Search - 2002

 
 
BUSINESS
Mar 27, 2003

Raising access fees would hurt NTT as well as rivals: telecom expert

A fierce battle is raging within the telecom sector over whether the access fees charged by NTT firms for use of their telephone infrastructure should be raised.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDEN PATHS
Mar 27, 2003

A garden is born

After a cool March, the first warm days of spring are working their magic, and people are eagerly waiting for cherry trees to fill with blossoms.
BUSINESS
Mar 27, 2003

FSA considers nationalizing weak banks

The Financial Services Agency will consider effectively nationalizing banks that have received public funds if a bank's earnings fall substantially short of its preset target, FSA sources said Wednesday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / JET STREAM
Mar 27, 2003

Hitachi's friendly face

A 19th-century merry-go-round has been restored recently in the city of Orleans, 130 km south of Paris, thanks to the efforts of former JET Clarisse Carl. It is something her two children, ages 8 and 5, are proud of. But for Carl, an assistant to the president of Hitachi Europe, it is just one of her...
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2003

'Sokaiya' payments result in suspended prison terms

The Tokyo District Court gave four former officials of consumer credit firm Nippon Shinpan Co. suspended prison terms Wednesday for paying a "sokaiya" racketeer to ensure its shareholders' meetings were not disrupted.
BUSINESS
Mar 26, 2003

Kinki Nippon Railway facing huge extraordinary loss

Kinki Nippon Railway Co. said Tuesday it will book an extraordinary loss of 106 billion yen for the 2002 business year, primarily due to appraisal losses suffered on resort facilities and a downsizing program.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2003

Road firms eye 20% cut to future building plans

Four road-related public corporations will revise future highway construction plans to shave some 20 percent, or about 4.5 trillion yen, from original budgets, the land ministry said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2003

$22.62 million in Afghan aid planned

Japan will provide Afghanistan with $22.62 million in grants in aid for its reconstruction, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 26, 2003

Matsushita to close Argentina unit

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Tuesday it will shut down its Argentine sales subsidiary, Panasonic Argentina S.A. (PARSA), effective Monday.
BUSINESS
Mar 26, 2003

Starting April 1, all MMC pay will be merit-based

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will entirely abandon seniority-based pay on April 1 in an effort to improve productivity.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 25, 2003

Olympus utilizes camera prowess to corner endoscope market

First in a series of occasional articles about Japanese firms that retain a global competitive edge
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 25, 2003

Umpires back off threat of Opening Day strike

Japanese baseball umpires, who had threatened a walkout to coincide with the season openers this Friday, have averted a strike, officials of their union said Monday.
BUSINESS
Mar 25, 2003

Japan's land prices fall for 12th straight year

Land prices fell for the 12th straight year in 2002, the land ministry said in a report released Monday.
EDITORIALS
Mar 24, 2003

ICC takes another step forward

The world's first permanent international court of criminal justice opened for business earlier this month when the first 18 judges were sworn in. While the establishment of the International Criminal Court, or ICC, is a milestone, attention on March 11 was focused as much on the parties who were absent...
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2003

Water forum closes amid clash over privatization

KYOTO -- For eight days, and at a considerable cost to local taxpayers, the World Water Forum brought together international corporations in the water supply business, World Bank officials and a large number of Japanese construction and design firms, as well as senior government officials and thousands...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / PLAY BUTTON
Mar 23, 2003

A beautiful day in the life of sound

The phone line buzzes, the electric heater drones and the pitter-patter of rain can be heard in the background. Not the perfect sonic environment for a phone interview, but for Yuko Kitamura, it is perfect.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Mar 23, 2003

Lawyers: they're not all out for themselves

HUMAN RIGHTS IN JAPAN, South Korea and Taiwan, by Ian Neary. London, Routledge, 2002, 297 pp., $95 (cloth) It's not easy being a lawyer these days -- putting up with nasty jokes, scant respect and widespread suspicions that the public interest is way down on the list of priorities. Ian Neary reminds...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 22, 2003

ASEAN counting on China

SINGAPORE -- As the third generation of Chinese leaders since 1949 hands power over to the fourth, Southeast Asia and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are following the landmark political transition with keen interest. What does ASEAN expect from the transition?
BUSINESS
Mar 21, 2003

Carmakers predict slim sales growth

Some 5.85 million new vehicles are expected to be sold in Japan in the 2003 business year, up 0.4 percent from the forecast for 2002, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 21, 2003

Panel advocates teaching patriotism

The Fundamental Law of Education should be revised to include the concept of patriotism and the importance of educating students about religion, a key government panel said in a report submitted Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 21, 2003

Sri Lankan makes a case for the right to water

KYOTO -- Sumika Perera is in the midst of a fight against the Sri Lankan government and international lending agencies, which are trying to privatize her country's water.
ENVIRONMENT
Mar 20, 2003

Campaigners contest water selloff Catch-22

As the Third World Water Forum enters its fifth day, debate over who should control the world's fresh water has become sharply polarized.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Mar 19, 2003

MLB Tour promises fun for everyone

Yes, I know, it's fans prediction week for Japanese baseball, but there were more entries than expected from Japan, North America and even New Zealand, and there just is not enough space to include all the picks and comments. Instead, let me tell you something about the Major League tour set to begin...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2003

Koizumi unequivocal on Iraq war

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed unequivocal support Tuesday for U.S. plans to forcibly disarm Iraq.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2003

Hamburger chains trying new ways to lure back customers

Hamburger chains are shifting away from low-price strategies after cheap burgers failed to lure back customers following the outbreak of mad cow disease 1 1/2 years ago.
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2003

Economic assessment upgraded

The government on Monday upgraded its assessment of the economy due to rising corporate earnings and capital investment, but expressed caution over effects from the looming U.S.-led war on Iraq.

Longform

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