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JAPAN
Jun 3, 1997

Chairman of Matsushita becomes Sir Matsushita

OSAKA -- Masaharu Matsushita, chairman of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., was appointed June 3 a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his contributions toward strengthening bilateral ties in business and other areas.
JAPAN
Jun 3, 1997

Revisions to Bank Law may stiffen penalties

Revisions to the Banking Law to increase its punitive measures may be proposed by this fall's extraordinary Diet session, the finance minister said June 3, as the scandal involving Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank deepens day by day.
JAPAN
Jun 3, 1997

Nomura director Fujikura to be indicted today

Tokyo prosecutors June 4 will charge Nobutaka Fujikura, 54, former Nomura Securities Co. director, with violating the Commercial Code and Securities Transaction Law violation, and will indict "sokaiya" corporate extortionist Ryuichi Koike within days, sources close to the authorities said June 3.
JAPAN
Jun 3, 1997

Outdoor gear: love of nature or fashion craze?

Outdoor products originally designed for taking on a trip to the wilderness have become a common sight in the big city. During the past few years, the fashion-driven young -- clad in colorful outdoor jackets and sporting brand-name day-packs and hiking boots -- have given the concrete jungle a new look....
JAPAN
Jun 3, 1997

NPA chief seeks crackdown on youth involved in crime

Police will take harsher action against minors involved in serious crimes, including robbery and extortion, the National Police Agency said June 3.
JAPAN
Jun 3, 1997

Revised bill on earthquake aid submitted

A nonpartisan group of lawmakersconsisting of four opposition parties submitted a bill June 3 to the Diet aimed at providing financial aid to households that have seen their income considerably reduced due to the Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 1995.
JAPAN
Jun 3, 1997

Asthma patients sue over vehicle emissions

A group of 110 asthma patients in Tokyo filed a suit June 3 against the state, the metropolitan government, Metropolitan Expressway Public Corp. and seven automakers, demanding an end to air pollutant emissions from vehicles and 2.2 billion yen in compensation for damage to their health.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

Ruling parties make last-minute spending cuts

The Liberal Democratic Party and its two non-Cabinet allies came up with several budget-paring measures June 2, one day before a key fiscal reform report is due out.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

War memorial will not replace earthquake hall

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials on June 2 withdrew plans to raze the major part of an earthquake memorial hall in Sumida Ward that architects praise as a historic structure, after receiving harsh protests from experts and the media over efforts to build a war memorial hall.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

Tokyo slams Seoul's plans for disputed islands

Tokyo expressed regret June 2 over Seoul's plan to develop a chain of islands claimed both by Japan and South Korea, Foreign Ministry officials said.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

Shizuoka sports fans fall for 'futsal' fever

TENRYU, Shizuoka Pref. -- When Mario Yasumitsu, a second-generation Japanese-Brazilian, moved to Japan from Latin America, he packed the daily necessities and one "futsal" ball.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

LDP shelves plan for Constitutional debate group

A nonpartisan Diet group's long-withheld discussions on the Constitution failed to start June 2 when leaders in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party demanded that the effort be shelved for at least a few months.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

Scandals cast doubt abroad that 'Big Bang' will work

Amid the scandals involving the nation's major financial institutions, questions are being raised overseas about whether the "Big Bang" financial reforms can bring true changes, Kumiharu Shidehara, deputy secretary general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, said June 2.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

Birch sap sourced for touted health tonic

NAGANO -- A business entity jointly set up by agricultural cooperatives of Nagano Prefecture has recently developed a drink that will satisfy even the most health-conscious people -- 100 percent natural white birch sap juice.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

Kankeiren woos NTT headquarter move to Osaka

OSAKA -- Yasuo Shingu, chairman of the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren), June 2 expressed hope that Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. will set up its western regional headquarters in Osaka after its expected breakup.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

Neon sign may steal Olympic Games' spotlight

NAGANO -- An ordinary neon sign here has been advertising a Japanese restaurant for the past 10 years without attracting any particular attention.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1997

Domestic auto sales dropped 9.4% in May

Japan's domestic auto sales dropped 9.4 percent to 319,940 vehicles in May from a year earlier for a second consecutive month, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said June 2.
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

DPJ proposes public works watchdog

The Democratic Party of Japan submitted a bill to the Diet on May 30 to establish a monitoring system for public works projects to improve their cost-effectiveness. DPJ coleader Yukio Hatoyama said the bill was formulated in response to the nation's worsening fiscal crisis.
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

JAL posts huge losses on weaker yen

Japan Airlines posted a pretax loss of 16.97 billion yen in the year that ended March 31 due to increased fuel costs and a weaker yen, the firm announced May 30. The airline also reported a net loss of 9.2 billion yen. Although its total sales grew by about 80 billion yen, or 7.1 percent, to 1.2 trillion...
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

Flex-time urged for clerical officials

General government clerical officials should have a flex-time system, according to an annual report submitted May 30 by the National Personnel Authority to the Diet and Cabinet. The flex-time system is currently limited to government officials in research posts.
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

Former Nomura president arrested

Hideo Sakamaki, a former president of Nomura Securities Co., was arrested by Tokyo prosecutors on May 30 on suspicion of approving illegal payoffs to a "sokaiya" corporate racketeer. Sakamaki, 61, is suspected of having conspired with former managing directors Shimpei Matsuki and Nobutaka Fujikura, and...
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

China falls to No. 2 spot on aid list

China fell from being the largest recipient of Japanese official development assistance in 1996 after Tokyo temporarily froze grants-in-aid to protest Beijing conducting nuclear tests, the Foreign Ministry said May 30.
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

Patriotic reformation network founded

Attended by nearly 1,000 people, a new nationwide network for patriots was inaugurated May 30 calling for the reformation of Japan, which the group claimed has declined in every aspect.
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

Education council airs reform plan

Respect for a student's individuality will be the key to reforming school education in Japan -- known for its uniformity and conformity -- for the 21st century, an advisory panel to the education minister said May 30.
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

Nomura management involved in payoffs: Ujiie

The entire management of Nomura Securities Co. was involved in dubious connections with a "sokaiya" corporate extortionist, Junichi Ujiie, president of the brokerage, indirectly admitted May 30. "If the arrest of (former Nomura President Hideo Sakamaki) is taken as the involvement of the entire company...
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

Funeral held for slain Kobe boy

KOBE -- More than 500 people, including elementary school children, attended a funeral May 30 to bid farewell to Jun Hase, an 11-year-old boy slain in bizarre circumstances, whose severed head and body were found earlier this week. The memorial service started at 1:30 p.m. at the Heian Kaikan hall in...
JAPAN
May 30, 1997

LDP eyes early re-election of Hashimoto

In the wake of a succession of political victories for Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, some key members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have begun to suggest that the LDP bend party rules and hand Hashimoto an early assurance of re-election as LDP president. Hashimoto's term ends at the close...
JAPAN
May 29, 1997

Lower House approves bill to create finance watchdog

A government-proposed bill to create a new state agency to supervise financial institutions cleared the Lower House on May 29 with support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its two non-Cabinet allies and other small parliamentary groups.
JAPAN
May 29, 1997

Hitachi logs 24% drop in profits for '96

Hitachi Ltd. reported May 29 consolidated pretax profits of 263.3 billion yen for the 1996 business year, which ended March 31, down 24 percent from the previous year.
JAPAN
May 29, 1997

Major automakers post profit gains

Benefiting largely from the yen's fall against other major currencies, Japan's five major automakers enjoyed profit increases for the 1996 business year that ended March 31, financial results show.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat