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BUSINESS
Jun 21, 2002

Forecasters upgrade projections for 2002 GDP

Japan's gross domestic product for the current fiscal year has been revised upward by several economic forecasters due to growing signs of an export-led recovery, according to reports released as of Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jun 21, 2002

May trade surplus surges 715% on exports

The nation's customs-cleared trade surplus in May jumped to 619.2 billion yen, up 714.9 percent from a year earlier, according to a preliminary report released Thursday by the Finance Ministry.
MORE SPORTS
Jun 21, 2002

Hatakeyama to open Tokyo gym

Former boxing world champion Takanori Hatakeyama will open a boxing gym in Tokyo in collaboration with another ex-champion Shinji Takehara, boxing sources said Thursday.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Jun 21, 2002

Mayfly

* Japanese name: Monkagero * Scientific name: Ephemera strigata * Description: Mayflies are common, soft-bodied insects with short antennae and mouthparts that are vestigial (not used). They have two long cerci, tail-like structures growing from the end of the abdomen. They are easily recognizable...
BUSINESS
Jun 21, 2002

Change at banks starts in personnel departments

Bankers once rode high as the elite of Japan. Along with top-notch bureaucrats in the Finance Ministry, they represented the best the Japanese education system had to offer.
JAPAN
Jun 21, 2002

Man arrested in bomb threats against Lotte

A 52-year-old construction company owner in Osaka has been arrested for threatening bomb attacks against confectioner Lotte Co. in a bid to extort 50 million yen, police said Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Jun 20, 2002

Mr. Suzuki's arrest

Lower House member Muneo Suzuki was arrested Wednesday on charges of receiving 5 million yen in cash from a Hokkaido lumber company in August 1998 when he was the deputy chief Cabinet secretary. According to investigators, Mr. Suzuki is charged with accepting a bribe in return for working on Forestry...
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 20, 2002

South Korea scores huge upset

TAEJON, South Korea -- A sudden-death goal by Ahn Jung Hwan propelled South Korea into the quarterfinals of the World Cup here Tuesday night, a well-earned 2-1 victory over Italy setting off incredible scenes of celebration.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2002

'Cleaner' seen by ATM blast site

OSAKA — A man in a work uniform appeared to be cleaning near automated teller machines in an office building Tuesday evening about five minutes before an explosion there left one man in critical condition and three others injured, police said Wednesday.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 20, 2002

Proud Troussier bids 'au revoir' to Japan

MORIMACHI, Shizuoka Pref. -- "I've had a wonderful four years. I'm proud of having worked for the national team of Japan," outgoing Japan coach Philippe Troussier said on Wednesday, a day after the World Cup cohost was eliminated from the tournament with a 1-0 loss to Turkey.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2002

Maestro Yamamoto dies of heart failure at age 69

Composer and conductor Naozumi Yamamoto, who helped popularize Western classical music in Japan, died Tuesday of heart failure at a Tokyo hospital, his family said. He was 69.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2002

Koizumi to attend memorial service in Okinawa

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will attend a war memorial service this weekend in Okinawa, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2002

Major cuts possible for space station joint project

The National Space Development Agency said Wednesday it is able to slash by more than one-third its contribution to the operational costs of the International Space Station. The initially planned contribution was 60 billion yen.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2002

Abtronic aside, couch potatoes make TV shopping 110 billion yen juggernaut

The growing legion of TV shoppers in Japan has turned the relatively new market into a 110 billion yen colossus.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2002

Prosecutors nab Suzuki

Public prosecutors on Wednesday arrested lawmaker Muneo Suzuki on suspicion of bribery after his colleagues in the House of Representatives gave them the green light in a plenary session earlier in the day.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2002

Japanese tourists snub Mickey Mouse

As Japanese tourists put the events of Sept. 11 behind them and once again hit the package tour trail, one destination remains suspiciously absent from their itineraries: the United States.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2002

JGC, other firms hit in bid-rigging raid

Prosecutors raided engineering firm JGC Corp., the consultancy Nippon Koei Co. and other locations Wednesday in connection with alleged bid-manipulation over the construction of a Japanese-funded building on Kunashiri, a Russian-held island claimed by Japan.
BUSINESS
Jun 20, 2002

Higher premiums due for jobless insurance

The labor ministry is planning to raise jobless insurance premiums to avert a further deterioration in the finances of the unemployment insurance system, ministry officials said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY
Jun 20, 2002

Asian caveat on U.S. moves

HONOLULU -- The United States continues to make the war against terrorism its top priority. To keep the world focused on the battle, it is focusing on Southeast Asia, opening what some call "a second front" in the region. This agenda makes sense in Washington, but its single-minded focus could undermine...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 20, 2002

Toshiba, Fujitsu form LSI tieup

In a bid to survive global competition in the broadband age, electronics giants Toshiba Corp. and Fujitsu Ltd. announced Wednesday they have agreed to form a comprehensive alliance to promote their semiconductor businesses.
BUSINESS
Jun 20, 2002

Mizuho ordered to improve its operations

The Financial Services Agency on Wednesday ordered Mizuho Holdings Inc. to improve its operations in the wake of a massive computer system failure that left its operations in chaos.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / THEN AND NOW
Jun 20, 2002

Where 'Green Peach' blossomed

The woodcut print shown here depicts a rural idyll northwest of Edo. A meandering river nourishes an expanse of rice paddies on the left-hand side. Two men are crossing a bridge, and more people are walking by the riverside. On the rising ground behind them, a cluster of thatched houses identified as...
COMMUNITY
Jun 20, 2002

Pedal pushers cop a load on Yasukuni Dori

I hail from Sapporo, and since I travel a lot around Japan on business, one of my pastimes is borrowing a bicycle from local friends and seeing the sights.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2002

Look for Japan to narrow gap in IT race

Can Japan catch up with the United States in information technology? The mere suggestion sounds preposterous, given the current climate of American triumphalism and Japanese gloom. Yet we should recall that not too long ago the U.S. and Japan were both declaring Japan's victory in the high-technology...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 20, 2002

'Sufficient' steel exemptions on way: U.S. business chief

The steel dispute between Japan and the United States will calm down shortly because Washington is expected to exempt more products from its import safeguard tariffs, including those from Japan, the head of the largest business lobby in the United States said Wednesday.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jun 20, 2002

Making the right computer choice is no big struggle

In answer to Stephen Harris, who's seeking to finally enter the computer age and is looking for the right machine for him, this is a huge subject, and largely a matter of personal preference.

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