Search - 2004

 
 
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2006

Number of official refugees up threefold in 2005

The government recognized 46 people as refugees in 2005, more than three times the figure for the previous year, the Justice Ministry said Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2006

Upgrade plan finds Shimokitazawa split

A popular Tokyo shopping and nightlife district is slated to get a major face-lift, and some local residents are resisting, saying they want their neighborhood to stay as is.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2006

Rejection of land seizure for road reversed

The Tokyo High Court on Thursday overturned a lower court ruling that barred the Tokyo Metropolitan Government from expropriating land in Akiruno, western Tokyo, for a state-approved project to route an expressway through the site.
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2006

Court extends detention of Horie, four former executives

The Tokyo District Court on Thursday authorized a 10-day extension to the detention of former Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie and four other ex-executives.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Feb 23, 2006

Japan recovers to crush India

YOKOHAMA -- Japan recovered from a embarrassing first half against India to open its 2007 Asian Cup qualifying campaign with an ultimately convincing 6-0 win at Nissan Stadium on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS
Feb 23, 2006

Swiss skier Nef calls it quits

SESTRIERE, Italy (AP) Decorated Swiss ski veteran Sonja Nef announced Tuesday that she is retiring from competition after 12 seasons on the World Cup circuit because of poor health. Nef, 33, last raced in January and wasn't on the Swiss Olympic team. She intended to quit at the end of the World Cup...
JAPAN
Feb 23, 2006

Crown Prince avoids the succession issue at birthday news conference

Crown Prince Naruhito said Thursday he hoped all will go well with the pregnancy of his brother's wife, Princess Kiko, avoiding the issue of female succession, at a news conference the day before his 46th birthday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 23, 2006

Toshiba faces major hurdles with Westinghouse

Toshiba's CEO had good reason to sound a trifle defensive about his company's $5.4 billion purchase of U.S.-based nuclear power company Westinghouse.
EDITORIALS
Feb 22, 2006

Expressway reform bears bitter fruit

A decision made earlier this month with regard to expressway construction underscores the concerns over expressway reform legislation that existed when Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi pushed it in 2004. He used to say that the reorganization of Japan Highway Public Corp. and three other expressway corporations...
BUSINESS
Feb 22, 2006

Mitsubishi Electric shuffles leaders

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. will promote Vice President Setsuhiro Shimomura to president, replacing Tamotsu Nomakuchi, who will become chairman, company sources said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Feb 22, 2006

Japan Post Corp. names eight execs

The board of Japan Post Corp., the holding company formed in January to prepare for the privatization of the country's postal system, appointed its eight senior executives Tuesday, including Sakon Uda, principal at McKinsey & Co., and Akira Uno, former chairman of SMBC Consulting Co., company officials...
JAPAN
Feb 21, 2006

Mergers reduce municipality count by a third since 1999

The number of cities, towns and villages fell below 2,000 Monday, compared with more than 3,200 in 1999, prior to the central government's push for municipal consolidation to streamline local administration, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said.
JAPAN
Feb 21, 2006

Devotion to job a recipe for retiree divorce

Many middle-aged couples are filing for divorce upon arriving back in Japan after traveling overseas to celebrate the husband's retirement.
BUSINESS
Feb 21, 2006

Ad spending up thanks to Net

Spending on advertising came to 5.96 trillion yen in 2005, up 1.8 percent from the previous year for the second consecutive annual growth as the market for Internet ads grew more than 50 percent, Dentsu Inc. said Monday.
JAPAN
Feb 21, 2006

Aso now calls honey trap allegation hypothetical

Foreign Minister Taro Aso on Monday backed away from an earlier claim that China lured a consular official with a female spy, saying he offered the account only as a possible scenario.
BUSINESS
Feb 21, 2006

Livedoor could be delisted if more warrants are issued

The Tokyo Stock Exchange may delist Livedoor Co. if prosecutors serve fresh arrest warrants to its former executives for the company's alleged accounting frauds, TSE President Taizo Nishimuro said Monday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Feb 19, 2006

Ogasawara firing in style

FUKUROI, Shizuoka Pref. -- Mitsuo Ogasawara scored a David Beckham-style wonder goal as Japan beat Finland 2-0 in a friendly at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa on Saturday.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2006

Bill would boost CFC collection

The Environment Ministry has compiled a bill aimed at boosting the collection of chlorofluorocarbons used as coolants in business appliances, officials said Saturday.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2006

China exploited diplomat over a woman, Aso says

The 2004 suicide of a staff member at the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai came after the Chinese forced him to hand over information to break government codes by exploiting an illicit relationship he was allegedly having with a woman, Foreign Minister Taro Aso suggested Saturday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Feb 18, 2006

Rhodes returns home

Tuffy Rhodes may have played his last game in Japan.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2006

GSDF troops to start Iraq exit in March

Japan will start pulling out its Ground Self-Defense Force troops from the southern Iraq city of Samawah in March and complete the withdrawal by the end of May, Foreign Ministry officials said Friday.
BUSINESS
Feb 18, 2006

Taiwan's quake-stricken areas rise from the ashes

TAIPEI -- The world still remembers the month of September for the terrorist attacks in New York. For most Taiwanese, however, the month will stay long in memory for another tragedy -- the devastating earthquake that hit central Taiwan on Sept. 21, 1999.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?