Search - 2003

 
 
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2004

Karaoke dens of delinquency after bedtime

Police took a record 18,160 juveniles into custody at karaoke parlors nationwide last year for illicit behavior such as smoking, extortion and staying out past their bedtime.
BUSINESS
Apr 2, 2004

Japan Post fetes first anniversary

Japan Post marked its first anniversary with an air of satisfaction Thursday because its biggest management target over the past year -- eliminating a deficit in mail delivery operations -- has probably been met.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 29, 2004

Afghanistan deserves the world's support

MANILA -- The international donor community and the Afghan government will meet in Berlin later this week to discuss strategies and funding for the future development of Afghanistan. It will be one of the most important international events of 2004, with implications reaching far beyond Afghan borders....
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2004

NPA claims 83 women trafficked in for sex in '03

The National Police Agency claimed Thursday that 83 women were trafficked into Japan and forced to work in the sex industry in 2003, up 28 from the previous year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2004

Fukui said to be 'doing his best' under strict policy

Sakuya Fujiwara, former deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, says BOJ Gov. Toshihiko Fukui is constantly under public pressure over the central bank's monetary measures.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2004

Residential fire death toll topped 1,000 in '03

2003 saw 1,070 people killed in residential fires, up 78 from a year earlier and topping 1,000 for the first time since 1986, according to a report by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 16, 2004

Japanese airlines grapple for slice of China pie

China became the focus of grave concern among international airlines a year ago, when the SARS epidemic led to a dramatic decline in travelers to the country.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 13, 2004

Usual suspects set to do battle for J. League honors

Turkish World Cup star Ilhan Mansiz lining up for big-spending Vissel Kobe. Japan international Alessandro Santos in an Urawa Reds shirt. Veteran defender Yutaka Akita battling it out at the back for Nagoya Grampus Eight.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Agency's use of pension funds for checkups raises eyebrows

The Social Insurance Agency tapped into Japan's cash-strapped, state-run pension system and health insurance plans to pay for 370 million yen in medical checkups for its own employees in fiscal 2003 and 2004, it was learned Friday.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2004

Elderly drivers outnumber youths

People over 65 with a driver's license exceeded their counterparts aged 16 to 24 in 2003 for the first time, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Feb 13, 2004

India usurps China at top of loan list

India is expected to become the biggest recipient of Japan's long-term, low-interest yen loans for the first time in fiscal 2003, taking over the position held by China since fiscal 1999, government sources said Thursday.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 4, 2004

It's now or never for new Giants catcher

The story made headlines on the front page of several Japanese sports newspapers Jan. 25: The Yomiuri Giants in a money trade bought the contract of catcher Katsunori Nomura from the Hanshin Tigers, and just why would the transfer of a back-up backstop who, in fact, did not play a game at the varsity...
BUSINESS
Jan 27, 2004

Automakers see record global output

Toyota on Monday reported its best global production ever in 2003, while Nissan replaced Honda as Japan's No. 2 automaker in terms of domestic sales.
BUSINESS
Jan 27, 2004

Store sales slide for seventh straight year

Sales at supermarkets dropped 3.2 percent in 2003 from the previous year, and sales at department stores fell 2.8 percent, according to industry figures released Monday.
BUSINESS
Jan 20, 2004

Number of failed firms falls for first time in four years

The number of corporate bankruptcies fell by 14.6 percent in 2003 from the previous year to 16,624, down for the first time in four years, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Monday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 12, 2004

China lights Vietnam's path

SINGAPORE -- Profound similarities bind China and Vietnam together today more than ever. Twelve years after their brief border war in 1979, Hanoi and Beijing normalized relations in 1991 after resolving the "Cambodian problem" at the Paris Peace Conference. This normalization of relations put to rest...
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2004

Population set to decline as births fall again

The estimated number of babies born in Japan in 2003 marked a record low for the third year in a row, underlining prospects that the nation's population will shrink in the near future, according to government data released Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2003

Stock rise in '03 was a pleasant surprise

The year of the sheep lived up to its reputation as a year of perseverance, bringing the first overall gains in four years for the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average.
BUSINESS
Dec 22, 2003

Consumer-loan firms find eager allies

Switch on the television, and soon enough you'll see a commercial in which a famous comedian playing a hotshot young businessman screams every time his girlfriend orders expensive items in stores or restaurants. Then all his problems go away when the name of a consumer-loan firm pops into his mind, and...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2003

'Zaito' to be cut 12.5% in fiscal 2004

The Finance Ministry proposed Saturday a 12.5 percent cut in spending under the Fiscal Investment and Loan Program for fiscal 2004, which would be the fifth consecutive year-on-year reduction.
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2003

Honda sets sights on 10% sales increase in 2004

Honda Motor Co. said Wednesday it hopes to boost its global sales in 2004 to a record 3.2 million vehicles, up 10 percent from the forecast for this year.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Dec 9, 2003

Burden of proof impossible to bear

It may not have been exactly what the government has in mind by the cliche "international cooperation," but dozens of ordinary Japanese folk recently gave up a precious Sunday to help out foreigners in trouble.
BUSINESS
Dec 6, 2003

Cabinet endorses budget policies

In the face of a swelling fiscal deficit, the Cabinet on Friday endorsed basic policies for the fiscal 2004 budget, promising that the overall size of the budget and its core component -- general expenditure -- will not exceed those of fiscal 2003.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Nov 25, 2003

The rise of the machines

She's young, beautiful, and fluent in several languages.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 2003

China loans face 20% cut as part of overall ODA reduction

The Finance Ministry will cut outlays for Japan's official development assistance in the fiscal 2004 budget for the fifth straight year, ministry sources said Monday.

Longform

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