 billion yen bailout -- 200 billion yen in debt relief and 30 billion yen in debt-for-equity swaps.
JAPAN
Nov 27, 2002

190 million yen for funeral, tomb for Prince Takamado

The Cabinet approved a plan Tuesday by the Imperial Household Agency to spend 190 million yen on funeral services and the construction of a tomb for Prince Takamado, who died last week.
JAPAN
Nov 27, 2002

Travel abroad up despite terror threat

Despite recent terrorist attacks overseas, including the bombing of a packed disco on Bali and the hostage-taking incident in a Moscow theater, more and more Japanese are traveling abroad.
JAPAN
Nov 27, 2002

Donor fall feared if 'gifts' for blood end

Nearly a month has passed since the Japan Red Cross Society stopped giving gift coupons to blood donors, and now concerns are being raised that the move will result in fewer younger people providing blood.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2002

Game software firms Enix, Square to merge on April 1

Game software makers Enix Corp. and Square Co. said Tuesday they have agreed to merge on April 1 to bolster their earnings base and development capacity.
MORE SPORTS
Nov 27, 2002

Inoue to compete at Kanno-hai

Olympic champion Kosei Inoue will head a strong Japanese team at next year's Kanno-hai men's international judo meet, the All-Japan Judo Federation said Monday.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2002

Suntory to move staff to Shanghai

OSAKA -- Suntory Ltd., Japan's leading whiskey producer, will transfer part of its Asian operations from Tokyo to Shanghai on Dec. 1 to strengthen its marketing strategy in China, company officials said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2002

Japan to host WTO ministers in February

Japan will host an informal World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in Tokyo in mid-February, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Nov 27, 2002

Ginkgo leaf health products found to contain allergen

The National Consumer Affairs Center has found the allergen ginkgolic acid in 12 out of 20 health supplements sold in Japan that use ginkgo tree leaves as a key ingredient.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2002

Top life insurers' results reveal inability to reverse their decline

The nation's major life insurance companies have had little success reversing a decline in business, while their capital remains under pressure by depressed share prices, according to half-year financial results posted by the firms by Tuesday.

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