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JAPAN
Jan 26, 1999

State OKs administrative streamlining outline

The government adopted an administrative reform outline Tuesday that aims to create a slimmer and more efficient government in January 2001.
JAPAN
Jan 22, 1999

Bureaucrats to be cut by 25% over 10 years

The Liberal Democratic Party and Liberal Party reached a formal agreement at working-level discussions Friday to cut the number of bureaucrats by 25 percent over a 10-year period starting next year.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 1999

Coalition, government hold first coordination session

The government and the ruling parties held their first coordination session Monday since the Liberal Democratic Party entered into a coalition government with the Liberal Party last Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 14, 1999

Dangerous posturing in Brazil

Meeting in Hong Kong earlier this week, 17 of the world's central bankers expressed cautious optimism that the Asian economic crisis had bottomed out. Any relief those comments might have inspired was short-lived: Almost immediately after came reports of a political standoff in Brazil. If President Fernando...
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

Japan's previous coalition governments

Coalition governments have emerged numerous times in Japanese politics to either secure a better hold on the Diet or topple an administration:
EDITORIALS
Jan 1, 1999

Testing times ahead for Mr. Obuchi

The administration of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, inaugurated just five months ago, faces in the coming year a real test of its ability to achieve its most urgent goal: lifting the economy out of two years of negative growth. A failure to meet that challenge could further erode public confidence in...
JAPAN
Dec 29, 1998

Obuchi, Ozawa return to dialogue on coalition

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi was to meet with Ichiro Ozawa, head of the Liberal Party, on Tuesday night about the establishment of a coalition government in early January, government sources said the same night.
JAPAN
Dec 25, 1998

Japan approves theater missile defense study with U.S.

The government on Friday formally approved a plan to start joint research with the United States on Washington's theater missile defense program in fiscal 1999.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 1998

LDP, Liberals talk of reducing Diet ranks

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Liberal Party agreed Friday to start discussions on specific measures to implement a Nov. 19 joint policy agreement that includes a proposed reduction in the number of Diet members.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 1998

Obuchi says bureaucrats should speak for Diet members

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi expressed his intention Wednesday to leave some room for bureaucrats to answer questions during Diet sessions, rather than having only Diet members do the job, as proposed by Liberal Party leader Ichiro Ozawa.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 1998

Nonaka seeks Okinawa visit for breakthrough on bases

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Wednesday he hopes to visit Okinawa later this month to seek ways to resolve issues over the reorganization of U.S. military bases in the prefecture and to help revive the ailing local economy.
JAPAN
Dec 4, 1998

Recovery signs flickering amid gloom: Obuchi

Although many economic index figures still are troublesome, signs of economic recovery are appearing, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi reckoned Friday.
JAPAN
Dec 4, 1998

LDP-Liberal Party rift grows

Staff writers
JAPAN
Nov 20, 1998

Norota takes command of Defense Agency

Lower House member Hosei Norota, 69, was appointed as the Defense Agency's new director general by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on Friday as a mass personnel reshuffle continued in the wake of scandals involving procurement overcharging and subsequent coverups.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 1998

Obuchi, Ozawa seal alliance

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Liberal Party on Thursday agreed to begin a cooperative relationship that is expected to grow into a non-Cabinet coalition by the next ordinary Diet session, slated for January.
JAPAN
Nov 13, 1998

SDF sends relief workers to Honduras

The government officially approved the dispatch of a Self-Defense Forces relief operation Friday to hurricane-stricken Honduras and immediately sent six Air Self-Defense Force C-130 transport planes loaded with medical equipment and other goods.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 1998

Obuchi demands stimulus package with long-term potential

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi called on his Cabinet ministers Wednesday to compile a stimulus package that offers better future prospects for the economy and the lives of the people.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 1998

Obuchi at odds with Keidanren over APEC stance

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi instructed his Cabinet members Tuesday to maintain Japan's opposition to early market-opening of forestry and fishery products during upcoming meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Malaysia.
JAPAN
Oct 23, 1998

APEC may force Japan into tariff compromise

Japan intends to seek a compromise on the easing of its fisheries and forestry trade barriers at next month's meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the government's top spokesman indicated Friday.Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said the government has virtually given up its position...
JAPAN
Oct 8, 1998

Gift coupons government's latest demand strategy

Providing consumers with merchandise coupons in an effort to stimulate personal consumption will be studied as a possible measure for the second fiscal 1998 supplementary budget, government officials said Thursday.Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka confirmed during a morning news conference that...
JAPAN
Sep 24, 1998

Lower House deliberating land mine treaty

The government began legislative procedures Thursday to ratify an international treaty banning the production, stockpiling and use of antipersonnel land mines.
JAPAN
Sep 10, 1998

Economic council targets 14 issues for recovery

An advisory panel to Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on Thursday selected 14 main issues that it will address in its attempt to help the government achieve full-scale economic recovery within two years.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 1998

Rengo pressures Obuchi to fulfill job, tax cut promises

The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) urged the government Monday to make good on its promised tax reductions, including 4 trillion yen in income tax cuts.
JAPAN
Sep 1, 1998

Outraged Japan suspends assistance to North Korea

The government, outraged by North Korea's launch Monday of a ballistic missile over Japanese territory, announced a major policy shift toward Pyongyang on Tuesday, suspending food aid and assistance for light-water nuclear reactor projects as well as its offer to resume normalization talks with North...
JAPAN
Aug 28, 1998

40 trillion yen set aside for small business loans

The government said Friday it will ensure that 40 trillion yen will be available for state financial institutions and credit insurers to help small businesses that are suffering from tight lending by banks.
JAPAN
Aug 25, 1998

Defense chief intends Okinawa visit before U.S. talks

Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga told reporters Tuesday he will visit Okinawa before he meets the U.S. secretaries of defense and state in late September.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 1998

Nonaka says he's ready to meet Ota

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Monday he is ready to hold talks with Okinawa Gov. Masahide Ota without imposing any conditions.
JAPAN
Aug 18, 1998

Justice Ministry plans bill to lower criminal age

Justice Minister Shozaburo Nakamura said Tuesday that his ministry will submit a bill revising the Juvenile Law to lower the age at which criminal offenders can be punished, in response to a spate of serious youth crimes.
JAPAN
Aug 18, 1998

Six execs, four scholars named to economic council

The chairman of Asahi Breweries Ltd. and nine others were officially appointed Tuesday to the new Strategic Economic Council, a special advisory panel to Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.
JAPAN
Aug 12, 1998

Extended state budget lifts spending caps

The government on Wednesday agreed on basic guidelines for a 15-month combined budget ending in March 2000 that will include 4 trillion yen worth of spending concentrated in special budgetary frames to boost the economy.

Longform

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