Search - 2003

 
 
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 18, 2002

'Red Demon' to claim British souls

Acclaimed in Japan for the last quarter of a century as a drama director, writer and actor, Hideki Noda is set to become a major player on the world stage from Jan. 31, when his "Red Demon" opens for a near-monthlong run at the famed Young Vic in London's West End.
COMMUNITY
Dec 17, 2002

What are Japan's teens on about?

Why do Japan's teens sound so incomprehensible these days?
COMMENTARY
Dec 16, 2002

Highways amid the shambles

In its final report submitted Dec. 6, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's advisory commission for privatizing four road-related public corporations called for a halt to runaway highway construction. The report warns against the "triangle of collusion" among "road tribe" legislators, related bureaucrats...
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Dec 12, 2002

Even Democrats dislike Gore

WASHINGTON -- The most frequently asked question that I have had to field from friends these past weeks is, who will the Democrats run against President George W. Bush in 2004? My answer is an honest one, if not a satisfactory one: "I have no idea, but there will be a Democratic candidate -- and he could...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 11, 2002

International ideas take shape in Lebanon

Though the word "symposium" comes from Plato's ideal of a drinking party held to facilitate philosophical discussion, most of us are familiar with its modern usage, meaning a conference or meeting. Few people, however, know about the sculpture symposium movement, started by Karl Prantl in Austria in...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 10, 2002

Last-minute mailing over Christmas

Greetings Oh Lord, it's nearly Christmas again, and those of us (and I include myself here) who still have packets and cards to be mailed abroad need to get our skates on.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 10, 2002

Tigers want Nakamura to make up his mind

OSAKA -- The Hanshin Tigers will push Norihiro Nakamura for a prompt answer on whether the free-agent slugger wants to join the Central League club, manager Senichi Hoshino said.
COMMENTARY
Dec 10, 2002

Political stability decreasing

Nearly 20 months since the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi began, popular support for the Cabinet hovers around 50 to 60 percent, down from the extraordinarily high levels of 70 to 80 percent last year.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 6, 2002

Matsui happy to hear Red Sox interested in his services

Free agent slugger Hideki Matsui said on Wednesday he is thankful for the interest the Boston Red Sox are showing in acquiring him for next season.
EDITORIALS
Dec 4, 2002

IOC stumbles but moves forward

The International Olympic Committee, at a general meeting in Mexico last week, discussed a proposal to drop three sports -- baseball, softball and the modern pentathlon -- from the 2008 Beijing Games, but in the end decided to postpone a decision until after the 2004 Games take place in Athens. IOC members...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 4, 2002

Are Petagine and the Giants a good fit?

Having lost superstar slugger Hideki Matsui to free agency and the major leagues, the Yomiuri Giants have acquired Roberto Petagine, the runnerup to Matsui in this year's Central League home run derby. The Giants have thus plugged Matsui's hole in their lineup with another Triple Crown threat, but three...
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 4, 2002

Nagashima to manage Japan squad in Athens

Former Yomiuri Giants skipper Shigeo Nagashima was named manager of the Japanese national baseball team on Monday in the run-up to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
EDITORIALS
Nov 30, 2002

A new law to help the abductees

The government is set to provide financial and other support for Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea and their family members who return to Japan. On Thursday the Lower House unanimously passed a special bill for this purpose, which is due to clear the Upper House next week and take effect Jan....
BUSINESS
Nov 30, 2002

Ministry to prop up sinking Kansai airport

To save debt-ridden Kansai International Airport Co., the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry has drawn up a bailout plan to provide the semipublic airport operator with about 9 billion yen in subsidies a year and offer government guarantees on short-term bonds to be issued by the company.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2002

Cigarette tax examined as reform item

A tax hike on cigarettes is being considered as part of tax reforms for fiscal 2003, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2002

NTT phone access fees should stay same: panel

A Lower House panel said Thursday that interconnection fees charged by NTT East Corp. and NTT West Corp. to other carriers for accessing their phone lines should remain unchanged for the 2003 business year.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2002

Microsoft to reveal source code to Japan, which has eyed Linux

Microsoft Corp. will disclose the source code of the Windows operating system to the Japanese government in line with the government's e-Japan project, company officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2002

World Cup spurs South Korea exchanges

Following Japan and South Korea's cohosting of the World Cup soccer finals last summer, 36 prefectural governments have held or will hold 123 sports exchanges with South Korean teams in fiscal 2002, according to a survey conducted by the sports ministry.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 28, 2002

Irabu close to signing deal with Hanshin

OSAKA -- Right-hander Hideki Irabu, who was released by American League club Texas Rangers earlier this month, is on the verge of signing for the Hanshin Tigers, Hanshin sources said Wednesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 27, 2002

Seibu plans to keep its own Matsui

General manager Kenji Ono said Monday the Seibu Lions do not intend to exercise the posting system and put up Kazuo Matsui for auction for a chance to play in the major leagues next season.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2002

Snow Brand Milk to sell winery unit

Snow Brand Milk Products Co. said Tuesday it will sell its wine-making unit, Snow Brand Belleforet Winery, to major confectionery chain Chateraise for 400 million yen by the end of the year.
BUSINESS
Nov 26, 2002

FSA to allow life insurers to cut yields

To ward off bankruptcy amid the deteriorating investment climate, the Financial Services Agency will allow life insurance companies to reduce the investment returns they have promised to policyholders, sources said Monday.
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2002

Mizuho restructuring program to include 10% wage cut

The Mizuho Financial Group has worked out a restructuring program, which includes an average salary cut of more than 10 percent from fiscal 2003, sources close to the program said Sunday.
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2002

Joblessness could push 7% in '07

Projections obtained Sunday from the health ministry show that Japan's unemployment rate could rise to almost 7 percent in 2007.
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2002

Koizumi pushes hard for additional tax cuts

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Friday instructed the Cabinet to start work on the specifics of a supplementary budget for fiscal 2002 and pushed for further tax cuts to revitalize the economy.
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2002

Meeting opens in Kobe to raise public awareness of AIDS

KOBE -- Africans with the human immunodeficiency virus stressed to participants of an international symposium here Friday the importance of considering the issue their own and listening to the voices of people living with HIV or AIDS.

Longform

Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says there is a “sense of urgency” when it comes to Japan’s efforts in manufacturing semiconductors. “We have to make sure we are successful,” he says.
Atsuyoshi Koike’s big game: Fourth down and 2 nanometers to go