Search - 2002

 
 
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2003

Crystals for lasers to be made in space

In a move that could lead to the realization of "space factories," Japan's space agency said Saturday it will make the world's first attempt to manufacture in space photonic crystals to be used in commercial laser equipment.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jul 27, 2003

Bottlers ride a 'purity' wave

Japanese people have for generations believed that whatever the times have in store, life's essentials such as water and safety would always be theirs for free.
JAPAN
Jul 26, 2003

Koizumi says no reforms means more suffering

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi defended his structural reform drive Friday, although he acknowledged the role it may have played in the record number of economy-related suicides in 2002.
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2003

Foreign bond sales drive up Nikko Cordial group net profit

Nikko Cordial Corp., Japan's third-largest securities firm, said Friday its group net profit in the first quarter of fiscal 2003 soared more than three-fold, thanks to a jump in sales of foreign bonds.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Suicides above 30,000 for fifth consecutive year

The number of people who committed suicide in 2002 exceeded 30,000 for the fifth straight year, according to data released Thursday by the National Police Agency.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Trucker to pay damages in installments

A former truck driver, his former employer and other concerns were handed a court order Thursday to pay 250 million yen in compensation to the parents of two infant sisters killed in a traffic accident he caused while driving drunk in 1999.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

Sony net profit nosedives 98% amid sluggish sales

Sony Corp.'s group net profit for the first quarter of this fiscal year nosedived 98 percent to 1.1 billion yen from a year earlier, the company said Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

Rainy season pours cold water on recovery

The rain clouds hovering over most of Japan are not just drenching people -- they are also blighting the earnings outlook for corporate Japan.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2003

Tokio Marine is accused of hiding billions in income

The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau has accused Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance Co. of hiding about 4.3 billion yen in income through dealings in earthquake reinsurance transactions, sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2003

Auditors unhappy with rush on Japan Highway review

Japan's big four auditing firms have expressed concern about auditing Japan Highway Public Corp.'s financial statements by the end of August, sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2003

DPJ targets watchdog official over insurance merger role

The Democratic Party of Japan filed a criminal accusation Wednesday against Financial Services Agency Commissioner Shokichi Takagi, blaming him for trying to pressure Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance Co. to consolidate with an ailing life insurance firm last year.
BUSINESS
Jul 24, 2003

Government pension fund logs big loss

The Government Pension Investment Fund posted a record investment loss of 3.061 trillion yen in fiscal 2002, due to tumbling global stock markets and a higher yen, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 23, 2003

Japan Alps are sinking; scientists can't say why

Recent analysis of satellite data shows that the Japan Alps are sinking up to 5 mm per year, according to government geographers.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jul 23, 2003

Dodgers fan scores in 'Hideki Matsui Sweepstakes'

Former Tokyo attorney Russ Roten has won the Baseball Bullet-In "Hideki Matsui Sweepstakes" by coming the closest to guessing Matsui's home run, runs batted in and batting average statistics at the Major League All-Star break on July 14.
JAPAN
Jul 23, 2003

Don't build it unless they'll come

More than three-quarters of respondents to a recent survey believe the government should stop building expressways if the projects are not expected to turn a profit.
BUSINESS
Jul 23, 2003

263 firms to join Tokyo Motor Show

A total of 263 firms from Japan and 13 other countries will participate in the 37th Tokyo Motor Show this fall at the Nippon Convention Center, better known as Makuhari Messe, in Chiba Prefecture, organizer said Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Jul 23, 2003

The high priestess of rock 'n' roll 'n' . . . art

Patti Smith has shown her drawings and paintings before in Japan -- some years ago at the Museum Eki in Kyoto. But it is a safe bet that most of her Japanese fans are more familiar with Smith the rock'n'roller, that sexily disheveled female version of Mick Jagger who kicked out prepunk jams from New...
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2003

Young single people want double-income marriages

Most young singles no longer prefer a marriage in which women become housewives and instead would like them to work, according to a study by an institute affiliated with the welfare ministry.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2003

Net sidesteps ban on leaking personal info

After police took a junior high school student into custody earlier this month in the July 1 slaying of a 4-year-old boy in Nagasaki, a raft of information appeared on the Internet about the 12-year-old suspect -- in the face of a general ban on the media divulging data on minors involved in crimes....
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2003

New traffic law a red light for 'bosozoku'

Police across the nation reported fewer cases of illegal driving by "bosozoku" motoring gangs in the first six months of the year, as well as a decline in reckless gang driving, according to the National Police Agency said.
EDITORIALS
Jul 22, 2003

Manila gives peace another chance

The government in the Philippines has once again opted for peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Last week President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced a mutual agreement to halt military operations in hopes of ending three decades of fighting. The odds of success are long,...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2003

New Komeito exec urges Doi to quit

Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, secretary general of New Komeito, said Sunday that Social Democratic Party leader Takako Doi should resign over a money scandal involving former SDP policy chief Kiyomi Tsujimoto.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2003

Imports, weakening demand dampen fireworks industry

For much of Japan, the end of the rainy season signifies that summer has shifted into high gear. And the sweltering months are never quite complete without the bursts of color and sonic booms of fireworks festivals.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 21, 2003

Triple alliance stands behind Washington

HONOLULU -- Two journeys to Tokyo this past week have underscored the forging of a new, albeit informal, triple alliance comprising Japan, Australia and Britain that stands alongside the United States in the war on terror.

Longform

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