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COMMENTARY / World
Jul 26, 2004

Flawed homeland security

LAS VEGAS -- The dispute between Washington and Tokyo over the fate of Army Sgt. Charles Jenkins, whom the United States accuses of defecting to North Korea some 40 years ago, is more than a case of American legalism vs. Japanese ad hoc policy and humanitarian instincts. The issue goes much deeper into...
BUSINESS
Jul 22, 2004

GDP growth forecast revised sharply higher

The Cabinet Office on Wednesday revised upward its official economic growth forecast for fiscal 2004 to 3.5 percent in real terms from the initially projected 1.8 percent, citing strong private-sector demand and exports.
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2004

Japan in 'no rush' to resume normalization talks with North

Japan is in "no rush" to resume normalization talks with North Korea, even though the conditions for returning to the negotiating table have been met, government sources said Wednesday.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jul 13, 2004

The big squeeze

The news from Japan these days is untypically sunny. The economy is performing at its sharpest clip for 13 years, investment and profits are up and analysts are gingerly forecasting a sustained recovery.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2004

Soga arrives in Indonesia

Repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga arrived in Jakarta on Thursday ahead of her planned reunion with her husband and daughters, who are coming from North Korea.
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2004

Key economic index back in boom territory

A key gauge of the current state of the economy rose above the boom-or-bust line of 50 percent in May for the first time in three months.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2004

Soga, family to reunite Friday in Jakarta

Hitomi Soga, one of five Japanese repatriated to Japan in October 2002 after being abducted to North Korea, will be reunited with her American husband and their two daughters this week in Jakarta, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Monday.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2004

Admiral proposes SDF less run by civilians

The chief of staff of the Maritime Self-Defense Force has proposed that uniformed officers be given more say vis-a-vis civilians in the operations of the nation's military, but the Defense Agency chief has no plans to push for this option at present, agency officials said Friday.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2004

'Absent-minded' Kuwait let itself get invaded: Hosoda

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda could find himself in hot water for comments he made Wednesday that Iraq was able to invade Kuwait in 1990 because of Kuwait's "absent-mindedness."
EDITORIALS
Jun 19, 2004

SDF's new role raises questions

Reiterating in effect what he had told U.S. President George W. Bush in a Japan-U.S. summit earlier this month, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced on Thursday that Japanese troops now stationed in Iraq will participate in the U.S.-led multinational force following the June 30 transfer of sovereignty....
EDITORIALS
Jun 18, 2004

Verdict on Koizumi beckons

Debate in an election-year Diet session is liable to lead to confrontation. So it was with the 150-day regular session that ended Wednesday. With an Upper House ballot set for next month, the ruling and opposition parties faced off on both domestic and foreign policy issues, sometimes resorting to heavy-handed...
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2004

Manufacturers lead 11.8% rise in machinery orders

Japan's core private-sector machinery orders rose a seasonally adjusted 11.8 percent in April from the previous month to 1.02 trillion yen, led by active orders from manufacturers, the government said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jun 10, 2004

Economy grew 1.5% in January-March period

The economy grew a real 1.5 percent in the January-March period from the previous quarter, revised upward from the initially reported 1.4 percent, due to a rise in private inventories to deal with growing demand, the government said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Jun 1, 2004

Two regional economies upgraded

The government said Monday it has revised upward its economic assessment for two of 11 regions nationwide due to a pickup in personal spending and improvement in employment conditions.
COMMENTARY
Jun 1, 2004

Koizumi took the right risks

The success or failure of summit diplomacy depends primarily on whether it promotes the pursuit of medium- and long-term national interests -- not on whether it yields short-term, specific results. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's May 22 meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il should be evaluated...
JAPAN
May 29, 2004

Two Japanese reported killed south of Baghdad

Two Japanese freelance journalists died after their vehicle was attacked by unidentified assailants in the city of Mahmudiyah, about 30 km south of Baghdad, a Foreign Ministry official in Tokyo quoted Iraqi hospital officials as saying Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 27, 2004

Soga, Jenkins facing reunion delay

Repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga may have to wait several weeks to be reunited with her husband because the government needs to pick the right location for the couple to discuss their future in a "quiet environment," a top Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday.
JAPAN
May 25, 2004

70% positive on Koizumi trip: poll

Nearly 70 percent of respondents to a latest Kyodo News poll gave a positive assessment of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's one-day visit to North Korea on Saturday, but as many as 83.9 percent said they think the abduction issue remains unresolved.
JAPAN
May 25, 2004

Koizumi's Pyongyang trip: Was it politically motivated?

Many high-ranking officials of the Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister's Official Residence had urged caution, saying the idea was too risky and too early.
JAPAN
May 25, 2004

70% positive on Koizumi trip: poll

Nearly 70 percent of respondents to a latest Kyodo News poll gave a positive assessment of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's one-day visit to North Korea on Saturday, but as many as 83.9 percent said they think the abduction issue remains unresolved.
JAPAN
May 25, 2004

Koizumi's Pyongyang trip: Was it politically motivated?

Many high-ranking officials of the Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister's Official Residence had urged caution, saying the idea was too risky and too early.
BUSINESS
May 22, 2004

State wants NPOs to take up slack

The government called for greater cooperation Friday between local governments and nonprofit organizations, stating that public services offered by the former are increasingly limited by fiscal constraints.
JAPAN
May 19, 2004

Exports, consumer spending spur 1.4% growth in GDP

The economy expanded at a better-than-expected 1.4 percent in real terms in the January-March quarter, extending its growth streak to an eighth straight quarter, the Cabinet Office said Tuesday.
JAPAN
May 17, 2004

67% now against pension reform bills

Almost 70 percent of respondents to a Kyodo News poll do not want the Diet to pass a set of pension reform bills during the current legislative session, following revelations that many lawmakers have failed to join the national pension system or pay premiums.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 16, 2004

Shooting politicians in a barrel more fun than addressing pension problem

In the past two weeks the pension scandal that has touched so many lawmakers has progressed from a political embarrassment to pure farce. The offered reason for regret is that the people's "trust in politics" has been damaged, a suggestion that's risible even under normal circumstances.
JAPAN
May 14, 2004

Hospitals tied to HCV fiasco to be mostly named before '05

The health ministry said Thursday it will disclose the names of all 7,004 hospitals believed to have stocked blood products contaminated with the hepatitis C virus -- but not until year's end.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 13, 2004

Pension scandal hits New Komeito

New Komeito sent further shock waves through the ruling bloc and the government Wednesday by announcing that 13 of its lawmakers, including party leader Takenori Kanzaki, had failed to pay obligatory pension premiums.
JAPAN
May 12, 2004

Pension bills clear Lower House

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved contentious bills to revise the pension system, with the ruling coalition and the main opposition party endorsing a key amendment to the legislation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 12, 2004

DPJ struggles to find successor to disgraced Kan

Nobody appeared ready to take up the presidency of the Democratic Party of Japan on Tuesday as the main opposition force moved to find a replacement for departing leader Naoto Kan.

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