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JAPAN
Oct 18, 2001

Bioterrorists face life prison term

The government is hoping to mandate life imprisonment as the maximum penalty for the use of biological weapons under its proposed legislation to ratify the U.N. convention on terrorist attacks, according to government sources.
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2001

Powder sent to Koizumi's residence

As fears of anthrax letters continued to spread around the globe, the Prime Minister's Official Residence, the Defense Agency and some media organizations on Wednesday received envelopes containing white powder that turned out to be starch.
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2001

Key panel approves SDF bill

Ruling coalition members on a key Diet committee approved a bill enabling the Self-Defense Forces to support U.S.-led military operations against terrorism, paving the way for the bill's full Diet passage next week.
BUSINESS
Oct 17, 2001

Extra budget set to challenge 2 trillion yen line

A supplementary budget for this fiscal year will probably total 2 trillion yen, with 1 trillion yen earmarked for policy spending related to structural reforms, Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2001

Opinions clash over SDF role in war on terror

Two days after U.S.-led forces launched a bombing campaign on Afghanistan, six Air Self-Defense Force C-130 cargo planes arrived in Islamabad with relief supplies for refugees.
JAPAN
Oct 13, 2001

Kyoto Protocol schedule to proceed according to plan

Japan and other countries will proceed as scheduled to finalize the Kyoto Protocol rules on global warming as it is increasingly unlikely that the United States will devise an alternative to the accord ahead of upcoming climate talks, Environment Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said Friday. Signatories to...
JAPAN
Oct 12, 2001

Koizumi calls for DPJ support

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called on the opposition camp Thursday to back a government-proposed bill that would allow SDF personnel to play a noncombat role in the U.S.-led military drama now playing out in Afghanistan.
JAPAN
Oct 11, 2001

Government planning aid for MBM disposal

The government plans to provide some 10 billion yen in aid by March to producers of meat-and-bone meal following its decision Tuesday to ban its use because of a suspected link to mad cow disease, farm ministry officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Oct 11, 2001

Interministerial team to target cyberterrorism

Japan will set up an interministerial team to prevent cyberterrorism and protect its planned "cybergovernment" from attack, government officials said Wednesday.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Oct 11, 2001

What you can do to cut CO2 emissions

If readers of this column two weeks ago found the results of the 2001 "Environmental Doomsday Clock" questionnaire depressing, that's not surprising. For the seventh year in a row, respondents worldwide have set the clock at "extremely concerned."
JAPAN
Oct 9, 2001

DPJ concerned about civilian casualties

Yukio Hatoyama, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, said Monday he understands the U.S. and British airstrikes against targets in Afghanistan but expressed concern over civilian casualties.
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2001

Japan's response satisfactory, Baker says

The United States is "satisfied" with Japan's response in supporting U.S. antiterrorism efforts in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon last month, the U.S. ambassador to Japan said Friday.
BUSINESS
Oct 6, 2001

Bourse curbs sought to rein in terrorists

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi wants legislation developed to prevent terrorist groups from making profits through futures contracts on Japanese stock markets, government officials said Friday.
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2001

State nixes pay hikes for its employees

The government said Friday that it will not give state employees a pay raise this fiscal year, the second straight year there has been no increase, government officials said. The government instead will issue lump-sum payments to state workers to narrow the gap between public- and private-sector salaries....
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2001

Japan announces $120 million in aid for Afghanistan refugees

Responding to calls by the United Nations for financial assistance to the people of Afghanistan, Japan announced Thursday that it is ready to provide up to $120 million to the U.N. in preparation for the "worst-case scenario in the coming six months."
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2001

Bond cap may go: Koizumi

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi suggested Thursday that he is ready to withdraw his policy goal of limiting the current fiscal year's net bond issues to within 30 trillion yen.
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2001

Koizumi targets Seoul, Beijing ties

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will visit China and South Korea before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meets this month in Shanghai, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Thursday.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2001

Bureau nabs 13 over illegal entry

The Tokyo Immigration Bureau on Wednesday detained 13 Afghan and Pakistani nationals in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture on suspicion of violating the Immigration Control Law.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2001

Koizumi, Bush to meet before APEC

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. President George W. Bush in Shanghai later this month, ahead of the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the top government spokesman said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2001

82% of Japanese worry about environment

About 82 percent of Japanese are concerned about the environment and 80 percent are willing to change their lifestyles to curb global warming, according to a recent Cabinet Office opinion poll.
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2001

Tanaka admits careless leak of critical U.S. info

Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka admitted Tuesday she was careless in revealing a top secret matter regarding the U.S. just hours after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2001

Coalition agrees on two-year limit for SDF counterterror role

The government and ruling coalition have agreed to impose a two-year limit on planned legislation to enable the Self-Defense Forces to assist a U.S.-led operation against terrorism.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2001

SDF arms rules to be eased

The government and ruling bloc have agreed in principle to ease restrictions on the use of weapons by the Self-Defense Forces if they are engaged in logistic support for U.S.-led retaliatory strikes over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, government sources said Monday.
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2001

Pre-APEC China visit now unlikely

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is unlikely to carry through with his plan to visit China prior to the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shanghai, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Monday.
JAPAN / WEEKEND WISDOM
Sep 30, 2001

The reluctant politician reflects on a life less than ordinary

NAGOYA -- Toichiro Kuno is as ordinary a person as can be.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2001

Meat-and-bone meal ban expected

Japan could introduce a total ban as early as Monday on imports of meat-and-bone meal, an animal feed suspected of transmitting mad cow disease, the nation's agriculture minister said Friday.
BUSINESS
Sep 29, 2001

CPI falls for 24th straight month

The key gauge of consumer prices in Tokyo posted a 1.2 percent year-on-year fall in September -- its 24th straight month of decline -- mainly due to falls in housing rents and personal computers, the government said Friday.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2001

Kato urges quick passage of bills to let SDF aid U.S.

Koichi Kato, former secretary general of the LDP, on Friday stressed the need to quickly pass two bills to allow the Self-Defense Forces to provide support to U.S. forces in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
BUSINESS
Sep 29, 2001

Tax exemption proposed to boost flagging bourse

Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa proposed Friday a capital gains tax exemption on securities purchased in 2002 for long-term holding.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.