Search - 2003

 
 
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jul 8, 2004

2004 season is a honeymoon for Carp second baseman LaRocca

You might call Greg LaRocca's first year in Japanese baseball a "honeymoon season" for two reasons, and the first is obvious.
JAPAN / BY THE NUMBERS
Jul 7, 2004

Exporting animation a huge Japanese success story

Pokemon, Digimon, Sailor Moon and Yu-Gi-Oh!
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2004

MMC faults may get drivers in crashes off hook

Police may review criminal action taken against four drivers of Mitsubishi trucks and buses in connection with accidents that resulted in injuries, because the vehicles may have been faulty, officials said Friday.
CULTURE / Books / THE BOOK REPORT
Jul 1, 2004

Mystery writer Nishimura continues on winning run of great train stories

The recently released list of top taxpayers for fiscal 2003 has shown that, despite the overall slump in the book trade, the payoff can still be great for authors who strike a chord with the public.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jun 26, 2004

Internet revolutionizing American politics

WASHINGTON -- The campaign of 2004 is different from any that came before. The reason is the Internet. For the first time, we have Meetup, MoveOn, Right March, Bloggers, E-Voting and political Spam. Good, bad or indifferent, the Internet is proving to be a major player in the prosecution of the presidential...
BUSINESS
Jun 23, 2004

Tokyo may retain stake in privatized mail service

The government is considering retaining equity stakes in postal services even after they are privatized, government sources said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2004

Spinach import restrictions lifted

The health ministry said Thursday it has removed import restrictions on frozen spinach from 27 plants in China after steps were taken by companies there to prevent pesticide residue in shipments.
BUSINESS
Jun 17, 2004

Foreign direct investment down 3.2%

Foreign direct investment in Japan fell 3.2 percent in fiscal 2003 from the previous year to 2.12 trillion yen, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Jun 8, 2004

Citizen, Seiko roll out thin radio-controlled watches

Watchmakers are turning to radio-controlled watches to beat out their Chinese and European counterparts, who tend to dominate the lower and higher ends of the market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 6, 2004

UFJ group to sell ailing Aplus to foreign firm

The UFJ group is in the final stages of talks with several foreign financial institutions, including Citigroup Inc. of the United States, to sell struggling consumer finance affiliate Aplus Co., sources close to the talks said Saturday.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2004

Japan poised to reject U.S. entreaty for reform of 'kampo' insurance

Japan will turn down a U.S. request to reform its publicly run "kampo" life insurance services, Japanese government officials said Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Jun 2, 2004

The challenge of not knowing your place

It is a shame that Ilya Kabakov was not feeling well enough to make the trip to Tokyo for the opening last Friday of his Mori Art Museum exhibition, "Where Is Our Place?" I met the New York-based Kabakov and his wife, Emilia, years ago when they were involved with the now-defunct Satani Gallery in Ginza,...
COMMENTARY
May 31, 2004

Recovery needs new markets

The Japanese economy is finally showing signs of recovery after remaining in the doldrums since May 1991, according to media reports. For example, stock prices are rising, corporate performance is improving, exports are expanding and capital spending is growing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 30, 2004

Prayer in the house of music

It is common for Japanese classical musicians to study in Europe, but Hisayoshi Inoue is a rarity. With only a diploma from a public junior high school, Inoue journeyed to Vienna in 1979, at age 16, to pursue his piano studies, and ended up staying there 24 years.
BUSINESS
May 29, 2004

Major life insurers show improvement

Japan's nine major life insurers are looking healthier thanks to stock-related gains made from the 47 percent jump in Tokyo stock prices during fiscal 2003, according to earnings reports released as of Friday.
JAPAN
May 28, 2004

Japanese still falling for 'It's me' telephone scams

Despite being a widely publicized problem, phone fraudsters posing as relatives in urgent need of money continue to bilk money out of middle-aged and elderly Japanese, according to National Police Agency statistics released Thursday.
JAPAN
May 27, 2004

Mitsubishi Fuso announces more recalls

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. announced the recall Wednesday of about 75,200 large vehicles due to defective clutch housings that have caused a number of accidents, including a fatality.
MORE SPORTS
May 27, 2004

Tokyo plays host to Super Powers Cup

The Japan Rugby Football Union will host the second playing of the Super Powers Cup in Tokyo on Thursday at National Stadium with the tournament concluding on Sunday at Chichibunomiya.
JAPAN
May 27, 2004

Mitsubishi Fuso announces more recalls

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. announced the recall Wednesday of about 75,200 large vehicles due to defective clutch housings that have caused a number of accidents, including a fatality.
JAPAN
May 26, 2004

80% of single mothers have trouble making ends meet

The average household income for families with single mothers is about 40 percent that of households with two parents and eight out of 10 single mothers say they have trouble making ends meet, according to a government report released Tuesday.
JAPAN
May 26, 2004

80% of single mothers have trouble making ends meet

The average household income for families with single mothers is about 40 percent that of households with two parents and eight out of 10 single mothers say they have trouble making ends meet, according to a government report released Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2004

Sumitomo Trust's group net balance back in black

Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co. said Monday its group net balance last business year returned to the black at 79.63 billion yen, partly due to a plunge in its loan-loss charges.
Japan Times
Features
May 23, 2004

Japan's deadly game of nuclear roulette

Of all the places in all the world where no one in their right mind would build scores of nuclear power plants, Japan would be pretty near the top of the list.
Japan Times
Features
May 23, 2004

Power and the People

North Korea is not the only country casting a long nuclear shadow over Japan and America. The citizens of both nations are right now under threat from precarious atomic programs -- ones which are being forced on them by their own governments.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2004

Namco sees profit surge 83.3%

Namco Ltd., a maker of video game software and hardware, said Thursday that its group net profit jumped 83.3 percent to 7.55 billion yen in fiscal 2003.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2004

Revolving door fatality dooms bonus

Sanwa Shutter Corp. said Thursday it will not pay bonuses to any of its 10 board members for fiscal 2003 due to a fatal accident involving one of the firm's revolving doors at Tokyo's Roppongi Hills complex.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2004

Snow Brand sheds scandals, red ink

Snow Brand Milk Products Co. said Thursday it returned to the black in fiscal 2003 for the first time in five years, overcoming a string of damaging scandals.
JAPAN
May 19, 2004

Brokerage chief, two others held over deposit padding

Tokyo prosecutors have arrested three people, including the president of Tokyo General Corp., a failed commodity futures brokerage house, on suspicion of faking its financial statements and padding the deposit balance by more than 20 billion yen.

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?