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BUSINESS
Mar 19, 2003

Embattled Hayami bows out with self-belief intact

The markets are happy to see him go. He is the butt of jokes at the Finance Ministry, where bureaucrats mimic some of his well-worn phrases. Leading politicians in the ruling coalition blame him for the stagnant economy.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2003

Opposition lambastes Koizumi over emphatic support for U.S. line

Opposition parties on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's emphatic support for the United States' ultimatum to Iraq, saying a peaceful solution to the crisis should be achieved through more U.N. inspections.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2003

War fears put water forum in jeopardy

KYOTO -- The remainder of the 3rd World Water Forum, which is scheduled to end Sunday, was thrown into confusion Tuesday by fears that a U.S.-led war on Iraq is imminent.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 2003

High school kids to be sent abroad

The education ministry unveiled a plan Monday in which 10,000 high school students will be sent overseas each year to study and 100 high schools will be selected to provide advanced English education by the 2005-2006 academic year.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Mar 18, 2003

Tokyo's immigration bureau gets makeover at new location

"Are you sure this is the place?" our driver inquired.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / NATURE TRAVEL
Mar 16, 2003

Prison for some, refuge for others

Second of two parts Robben Island is more than a world-famous symbol of racial reconciliation. On the insistence of Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned here for 18 years, Robben is also "a monument to [ecological] preservation."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 16, 2003

Yoji Yamada

A director since 1961, with 77 films to his credit, Yoji Yamada, 71, is a Japanese film industry icon. His "Tora-san" series, about a wandering peddler who is forever falling in love, but never gets the girl, generated 48 hit installments -- and made Yamada the most successful Japanese director of his...
JAPAN
Mar 16, 2003

Water activists gather ahead of Kansai forum

KYOTO -- Representatives of citizen's groups in Japan and abroad gathered here Saturday to raise awareness of worldwide water issues before the start of the Third World Water Forum, which begins Sunday at three venues in Kansai.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2003

Importer of cancer drug in info probe

AstraZeneca K.K., the Osaka-based importer of the controversial cancer drug Iressa, may have failed to notify health authorities of the drug's acute side effects within the time period set by the government, sources said Friday.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2003

Bill aimed at Net dating sites OK'd

A bill that would ban the use of Internet dating sites to solicit sex or dates with people under 18 years old was endorsed by the government Friday.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2003

30% of inmate deaths unnatural

A total of 80 postmortem exams have been conducted over the past decade on prison inmates who died of unknown causes, Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama said Friday.
BUSINESS
Mar 14, 2003

Accenture unit in China gambit

Accenture Corp., the Japanese unit of U.S. consulting firm Accenture Ltd., said Thursday it has established a unit in Dalian, China, to provide Japanese, Chinese and South Korean companies with outsourcing services.
BUSINESS
Mar 14, 2003

Stock resuscitation plan unveiled

In a bid to end a tailspin in Tokyo stock prices, the government on Thursday unveiled six emergency steps, including stricter control of speculative sales.
EDITORIALS
Mar 14, 2003

Wage system headed for change

Corporate restructuring in Japan is creating inexorable pressure to implement wage restraints. This is evident in increasing efforts to change the traditional seniority-based wage system. Even more significant, these moves are apparent even among companies that are doing well despite the prolonged economic...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 14, 2003

How the U.S. piqued Pyongyang

CAMBRIDGE, England -- If it weren't for the fact that the lives of several million people are at stake it could be fun watching the game of diplomatic poker being played by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and U.S. President George W. Bush. Those lives are at stake, however, as is the future stability...
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2003

Koizumi stays coy on Iraq standoff strategy

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi kept his cards close to his vest over the Iraq standoff Thursday, despite opposition leaders' criticism of his support for a U.S.-backed U.N. resolution on the matter.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2003

Irish government offers postgraduate study opportunity

The government of Ireland is offering a scholarship program to enable a Japanese student to conduct postgraduate studies at a university or similar institute of higher learning in Ireland for the academic year starting in October.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2003

Mobile phone shipments up 22.4%

Domestic shipments of mobile phones rose 22.4 percent in January from a year earlier to 3.77 million units for the fourth straight monthly increase, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2003

Pyongyang fires another missile

North Korea fired a ground-to-ship missile into the Sea of Japan on Monday -- the second such launch in two weeks -- in what appeared to be further provocation aimed at gaining Washington's attention.
BUSINESS
Mar 11, 2003

Hitachi latest firm planning to adopt merit-pay system

In a move that may affect the entire manufacturing industry, Hitachi Ltd. plans to introduce a new pay system based entirely on job performance and abolish seniority-based annual pay hikes.
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2003

Bribe-taking mayor gets suspended term

Yoshishiro Kimura, a former mayor of Ishioka, Ibaraki Prefecture, was sentenced Friday to a suspended prison term for taking 2 million yen in bribes in 1999 while he was still in office.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 8, 2003

Hitachi may sell HQ and rent office space

Hitachi Ltd. said Friday it is considering selling its headquarters building in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward and renting space in a nearby building.
Japan Times
JAPAN / PREFECTURAL FARE
Mar 8, 2003

Miyazaki's Tokyo foothold a success story

Shuji Yoshida, joint owner of Miyazaki Konne, is all smiles when asked how things are at the Miyazaki Prefecture satellite shop.
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2003

'Blue book' draft seeks global unity

Japan will call for international unity in dealing with growing security concerns, including the crisis in Iraq and North Korea's nuclear weapons program, says the Foreign Ministry's annual "blue book" draft, which was submitted to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday for endorsement.
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2003

Pair held over theft of Net-cafe users' passwords, cash

Police have arrested two men for allegedly stealing more than 16 million yen from other people's online bank accounts by using passwords stolen from Internet cafes in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, the police said Thursday.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2003

Koizumi turns on majority opposing war

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, after relying heavily on public support for his political power base, is now turning against the majority of Japanese, who oppose a war against Iraq.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2003

Can prewashed rice make a clean sweep?

Washing rice before it is cooked has long been a daily ritual in Japan.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo