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Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2005

Female monarchs get green light

A government panel on Imperial succession concluded Thursday that females and their descendants should be allowed to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
EDITORIALS
Nov 25, 2005

Press on with territories issue

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Tokyo this week for the first time in five years for a summit meeting with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. They and their ministers signed 12 documents, ranging from joint efforts to counter international terrorism to economic cooperation, including a Russian...
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2005

Abe backs Defense Agency upgrade

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe on Thursday supported the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's recent decision to try to turn the Defense Agency into a ministry.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2005

Russia releases seized fishing boat

A Japanese fishing boat and its five-member crew seized by Russia in disputed waters earlier this month returned to Japan early Thursday, according to a Japan Coast Guard official.
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2005

Condo developer to pay residents' hotel bills

A Tokyo-based condominium developer that sold seven apartment buildings in the Tokyo area with faked quake-resistance data from Aneha Architect Design Office said Tuesday it will pay hotel bills for residents who vacate the structures.
BUSINESS
Nov 23, 2005

SMFG posts record net in first half

The Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group said Tuesday it posted a 392.3 billion yen net profit in the first half of the 2005 business year -- more than seven times the 53.4 billion yen profit it recorded a year earlier.
JAPAN
Nov 22, 2005

Putin, Koizumi bolster economic ties, skip isles

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agreed Monday to increase security and economic cooperation despite the 60-year territorial row over the four Russian-held islands off northern Hokkaido.
EDITORIALS
Nov 22, 2005

Simplistic view in a complex world

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U.S. President George W. Bush met at a summit in the ancient capital of Kyoto last Wednesday, the first such meeting in almost a year. The two leaders shared their belief that close relations between their countries are important not only for this region but also...
BUSINESS
Nov 22, 2005

MFG sees sharp rise in net profit

Mizuho Financial Group Inc., the country's second-largest banking group by assets, said Monday its group net profit for the first half of fiscal 2005 through September rose 44.7 percent from a year earlier, as the economic recovery boosted the financial health of its corporate borrowers.
BUSINESS
Nov 22, 2005

State financial entities to shrink from eight to one

The government and ruling coalition have agreed in principle on the goal of consolidating eight governmental financial institutions into a single entity, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said Monday.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Nov 22, 2005

The 'IC you' card

People are still reeling from September's LDP landslide election, realizing that Koizumi can essentially legislate whatever he wants.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2005

Liquor retailer group a big political donor

The political arm of a scandal-hit association of liquor retailers made at least 210 million yen in political donations in the five years to 2004, it was learned Saturday.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Nov 20, 2005

There's no morning calm for Korean crime stories

THE DOOR TO BITTERNESS by Martin Limon. New York: Soho Press Inc., 2005, 278 pp., $23 (cloth). FADE TO CLEAR by Leonard Chang. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2004, 322 pp., $23.95 (cloth). DARK ANGEL by Geoffrey Archer. London: Arrow Books, 2005, 482 pp., £6.99 (paper). It's 1973, and Sergeants George...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 19, 2005

Eagles land Matsuzaki in draft

The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles won the right to negotiate a deal with Tohoku Fukushi University left-hander Shingo Matsuzaki in the first round of picks at the baseball amateur draft on Friday. Rakuten is the only team allowed to select a player in the first round after the 11 others earlier applied...
MORE SPORTS
Nov 19, 2005

Takahashi to run despite injury

Sydney Olympic champion Naoko Takahashi said Friday she is suffering from inflamed leg muscles but has not changed her plan to make a comeback in Sunday's Tokyo International Women's Marathon. Takahashi, who has not appeared in a competitive marathon for two years, told reporters that she injured three...
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2005

Aso pitch for isles' joint development surprises bureaucrats

Foreign Minister Taro Aso's suggestion to undertake joint economic projects with Moscow on four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan completely caught some ministry officials off guard Friday.
BUSINESS
Nov 19, 2005

BOJ on same page with ruling bloc, Fukui assures

The Bank of Japan's goal is to sustain economic growth, just like the politicians who are decrying any suggested attempt by the central bank to end its ultraloose monetary policy, BOJ Gov. Toshihiko Fukui said Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2005

Certifier hoodwinked on quake-proofing

A Tokyo-based company that state-certifies construction applications said Friday it noticed no problems during its examination of faked applications by a Chiba-based architectural firm.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 18, 2005

Left-hander Noguchi joins Giants

Free agent left-hander Shigeki Noguchi signed a two-year contract worth an estimated 200 million yen with the Yomiuri Giants on Thursday.
JAPAN
Nov 18, 2005

TBS expected to reject merger with Rakuten

Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc., a TV and radio broadcaster, will reject a proposal by Rakuten Inc. to integrate their managements under a holding company, sources have said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 17, 2005

War criminals, war dead same: Abe

The government should not look into the responsibility of the accused Class-A war criminals honored at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine and instead count them among the nation's 2.46 million war dead, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Nov 17, 2005

Murakami fund may still hold 6.5% stake in TBS: sources

An investment fund led by Yoshiaki Murakami notified Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. earlier this month that it still holds a 6.5 percent stake in the TV broadcaster, sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Nov 17, 2005

Liquor union boss held in embezzling, vows to air bribes

A former senior official of a liquor retailer union was arrested Wednesday for allegedly embezzling about 16.5 million yen from the union's pension fund.

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