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JAPAN
Sep 9, 2000

86% of aged in rehab sites termed senile

Nearly 86 percent of senior citizens placed in health facilities for elderly people to undergo rehabilitative treatment are senile, according to a report by the Health and Welfare Ministry.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2000

DPJ race for Upper House begins

The ultimate goal of the Democratic Party of Japan to wrest power from the current ruling triumvirate is seen to mainly hinge on whether party leader Yukio Hatoyama can steer his party to victory in next summer's House of Councilors election.
BUSINESS
Sep 9, 2000

Japan's hopes of holding new round of trade talks this year begin to fade

Although top leaders from the Group of Eight fired themselves up in late July to get a new round of global trade liberalization negotiations started by yearend, their agreement appears likely to fizzle out.
BUSINESS
Sep 9, 2000

Moody's cuts rating on state's yen bonds

Moody's Investors Service Inc. said Friday it has lowered its rating on yen-denominated domestic securities issued or guaranteed by the Japanese government to Aa2 from Aa1, given Japan's massive public-sector debt.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2000

Bust of Gratama to be erected in fall

OSAKA -- A bronze bust of Koenraad Wolter Gratama, a 19th-century Dutch chemist considered to be the father of Japanese chemistry, will be erected this fall in Osaka, where he began Japan's first organized teaching of the science.
BUSINESS
Sep 9, 2000

Decline of excess workforce continues: ministry survey

Companies in Japan say excess labor forces were reduced in August from May, according to a quarterly survey released Friday by the Labor Ministry.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2000

Bird calls go high-tech for classes

The Wild Bird Society of Japan plans to bring the fowl call of the wild into the classroom.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2000

Yamamoto resigns from Diet

Disgraced lawmaker Joji Yamamoto, under arrest on suspicion of using public money to help finance his political activities, submitted a letter of resignation Friday through a lawyer to House of Representatives Speaker Tamisuke Watanuki.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2000

Job outlook still bleak for high school graduates

The job situation for next year's high school graduates continues to look bleak, according to a survey released by the Labor Ministry.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Sep 9, 2000

Putin's obscure mind games

I know very little about judo. Actually, I know nothing about it at all. Yet I like the image of two people wearing cool outfits accentuated by stylish belts, circling the mat with stony faces, waiting for the right moment to jump at each other like two splendid bobcats. It is undoubtedly the sport of...
COMMENTARY
Sep 9, 2000

Parties plan for the 2001 vote

A new political season begins in Japan when an extraordinary Diet session starts later this month.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2000

Historical irony haunts Chinese uprising

HONG KONG -- Last March 8, the Chinese government executed a former vice governor of the southeast province of Jiangxi, in the hope that this would demonstrate its determination to act against corrupt and oppressive officials.
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Sep 9, 2000

Putting no price on the beautiful

If all the pottery that I live with and use suddenly disappeared from my home, I would find myself quite blue. Those pieces, in their silent voices, spark my imagination and encourage me to live each day with grace and style; they are good friends. Someday I know I will have to part with them; that is...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2000

The two Koreas and the great powers

The multifaceted character of the Korean problem and the uneven progress made by its protagonists were once again on display last week.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2000

China should give notice of maritime research: Kono

Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said Friday that China should give Japan about six months notice before conducting maritime research in Japan's exclusive economic waters.
BUSINESS
Sep 9, 2000

Sumitomo insurers eye policy sales cooperation

Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. and casualty insurer Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance Co. are considering selling each other's policies and jointly developing insurance products, officials of the two firms said Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2000

Nationalism before the national interest

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia -- If you ever chance to fly in the wintertime to the disputed Northern Territories -- a cluster of volcanic islets claimed by both Russia and Japan, and known as the southern Kuril Islands to Russians -- be prepared to be stranded.
CULTURE / Art
Sep 9, 2000

Photographer, gallery meet at the edge of Shinjuku

You'd never suspect it to look at the polite 27-year-old German photographer, but a survey of David Steets' work can lead to no other conclusion: Here is a man who loves to live on the edge.
EDITORIALS
Sep 9, 2000

Dreaming of a better world

It is tempting to dismiss this week's Millennium Summit at the United Nations as pure hype. After all, it declared its aim was the eradication of poverty and war in the 21st century. Good luck. Yet, if the U.N. and its members do not hold such ambitions, then there is very little hope for our world in...
BUSINESS
Sep 9, 2000

Top five steelmakers to forgo dividends

Japan's top five steelmakers will not pay dividends for the first half of fiscal 2000 as they continue to face a difficult business climate, according to consolidated earnings projections for the April to September period released Friday.
EDITORIALS
Sep 8, 2000

No hurry when it comes to NMD

U.S. President Bill Clinton announced last week that he would put off any final decision on national missile defense. Instead, his successor will have to decide whether to go ahead with the controversial program. It is the right decision. The United States should not rush to deploy an antimissile program...
BUSINESS
Sep 8, 2000

DaimlerChrysler to raise MMC stake to near 40%

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. on Thursday agreed to let DaimlerChrsyler AG increase its planned equity stake in MMC and send a top officer to its executive board, MMC sources said.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2000

Parties' fundraising totals fell in 1999 amid slack economy

Japanese political parties collected 151.8 billion yen in donations, fees and government subsidies in 1999, down 18.6 percent, or 34.7 billion yen, from the year before, the largest decline since the government began tracking the statistic in 1976.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2000

Nigerian envoy promotes natural gas

The Nigerian ambassador to Japan on Thursday called on Japanese companies to invest in his country, particularly to make better use of its natural gas, much of which is wasted due to a lack of technology there.

Longform

Capsule hotels were created as a way to deal with the amount of overwork employees tend to do in Japan. Can't commute home? Then spend the night in an tiny, affordable sleeping space.
Japan wakes up to the market for a proper sleep