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EDITORIALS
Jul 9, 1999

New Komeito's role

New Komeito will be holding a party convention July 24 that will surely be closely watched by politicians of all stripes, as well as by the public. If the party decides to join the LDP-LP coalition, it will give a major fillip to the government's legislative capacity. Together, the three parties control...
JAPAN
Jul 7, 1999

Ishihara to ban Aum members from facilities

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara told the metropolitan assembly Wednesday that he will not allow members of Aum Shinrikyo to use Tokyo's public facilities.
EDITORIALS
Jul 6, 1999

New life for Mideast peace

Emerging from arduous interparty negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak has presented his nation -- and a waiting world -- with a rainbow coalition whose sweeping diversity may just be what it takes to revive the dormant Middle East peace process.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 1999

Flag-anthem hearings held in Sapporo, Naha

The House of Representatives Cabinet Committee conducted hearings Tuesday in Sapporo and Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, on the government-proposed bill to recognize the Hinomaru as the national flag and "Kimigayo" as the anthem.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 1999

Constitutional review panel approved by Lower House

The first Diet debate on the Constitution since it was written in 1946 could come in January.
JAPAN
Jul 5, 1999

Obuchi to seek Ozawa's nod for New Komeito entry

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Monday that Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi will try to meet Liberal Party leader Ichiro Ozawa before his scheduled visit to China on Thursday to secure his understanding on the entry of New Komeito into the current two-party coalition.
JAPAN
Jul 5, 1999

Government sees role in nurturing venture firms

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi instructed his Cabinet Monday to start working out industrial "millennium projects" that will enable the government and private sector to concentrate joint efforts on growth industries such as information technology.
JAPAN
Jul 5, 1999

Rengo seeks 14 trillion yen supplementary budget

The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) on Monday urged the government to compile a 14 trillion yen supplementary budget for fiscal 1999 to create more jobs and to rejuvenate the nation's economy, Rengo officials said Monday.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 1999

DPJ bill targets political donations

In an attempt to block a move by some members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan will submit a bill to revise the Political Funds Control Law to ensure politicians will be banned from receiving political donations from companies and other organizations beginning January...
JAPAN
Jul 2, 1999

Weaker deposit safety net worries Nonaka

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka on Friday said measures to help small businesses in the event of bank failures need to be drawn up after the government introduces a ceiling on guaranteed deposits in April 2001.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 1, 1999

France's right on the run

PARIS -- The French political scene is presently -- and probably for sometime to come -- dominated by the results of the European parliamentary election held June 13. Many commentators spoke of an earthquake. Here are the reasons why.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 1999

Government to aid Kure residents with relief funds

The government will provide relief funds to Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, to help people seriously hit by recent heavy rain, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jun 29, 1999

Diet begins deliberating flag and anthem bill

Diet debate on a government-proposed bill to recognize the Hinomaru as the national flag and "Kimigayo" as the national anthem began Tuesday with Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi telling a Lower House plenary session that legal recognition would give the Japanese people the correct understanding of the national...
EDITORIALS
Jun 28, 1999

Staring at the abyss in Northern Ireland

Though more than a year has passed since politicians in Northern Ireland signed the historic Good Friday peace accord, the document has remained a dead letter due to a dispute over the disarmament of the Irish Republican Army. Now the agreement is unraveling, posing a real danger that dialogue will once...
JAPAN
Jun 28, 1999

Ishihara now wants all base land back

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara on Monday asked Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to take steps to achieve one of his most important election pledges: the return of Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo or its joint use by airlines.
JAPAN
Jun 28, 1999

Base not Ishihara's only target

Staff writers
JAPAN
Jun 25, 1999

Obuchi expected to ask New Komeito to join bloc

In a move heralding the formation of a tripartite coalition, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and New Komeito leader Takenori Kanzaki are expected to hold talks before the second opposition party's July 24 convention.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 1999

Latest dioxin study reveals large drop in '98 emissions

Total dioxin emissions in Japan in 1998 were reduced to less than half of 1997 levels, but they were still far larger than in other developed countries, the Environment Agency said Friday.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 1999

Nuclear plants feared vulnerable coastline targets

MIHAMA, Fukui Pref. — A North Korean submarine runs aground on the nuclear plant-dotted shores of Fukui Prefecture and 11 commandos armed with antitank rockets storm ashore.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 1999

Nonaka hints at second extra budget

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka hinted Friday that the government may need to compile a second extra budget for fiscal 1999 later this year.
JAPAN
Jun 24, 1999

Akashi to make visit to North Korea

Yasushi Akashi, a former United Nations undersecretary general, will make a four-day visit to North Korea beginning Tuesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jun 24, 1999

LDP group demands revised SDF law, powers

A group of ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers asked the government Thursday to revise the Self-Defense Force Law to expand areas the SDF can guard to beyond airspace, and to draft bills for better handling of high-level contingencies within Japan.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 1999

Researchers to regain intellectual property rights

The government has decided to hand back intellectual property rights to private- sector researchers who conducted research and development on its behalf, Trade Minister Kaoru Yosano told biotechnology leaders Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Jun 21, 1999

Mr. Mandela's mixed legacy

With a wave of his hand and a few humble words, South African President Nelson Mandela bid farewell to his nation Wednesday but left behind a rich legacy of democracy and racial reconciliation. His successor, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, sworn into office immediately following Mr. Mandela's retirement, now faces...
JAPAN
Jun 18, 1999

Report paves way for state to sell land to reduce deficit

The government should be more flexible in leasing or selling state property to help reduce huge fiscal deficits, an advisory panel to the finance minister proposed Friday.
EDITORIALS
Jun 17, 1999

Symbols of unity or division?

As national symbols go, few can define the identity of a state as succinctly and evocatively as the national flag and anthem. Whether in time of war or peace, the national flag and the anthem unify the country and dignify national pursuits. These are icons that are fundamental to a nation's standing...
JAPAN
Jun 17, 1999

DPJ slumping in face of alliance

In sharp contrast to the governing Liberal Democratic Party, which is flexing more political muscle as it woos New Komeito to join the ruling coalition, the Democratic Party of Japan seems to be at a loss on how to find a way to shore up its sagging position in national politics.
JAPAN
Jun 15, 1999

Shorter extension of Diet session likely

The proposed extension of the current Diet session will likely be limited to early August, as key government and Liberal Democratic Party leaders on Tuesday expressed their resolve to work quickly on urgent spending matters.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 1999

Impact assessments for large projects now a must

The Environmental Impact Assessment Law goes into effect today, legally requiring assessments of large-scale development projects and giving citizens a greater means to influence them.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 1999

Jobs, extra budget packages slated for current session

The current Diet session will be asked to approve a supplementary fiscal 1999 budget and other legislation that would finance a package of job-creating measures and implement steps aimed at reviving Japan's industrial competitiveness, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said Friday.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?