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BUSINESS
Mar 2, 2005

FSA seeks to slap public tender offer rules on off-hours trading

The Financial Services Agency plans to apply public tender offer rules, which require public announcement of details of the offers, to acquisitions of a one-third or greater stake in a firm through off-hours trading in Japan, FSA sources said Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 2, 2005

Horie to take NBS bid all the way to top court

Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie is bound and determined to secure a majority stake in Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. and beat Fuji Television Network Inc. in a high-profile acquisition battle over the radio broadcaster.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 2, 2005

Struggling aviation startups using wrong strategy, expert says

Despite the emergence of budget airlines that pose a threat to major carriers around the globe, Japanese startup carriers are still struggling to take off, with some already in rehabilitation.
BUSINESS
Mar 2, 2005

Livedoor's voting rights in Nippon Broadcasting rise

Livedoor Co. had increased its stake in Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. to 42.5 percent in terms of voting rights as of last Feb. 23, according to a report submitted by the Internet service provider.
EDITORIALS
Mar 2, 2005

Putting a lid on proliferation

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to discuss plans for the international management of the gateways to nuclear-weapons development -- activities related to uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing. The debate follows a report submitted by a committee of experts to the board of governors,...
MORE SPORTS
Mar 1, 2005

LPGA adds incentive

The top-ranked ladies golfer in the Japan LPGA women's money rankings after the Salonpas World Ladies Golf Tournament in May will be invited to compete in the McDonald's LPGA Championship the following month, the Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan said Monday.
SUMO
Mar 1, 2005

Foreign young guns promoted for basho

Bulgarian pinup Kotooshu will be mixing it with sumo's big guns as a new komusubi after the Japan Sumo Association released the rankings on Monday for the upcoming Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.
MORE SPORTS
Mar 1, 2005

Revamped Fuji Speedway unveiled

OYAMA, Shizuoka Pref. -- Toyota Motor Corp. on Monday unveiled a revamped Fuji Speedway, a state-of-the-art racing facility the Japanese manufacturer hopes will be among the best Formula One circuits in the world.
EDITORIALS
Mar 1, 2005

Slow response to AIDS

One of the world's worst disasters is under way in Africa. AIDS is devastating sub-Saharan Africa, and South Africa has been especially hard hit. The government in Pretoria, however, has played down the scale of the crisis and, consequently, has been slow to respond to it.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Mar 1, 2005

Waltzing around the issues

MOSCOW -- Summits have gone to the dogs. Gone are the days when a meeting of two presidents could change the world overnight, redrafting borders, changing governments and ensuring peace or war.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Mar 1, 2005

More pet care, honey and advice on quacks

Pet service In reply to a dog owner in Tokyo last year seeking a sitter or pet hotel while abroad, here are Susan and Takashi Shiobara with a great service: Pet Mate, located in the Fuchu/Koganei area of west Tokyo, offers petsitting at the owner's home while they're away as well as dog walking services...
BUSINESS
Mar 1, 2005

IRCJ ends bidding for Daiei rehab

The Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan stopped accepting tender bids Monday for parties seeking to participate in the revival of the troubled Daiei Inc. supermarket chain, IRCJ officials said.
BUSINESS
Mar 1, 2005

Air Next to stretch its wings June 1

Air Next Co., a unit of the group of airlines led by All Nippon Airways, said Monday its request to operate flights has been endorsed by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry.
BUSINESS
Mar 1, 2005

DoCoMo confirms plan to drop PHS

NTT DoCoMo Inc. officially confirmed its intention Monday to withdraw from the personal handy-phone system business and will begin turning away new customers at the end of April.
BUSINESS
Mar 1, 2005

SMFG expects 240 billion yen loss on loan writeoffs

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. said Monday it expects to record a 240 billion yen group net loss for the current financial year.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Mar 1, 2005

Past the pain and language barriers

Even for a sumo wrestler, Kaido Hoovelson looks big. The 20-year-old Estonian, who goes by the ring name of "Baruto," stands 197-cm tall, making him one of sumo's tallest wrestlers.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Mar 1, 2005

Who do you think will take control of Nippon Broadcasting?

Masanori Wakabayashi Sales, 35 It depends on Lehman Brothers. I think Livedoor should win, but the government might help Fuji because they're worried about American hostile takeovers.
BUSINESS
Mar 1, 2005

January retail sales highest since '97

Retail sales in January expanded to their highest level in about eight years as cold weather boosted consumer spending for winter clothing, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Monday in a preliminary report.
BUSINESS
Mar 1, 2005

Two more firms to back Fuji TV's bid for NBS

Daiwa Securities SMBC Co. and Kansai Electric Power Co. said Monday they will sell their shares in Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. to Fuji Television Network Inc. to support its tender offer for the radio broadcaster and thwart a takeover attempt by Internet company Livedoor Co.
MORE SPORTS
Feb 28, 2005

Mixed day for Kitajima

Olympic breaststroke champion Kosuke Kitajima had a mixed day at the short-course national championships Sunday as he won the 200 meters but finished second to Oleg Lisogor of Ukraine in the 50 meters.
Rugby
Feb 28, 2005

Rugby gods smile on Green Rockets

Having shown their allegiance to Wales in its cracking win over France in Paris on Saturday, the rugby gods traveled quickly to Tokyo to cast their celestial eyes over the 42nd All Japan Championship final at Chichibunomiya on Sunday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Feb 28, 2005

Anti-smoking groups to monitor pros

Two anti-smoking doctors groups said Saturday they will monitor the smoking habits of professional baseball players and how the 12 professional teams are supervising their underage players.
EDITORIALS
Feb 28, 2005

Look for VAT hike on the agenda

It appears that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is pushing the consumption-tax issue onto the political agenda. During a Lower House plenary session earlier this month, he said, in effect, that the value-added tax should be increased as part of overall social security reform. Until recently, Koizumi...
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 28, 2005

Nepal's king under pressure inside and out

MADRAS, India -- Recently Nepal's King Gyanendra dismissed his democratically elected prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and took over the Hindu kingdom's administration. This was a dictatorial and primitive move.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Feb 28, 2005

Tracking Mishima's footsteps in Florida

NEW YORK -- Earlier this month, when our friends Lenore and Robert invited us to visit them in Naples, Florida, where they recently acquired a new apartment, I decided to accept their offer. Naples is where Yukio Mishima (1925-70) spent a few days during his first visit to this country in January 1952,...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Feb 28, 2005

Beware of financial conglomerates in FSA's Wild Kingdom

Every year, the media trot out a list of Japan's most popular phrases. Last year's "phrase of the year" award went to "I feel ultra-fine!" -- the quote by swimmer Kosuke Kitajima who brought home multiple gold from the Athens Olympics.

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?