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BUSINESS
Mar 5, 2004

Steelmakers enjoy fiscal 2003 amid China boom

Japan's four largest steelmakers said Thursday they are on track to report bumper earnings for fiscal 2003, thanks to a steel market upturn based on strong demand in China.
BUSINESS
Mar 5, 2004

Manufacturers' capital spending up 15%

Capital spending by manufacturers jumped 15 percent in the October-December quarter from a year earlier for the biggest rise in 2 1/2 years, underscoring the strong capital investment fueling the recent economic recovery, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2004

Amusement parks on white-knuckle ride

Roller coasters and merry-go-rounds at amusement parks offer people an opportunity to spice up their lives with a few thrills and spills.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 3, 2004

China becomes lifeline for local Japanese industries

Small industries in Japan that have long been plagued by cheap imports from China are now finding a means of survival by exporting high-grade products there.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2004

Seibu execs arrested for 'sokaiya' payoff

Police arrested nine people Monday, including board members of Seibu Railway Co., over their suspected involvement in the firm's alleged payoff of a "sokaiya" corporate extortionist to ensure that its shareholders' meetings went smoothly.
BUSINESS
Feb 24, 2004

Cats files for bankruptcy amid management scandal

Pest-control firm Cats Inc. filed for bankruptcy Monday, saying it failed to obtain lenders' support after its executives were arrested for allegedly manipulating its share price.
BUSINESS
Feb 20, 2004

FSA to allow registered companies to enter trust business

The Financial Services Agency plans to allow individuals and nonfinancial firms to register to set up trust companies with limited operations.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 18, 2004

Currency depreciation won't spur growth

UBUD, Bali -- In a fruitless and pointless exercise, economic policymakers and businesses fret endlessly over the international value of currencies. This is because interventions to guide foreign-exchange valuations tend to be costly and may have only a temporary effect at best.
BUSINESS
Feb 5, 2004

Hitachi profit jumps in third quarter

Hitachi Ltd. said Wednesday it chalked up a group net profit of 2.52 billion yen in the October-December quarter, marking a turnaround from a loss of 2.26 billion yen posted a year ago.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 3, 2004

Electronic toll system users on rise

The Electronic Toll Collection system, introduced in 2001 to collect highway fees without drivers having to stop, is gaining in popularity due to discounts for installing the system and reduced fees for users.
BUSINESS
Jan 29, 2004

IRCJ to rescue meter maker, Osaka-based real estate firms

The Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan said Wednesday it will bail out a troubled Tokyo-based maker of water and gas meters and two Osaka-based real estate firms.
BUSINESS
Jan 28, 2004

Regional economies earn second straight upgrade

The Finance Ministry on Tuesday upgraded its quarterly assessment of the nation's regional economies for the second time in a row.
BUSINESS
Jan 27, 2004

Hitachi, Omron poised to forge ATM alliance

Hitachi Ltd. and Omron Corp. said Monday they will set up a joint venture combining their automated-teller machine businesses, partly in the hope of grabbing a substantial share of the growing Chinese market.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Jan 24, 2004

Poppies Samui

"Thank you for picking Poppies," reads the beguiling management message.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 23, 2004

Matsushita chief resolves to achieve profit target before stepping down

OSAKA (Kyodo) Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. President Kunio Nakamura said Thursday that the Matsushita group will raise its targeted ratio of operating profit to sales to 5 percent under his leadership and achieve that goal.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 22, 2004

Online matchmakers hand ailing truckers a lifeline

Yasunori Fujikura knows the nuts and bolts of the trucking business -- as well as the pain of being behind the wheel in these tough times.
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.
BUSINESS
Jan 16, 2004

Cool summer hurts beer, 'happoshu'

Combined shipments of beer and "happoshu" low-malt beer by Japan's five major breweries fell 6.3 percent in 2003 from the previous year for the second straight annual decline.
JAPAN / TALKING SHOP
Jan 13, 2004

Prada Japan's Italian chief knows the merits of vagueness

Davide Sesia, representative director of Prada Japan Co., is on the prowl.
BUSINESS
Jan 10, 2004

Matsushita hopes digital focus ups profit margin

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Friday it aims to lift its profit margin to at least 5 percent in the next three years on sales of 8.2 trillion yen by meeting rising demand for digital consumer electronics products such as DVD recorders and flat TVs.
BUSINESS
Jan 9, 2004

Corolla regains best-selling car title

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Corolla regained the title of Japan's best-selling car in 2003 after a one-year absence from the top spot, even though sales fell 12.1 percent to 198,904 units, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2004

Raising retirement age eases, adds strains

Isomi Suzuki believes he is one of the lucky few to be able to continue his career even after reaching age 60, the common retirement age in Japan.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 5, 2004

Falling dollar barely changes trade flow

WASHINGTON -- We hear about record breaking declines in the value of the dollar, rising U.S. trade deficits and a retrenchment of inward investment flows. Cassandra-like voices point to the war-caused budget deficit, foresee a growing U.S. dependence on the mercy of foreigners and predict the imminent...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 5, 2004

As axis turns, Pyongyang feels the squeeze

SEOUL -- It turns out that the construct of the "axis of evil" was more than an applause line in the 2002 State of the Union speech by U.S. President George W. Bush. What it really has come to convey is the interaction between axis members, which was little appreciated by Bush speechwriters at the time....
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 4, 2004

From mourning to 'magic'

It may be only mildly surprising that Japanese translations of the first four "Harry Potter" titles have racked up 16.5 million sales to date. It is, though, quite astonishing that the publisher is not an industry giant, but a small Tokyo firm with no previous best seller to its name.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat