Search - 2005

 
 
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 6, 2005

Golden Eagles unveil 'classic' new uniforms

Going with a traditional look, Pacific League newcomers the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles revealed their new uniforms on Wednesday.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 5, 2005

Who's who (and where) among '05 foreign players

Happy New Year. Five days into 2005, and the 12 Japan pro baseball teams have spent the offseason wheeling and dealing, acquiring and firing foreign players. Confused about who left and who is left? Following is a team-by-team rundown of who's gone and who's on at this point.
JAPAN
Jan 5, 2005

Koizumi pledges robust reconstruction aid in disaster area

Japan will do its best to provide aid and help reconstruction efforts in the Asian countries hit by last month's killer tsunamis, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jan 5, 2005

Shrine, temple tills yield more fake 10,000 yen bills

About 230 counterfeit 10,000 yen bills were used in transactions in shops near shrines and temples in Tokyo and 11 other prefectures from Dec. 31 to Jan. 3.
EDITORIALS
Jan 4, 2005

The year for the Middle East?

The year 2005 may herald a new era of hope for the Middle East. The death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has provided the opportunity for all parties to push with renewed vigor for a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Amazingly, the interested parties appear to be making the most...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 4, 2005

Racism is bad business

The Community Page has commented at length on socially-sanctioned exclusionary practices in Japan. However, it has rarely touched upon their quantifiable, longer-term effects.
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2005

Crown Princess Masako takes part in Imperial New Year's greeting

Crown Princess Masako joined the rest of the Imperial family in greeting the public at the start of 2005 on Sunday after missing the annual ritual last year to recover from a psychological disorder brought on by the stresses of royal life.
EDITORIALS
Jan 3, 2005

Pile of unfinished business

This year has the potential to shape the world in profound ways. Some key events, and their results, will be instantly evident. Much of their impact will not be visible for years to come, however. We can identify with reasonable certainty what those moments will be, but only guess at their outcome and...
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2005

Emperor laments plight of quake, war and tsunami victims in 2004

In his New Year's message released Saturday, Emperor Akihito voices distress over the toll in lives taken by recent natural disasters and conflicts, as well as hope for the creation of a society that can withstand natural calamities.
BUSINESS
Dec 30, 2004

Realtors form strategic partnership

Struggling condominium builder Towa Real Estate Development Co. said Wednesday that Mitsubishi Estate Co. will become its largest shareholder under an agreement to create a "strategic partnership."
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Dec 30, 2004

What is behind 'shocking' Hokkaido bid for World Heritage Site status?

Recently I was lucky enough to visit no fewer than six World Heritage Sites (WHS) in northern India. An astonishing cultural, ethnic and biological diversity is well represented in India's array of national parks (NP) and WHS, and, my goodness, they have a huge wow factor.
EDITORIALS
Dec 29, 2004

Catastrophe without warning

The massive onshore surges of seawater from tsunamis triggered by the mega-earthquake that struck off northwestern Indonesia on Sunday have caused heavy damage across southern Asia. They are a deadly reminder of how vulnerable humanity is to the destructive forces of nature.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 29, 2004

MLB settles lawsuit with Morioka

Major League Baseball, which had been the target of a $3.4 million lawsuit by Tokyo native Juri Morioka, charging wrongful termination and overt racism against Asians, has quietly settled the case, The Japan Times has learned.
COMMENTARY
Dec 29, 2004

Turkey's long march to an EU wedding

PARIS -- Although a wedding date has yet to be set between the European Union and Turkey, the two parties managed to conclude what several participants at the Dec. 17 European summit have called a formal "engagement."
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2004

Defense Agency to retain civilian buffer around chief

The Defense Agency said Monday it would maintain the current system that allows only civilian officials to directly advise its director general.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Dec 28, 2004

What are your New Year's resolutions for 2005?

Corin Kanazawa Teacher, 27 Definitely to save money. It's getting ridiculous. I have a shopping addiction. I lived in a small country town last time I was here, which was much better for my wallet.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Dec 27, 2004

Japan should entertain Swiss offer when planning its FTA strategy

With the number of member countries now topping 150, trade negotiations under the World Trade Organization will take more time to conclude. This has triggered a rush by many countries to conclude regional or bilateral trade liberalization agreements.
BUSINESS
Dec 25, 2004

FSA set to inspect report recheck refusers

The Financial Services Agency said Friday it will strongly urge companies to respond to its orders to review financial statements and will conduct on-site inspections on those who refuse.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 25, 2004

Vodafone to play 3G hardball with customers

Vodafone K.K. President Shiro Tsuda has said the company will stop offering new second-generation cell phone handsets in 2005 to force customers to switch to 3G handsets.
COMMENTARY
Dec 25, 2004

Strained Japan-China ties bode ill for region's future

HONG KONG -- Beijing's relations with Tokyo, already strained by the intrusion of a Chinese nuclear submarine into Japanese territorial waters last month, have been worsened by Japan's release on Dec. 10 of a new National Defense Program Outline that for the first time names China as a potential threat....
COMMENTARY
Dec 25, 2004

Waiting for Japan to change -- or can it?

LOS ANGELES -- For as long as I write this column on Asia, which enters into its 10th year next month, I doubt I'll ever witness anything as amusing or telling as the flareup that took place at the close of the University of Southern California's Asia Conference last month.
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2004

Government eyes medical teams for disaster victims

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will form about 200 medical teams and assign them to hospitals nationwide to bolster earthquake- and other disaster-response measures, ministry officials said Thursday.
Dec 24, 2004

Government eyes medical teams for disaster victims

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will form about 200 medical teams and assign them to hospitals nationwide to bolster earthquake- and other disaster-response measures, ministry officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Dec 23, 2004

Japan throws 10 billion yen at China gas exploration dispute

The Finance Ministry on Wednesday said it will allocate 10.1 billion yen in the fiscal 2005 budget to build a ship for gas exploration in the East China Sea, where Japan and China are embroiled in an energy dispute.

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake