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JAPAN
Aug 21, 2001

Obituaries: Junichiro Itani, Sumiko Takahara

Junichiro Itani, an internationally renowned anthropologist and professor emeritus at Kyoto University, died of pneumonia at a Kyoto hospital Sunday, his family said Monday. He was 75.
COMMENTARY
Aug 14, 2001

Cleaning up after Tanaka

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi faces a serious problem: How to restore confidence in Japanese diplomacy, which has been eroded by Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka's inept conduct in the first 100 days of his administration.
COMMENTARY
Aug 11, 2001

Koizumi's easy days are over

With Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's major victory in the Upper House election on July 29, Japanese politics has entered into a new phase.
BUSINESS
Aug 11, 2001

Economy deteriorating further

The government believes the economy is "further deteriorating" due chiefly to larger falls in exports and output plus a dip in investment.
JAPAN
Aug 11, 2001

Tanaka to lose month's pay over two ministry scandals

Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said Friday she will return one month's ministerial salary to the state's coffers as a self-imposed punishment over two financial scandals involving ministry officials.
BUSINESS
Aug 10, 2001

Machinery orders fell 6.6% in June

Core private-sector machinery orders fell a seasonally adjusted 6.6 percent in June from the previous month to 946.5 billion yen, marking the second consecutive month of decline, the Cabinet Office said Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2001

ODA, public works cuts face LDP opposition

The Foreign Ministry and some LDP policymakers expressed opposition Wednesday to a government panel's decision to cut Official Development Assistance in the fiscal 2002 budget by 10 percent from the initial fiscal 2001 budget.
BUSINESS
Aug 9, 2001

Stock market slump drives business confidence down further

Business confidence deteriorated further in the April-June period from the previous quarter to its lowest level in 21/2 years, mainly on a continued decline in stock prices and exports, the government said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2001

Coincident index adds evidence of contraction

The key gauge of the nation's economic health stayed below the boom-or-bust line of 50 percent in June for the sixth-straight month, providing more evidence of economic contraction, the government said Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2001

Attitudes shifting on separate names for married people

The government sees a big change in attitudes about separate surnames by married couples and plans to discuss the possible introduction of a two-name system, the top government spokesman said Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2001

Kato named U.S. ambassador

Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka formally gave in to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's ministry personnel requests Friday, agreeing to appoint Deputy Foreign Minister Ryozo Kato as the next ambassador to the United States, replacing Shunji Yanai.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2001

Yasukuni furor sparks legal threat

Citizens' groups said Thursday they may sue Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for violating the Constitution if he visits Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine on the Aug. 15 anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender.
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2001

Matsuo admits embezzlement

The Foreign Ministry's former head of logistics for VIP trips abroad pleaded guilty in court Tuesday to defrauding the government out of some 161 million yen by padding expenses of overseas visits by two former prime ministers between 1997 and 1999.
COMMENTARY
Jul 30, 2001

Foreign policy falls short

LONDON -- Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi cannot afford to let Japanese foreign policy become a hostage to nationalist agitation and populist pressures. Japan needs friends in Asia as well as in the rest of the world. Its relationship with the United States remains crucial. Koizumi has worked hard to...
JAPAN
Jun 29, 2001

Ruling tripartite coalition to continue: Koizumi

The present three-way coalition government led by the Liberal Democratic Party will be maintained beyond the July 29 Upper House election, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jun 29, 2001

Foes waiting in wings for Koizumi

Ace pitcher Junichiro Koizumi does not throw curveballs. Two months into his tricky job on the nation's political mound of Nagata-cho — where even supposed teammates may be plotting against him — he continues throwing straight fastballs only.
JAPAN
Jun 29, 2001

Summit eyed as launchpad for fresh ties

With Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's first summit with U.S. President George W. Bush to be held Saturday outside Washington D.C., Japan hopes to set in motion full-scale efforts to build fresh ties under the new U.S. administration.
JAPAN
Jun 27, 2001

Panel to explore direct vote for prime minister

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tuesday he will set up an advisory panel next month to study one of his pet policies — the introduction of a popular vote for the prime minister.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2001

Women slip behind on empowerment gauge

Japanese women are falling behind in participation in economic and social activities and in obtaining decision-making roles, according to a government white paper released Friday.
BUSINESS
Jun 20, 2001

State-backed firms face new accounting rules

An advisory panel to the finance minister unveiled on Tuesday new accounting guidelines for government-affiliated corporations as part of an effort to improve transparency in their management.
BUSINESS
Jun 19, 2001

Harsher conditions coming, BOJ warns in new assessment

The Bank of Japan downgraded its monthly assessment of the economy and projected a future squeeze on industrial output, according to a monthly report released Monday.
BUSINESS
Jun 16, 2001

BOJ resists pressure, maintains monetary policy

The Bank of Japan decided to keep its monetary policy unchanged Friday, despite strong pressure earlier in the week from politicians and the Finance Ministry for further easing.
EDITORIALS
Jun 14, 2001

Long-term gain worth the pain

Japan's gross domestic product in the first quarter of the year dropped 0.2 percent from the previous quarter, or 0.8 percent at the annualized rate, according to figures released Monday by the Cabinet Office. Economic indicators since April also show the economy is decelerating. Mr. Heizo Takenaka,...
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2001

585,000 sign up for Koizumi's e-mail magazine

More than half a million people have registered their e-mail addresses to subscribe to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's e-mail magazine to be launched today, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2001

Diplomat Togo finally gets Netherlands appointment

Kazuhiko Togo, former director general of the Foreign Ministry's European Affairs Bureau, was finally named Japanese ambassador to the Netherlands on Tuesday after weeks of waiting for a freeze on his transfer to be lifted, the ministry said.
BUSINESS
Jun 13, 2001

Shiokawa expects BOJ to conduct 'proper' action

Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Tuesday he expects the Bank of Japan to respond appropriately to current economic conditions but monetary policy remains in the realm of the central bank.

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