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JAPAN
May 14, 1999

Tokyo Sowa capital falls short of minimum

Tokyo Sowa Bank announced Friday that its capital-to-asset ratio had fallen to 2.4 percent -- well below the regulatory threshold of 4 percent -- at the end of March.
JAPAN
May 13, 1999

Adecco counting on pickup in temp labor trend

Leading employment agency Adecco SA is pinning high hopes on the fast growth of Japan's hitherto undercultivated temporary workforce, Adecco Chief Executive Officer John P. Bowmer said Thursday.
JAPAN
May 13, 1999

Okuda takes Nikkeiren post, pledges better employment

Toyota Motor Corp. President Hiroshi Okuda assumed the post of chairman of the Japan Federation of Employers' Associations (Nikkeiren) on Thursday amid expectations he will reinvigorate the nationwide employers' group.
JAPAN
May 12, 1999

PC shipments up 10% in '98

Domestic shipments of personal computers hit a record-high 7.54 million units in fiscal 1998, up 10 percent from the previous year, an industry association said Wednesday.
JAPAN
May 12, 1999

Organ donor's private info kept under wraps

Following criticism that protection of privacy was lacking when organs were donated in late February in the nation's first legal transplants involving a brain-dead patient, cautious steps have been taken to avoid an excessive release of information on the second such donor.
JAPAN
May 11, 1999

Philippine activists protest dam project

Three activists from the Philippines called on the Export-Import Bank of Japan and a group of Japanese banks to withdraw support for a controversial dam project that the activists say will destroy the lives of riverside residents.
JAPAN
May 10, 1999

Assembly rejects Ishihara's vice governor nominee

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara's attempt to appoint his right-hand man vice governor was blocked Monday by the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, casting a shadow over his relations with the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito-controlled body.
JAPAN
May 10, 1999

Japan warns NATO on China embassy bombing

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka cautioned NATO Monday, saying its accidental bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade has deeply hurt China's prestige.
JAPAN
May 4, 1999

Dioxin: Proximity to Tokyo dooms Tokorozawa

Second in a seriesStaff writer
COMMENTARY
May 1, 1999

Obuchi confounds the skeptics

The Lower House on Tuesday approved a legislative package for implementing the updated Japan-U.S. defense cooperation guidelines and sent it immediately to the Upper House. The action came after agreement among the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Liberal Party (the LDP's junior coalition partner)...
JAPAN
Apr 30, 1999

Ishihara repeats junk bond pledge

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara said Friday his campaign pledge to establish a junk bond market -- a high yield stock market for small and midsize enterprises -- will be realized within the year.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 1999

74% of firms project pension fund shortages

More than 70 percent of the nation's corporate pension programs at the end of March were either short on reserves or expecting a shortage soon, according to survey results released Thursday.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 1999

Nago's selection seen as peace offering from state

The surprise decision by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to hold the main event of next year's Group of Eight summit in Okinawa apparently reflects the desire of the central government to improve ties with the prefecture under Gov. Keiichi Inamine.
EDITORIALS
Apr 28, 1999

No victory for the security alliance

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi has his "omiyage" for U.S. President Bill Clinton. Following Monday night's approval of three bills to implement the updated Japan-U.S. defense guidelines by a special Lower House committee, the full Lower House approved them Tuesday, and Mr. Obuchi will be able to tell the...
JAPAN
Apr 28, 1999

Nonaka eyes tripartite unity in Lower House polls

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Wednesday that the Liberal Democratic Party, Liberal Party and New Komeito should consider campaign cooperation for the next Lower House elections to further cement their tripartite ties.
JAPAN
Apr 27, 1999

Second aid package set for Kosovo

The government announced a comprehensive aid package Tuesday for Kosovar refugees, featuring $200 million in humanitarian and financial support for international aid bodies, refugee-hosting countries and the future return of the refugees to Kosovo.
JAPAN
Apr 27, 1999

NTT joins with AT&T in network solutions

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. and AT&T Corp. of the United States announced Tuesday that they are joining hands in global network solutions, which has become a fast-growing segment in the telecommunica tions industry as multinational companies outsource man agement of their global communications....
JAPAN
Apr 27, 1999

Construction chief links dam's fate to plebiscite

The controversial Yoshino River dam project will be scrapped if residents of Tokushima hold a plebiscite and a majority of the voters oppose it, Construction Minister Katsutsugu Sekiya said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Apr 26, 1999

Daiwa group launches holding firm operations

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. kicked off operations as a holding company Monday, placing four separate firms under its wing.
JAPAN
Apr 26, 1999

MITI defends trade practices

A senior trade ministry official said Monday that Japan has no trade practices that need to be placed on an upcoming U.S. list of items subject to unilateral trade sanctions under its "Super 301" trade law provision.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 25, 1999

NATO steps into a quagmire

Call it the first humanitarian empire. For a moment, look beyond the horrific slaughter and the terrible plight of ethnic Albanian refugees. The immediate crisis obscures a host of profound long-term -- and largely unintended consequences -- of the current Balkan intervention that will impact U.S. foreign...
EDITORIALS
Apr 24, 1999

Big hopes for small business

The latest government annual report on small enterprises bears out an important fact that is often overlooked amid news-breaking moves by big businesses: Small corporations continue to play a vital role in the Japanese economy. The report, submitted this week to the Cabinet by the Ministry of International...
JAPAN
Apr 23, 1999

Yosano criticizes auto 'green tax'

The proposed introduction of fuel-efficiency-oriented car tax is "not quite rational," Trade chief Kaoru Yosano said Friday.
JAPAN
Apr 22, 1999

New Finance council tasked to study money flow

The Finance Ministry will launch a new advisory council today to study the changing nature of the nation's money flow from saving and investment patterns in the graying society to ongoing financial system reform, Vice Minister Koji Tanami said Thursday.
JAPAN
Apr 22, 1999

Sharp-tongued Aoshima exits Tokyo tight-lipped

Staff writer
JAPAN
Apr 21, 1999

Hewlett Packard chief talks of split

The chairman and chief executive officer of Hewlett Packard Co. on Wednesday talked about the most difficult question his firm faced in deciding its future -- whether to keep the hard-copy unit with the computing unit.
JAPAN
Apr 21, 1999

Professor brings POW drama to stage

Staff writer
COMMENTARY
Apr 20, 1999

Last gasp for political parties?

The raison d'etre of established parties is in serious doubt following their serious setbacks in the April 11 local elections. A case in point was Shintaro Ishihara's overwhelming victory in the Tokyo gubernatorial election. Ishihara, a former lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, now running...
JAPAN
Apr 19, 1999

Ishihara's China stance throbbing headache for Japan

Japan has no intention of changing its policy toward China, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Monday when asked to comment on Tokyo Gov.-elect Shintaro Ishihara's series of anti-China remarks.
JAPAN
Apr 19, 1999

In with a Bang: Allstate banks on discount edge

Last in our series on financial deregulation

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