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BUSINESS
Sep 6, 2005

Minimum for oil reserves to be cut in line with IEA

Japan will cut its mandatory minimum for oil reserves held by refiners and other private-sector oil firms in a concerted action by the International Energy Agency, a senior government official said Monday.
JAPAN
Sep 6, 2005

Rubik's Cube fills niche hands-off computer can't

The three-dimensional puzzle Rubik's Cube that was explosively popular in the early 1980s is staging a big comeback.
EDITORIALS
Sep 6, 2005

Democracy test for Mr. Mubarak

Egyptian voters will choose their next president Wednesday from among 10 candidates running in that country's first-ever multicandidate presidential election. There are no candidates powerful enough to challenge incumbent President Hosni Mubarak, however, and it seems certain he will win a fifth term....
BUSINESS
Sep 6, 2005

Fast Retail to pay big to put Uniqlo on world fashion stage

Fast Retailing Co., which runs the Uniqlo casual clothing chain, said Monday it will spend up to 400 billion yen over the next three years to acquire apparel businesses as part of an overall plan to evolve into a global powerhouse.
BUSINESS
Sep 6, 2005

PC gadget offers TV from overseas

Sony Corp. said Monday it will release a new device Oct. 1 that lets computer users watch Japanese television programs while abroad through the Internet.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 6, 2005

Postal plan no cure for spiraling debt, critic says

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's plan to privatize the giant postal system will not resolve Japan's ballooning fiscal debt, which is hampering plans to create a smaller government, according to outspoken critic Yasuyo Yamazaki.
JAPAN
Sep 6, 2005

Funds sought for Okinotori facility

The Japan Coast Guard is seeking 33.7 million yen to build the first lighthouse on Okinotori Island, Japan's southernmost point, for completion in February 2007, officials said Monday.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Sep 6, 2005

The empire strikes back

Venerated by militarists and marinated in over a century of militarism and war, Yasukuni Shrine may well be Japan's least friendly venue for a demonstration by pacifists.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 6, 2005

Takashimaya to sell diamond for 1.9 billion yen

Takashimaya Co. said Monday it will sell a 66-carat diamond for 1.895 billion yen -- the most expensive jewelry it has ever handled -- at its Nihonbashi department store in Chuo Ward, Tokyo.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Sep 6, 2005

Smoking, Japanese and clothes

Still smoking Bruce is being pestered by a friend back home who wants him to find a "heavy duty" pocket ashtray.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 6, 2005

Small shops wake up and smell the coffee to fend off big chains

As self-service coffee shop chains saturate the market, their small-scale, often pricey predecessors are feeling the squeeze, and those in Tokyo and Osaka are struggling to survive by focusing on their uniqueness.
BUSINESS
Sep 6, 2005

Insurer errors may top 100,000

Sompo Japan Insurance Inc., one of Japan's six biggest nonlife insurers, said Monday it failed to make payouts totaling 920 million yen in 27,296 cases between July 2002 and last June.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Sep 6, 2005

What would you do if you were Prime Minister of Japan?

Edwin Webb English teacher, 24 There's too much money being spent in the outer prefectures on concrete. I would focus on promoting tourism. I've seen too many natural features defaced with concrete.
BUSINESS
Sep 6, 2005

Capital spending surges 7.3%

Companies' capital spending grew 7.3 percent from a year earlier in the April-June period on an all-industry basis for the ninth straight quarter of expansion, the Finance Ministry reported Monday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 5, 2005

Hawks' Arakaki whiffs 14 Lions

Right-handed pitcher Nagisa Arakaki struck out 14 batters Sunday as the Pacific League-leading Softbank Hawks blanked the Seibu Lions 2-0.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 5, 2005

Ozeki Kaio suffers injury blow

Kaio's preparations for the upcoming Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament suffered a setback Sunday after the ozeki pulled a hamstring in his right leg during a practice bout.
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2005

NPA official held over loan scam

An engineer at the National Police Agency and another man were arrested Sunday on suspicion of forging documents to borrow money.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 5, 2005

Crucial time for U.S.-China-Japan ties

SINGAPORE -- This week will be crucial for the U.S.-China-Japan relationship as U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao begin their summit in Washington on Wednesday, five days ahead of a key general election for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Bush's closest ally in...
COMMENTARY
Sep 5, 2005

A historic scramble to rule

The Sept. 11 Lower House election will test Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's politics, giving voters a chance to choose the nation's leadership between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan.
EDITORIALS
Sep 5, 2005

A child-rearing environment

Policy proposals for creating an economic and social environment conducive to childbearing and child-rearing should be an important issue for voters to consider in next Sunday's Lower House election. An accelerating decline in the birthrate, followed eventually by a smaller labor force, will have a great...

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