search

 
 
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2002

Hitachi streamlining returns firm to black

Hitachi Ltd. said Thursday it returned to profitability in the first half to Sept. 30, posting a net profit of 12.85 billion yen, reversing a 110.54 billion yen loss in the same period a year earlier.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2002

Emergency psychiatric care falling short

Her schizophrenia repeatedly sent her over the edge.
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2002

Suntory to sell E&J Gallo wines

Suntory Ltd., Japan's biggest wine seller, said it will distribute three brands of the California-based E&J Gallo Winery in Japan. Suntory in March will import and sell River Crest and two other brands of the world's biggest winemaker, Suntory spokesman Ikuo Tamura said. The Japanese beverage maker expects...
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2002

7 1/2-year sentence upheld for Heo

OSAKA -- The Osaka High Court on Thursday upheld a 7 1/2-year prison term and 500 million yen fine for an Osaka-based South Korean real-estate developer for his involvement in the collapse of trading house Itoman Corp.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Nov 1, 2002

Saints skipper Strachan runs tight ship

LONDON -- It was, said Southampton striker James Beattie, "a moment of madness."
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2002

Mazda hikes group earnings forecast

Mazda Motor Corp. said Thursday it has revised upward its group earnings forecast for the first half that ended Sept. 30 and for the full year to March 31, mainly because of a weaker yen.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2002

Abductee support groups push to find other 'missing' Japanese

OSAKA -- North Korea may feel that the abduction issue has been resolved and that Japan should now proceed with normalization talks, but for relatives of the Japanese abductees and their supporters, the five survivors and the eight reported dead by Pyongyang represent just the tip of the iceberg.
COMMENTARY
Nov 1, 2002

Coalition poised for offensive

In the Oct. 27 runoff parliamentary elections, the three-way ruling coalition won five of seven seats at stake, defeating the four-party opposition alliance. The elections were held in five Lower House and two Upper House constituencies. The coalition victory has created a measure of political stability...
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2002

NGO pushes for foreigners' rights

A Tokyo-based nongovernmental organization petitioned the government Thursday for a review of its overall policy and legal framework for securing the human rights of foreigners living and working in Japan.
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2002

Sumitomo posts 5.4% rise in profit

Trading house Sumitomo Corp. said Thursday its group net profit in the first half to Sept. 30 grew 5.4 percent to 21.41 billion yen, despite sales sinking 5.5 percent to 4.57 trillion yen.
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Nov 1, 2002

Bean me down, Scottie, bean me down

"I don't think the human race will survive the next 1,000 years, unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet. But I'm an optimist. We will reach out to the stars."
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Nov 1, 2002

Japan goes from clunky typewriter to waapuro

I wonder how many readers have ever experienced typing on an old-style Japanese typewriter. I tried my hand at it, just once. It was around 1973, and afterwards I was relieved that my clumsy effort was merely done out of curiosity and not necessity.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / JET STREAM
Nov 1, 2002

Dialogue building as a social service

Patricia Wakida -- writer, editor, book producer and former JET teacher -- was back in Japan last October doing what she does best: networking.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2002

Isahaya water quality questioned

The Environment Ministry on Thursday called on Nagasaki Prefecture to ensure that water quality inside the seawall of the controversial Isahaya Bay reclamation project falls within acceptable levels.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 1, 2002

A six-party process to clear up the Korean air

T he crisis over North Korea's attempted acquisition by stealth of a nuclear capability through enriched uranium processing provides a golden opportunity for institutionalizing a process of concerted multilateral diplomacy.
EDITORIALS
Nov 1, 2002

Don't haggle over abduction issue

The latest round of Japan-North Korea talks on normalizing relations, held in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week for the first time in two years, was conspicuous by the lack of substantial progress. The two sides remained far apart on North Korea's nuclear-weapons program and the fate of Japanese citizens...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Nov 1, 2002

Earwig

* Japanese name: Hasami mushi * Scientific name: Dermaptera species * Description: Earwigs are small (20 mm long), dark-colored insects with flattened bodies and a semi-circular, very thin pair of wings. The wings are elaborately folded under tiny elytra (wing cases), and it is the nature of the wing...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 1, 2002

Corporate shenanigans contribute to community

Octobers will never be the same again for Yuki Itoh and his friends.
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2002

Ricoh profit rises 18% in first half

Office machine maker Ricoh Co. said Thursday its consolidated net profit logged a year-on-year rise of 18 percent to 33.53 billion yen in the first half.
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2002

Sushi-bar chain files for protection

OSAKA -- Foodsnet Corp., a Kyoto-based sushi restaurant operator, filed for court protection from creditors on Thursday, effectively going bankrupt with 6.8 billion yen in liabilities, company officials said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / THE SECOND ROOM
Nov 1, 2002

Gathering closes summer's curtain

HIWADAKOUGEN, Gifu Pref. -- I was inside my tent changing from damp clothes to dry when the whooshing thuds of a low-flying helicopter took the campsite by surprise. I thought little of it until the commotion started. News travels fast in a village of nylon walls. Clearly something was amiss.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2002

Talks on hold until Pyongyang affirms family reunions

The government on Thursday said it will not set a date for another round of normalization talks with North Korea unless the reclusive state indicates when the family members of five Japanese abducted decades ago and currently on their first homecoming can also come to Japan.
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2002

LDP lawmakers pan plan

Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers voiced opposition and frustration Thursday over a package of measures unveiled by the government the day before to accelerate the cleanup of the banking system and fight deflation.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Nov 1, 2002

A good result with Japan's health insurance system

Traveling a lot you begin to be truly thankful for what we take for granted in Japan.

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