Search - 2004

 
 
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2005

ANA doubles profit on back of strong international demand

All Nippon Airways Co.'s group operating profit more than doubled from the previous year to 77.7 billion yen in fiscal 2004 led by strong demand for international flights and rigorous cost-reduction efforts, the carrier said Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Apr 5, 2005

Bitter medicine to build trust

Political parties are bracing for a new round of joint parliamentary panel talks on social security reform. The biggest issue is how to integrate disparate and unequal parts of the public pension system. Prospects for final agreement look uncertain at best, given the wide differences that exist between...
MORE SPORTS
Mar 16, 2005

Arakawa, Ando, Suguri strive to continue Japan's world reign

MOSCOW -- Heading into the World Figure Skating Championships in Moscow, Japan's women skaters, once so dominant, are now a question mark.
MORE SPORTS
Mar 5, 2005

Marinos face major threat from rejuvenated Jubilo

Here is a team-by-team preview of the 18 clubs in the J. League's first division this season:
BUSINESS
Feb 17, 2005

Vstone leader Yamato gears up for RoboCup

OSAKA -- Members of Team OSAKA bubbled over with excitement after their teammate scored a goal in a penalty-kick shootout, leading the team to victory in a sort of world soccer championship. The little goal-scorer is a 39-cm humanoid robot named VisiON.
BUSINESS
Feb 15, 2005

Current account surplus hits record high

Japan's current account surplus rose 17.9 percent in 2004 from a year earlier to a record 18.59 trillion yen.
BUSINESS
Feb 11, 2005

McDonald's Japan posts first profit in three years

McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan) said Thursday it returned to profit in 2004 for the first time in three years.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 9, 2005

Red Sox boosting association with Japanese baseball

The 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox are one of the major league teams becoming increasingly involved with Japanese baseball as evidenced by the recent signing of Japanese pitcher Denney Tomori and an agreement to send two coaches and two players from the BoSox organization to join the Fukuoka...
BUSINESS
Feb 5, 2005

North Korea trade can slip through any sanctions cracks

Five a.m. in Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market: A Setagaya Ward sushi chef chooses a 4,800 yen box of sea urchin from North Korea over a 6,500 yen box shipped from Hokkaido.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 26, 2005

Baseball luminaries give Eagles GM Kuehnert big send off

More than 200 people attended the "Marty Kuehnert-Shi Iwai GM Shunin to Saranaru Nippon Yakyu Kai no Hatten o Negau Kai" (Party to Congratulate Mr. Marty Kuehnert on His Appointment as General Manager and Praying for the Success of Japanese Baseball) at a Tokyo hotel on Friday, Jan. 21, in honor of the...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 5, 2005

Who's who (and where) among '05 foreign players

Happy New Year. Five days into 2005, and the 12 Japan pro baseball teams have spent the offseason wheeling and dealing, acquiring and firing foreign players. Confused about who left and who is left? Following is a team-by-team rundown of who's gone and who's on at this point.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Dec 23, 2004

President had a better year than most

WASHINGTON -- As this supercharged political year of 2004 comes to a close, it seems appropriate to take a look at where Americans stand, and what they decided and changed in the past year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 21, 2004

Finance Ministry proposes 16% cut in FILP spending for fiscal 2005

The Finance Ministry on Monday proposed cutting spending under the government's fiscal investment and loan program by 16.3 percent in fiscal 2005 from the previous year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 16, 2004

Firms learn from VCR war, seek early mortal blow

Japanese electronics makers are waging battles in various digital home appliance sectors, aware that those who claim initial victories will likely remain dominant.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 16, 2004

A year of flower power

Looking for places to go this summer? Well, if you want something unique then head for Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture.
BUSINESS
May 22, 2004

State wants NPOs to take up slack

The government called for greater cooperation Friday between local governments and nonprofit organizations, stating that public services offered by the former are increasingly limited by fiscal constraints.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2004

Fukui said to be 'doing his best' under strict policy

Sakuya Fujiwara, former deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, says BOJ Gov. Toshihiko Fukui is constantly under public pressure over the central bank's monetary measures.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Agency's use of pension funds for checkups raises eyebrows

The Social Insurance Agency tapped into Japan's cash-strapped, state-run pension system and health insurance plans to pay for 370 million yen in medical checkups for its own employees in fiscal 2003 and 2004, it was learned Friday.
BUSINESS
Jan 20, 2004

Tanigaki promises to implement fiscal debt remedies, tax reforms

The government will remedy the country's mounting fiscal debts and initiate tax reforms to revitalize the economy and build a sustainable fiscal structure, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki pledged Monday.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jan 9, 2004

Scrutiny will increase if Eriksson becomes Chelsea manager

LONDON -- Will he stay or will he go?
EDITORIALS
Nov 27, 2003

For freer budget management

In his opening shot at fiscal 2004 budget reform, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is calling for a substantial cut in government subsidies -- those strings-attached payments that have been roundly criticized for depriving local governments of fiscal freedom. Last week he told a meeting of Cabinet ministers...
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2003

New U.S.-style law schoolsmay not get state subsidies

The Finance Ministry is planning to refuse to provide state subsidies to U.S.-style law schools that are to be established next spring to address a shortage of practicing lawyers in Japan, ministry sources said Saturday.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 2003

China loans face 20% cut as part of overall ODA reduction

The Finance Ministry will cut outlays for Japan's official development assistance in the fiscal 2004 budget for the fifth straight year, ministry sources said Monday.
BUSINESS
Oct 7, 2003

1 trillion yen cut planned for local subsidies in '04

The Finance Ministry plans to cut subsidies to local governments by 1 trillion yen in the budget for fiscal 2004, ministry officials said Monday.
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2003

Japan to offer $5 billion over four years to Iraq

The government is considering a plan to provide around $5 billion, or about 550 billion yen, to help reconstruct Iraq in the four years beginning in fiscal 2004, government sources said Saturday.
EDITORIALS
Sep 8, 2003

Moving too fast on missile defense

The Defense Agency's plan to build a missile-defense system is causing much controversy here. The basic question is whether such a system is urgently needed and whether it is suitable for ensuring the peace and security of Japan. The question should be addressed very carefully from various angles. The...
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jun 7, 2003

England still too selfish about international calendar

LONDON -- On the day England captain David Beckham made a televised plea to England supporters to behave at last Tuesday's friendly against Serbia and Montenegro and the Euro 2004 qualifying tie against Slovakia next Wednesday, UEFA rewarded Manchester City with a place in Europe for 2003-2004 as England...
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
May 20, 2003

Iraqi revival will cost Russia

MOSCOW -- It is a commonplace to say the war in Iraq was not only about former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein but also about oil. No matter how dangerous Hussein's regime was and how badly the White House needed an impressive victory for the 2004 elections, oil -- as today's key commodity -- was very much...

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?