Search - 2000

 
 
JAPAN
Mar 20, 1998

Upper House approves soccer lottery revisions

The Upper House, supported by members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and one of its allies, New Party Sakigake, approved a revised bill March 20 to start a soccer lottery system that would raise funds for the promotion of athletics.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 1998

Deregulation steps to end power firms' monopoly

The government announced March 19 that it plans to end utilities' monopoly on electric power generation and lift a ban on cheaper air fares as part of its fiscal 1998-2000 deregulation program.
JAPAN
Mar 17, 1998

Bank execs not feeling the pay pinch

Most of the 21 banks that have qualified for an injection of public funds, including the 17 approved by the Cabinet on March 17, plan to pay their executives 20 million yen or more a year.
JAPAN
Mar 17, 1998

Upper House panel backs soccer lottery bill

A revised version of the soccer lottery bill was approved March 17 by an Upper House panel, bringing the lucrative but controversial sports promotion legislation one step closer to enactment.
JAPAN
Mar 9, 1998

Bill to make wards municipalities

The Home Affairs Ministry plans to submit a set of bills to the Diet March 10 to revise laws to convert Tokyo's 23 wards into full-fledge municipalities in April 2000, ministry officials said March 9.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 1998

TWA plans to enter new pact at own speed

Staff writer
JAPAN
Mar 5, 1998

ANA changes profit forecast to loss

All Nippon Airways Co. announced Thursday that it is revising its forecast of a 2.3 billion yen net profit in its business report for the term that ends in March 1998 into a 3.2 billion yen net loss.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 1998

On Paper: Electronics firms, automakers adapt to slump

Second in a series
JAPAN
Feb 17, 1998

APEC draws up program to liberalize nine industrial sectors

Staff writer
JAPAN
Feb 2, 1998

Fewer foreigners studying in Japan

The number of foreign students studying in Japan declined for the second year in a row in 1997 to about 51,000, down 3.5 percent from the previous year, according to an Education Ministry survey released Wednesday.
JAPAN
Feb 2, 1998

Nissan, Daihatsu launch new compacts

Hoping to stimulate the auto market, two Japanese companies on Monday introduced new five-door compact models.
JAPAN
Feb 2, 1998

6 trillion yen extra budget plan mulled

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto indicated Monday that his government will consider a proposal by a senior Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker for an extra budget of about 6 trillion yen to be compiled for fiscal 1998 to give an additional boost to the nation's fragile economy.
JAPAN
Jan 28, 1998

Sanyo to venture into elder care business

Sanyo Electric Co. announced Wednesday that it will enter a new business field by establishing a joint venture firm to run nursing homes in light of the rapidly growing elderly population.Sanyo will set up Sanyo Emeritus Corp. jointly with Seattle-based Emeritus Corp. in February. The new firm will...
JAPAN
Jan 27, 1998

Keidanren seeks easing of share buyback rules

The Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren) on Tuesday urged the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to establish a law to ease rules governing companies' share buybacks until March 2000 to revitalize the sluggish stock market.Takashi Imai, a Keidanren vice chairman, made the request in a...
JAPAN
Jan 26, 1998

DPJ seeks to use gender-based quotas in fielding candidates

The Democratic Party of Japan, the nation's largest opposition party, announced Monday it plans to introduce a gender-based quota system for selecting candidates for national and local elections."It is the first time for a political party to introduce the system in this country, where it is widely known...
JAPAN
Jan 22, 1998

MMC to supply models to Chrysler until 2005

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will continue to supply two models produced at its Illinois plant to Chrysler Corp. until 2005, the companies announced Thursday.Mitsubishi has been supplying vehicles to Chrysler since 1982. Under the current agreement, which is due to expire in 1999, Mitsubishi supplies the...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 1998

SDP gives up drive to accelerate ban on political donations

After several months of discussions, the Social Democratic Party on Tuesday gave up efforts to persuade the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to implement ahead of schedule a ban on corporate and group donations to individual politicians.The proposed ban is to take effect in 2000 under the political funds...
JAPAN
Jan 9, 1998

Blair hails Toyota plan to expand production in U.K.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Hiroshi Okuda, president of Toyota Motor Corp., announced at a press conference Friday that the automaker has decided to expand an engine factory in Great Britain.Toyota will increase the annual manufacturing capacity of 1,000cc to 1,300cc gasoline engines at a...
JAPAN
Jan 7, 1998

LDP aims to take Upper House majority

A draft of the Liberal Democratic Party's policy platform for 1998 carries a call to arms to win a majority in the Upper House in the July election.The LDP currently holds 120 seats in the 252-seat chamber. It lost its majority in the chamber in July 1989, following the introduction of the consumption...
JAPAN
Dec 31, 1997

Hashimoto vows to give strength to the economy

The government will take every possible measure to stabilize the nation's financial system and restore the economy to a healthy state, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto vowed during a news conference marking New Year's Day.
JAPAN
Dec 25, 1997

Minister favors conversion of wards into municipalities

Home Affairs Minister Mitsuhiro Uesugi has expressed support for a plan to convert Tokyo's 23 wards into full-fledged municipal bodies, Tokyo Gov. Yukio Aoshima said Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 19, 1997

92 billion yen lopped off defense program

The government said Friday it will cut spending for its five-year defense program by 92 billion yen to conform to its ongoing financial structural reform, the Defense Agency said.
JAPAN
Dec 19, 1997

Favored tariff system for rich nations may end soon

Japan's preferential tariff treatment of imports from relatively rich countries and regions, including South Korea, should be gradually eliminated beginning in fiscal 1998, an advisory panel said in a report released Friday.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 1997

Upper House panel approves nursing-care insurance bill

The Upper House Committee on Health and Welfare on Tuesday approved a government-proposed bill to create a public nursing-care insurance system for Japan's ailing elderly population, after introducing a revision concerning care services.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 1997

Suntory, Hugo Boss settle trademark dispute

OSAKA -- Suntory Ltd. and the Japanese unit of major German men's apparel maker Hugo Boss AG have reached an out-of-court settlement over a trademark dispute, sources said Monday.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 1997

Hashimoto's fiscal reform legislation clears Diet

A government-proposed fiscal reform bill to designate specific reduction targets for key budget areas became law Friday when it was passed by the Upper House during a plenary session.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 1997

COP3: Agreement on emissions is relatively easy

First in a series
JAPAN
Nov 20, 1997

Use of public funds considered for clearing up loan mess

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto instructed the Liberal Democratic Party on Thursday to consider using public funds to clear up the nation's bad loan mess, a proposal welcomed by a rally on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
JAPAN
Nov 11, 1997

Tanabe urges highest achievable emissions targets

Staff writer
JAPAN
Oct 29, 1997

Tokyo plans emissions meeting to scrabble up support ahead of Kyoto

Tokyo plans emissions meeting to scrabble up support ahead of Kyoto>The government is planning to hold a two-day international meeting beginning Nov. 8 in Tokyo as part of efforts to form an international consensus on a reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanezo Muraoka...

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Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan