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JAPAN
Aug 3, 2002

Lack of rival leaves Koizumi boss by default

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's sky-high popularity is a thing of the past. Over the last six months, his public approval ratings have declined sharply, as has his image as a charismatic reformer.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2002

Bank notes to get high-tech makeover

The government will start replacing 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen and 1,000 yen bills with new notes that include sophisticated features to beat counterfeiters as early as April 2004, Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa announced Friday.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2002

JNOC poised to start operating gas-to-liquid plant

The government-run Japan National Oil Corp. said Friday it and five companies will start operating this month a gas-to-liquids pilot plant in Tomakomai, Hokkaido.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2002

Nonperforming loans rose sharply in fiscal 2001

The Financial Services Agency said Friday the value of outstanding nonperforming loans at commercial banks rose sharply to 43.21 trillion yen as of March 31.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2002

Kokubunji snubs state resident registry

The western Tokyo suburb of Kokubunji on Friday became the latest municipality to refuse to take part in a national resident registry network that the central government plans to launch Monday, saying it will not join the system until a law to protect personal information is enacted.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2002

Embattled USJ halts night show

OSAKA -- Theme park Universal Studios Japan will suspend its popular night-time performance following revelations it was using fireworks in violation of a local government permit, its operator said Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2002

Obituary: Shinshin Aoki

Shinshin Aoki, curator of the only museum in Japan dedicated to those who died in the Auschwitz concentration camp, died Wednesday of esophageal cancer at a Fukushima Prefecture hospital, his family said Friday. He was 67.
COMMENTARY / World / GUEST FORUM
Aug 3, 2002

ASEAN is on the right track with ARF

With reference to the July 19 article by Felix Soh on the ASEAN Regional Forum ("Security issues may be too hot to handle for ASEAN bloc"), as former foreign affairs secretary of the Philippines under two presidents during 1995-2001, I wish to clarify several points of regional and historical interest....
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2002

Minister boos retroactive pension cuts

Welfare minister Chikara Sakaguchi said Friday he opposes cutting national pension payments equivalent to price falls over the past three years if the government lifts its freeze on linking price fluctuations to pension benefits.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2002

Tokyo welcomes more White House power over trade

Japan on Friday welcomed the U.S. Senate's passage of a legislative package giving the White House enhanced authority to negotiate new trade pacts.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2002

Doctor indicted over boy's death

A university hospital doctor was indicted but not detained Friday by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office on a charge of professional negligence resulting in the death of a 4-year-old boy in 1999.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2002

Plan to redesign bank notes boosts some stocks

The share prices of bank note-related firms received a boost Friday after the government revealed it will redesign the 1,000 yen, 5,000 yen and 10,000 yen bills in an effort to thwart counterfeiting operations.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2002

S&P lowers credit ratings of Fujitsu and Toshiba

Standard & Poor's Corp. said Friday it has cut the corporate credit rating of electronics maker Fujitsu Ltd. to BBB minus pi from BBBpi, citing weak earnings from sluggish sales of telecommunications equipment and semiconductor products.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Aug 3, 2002

I'm a carefree street food vendor, baby!

You know what I like about Japan? The mobile food. And I'm not talking about going to the drive-through at McDonald's for takeout. Albeit a dying tradition, in Japan you can still get some food such as noodles, octopus balls and "yaki imo" from street vendors who cruise the neighborhoods. If you have...
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2002

Koizumi seeks prudent budget requests

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told his ministers Friday to strictly screen their budget requests for fiscal 2003 because of the government's austerity policy, the top government spokesman said.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2002

Household spending rises, ends five-quarter trend

Average household spending in the April-June period rose a real 1.1 percent from the same period in 2001 to 300,802 yen, marking the first rise in five quarters, the government said Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / MUSEUM MUSINGS
Aug 3, 2002

Artist's work brings copper plate color prints to life

An impression of stillness amid the wonder of color is a beautiful thing to behold.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2002

Report cites 'age of anxiety' triggered by Sept. 11 attacks

In response to last year's terrorist attacks against the United States, the government's annual defense white paper, released Friday, emphasizes the unstable international security situation and the importance of the Self-Defense Forces in dealing with new types of threats.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / THE SECOND ROOM
Aug 3, 2002

Solstice weekend under the fog; Camping with the aliens

I knew it was going to be an interesting weekend the moment my press armband arrived in the mail marked No. 13, though I'm not superstitious enough to turn my back on an event like the Solstice Music Festival.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2002

Nonresident investors sell off stocks for sixth week

Nonresident investors remained net sellers on the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya bourses in the week of July 22-26 for the sixth straight week, with the largest sales value per week for the year, the Tokyo Stock Exchange has said.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Aug 3, 2002

Keeping up with family weddings around world

Betty Glover from Perth, Australia, cannot walk too easily these days. This does not stop her from traveling however. Assisted by daughter Mo (Maureen) and son-in-law Deg (Derek), she is just coming to the end of a two-month trip to the U.K. and -- a bit of a surprise this one! -- Japan.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2002

Monetary base up 25.1% in July

Japan's monetary base rose 25.1 percent from a year earlier to 86.08 trillion yen in July, marking the 18th consecutive month of expansion, the Bank of Japan said in a report released Friday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Aug 3, 2002

Hema Parekh

At her family home in Bombay, as part of her religion Hema Parekh was taught "never to take away another's right to life." That meant she lived as a vegetarian.
EDITORIALS
Aug 2, 2002

Diet stood in the way of reform

The 192-day regular Diet session that ended on Wednesday will be remembered more for what it did not achieve than for what it did. In brief, it failed in two critical areas: political reform and economic revival. While politics bogged down in a quagmire of corruption, deflation dragged on, with no recovery...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 2, 2002

Uphill battle for regional hub aspirees

SEOUL -- South Korea (where the idea of becoming a regional hub is now all the rage) and Malaysia share the same basic vision for Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, respectively. In addition, the two countries are cosponsoring an initiative to formally coordinate the ASEAN plus three forum. Last month,...
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2002

Capricorns luck out on lottery (again)

People born in winter and spring were the most numerous lottery winners in Japan for a second straight year, Mizuho Bank said Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2002

Suzuki served fresh arrest warrant over bribery

Prosecutors served a fresh arrest warrant Thursday on lawmaker Muneo Suzuki on a second bribery charge.

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