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BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2002

Business sentiment in minus territory but improving

Business sentiment for the current quarter improved in the latest government survey, released Wednesday, although companies whose conditions had deteriorated still outnumbered those whose had improved.
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2002

Most schools canceled trips abroad following Sept. 11

Two-thirds of high schools planning school excursions abroad in fiscal 2001 opted instead for domestic destinations in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2002

Suntory has good news for frugal drinkers

OSAKA -- Suntory Ltd. will price its new "happoshu," which goes on sale June 25, at 130 yen per 350 ml can -- 5 yen lower than that of all other happoshu brands marketed by three other major brewers.
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2002

Capital spending down in January-March

Capital spending by firms in all industries fell 16.8 percent in the January-March quarter from a year earlier to 11.05 trillion yen, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Jun 6, 2002

Don't go making a monkey of yourself, man

Monkey, primate, ape; the terms slip so easily off the tongue, but just what do they mean, and how do they differ? And what does it mean to talk of New World and Old World monkeys?
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2002

Planes OK if evacuation needed

The dispatch of government or Self-Defense Forces aircraft to India and Pakistan will be considered an option if rising tensions there pose a danger to Japanese nationals, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2002

Credit share buys rise

The balance of shares bought on credit hit a nine-month high last week, mirroring a leap in investor sentiment.
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2002

Man held in slaying with child seat

OSAKA — Police arrested a man in the city of Tondabayashi, Osaka Prefecture, early Wednesday in connection with the fatal beating of a newspaper delivery man with a car child seat, they said.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE EXTRA
Jun 6, 2002

Sapporo rocks to a friendly beat

SAPPORO -- Pack 100 or so delirious Italians and another 50 frustrated Ecuadoreans into a bar already filled with locals expecting a quiet drink after work on a Monday night and what would you expect?
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2002

Utilities overcharge on water heaters

Major power utilities overcharged 380 users of electric water heaters by 1.45 million yen in fiscal 2001, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Wednesday.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jun 6, 2002

Communication need not be a medical emergency

In response to the newly arrived businesswoman seeking native English-speaking general practitioners/family doctors in Kansai and Kyoto, here is a quick round-up.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 6, 2002

Organizers agree on plan to sell remainder of first-round tickets

The Japanese World Cup organizing committee (JAWOC) and soccer's world governing body FIFA will each sell half of the remaining unsold tickets for the upcoming first round World Cup matches in Japan, in the wake of a ticket fiasco that has left many empty seats here, JAWOC officials said Wednesday.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 6, 2002

Ireland holds Germany to 1-1 draw

IBARAKI -- Once again the opposition wore green, but this time they actually put up a fight.
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2002

Fujiki creates trouble for UFJ banks

UFJ Holdings Inc. said Wednesday two of its subsidiary banks may fail to recover or may face a delay in recovering a total of 13.2 billion yen in loans to collapsed Fujiki Komuten Co.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jun 6, 2002

Looking at the bright side of Japan's cash woes

One of the most soul-destroying experiences of my life in Japan occurred back in 1986.
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2002

Fukuda tells Diet government is not rethinking ban on nuclear weapons

The government has no intention of abandoning the nation's three nonnuclear principles, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told a Diet panel Wednesday, five days after causing an uproar by saying Japan's ban on atomic weapons could be reviewed.
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2002

2% group surtax may be short-lived

The government may repeal earlier than initially scheduled a 2 percent surcharge on the group profits of firms that adopt a new group taxation system to be introduced in the current fiscal year, Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa suggested Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 6, 2002

Domino illuminates in 'Moon' release

Close your eyes for a moment and the vision begins to take form: The sun's rising over the mountain campground and Domino is standing over the decks, one hand cueing a tape, the other clutching an earphone against the side of her head.
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2002

Steel, auto sectors girding for tough talks

Steel and auto companies will enter into tough negotiations later this month over the price of steel sheets, industry officials said Wednesday.
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Jun 6, 2002

Lessons learned from E3 gathering

Few people could have been happier to see the end to this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) than Douglas Lowenstein, president of the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA).
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2002

Tanaka may meet LDP executives over salary allegations

Former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said Wednesday she may appear before LDP executives next week to respond to allegations that she misused her aides' salaries.
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2002

Foreigners flock to Aichi town to learn Japanese

Japanese generally know two things about the city of Okazaki in Aichi Prefecture.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Jun 6, 2002

Why do forests flourish on fish?

Ever since I went on my first expedition to the Canadian Arctic in 1958 I have kept a notebook, and this habit is still with me. Now, with this column on the first Thursday of each month, you too, Dear Reader, can share in these jottings from over the years.
EDITORIALS
Jun 5, 2002

Thinking the unthinkable

The fact that responsible individuals and governments are talking about the casualties that would be created by a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan is a powerful indication of how close the prospect of war between the two countries truly is. Both the Indian and Pakistani governments deny that...
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 5, 2002

World Cup Memories

The first World Cup I remember is the 1982 one in Spain. Diego Maradona was so impressive, especially his dribbling skills. I was a primary school student at the time and my school was full of "mini-Maradonas" on the days following the Argentina games as everybody was trying to copy him. Was I one of...

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