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JAPAN
Dec 8, 2005

Pollen levels to be lower this spring

The amount of hay-fever causing cedar pollen released into the air hit its highest level ever last spring, thanks to favorable weather for cedar growth the summer before.
BUSINESS
Dec 8, 2005

Japan productivity lowest in G7

Japan's labor productivity in 2003 was the lowest among the Group of Seven advanced economies for the 10th year in a row, according to results of a survey released by a think tank Wednesday.
COMMENTARY
Dec 8, 2005

Crisis behind Arroyo, for now

MANILA -- Some observers of Philippine affairs view political crises in this country as a permanent phenomenon. Just the other day, I joined a group of foreign correspondents for a meeting with a visiting American reporter who has covered the Philippines since the late '60s. While this journalist, who...
BUSINESS
Dec 8, 2005

KDDI seeks JCN control with Tepco

KDDI Corp. plans to take control of Japan Cablenet Ltd. by teaming up with major JCN shareholder Tokyo Electric Power Co., sources said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY
Dec 8, 2005

Opportunities seized, missed

HONOLULU -- U.S. President George W. Bush, during his recent visit to Asia, seized the opportunity to reaffirm Washington's commitment to the promotion of democracy, free and fair trade, and political and especially religious freedom. But other opportunities were missed in terms of better defining America's...
JAPAN
Dec 8, 2005

Panel OKs SDF's Iraq extension

A key policy panel of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved on Wednesday a one-year extension for the Ground Self-Defense Force's mission in Iraq.
BUSINESS
Dec 8, 2005

Economy gauge stays in boom zone

A key gauge of the current state of the economy stayed above the boom-or-bust threshold of 50 percent in October for the third straight month, buoyed by strong large-lot electricity consumption and a healthy job offers-to-seekers ratio, the government said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Dec 8, 2005

Residents can sue railway: top court

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that residents near Odakyu Electric Railway Co. elevated train tracks in Tokyo qualify as plaintiffs in a lawsuit demanding the revocation of permits for the section.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 7, 2005

Webber frustrated with role for 76ers

NEW YORK -- Philadelphia's Chris Webber didn't even try to hide his fury when replaced for defensive purposes down the stretch against the Knicks late last month. Everyone within earshot heard him berate assistant John Kuester, who's apparently responsible for such substitutions.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 7, 2005

Al Ahly aims to keep unbeaten streak alive

To say Al Ahly has hit a purple patch heading into the FIFA Club World Championship is a bit of an understatement.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2005

Ambassador tapped to probe abductions

Japan on Tuesday appointed its ambassador to Norway as special envoy for overseeing human rights issues, including North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens, government officials said.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2005

Tokyo plans to pull GSDF from Iraq by Aug. 31

Tokyo told Washington in November that it will begin withdrawing the Ground Self-Defense Force from Iraq in June and finish by the end of August, government and ruling coalition sources revealed Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2005

State vows safety measures to protect schoolchildren

The central government said Tuesday it would take steps to protect schoolchildren following the recent murders of two girls in Hiroshima and Tochigi prefectures.
EDITORIALS
Dec 7, 2005

Step up the war on AIDS

The 2005 report by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is a shocking reminder that the number of HIV/AIDS cases worldwide has hit an all-time high, exceeding 40 million people for the first time.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2005

Unlicensed doctor caught after 8 years

Tokyo police on Tuesday arrested a self-styled doctor who is suspected of practicing medicine without a license for eight years at about 20 medical institutions.
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2005

Japan ready for pain at WTO: Nikai

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai said Tuesday that Japan is ready to accept a painful outcome from the difficult market-opening negotiations taking place in the World Trade Organization's Doha Round, hinting that Tokyo may make concessions in its heavily protected agricultural sector....
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2005

Toshiba in pact for new logic chips

Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday it has agreed to develop 65-nanometer field programmable gate arrays, a type of logic chip that supports thousands of gates, with Xilinx Inc. of the United States.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2005

Commemorative YS-11 heralds retirement of fleet

A specially lettered commemorative version of the YS-11, the first passenger aircraft built in postwar Japan, was shown to the media Tuesday at Tokyo's Haneda airport ahead of its retirement from commercial service next fall.
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2005

75.2% unwilling to eat U.S. beef, survey indicates

Although the government is likely to lift the ban on beef imports from the United States this month, 75.2 percent of surveyed consumers are unwilling to eat U.S. beef, according to results of a telephone survey released by Kyodo News on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2005

8 billion yen outlay eyed to repair shoddy condo fiasco

and land minister Kazuo Kitagawa, addresses a government meeting Tuesday on aid for condominium owners in the shoddy building scandal.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years