Search - 2005

 
 
EDITORIALS
Oct 26, 2006

Checking violence at school

The number of violent incidents at public elementary schools nationwide rose by 128 to 2,018 in fiscal 2005 -- a new record for the third consecutive year, according to the education ministry's report entitled "Research on Problematic Behavior."
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 12, 2006

Sony's battery fiasco a symptom of bigger woes at legendary firm

It was a fine day at Los Angeles International Airport on Sept. 16 when a passenger's ThinkPad laptop, containing a Sony Corp. battery already recalled by other companies, was suddenly wreathed in smoke and started emitting sparks.
EDITORIALS
Oct 6, 2006

Crying for attention, again

North Korea has announced it will conduct a nuclear-weapons test, without saying when. In February 2005, the North announced it possessed nuclear weapons, but this is the first time the country has publicized its intent to carry out a test.
BUSINESS
Sep 30, 2006

Young and tech-savvy, India's market remains largely untapped

Japanese companies increasingly look to India for business opportunities, but they have yet to fully tap the potential of one of the world's fastest-growing economies with its vast pool of skilled human resources, said participants in a recent symposium in Tokyo.
EDITORIALS
Sep 26, 2006

Saraba, Mr. Koizumi

Mr. Junichiro Koizumi leaves the center stage of Japanese politics Tuesday, after five years and five months in power. He can claim some major accomplishments under the banner of structural reform. He also has created problems that must be overcome by the new administration in the years to come.
JAPAN
Sep 15, 2006

Abe holds tongue on Japan's war deeds

has sent signals" they want to improve the Japan-China relationship, he said. Abe's strategy has been to keep his opinions to himself about Japan's actions in the 1930s and 1940s.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Sep 2, 2006

Tyler Foundation helps other sick kids shine on

There are many pictures of Tyler Ferris on the Web site his mother, Kimberly Forsythe, created after his death just over a year ago. In every one he is smiling, if not grinning from ear to ear.
BUSINESS
Aug 23, 2006

Suntory puts premium on fruity can cocktails

Suntory Ltd. said Tuesday it will debut premium canned cocktails using fresh fruit on Sept. 26, hoping to lure people who want high-end, sweet alcoholic beverages.
EDITORIALS
Aug 23, 2006

Child abuse crisis

Child abuse in this nation has reached a crisis level. Child welfare centers across the nation dealt with a record 34,451 cases of child abuse in fiscal 2005, a thousand more than in the previous year and a 31.3-fold increase since fiscal 1990.
JAPAN / History
Aug 12, 2006

Yasukuni gripes still dog nation

everyone (in the association) avoided," Kishimoto said. But this all changed several years ago, when the group's chairman, LDP House of Representative lawmaker Makoto Koga, and other association members started to speak publicly about removing the war criminals from Yasukuni, Kishimoto said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2006

EU membership sharpens Central, East Europe's competitive edge

See related story Is bigger better for European Union?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2006

Teens' A-bomb film draws big response

Like any 14-year-old, Stephen Sotor is a big fan of video games and carries his PlayStation Portable everywhere he goes.
JAPAN
Jul 26, 2006

Life spans decrease for first time in six years; women still top world

ranking due to the special factor (of influenza), but the long-term trend of Japanese people's average life span has not changed," a ministry official said. In 2004, life expectancy was 85.59 years for Japanese women and 78.64 years for men -- both record highs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2006

Foreign carmakers cash in as the rich get richer

One Sunday in June, a man in his 30s visited the spacious BMW showroom in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2006

Manufacturing, construction workforce down to 1965 levels

The number of mining, manufacturing and construction workers has reverted to mid-1960s levels, according to a preliminary report on the 2005 census the government released last week.
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2006

Exec allegedly paid to stop probe

complaints about the taxation probe, but I was not asked to do anything specific and did not do anything," Tanaka was quoted by his office as saying. "I understand the donation was made as a token of congratulation on my victory in the general election" in September. Meanwhile, Sugiyama also denied the...
EDITORIALS
Jul 1, 2006

Revitalizing Japanese agriculture

The fiscal 2005 white paper on agriculture, made public last month, covers the first year of the implementation of the nation's basic plan for food, agriculture and agricultural communities that was adopted in March 2005. The plan is based on the 1999 basic law, which spells out four fundamental goals:...
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2006

Plastic recyclers can't compete with China

Many Japanese companies that produce materials recycled from used plastic bottles are on the verge of bankruptcy as more and more of their raw material ends up in China and may soon be finding their way to India as well.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 17, 2006

Indoor play centers pricey but safe havens for kids

Parents often want their kids to play indoors because of bad weather, the threat of sunburn or other environmental factors, and increasingly, because of the fear of crime.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 15, 2006

Japan bashing then, China bashing now

LONDON -- Pressure on China today to push up the value of the yuan against the dollar is eerily similar to the pressure on Japan 30 years ago to make the yen appreciate. Back then, "Japan bashing" came to mean the threat of U.S. trade sanctions unless Japan softened competitive pressure on American industries....
BUSINESS
Jun 8, 2006

Prince Hotels falls further into red

The reorganized Seibu Group said Wednesday its Prince Hotels chain had a net loss of 37.2 billion yen in fiscal 2005, an increase from the previous year's loss of 32 billion yen.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2006

Murakami arrested over insider trading

Outspoken investment fund manager Yoshiaki Murakami was arrested Monday for alleged insider trading linked to his investment fund's purchase of Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. shares between late 2004 and early 2005.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 4, 2006

The boys in blue got better things to do than ticket you

Local authorities nationwide started implementing a new policy to crack down on illegal parking last Thursday. Most people welcome stricter enforcement, since it presumably means safer streets and a smoother traffic flow. But there are many who don't like the new system, in particular people who operate...
BUSINESS
Jun 2, 2006

Recovery raises tax revenues to 49 trillion yen

Tax revenues could reach 49 trillion yen in fiscal 2005, about 2 trillion yen more than previously forecast, thanks to the continuing economic recovery, Finance Ministry sources said Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
May 17, 2006

An 'OPEC' with nuclear weapons?

LONDON -- When I was in Moscow a few months ago I got into an argument with a retired high-level NATO official.
EDITORIALS
May 15, 2006

Apolitical support to Africa

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi recently visited Ethiopia and Ghana to underscore Japan's continuing efforts to help Africa fight AIDS and other diseases, eliminate poverty and solve conflicts. His visit to sub-Saharan Africa was the first by a Japanese leader since Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori went...
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
May 14, 2006

Home and away

AUSTRALIA Respect brings harmony without being workaholic

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake