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BUSINESS
May 18, 2005

Yamada Denki's profit surges 50%

Yamada Denki Co. said Tuesday its net profit jumped 50 percent to a record 28.82 billion yen for the year that ended in March, driven by aggressive store openings and strong sales of flat-screen TVs.
BUSINESS
May 18, 2005

TSE won't shed regulatory division

The Tokyo Stock Exchange has no intention of spinning off the division that sets rules for listing applications and equities transactions when the bourse becomes a listed company later this year, TSE President Takuo Tsurushima said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 18, 2005

M&A, antitakeover bills cleared by Lower House

The House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday to update the corporate legal system to facilitate mergers and acquisitions and strengthen measures to stop hostile takeovers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
May 18, 2005

Roppongi's art gallery boom

Roppongi, which used to be chiefly known as a pick-up party pit for Tokyo's ex-pat population, has recently begun to emerge as a contemporary art center. Spurred by the Mori Art Museum's opening in 2003, the neighborhood now presents the possibility of a short walking tour of new and interesting art...
SOCCER / World cup
May 17, 2005

Kickoff times set for World Cup qualifiers

Japan's upcoming World Cup qualifier away to Bahrain on June 3 will kick off at 7:30 p.m. local time -- 1:30 a.m. on June 4 in Japan -- the Japan Football Association said Monday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 17, 2005

Valentine living it up in Japan as Marine faithful think pennant

Bobby Valentine isn't interested in talking about when or if he'll make a return to the major leagues. The former New York Mets manager is perfectly happy here in Japan.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 17, 2005

Nagashima ready to face baseball fans

Former Yomiuri Giants manager and Japanese baseball icon Shigeo Nagashima has indicated that he will soon make his first public appearance since suffering a stroke in March last year.
SUMO
May 17, 2005

Asashoryu battles through the pain to upend Kaiho

Yokozuna Asashoryu battled through the pain barrier to upend Kaiho and claim his ninth straight win at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday.
EDITORIALS
May 17, 2005

What price justice?

In the wake of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's visit to Japan last week, we must consider the price of justice. The topics of his talks with Japanese leaders included a request for financial support for an international tribunal to try surviving members of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime. Japan should...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
May 17, 2005

Are women-only cars a solution?

Mari Kaneko Student, 19 It's good to separate the cars because women feel insulted when they get touched, but women also have to take responsibility when they wear very short skirts. In summertime, some are almost naked.
COMMUNITY / LIFELINES
May 17, 2005

More on books, cake and bank bungles

Used books On the subject of used books, and where to get them/leave them, an alert reader writes in to let us know that Caravan Books, long a popular spot to pick up bargains, closed down in March.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 17, 2005

Foreign victims lacking a voice

As a foreigner living in Japan, it's often difficult to blend it with the crowd. While at times this might be fun, at others it can be a catalyst for trouble.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2005

Eisai again scores record profit

Eisai Co. said Monday it posted record group pretax and net profits for the fifth straight year in fiscal 2004 due to strong demand for drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease and peptic ulcers, its two major products in Japan and abroad.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2005

Japan, Malaysia to meet in attempt to bridge FTA gaps

Japan and Malaysia will try to bridge the remaining gaps in negotiations for a bilateral free-trade agreement during a vice-ministerial meeting in Malaysia starting Tuesday, according to a top Japanese trade official.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2005

Quasi-brews jack up beer sales

Shipments of malt-free beerlike beverages grew 4.6-fold in April compared with the same month the previous year, accounting for 19.4 percent of the total market, according to industry figures unveiled Monday.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2005

30% cut in expenditures needed: panel

General expenditures need to be trimmed by 30 percent if the government is to bring Japan's finances under control by fiscal 2015 through spending cuts alone, according to a projection released Monday by the Fiscal System Council.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2005

Current account surplus hits record high of 18.29 trillion yen

Japan's current account surplus hit a record high 18.29 trillion yen in fiscal 2004, up 5.8 percent from a year earlier for a second consecutive record high, the Finance Ministry said Monday.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2005

Suzuki unveils new, roomier Escudo SUV

Suzuki Motor Corp. unveiled its fully remodeled Escudo compact sport utility vehicle for the domestic market Monday, hoping the new addition will boost sales of compact cars.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 16, 2005

LaRocca hits homer as Carp see off Buffaloes

Greg LaRocca hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth inning Sunday as the Hiroshima Carp outlasted the Orix Buffaloes 16-14 in interleague play.
Rugby
May 16, 2005

Brave Blossoms bounce back to win

Japan made it two wins out of two in its qualifying campaign for the 2007 rugby World Cup after overpowering South Korea away 50-31 Sunday.
SUMO
May 16, 2005

Asashoryu wipes floor with Wakanosato

Grand champion Asashoryu brushed aside Wakanosato on Sunday to remain in sole possession of the lead at the midway point of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
COMMENTARY
May 16, 2005

Relax, breathe, leave the smokers alone

WASHINGTON -- One of the most persecuted minorities in America, and increasingly in other countries, is smokers. U.S. cities and states have imposed ever more Draconian restrictions on lighting up a cigarette, and a bipartisan coalition of paternalistic legislators on Capitol Hill now is pushing for...
EDITORIALS
May 16, 2005

Sharper sense of nuclear safety

The latest annual report from Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission is a troubling reminder that accident prevention remains a key priority for the nation's nuclear power industry. The head of the commission acknowledges in the foreword that last August's tragedy in Mihama, Fukui Prefecture -- Japan's deadliest...
COMMENTARY
May 16, 2005

Braking an arms free-for-all

The 2005 review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which opened May 2 at U.N. headquarters in New York, remains in limbo, although the agenda has finally been agreed.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
May 16, 2005

Climbing up the down escalator: Inflation still out of Japan's reach

Inflation is not about to return to Japan just yet. According to the Bank of Japan's latest "Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices" released at the end of last month, the BOJ Policy Board members' median forecast for consumer prices in fiscal year 2005 is a 0.1 percent decline over FY 2004. Their...

Longform

A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?