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BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2006

Draft budget guidelines OK'd; tax talk put off

The governing coalition approved a draft of 2006 economic policy guidelines Monday, recommending an overhaul of the tax system but without mentioning specific tax increases, ruling party lawmakers said.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jul 4, 2006

What's your favorite holiday read?

Geoffrey Rothwell Professor, 52 I love Japanese literature. Read "The Wild Sheep Chase" by Murakami. It's a combination of reality and fantasy that gets you out of the everyday reality of life. There are talking cats, sheep and magic and much more.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jul 4, 2006

Yoga, gold and pet adoption

Maternity yoga Chris is pregnant and living in the Osaka area, and wants to know if there is anywhere she can practice yoga in her condition.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jul 4, 2006

Travel firm rapped over foreigner ticket policy

The nation's largest discount travel agency, HIS, which also runs foreigner-friendly No.1 Travel, has based the price of some air tickets from Japan on the nationality of the traveler, possibly in breach of Japanese law, The Japan Times has learned.
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2006

MHI seeks U.S. nod on new reactor

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Monday it has begun procedures with the aim of winning Washington's design certification for its new advanced pressurized water reactor by the end of 2011 to market it in the United States.
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2006

July rate hike seen amid rosy 'tankan'

Business confidence among major manufacturers improved in the April-June quarter and fiscal 2006 corporate capital spending is expected to post double-digit growth, the Bank of Japan's "tankan" survey showed Monday, increasing the likelihood that the central bank will raise the key short-term interest...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / ON THE BOOK TRAIL
Jul 4, 2006

"The Possum Always Rings Twice: A Chet Gecko Mystery," "Strange Happiness"

"The Possum Always Rings Twice: A Chet Gecko Mystery," Bruce Hale, Harcourt; 2006; 112pp.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 4, 2006

How not to lose your cool with the kids this summer

July and August are brutally hot across most of Japan, and for parents with young children at home, the challenge is on to somehow enjoy the summer without getting bitten, burned or bummed out.
EDITORIALS
Jul 4, 2006

A new team in Vietnam

Vietnam has overhauled its leadership. The country's National Assembly last week affirmed the individuals selected by the congress of the Vietnam Communist Party. Members of the new team are considerably younger than their predecessors, and their common characteristic is a commitment to economic reform....
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2006

First-half auto sales finally lose grip on 2 million

Domestic sales of new motor vehicles excluding minivehicles from January to June totaled 1.99 million units, marking the first time in 23 years that first-half sales have failed to break 2 million, an industry body said Monday.
SPORTS / MULLY'S MISSIVES
Jul 4, 2006

Overheard somewhere in Germany

HAMBURG, Germany -- Rumor, gossip and half-truths fly around the stadium media centers where the journalists at the World Cup do their work. Here's some of the juiciest tittle-tattle regarding players and coaches I've heard in the past couple of weeks:
SOCCER / World cup
Jul 3, 2006

England players seeing red after Rooney slapped with card

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany -- Owen Hargreaves blamed Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo for ruining England's chances against Portugal on Saturday by unjustly sending off Wayne Rooney.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2006

TV sky diver lands at royal home

A comedian who was sky diving as part of a television quiz program and his instructor were blown off course by strong winds Sunday afternoon and landed within the Akasaka Goyochi residential quarters of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako in Minato Ward, police said.
SOCCER / World cup
Jul 3, 2006

Curse of the penalty shootout sends England packing

GELSENKIRCHEN, England -- The curse of the penalty shootout struck again for the English.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2006

Hashimoto brought a rare passion to politics during his long career

Former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, who died Saturday at age 68, was a passionate, tough politician with a great deal of policy expertise.
COMMENTARY
Jul 3, 2006

Will India-China border talks ever end?

NEW DELHI -- For 25 years, India has been seeking to settle by negotiation with China the disputed Indo-Tibetan frontier. Yet, not only have the negotiations yielded no concrete progress on a settlement, but they also have failed so far to remove even the ambiguities plaguing the long line of control....
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2006

Yamazaki Baking to acquire over 60% stake in Tohato

Yamazaki Baking Co. plans to acquire a stake of more than 60 percent in struggling confectionary maker Tohato Inc., sources said Sunday.
EDITORIALS
Jul 3, 2006

A new door opens with Ireland

A n announcement at the Foreign Ministry last week that Japan and Ireland have agreed to let their young people work part-time in each other's countries for up to a year was a reminder of how much benefit flows from the little-mentioned but widely utilized "working holiday program."
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2006

Ignoring warning, Chinese ship operates near Senkakus

A Chinese maritime survey ship was spotted early Sunday near the Senkakus, a group of Japan-controlled islets claimed by China, and ignored a warning by a patrol boat against conducting survey activities, the Japan Coast Guard said.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2006

Flag change eyed to protect ships

The government is planning to allow foreign-registered oil tankers and other energy transporter ships operated by Japanese firms to fly the Japanese flag as a way to protect them from pirates, a transport ministry official said Sunday.
COMMENTARY
Jul 3, 2006

A public-relations disaster

LONDON -- Politicians and officials are sometimes their countries' worst enemies. Some politicians and officials behave ineptly and tactlessly in ways that damage the national interests of their country.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji