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EDITORIALS
Mar 5, 2004

Opportunity for mutual prosperity

In the not so distant future, China probably will eclipse the United States as Japan's largest trading partner. That could happen before 2008 when Beijing hosts the Summer Olympics. Setting the pace of China's economic growth is investment in infrastructure, whose momentum is expected to increase in...
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2004

Ministry to push extended leaves from work

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is studying whether to introduce long leaves at companies to allow people to rebuild their careers and lifestyles.
BUSINESS
Mar 4, 2004

DoCoMo ready to sell Hutchison stake

NTT DoCoMo Inc. is close to agreeing on the sale of its 20 percent stake in Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.'s third-generation mobile phone business in Britain, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2004

Cabinet OKs reform package boasting lay judges

The Cabinet approved a package of bills Tuesday designed to revamp the judicial system, including a bill that would introduce a quasi-jury system under which randomly selected citizens would sit on the bench for criminal trials.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 3, 2004

Tokyo venture plans to market humanoid robots

A venture business in Tokyo said Tuesday it will market at the end of 2004 a doll-size humanoid robot for roughly 500,000 yen as one of the first humanoid robots to be offered to general consumers.
BUSINESS
Mar 3, 2004

DBJ creates infrastructure fund

The governmental Development Bank of Japan said Tuesday it has established an infrastructure investment fund with Australia's Macquarie Bank that is the first of its kind in Japan.
EDITORIALS
Mar 3, 2004

Lapses in halting avian flu

The latest outbreak of avian flu in Japan, at a large chicken farm in Kyoto Prefecture, has come as a shock -- not only because of its magnitude but also because it has exposed glaring lapses in epidemic prevention. In both respects, it is far more serious than the previous two cases that hit earlier...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 3, 2004

Three stamps and a can of Coke, please

Soft drink makers will take the unprecedented step of selling their products via uniform vending machines in post offices across the country, industry officials said Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 3, 2004

China becomes lifeline for local Japanese industries

Small industries in Japan that have long been plagued by cheap imports from China are now finding a means of survival by exporting high-grade products there.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2004

Seibu execs arrested for 'sokaiya' payoff

Police arrested nine people Monday, including board members of Seibu Railway Co., over their suspected involvement in the firm's alleged payoff of a "sokaiya" corporate extortionist to ensure that its shareholders' meetings went smoothly.
BUSINESS
Mar 2, 2004

Mitsui Mutual, SMBC to tie up

Mitsui Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. said Monday they have agreed on a tieup in mortgage loans.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Mar 2, 2004

Is it worth it to live inside the Yamanote loop?

Vanessa Gillett Teacher, 30-ish
EDITORIALS
Mar 1, 2004

China draws the line in Hong Kong

When Hong Kong reverted to China, Beijing pledged that there would be "one country, two systems." The capitalist redoubt would be part of "one China," but it would also keep its separate political and administrative order to maintain both stability and the vitality that transformed the city into a regional...
CULTURE / Music
Feb 29, 2004

More hot licks of raw power

The Foxys have got more than just dirty, raw, fast-as-hell rhythm and blues music in common with The Gimmies. They also throw stuff at journalists. But this time I was minding my own business when Saitama-based singer/guitarist Ryo Hashida collided with my table at a show and sent my beer flying over...
EDITORIALS
Feb 28, 2004

Give 'irregular' workers a fair shake

Continued corporate restructuring in Japan has taken a heavy toll on regular workers. One result of this is a sharp increase in the number of "irregular" workers, such as part-timers and temporaries. Now they number about 15 million, representing a third of the labor force; in the case of women, one...
BUSINESS
Feb 28, 2004

Microsoft to drop questionable provision

Microsoft Corp. will remove a patent-related provision in licensing contracts with personal computer makers, the U.S. software giant's Japanese unit said Friday.
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2004

Farm's reticence shocks officials

Health and animal experts expressed shock at the news Friday that a chicken farm in Tanba, Kyoto Prefecture, did not notify officials that thousands of its birds had died despite mounting bird flu fears.
BUSINESS
Feb 28, 2004

Nissho Iwai, Tepco units to merge fixed-line phone ops

Telecommunications businesses affiliated with Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Nissho Iwai Corp. said Friday they have reached a basic agreement to integrate their fixed-line phone operations on July 1.
BUSINESS
Feb 27, 2004

IBM Japan sees profit slide 16.6%

IBM Japan Ltd. said Thursday its group net profit fell 16.6 percent in the business year to Dec. 31 to 79.28 billion yen for the fourth straight annual decline.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Feb 27, 2004

Savor the spirit of ancient Japan

In a far-off age -- long before they were savoring the busy touristic delight of gadding around a dozen European cities in as many days -- the Japanese were a fairly untraveled lot.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2004

Fake cop caught riding Tokyo train, packing toy gun

A 27-year-old man was arrested Thursday for impersonating a Metropolitan Police Department officer, an alleged violation of the Minor Offense Law, after he was caught in a patrolman's uniform earlier this month while riding on a train.
BUSINESS
Feb 27, 2004

Livedoor to buy stake in brokerage

Internet service provider Livedoor Co. said Thursday it will buy a 51.53 percent stake in Nippon Global Securities Co. through a tender-offer bid.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2004

Takei released on 300 million yen bail

Yasuo Takei, Takefuji Corp.'s former chairman, who has admitted ordering subordinates to wiretap journalists, was released on 300 million yen bail Wednesday, his lawyers said.
BUSINESS
Feb 26, 2004

Suntory posts 13.3% net profit gain

Beverage maker Suntory Ltd. said Wednesday its group net profit for the business year to Dec. 31 grew 13.3 percent over a year earlier to 22.99 billion yen.
BUSINESS
Feb 26, 2004

IBM Japan puts the 'portable' into PC

IBM Japan Ltd. said Wednesday it has developed a prototype of a compact portable computing device that allows users to carry their software to locations equipped with dedicated cradles.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 26, 2004

IRCJ positive on working to rehabilitate Kanebo

The president of the Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan said Wednesday the government's revival body is positive about providing support to revive cosmetics maker Kanebo Ltd.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2004

Takei pleads guilty to wiretap

Former Takefuji Corp. Chairman Yasuo Takei pleaded guilty Tuesday to ordering a subordinate to wiretap two journalists -- one who wrote an article critical of the lending company and one who probed the firm's overseas activities.
BUSINESS
Feb 25, 2004

Kobe Steel appoints Inubushi chief

Kobe Steel Ltd. Vice President Yasuo Inubushi will be appointed president, the company said Tuesday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Feb 24, 2004

Is there value for money in English education?

Amanda Townsend Teacher, 26
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Feb 24, 2004

McEnglish for the masses

American sociologist George Ritzer coined the term McDonaldization to describe how a method of production that originated in fast food restaurants is sweeping through every aspect of society.

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