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JAPAN
Jan 18, 1999

U.S. committed to Okinawa force reduction: admiral

The United States is committed to reducing its forces in Okinawa as much as possible, Adm. Joseph W. Prueher, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, said in an interview Monday with The Japan Times.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 1999

E-mail boosts use of real thing, Pitney Bowes' CEO says

Despite the growing use of electronic mail and electronic business systems, the market for physical mail systems will continue to grow as new technologies generate new business opportunities, according to the chairman and chief executive officer of a leading mailing system company.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 1999

Japan attempting fresh dialogue with North Korea

Japan hopes to resume dialogue with North Korea in the near future, Shunji Yanai, administrative vice minister for foreign affairs, confirmed Monday.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 1999

November machine orders rose 11%

Private-sector machinery orders received by manufacturers increased a seasonally adjusted 10.8 percent in November from the previous month to 876.5 billion yen, the Economic Planning Agency said Monday.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 1999

Miyazawa qualifies 0.5% target, notes job, bank roles

Economic development in the January-March period — especially in the areas of employment and bank recapitalization — is crucial to achieve the government's 0.5 percent growth target for fiscal 1999, Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa said Monday.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 1999

Kan retains DPJ helm; rival taps younger vote

Naoto Kan, 52, was reinstalled Monday as leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, defeating Shigefumi Matsuzawa, 40, at a DPJ convention.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 1999

'Otoshidama' levels down amid recession

Elementary school kids in Tokyo received an average 26,790 yen as "otoshidama" New Year's allowance this year, down 575 yen from last year amid the severe economic downturn, according to a survey conducted by Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 1999

Coalition, government hold first coordination session

The government and the ruling parties held their first coordination session Monday since the Liberal Democratic Party entered into a coalition government with the Liberal Party last Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 16, 1999

Coalition's anticlimactic debut

The curtain rose Thursday on the new conservative coalition government to reveal just one more unimpressive performance of the same old political drama. Much had been said and written about the apparent significance of the realignment, but it seems to have ended up as essentially just another political...
EDITORIALS
Jan 15, 1999

Embarrassed in Malaysia

In a surprising move, Malaysian prosecutors have amended four of the charges that have been brought against former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The prosecutors claim the changes are superficial. The amendments now say that Mr. Anwar used the police to get witnesses to retract allegations that...
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

Former lawmaker to plead guilty on all counts

Former LDP lawmaker Yojiro Nakajima, who has been indicted on a total of five charges, including accepting bribes, will plead guilty to all counts, according to sources close to the case.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

Town mergers, decentralization go together: Noda

Mergers of cities and towns should be promoted along with decentralization to reduce administrative costs, said Takeshi Noda, the new home affairs minister.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

New adults view romance, marriage differently

Seventy-eight percent of men and 92 percent of women who celebrated their coming of age Friday agreed they would not want to continue married life "if it didn't work out," according to a recent poll by a Tokyo marriage counseling company.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

Lucky postcard numbers announced

The Posts and Telecommunications lucky prize-winning numbers for the 1999 New Year's greeting postcard lottery were announced Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

Woodblock man carves niche with 'Hyakunin Isshu'

Woodblock carver David Bull refuses to be called an "artist" or "sensei."
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

Pension contributors drop below 80% line

The percentage of the population paying premiums into the national pension system came to 79.6 percent in fiscal 1997, the first drop below 80 percent in 36 years, the Social Insurance Agency said in a report issued Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

20-year-olds celebrate adulthood

Ceremonies commemorating Coming-of-Age Day were held Friday, drawing thousands of new adults to municipal offices across the country.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

Air Link's members-only approach winning believers

24th in a series of occasional articles on venture businesses
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

32% approve of Coalition Cabinet; 44% don't

The just-launched coalition Cabinet of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Liberal Party is supported by 32 percent of those polled by Kyodo News, the same support rating Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's Cabinet received in July, it was learned Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 1999

Helicopters scrubbed during Kobe quake fires

The Ground Self-Defense Forces mobilized seven helicopters within 24 hours of the Great Hanshin Earthquake to fight fires caused by the temblor, which hit on Jan. 17, 1995, sources said Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

SDF sex harassment affects 18% of its women

More than 18 percent of women working for the Self-Defense Forces or other Defense Agency organizations have been forced to engage in sexual relationships with male bosses or colleagues, according to a National Personnel Authority survey released Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

Ozawa urges state to define defense support area for U.S.

The government should clearly define the "areas surrounding Japan" in which Japan can provide support to the U.S. military, Liberal Party leader Ichiro Ozawa said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

Steel quotas out of the question: Yosano

Japan has no intention of setting a numerical target so its surging steel exports to the United States can be monitored, International Trade and Industry Minister Kaoru Yosano emphasized Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 14, 1999

Dangerous posturing in Brazil

Meeting in Hong Kong earlier this week, 17 of the world's central bankers expressed cautious optimism that the Asian economic crisis had bottomed out. Any relief those comments might have inspired was short-lived: Almost immediately after came reports of a political standoff in Brazil. If President Fernando...
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

Japan is prepared to help Brazil: Miyazawa

Should an international rescue package be prepared to help financially troubled Brazil, Japan is ready to contribute its fair share, Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

Pyongyang would face 'strong warning' for missile move

Japan, the United States and South Korea should jointly issue a strong warning to North Korea if Pyongyang shows signs of attempting to launch another missile, visiting U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen and Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura agreed Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

Obuchi puts happy face on minority coalition launch

While the Liberal Democratic Party and Liberal Party will jointly tackle Japan's mounting problems, they will also try to seek support from other parties to stabilize the government, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

Japan's previous coalition governments

Coalition governments have emerged numerous times in Japanese politics to either secure a better hold on the Diet or topple an administration:
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

Meiji Life hawking policies in magazines

Meiji Life Insurance Co. has started selling a 5 million yen life insurance plan through magazine advertisement inserts, company officials said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

Imported auto show dampened by recession

The nation's largest imported automobile trade show started Thursday in Tokyo, with the number of participating companies and cars on display significantly decreased from previous shows amid the economic slump.

Longform

Dul Saroth (left) and Soeum Samrach, deminers with the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, practice using the Advanced Landmine Imaging System in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province in August.
The Japanese tech that could one day make Southeast Asia landmine-free