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BASEBALL / MLB
Jun 21, 2005

Japan interleague play a hit with fans: poll

Interleague play, which was introduced to Japanese baseball for the first time ever this season, appears to be a big hit, if not quite a grand slam.
JAPAN
Jun 21, 2005

Railways, Toei also paid off rightists?

Five Tokyo-based railways and a major movie producer invested a combined 58 million yen in a rightist-linked land-development company, officials of the firms said Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2005

Miyazawa urges Koizumi not to visit Yasukuni

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi faced fresh pressure Sunday over his visits to Yasukuni Shrine, with former Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa saying Koizumi should not go again because it would hurt Japan-China relations.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 19, 2005

Takanohana vs. Wakanohana: The final faceoff

The battle between former sumo grand champion siblings Wakanohana and Takanohana over the legacy of their father, sumo elder Futagoyama, started well before his death from mouth cancer on May 30 at the age of 55. The press, however, didn't dive into the melee until after Futogayama's body was placed...
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2005

Chinese, S. Koreans overwhelmingly oppose Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni

More than 80 percent of Chinese and South Korean respondents to a recent survey oppose Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine and Japan's bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.
EDITORIALS
Jun 18, 2005

New era of bank card security

Bank deposit safety in Japan is threatened increasingly by people using forged or stolen cards to make illegal withdrawals. Now, members of the Diet are preparing to introduce a bill that would require all financial institutions -- including commercial banks, post offices and credit unions -- to compensate...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2005

Shinsei aims for new online services, CEO-in-waiting says

Shinsei Bank Ltd. plans to offer new online banking services in a few months, the next president and chief executive officer said Friday.
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2005

Tax Commission to boost exemptions for donations to NPOs

The Tax Commission, an advisory panel to the prime minister, said Friday in a report that it will increase exemptions for donations made to nonprofit organizations.
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2005

McDonald's cuts forecast due to 'value strategy'

McDonald's Holdings Co. Japan on Friday announced a sharp downward revision of its earning forecast for the six months ending in June, dragged down by a steeper-than-expected drop in average sales per customer.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2005

Journalist did not defame expert in tainted blood fiasco: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court overturned a high court decision Thursday, ruling that noted journalist Yoshiko Sakurai did not defame a late hemophilia expert in her writings about the infection of hemophiliacs with HIV from tainted blood products.
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2005

NPO chief, cohorts held over investment swindle

Police arrested the former head of a Tokyo nonprofit organization Thursday on suspicion of swindling group members through an investment scheme.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / U.S. BUSINESS SCHOOL SYMPOSIUM
Jun 16, 2005

Flexible labor policies raise worker loyalty, satisfaction

Ongoing moves for a greater flexibility in the labor market will increase effective labor supply -- a good news as Japan faces a declining population, said James Hosek, professor at Pardee RAND Graduate School.
BUSINESS
Jun 16, 2005

Cabinet sees economy emerging from pause

The government Wednesday raised its assessment of the economy for the first time in 11 months, citing a pickup in personal spending and improvement in jobs.
JAPAN
Jun 16, 2005

Altimeter-setting snafu puts ANA jet at wrong level

An All Nippon Airways plane flew 1,600 meters higher than instructed by air traffic controllers for about 40 minutes during a flight from Nagasaki to Tokyo this month due to an altimeter adjustment error.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 16, 2005

'Scandal spokesman' speaks on crisis management

The cost of scandals to business is at an all-time high. Time was when a bow held for 10 seconds by executives in a news conference, plus the resignation of a top official, would clear the air for business as usual.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Jun 15, 2005

The art that rocks the boat of war in Iraq

If you don't like U.S. President George W. Bush -- particularly if you don't support his war in Iraq -- then there is a new gallery exhibition in Tokyo that you will relish.
JAPAN
Jun 15, 2005

Fuso has to recall another 424,600 vehicles

Scandal-tainted Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. said Tuesday it will recall 424,600 large vehicles to repair minor defects overlooked during last year's probe into past cases of vehicle problems — even though one of the defects was reported in the late 1980s.
JAPAN
Jun 15, 2005

Ex-Mitsui officials held in diesel filter scam

Tokyo police on Tuesday arrested two former Mitsui & Co. employees and a former executive of a Mitsui subsidiary on suspicion of fabricating test data to obtain official approval for a diesel particulate filter.
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2005

Radioactive soil may be shipped to U.S.

A governmental nuclear research and development organization is considering shipping soil contaminated with uranium from Yurihama, Tottori Prefecture, to the United States for disposal.
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2005

Koizumi says he's mindful of Asia on Yasukuni

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi claimed Monday he is in fact mindful of Japan's Asian neighbors when he visits Yasukuni Shrine — trips that are denounced by China and South Korea.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jun 12, 2005

Ohka gets traded to the Brew Crew

Japanese right-hander Tomokazu Ohka was acquired from the Washington Nationals in exchange for infielder Junior Spivey, the Milwaukee Brewers said Friday.
Japan Times
Features
Jun 12, 2005

Shotengai

When sumo elder Futagoyama, the father of former grand champions Takanohana and Wakanohana, died of cancer two weeks ago, many sumo fans were deeply saddened at the loss of the charismatic, 55-year-old former ozeki. Many people prominent in varied walks of life expressed their sadness, as did members...
COMMENTARY
Jun 12, 2005

Harmful to Japan's interest

Should he continue his custom of making annual visits to Yasukuni Shrine, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi could seriously harm Japan's national interest. His persistence in visiting the Tokyo memorial to the nation's war dead has intensified the firestorm of anti-Japanese criticism in China and South...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jun 12, 2005

Thanks to the efforts of many, baseball remains intact despite merger

You may be reading this column between 7 a.m and 8 a.m. on Sunday morning.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Jun 11, 2005

Eyes of rugby world on New Zealand as Lions fans fly in

Even though the final decision as to who will host the 2011 Rugby World Cup will not be made until November, the next few weeks will be crucial for the three countries hoping to host sport's third biggest event.
COMMENTARY
Jun 11, 2005

Poor losers fan Filipino disenchantment

MANILA -- To characterize the public mood in the Philippines as depressed is no exaggeration. According to recent surveys, pessimism about economic prospects is on the rise, and a majority of Filipinos believe their quality of life has deteriorated in the past year. A recent Asian Development Bank survey...
COMMENTARY
Jun 11, 2005

Hilariously ineffective charm offensive

LOS ANGELES -- Watch out, the Chinese oil-saboteurs may be coming. Hold on to your derricks! Western newspapers are reporting that the giant China National Offshore Oil Corp. may make a bid to acquire the U.S. oil group Unocal. If the effort is successful (note: the U.S. oil giant Chevron may have a...
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2005

Diet set to be extended for postal bills

The Liberal Democratic Party and the government Thursday started preparing to extend the current Diet session beyond June 19 to ensure there is enough time to pass the contentious postal privatization bills.

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