Search - 2005

 
 
EDITORIALS
Apr 4, 2006

A divide over the income gap

The perceived widening in the gap between the haves and have-nots in Japan has become a frequent topic of public debates. Those conscious of the gap refer to it as a negative byproduct of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reforms. Meanwhile, the government denies that the income gap is growing.
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2006

Larger vehicle sales down; minicars strong

Domestic new vehicle sales excluding minicars edged down 0.7 percent from the previous year to total 3.9 million units in fiscal 2005 -- which ended Friday -- due to weak passenger car sales, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Monday.
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2006

Manufacturers' confidence takes surprising drop

Confidence among major manufacturers dropped unexpectedly -- albeit slightly -- in the first quarter of the year due to high oil prices, marking the first decline in four quarters, according to the Bank of Japan's closely watched "tankan" survey released Monday.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 2006

23,800 rights abuses tallied in Japan

The number of human rights violations reported to the Justice Ministry's regional legal affairs bureaus across Japan reached a record-high 23,800 in 2005, up 4 percent from the previous year, a ministry tally showed Thursday.
JAPAN
Mar 30, 2006

Change to allow foreign political funds

Running for office doesn't come cheap. Politicians need money for posters, vans, venues for speeches and meals for volunteers. The problem for aspirants to office is that political donations are falling, and corporate money in particular is dwindling fast.
BUSINESS
Mar 28, 2006

Big firms' confidence off

Major companies became less confident about business conditions in the January-March quarter as manufacturers were hit by high oil prices, pushing the key confidence index down for the first time in four quarters, a government survey showed Monday.
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2006

Okinawa base issue not cut and dried with locals

NAGO, Okinawa Pref. -- It's a chilly, rainy evening in late January, but more than 1,000 people pack the center of town to hear a speech by Yoshikazu Shimabukuro, the head of the Nago Municipal Assembly.
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2006

Defense Agency probes leaks about China intel

The Defense Agency has conducted an internal probe into what it says are media leaks that resulted in two newspaper reports detailing Chinese military operations last May and September, informed sources have said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 24, 2006

Tokyo music festival to celebrate Mozart

Whether you are a classical music beginner, a hardcore addict or just a trend-follower, head's up! La Folle Journee au Japon Music Festival is coming to Tokyo during the Golden Week holidays and will be held from Saturday, April 29 to May 6.
EDITORIALS
Mar 21, 2006

Court misses the big picture

Protecting a news source is the most important ethic of a reporter. But the Tokyo District Court has mounted a frontal attack on this principle, endangering freedom of press and the people's right to know. The court decided March 14 that when the possibility exists that a news source is a public servant,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Mar 21, 2006

The doomsday doctor

Japan is officially shrinking. Last October's census found 19,000 fewer Japanese than the previous year; the first time, barring the catastrophic year of 1945 that the population has dropped since censuses began in 1920.
COMMENTARY
Mar 20, 2006

Iwakuni vote poses a risk

In a referendum March 12, a majority of residents in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, voted no on a government plan to host additional 57 carrier-based warplanes at the U.S. Marine Corps air station there. Under a plan for the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, the planes are to be transferred from the...
Japan Times
Features / WEEK 3
Mar 19, 2006

Take note of how to sort out your life

Despite working late every day, Yukihiro Misawa always felt he wasn't getting enough done.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 17, 2006

Curtain rises on Tokyo International Anime Fair

From popular TV series and unreleased work to cutting-edge production technology, everything the domestic animation industry has to offer will be at the 5th Tokyo International Anime Fair 2006, from March 23 to 26 at the Tokyo Big Sight.
BUSINESS
Mar 16, 2006

Nippon Oil to curb Iran imports

Nippon Oil Corp. will reduce its oil imports from Iran in view of uncertainties over the row between that country and Western nations about its nuclear designs, company President Fumiaki Watari said Wednesday.
Japan Times
LIFE
Mar 12, 2006

Women's voices

This story is part of a package on women in Japan. The introduction is here.
Japan Times
LIFE
Mar 12, 2006

Pointers to progress and inertia

This story is part of a package on women in Japan. The introduction is here.
BUSINESS
Mar 10, 2006

BOJ lifts ultraloose policy

The Bank of Japan on Thursday ended its five-year-old ultraloose monetary policy, brushing aside concerns in the Cabinet and the ruling coalition that the nation has not yet overcome years of deflation.
MORE SPORTS
Mar 9, 2006

Veteran writer Wiggins honored with FSAJ award

Longtime sports columnist and sumo television announcer Dave Wiggins was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the second annual Foreign Sportswriters Association of Japan Media Awards dinner on Monday night in Tokyo.
EDITORIALS
Mar 7, 2006

A battle that has barely begun

One year since the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control went into effect, Japan's smoking rate still remains high compared with other developed nations. The government needs to create a strong momentum toward lowering the rate.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 4, 2006

Autuori set for Kashima title tilt

Paulo Autuori needed a lot of convincing to leave Sao Paulo for the J. League.
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2006

Private surveillance cameras on the rise

Is it neighborhood watch or Big Brother?
BUSINESS
Mar 2, 2006

Management strife threatens JAL's dominance

Internal struggles have long been the norm at Japan Airlines Corp., but the management row that surfaced in February goes beyond the usual factional strife.
EDITORIALS
Feb 28, 2006

Fueling trust in rocket science

In the short span of one month, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has successfully launched three rockets, each carrying a satellite. This success has increased trust in JAXA's technological capability, raising Japan's hopes of entering the commercial rocket business.
Japan Times
Features
Feb 26, 2006

Tales of two cities

The seeds of political tension in Xinjiang are not hard to find.

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake