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EDITORIALS
Nov 29, 2004

Heading for higher taxes

The latest report from the government's Tax Commission has a sobering message: In the long run, taxes in Japan have nowhere to go but up. As the commission's chairman, Mr. Hiromitsu Ishi, points out, there is no way to avoid tax increases in order to put the nation's fiscal house in order.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 29, 2004

A new dawn for Myanmar?

Many Myanmar watchers might have been surprised when they got news of the pending release of nearly 4,000 prisoners who had been inappropriately jailed by the notorious Military Intelligence (MI) wing of former Prime Minister Gen. Khin Nyunt's regime.
COMMENTARY
Nov 29, 2004

Know what reform can't do

It looks as though Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is determined to push through postal privatization as the ultimate goal of his structural reform efforts.
EDITORIALS
Nov 28, 2004

Found in translation

I n the field of law, Japan certainly cannot yet be said to be sufficiently open vis-a-vis other countries. In order to improve this situation, a law-and-ordinance translation group set up within the government's Office for Promotion of Justice System Reform has unveiled a project to translate legislation...
COMMENTARY
Nov 28, 2004

Labour's path to nowhere

LONDON -- Tuesday was one of those quaint ceremonial occasions that cling like barnacles to the slow-moving body of the British ship of state: The queen announced the next year's legislative program.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Nov 26, 2004

Blaming Detroit fans for riot outrageous

What a disgrace.
BUSINESS
Nov 26, 2004

Tax panel pushes hikes in 2005

The Tax Commission recommended Thursday that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi raise both income and residential taxes in fiscal 2005 in what would be the first significant tax increases in six years.
BUSINESS
Nov 26, 2004

Drugmakers Dainippon, Sumitomo to merge in '05

Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co. and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Co. said Thursday they have reached a basic agreement to merge next Oct. 1, creating one of the 10 biggest pharmaceutical companies in the nation in terms of sales.
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2004

Watchdog group raps proposed defense policy

A group that monitors Japan's defense policy warned Monday that a new security policy recommended last month by an advisory panel to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi could violate agreements under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, as it would allow nuclear retaliation against use of other weapons...
BUSINESS
Nov 23, 2004

Yamaha Motor changes leadership

Yamaha Motor Co. said Monday that Managing Director Takashi Kajikawa will replace Toru Hasegawa as president, effective Jan. 1.
EDITORIALS
Nov 20, 2004

Keep the assistance flowing

Four weeks have passed since the Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake struck. The good news is that reconstruction is making progress. Schools in the disaster zone have resumed classes, the Kan-etsu Expressway has reopened to traffic, and the region's well-known sake breweries have started shipping again. The...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Nov 20, 2004

Why Johnny can't read 'kanji'

Here's a quick communication survey of your typical long-term foreign resident of Japan, particularly one from the West.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Nov 20, 2004

Kazuko Siazon

Kudan, the official residence of the Philippine ambassador to Japan, is said to be one of the most beautiful Philippine ambassadorial residences in the world. Kazuko Siazon certainly thought so when she first visited it in 1960. When she came to live in it in 1993, she faced a huge restoration project....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 13, 2004

Machimura admits Koizumi's shrine visits hurt China ties

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura on Friday became the first Cabinet member to openly acknowledge that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine are impeding top-level visits between Japan and China.
JAPAN
Nov 12, 2004

North 'reluctant' to hold six-party talks before year's end

North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan has poured cold water on the idea of holding the next round of six-way talks on his country's nuclear threat by year's end, Senior Vice Foreign Minister Shuzen Tanigawa said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 11, 2004

More study of climate change needed: scientist

Studying the ozone layer is essential to curbing global warming, says a U.S scientist who has just been awarded the 2004 Blue Planet Prize.
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2004

Power Rangers' slide in U.S. bites into Bandai profit

Bandai Co. said Wednesday its first-half net profit plunged 42 percent to 3.88 billion yen, with Power Rangers products trounced by Spider-Man in the United States.
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2004

EBC upset over bill to ban prepaid cell phones

The European Business Community in Japan on Wednesday criticized a plan by Japan's governing coalition to present a bill to the Diet, possibly during the current session, to ban the use and sale of prepaid mobile phones on grounds that they are often used in crimes.
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2004

Current account surplus sets new half-year record

Japan's current account surplus expanded to a third straight half-year record high in the April-September period due to brisk exports to China and other Asian economies, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 9, 2004

Neocon lessons for Democrats

WASHINGTON -- As Democrats comb the 2004 election results for lessons, one should be obvious: we need bolder, newer ideas, particularly in this post-9/11 world in the realm of foreign policy. Just as neocons have provided much of the spark and intellectual energy behind modern-day Republicanism, Democrats...
Japan Times
Features
Nov 7, 2004

Love her or hate her...

Nahoko Takato became famous on the night of April 8 this year, when the Arab satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera aired video footage of her and two other Japanese held blindfolded at gunpoint in Iraq.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Oct 31, 2004

Playtime pioneer

On a cloudy morning a couple of weeks ago, 26 noisy 3-year-olds at the Kamimeguro Nursery in Tokyo's Meguro Ward were cheerfully throwing themselves into their exercise class in the hall. One after another, the little boys and girls challenged themselves to leap a vaulting horse, jump a rubber rope,...
BUSINESS
Oct 30, 2004

Nissan's group net profit grows 0.5% to 238.8 billion yen

Nissan Motor Co. said Friday its group net profit for the first half grew 0.5 percent to 238.8 billion yen due to robust sales in the United States and Europe, despite the negative impact of an unfavorable exchange rate and a rise in incentives for dealers.
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2004

Atomic commission votes to continue policy of reprocessing spent nuke fuel

The Atomic Energy Commission's draft for a new nuclear policy plan advocates maintaining the current policy of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 23, 2004

First step to a national security strategy

WASHINGTON -- Last week in Tokyo, Japan's Council on Security and Defense Capabilities (better known in the United States as the Araki Commission) issued its final report on the future direction of Japanese national-security policy. The report demands special attention, as it will provide the basis on...
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2004

Ono retracts comments on U.S. command transfer

Defense Agency chief Yoshinori Ono was forced Thursday to retract earlier comments supporting the U.S.-proposed transfer of command functions of the U.S. Army First Corps in Washington state to Camp Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture.
BUSINESS
Oct 22, 2004

JAL, ANA consider airfare hike

Japan Airlines Corp. and All Nippon Airways Co. are considering raising airfares on domestic flights, possibly from the beginning of next year, due to soaring crude oil prices, airline officials said Thursday.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat