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EDITORIALS
Jul 26, 2003

Will a merger widen political choices?

That democracy is based on a free and fair election system goes without saying. A system that enables government to change is another vital feature of democracy. In Japan, power remains in the hands of the Liberal Democratic Party, although a large segment of the voting public is unhappy with the party....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 26, 2003

Coalition paves way for approval of SDF-Iraq bill

The ruling coalition rammed a government-proposed bill to send Self-Defense Forces to Iraq through a House of Councilors committee Friday evening amid resistance from the opposition, paving the way for final Diet approval of the controversial legislation.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Eel quality control falters in wake of antibiotic find

An association of eel importers suspended its quality-guarantee system about a month after it was launched in March because a banned antibiotic was detected in frozen eel products from China, the association said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Cyber attacks more than double

About 120,000 Web sites in Japan were subject to attacks by computer hackers or computer viruses in the April-June quarter, more than twice the number in the previous three months, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Suicides above 30,000 for fifth consecutive year

The number of people who committed suicide in 2002 exceeded 30,000 for the fifth straight year, according to data released Thursday by the National Police Agency.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Palestinian Authority to get aid

The government said Thursday it will provide $300,000 in communications equipment and technical assistance to the security institutions of the Palestinian Authority.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Government plans exhaustive program to research protein

The government will launch a five-year national research program to analyze the interaction of human proteins as a new scientific goal following the completion of the human genome map in April, science ministry officials said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Trucker to pay damages in installments

A former truck driver, his former employer and other concerns were handed a court order Thursday to pay 250 million yen in compensation to the parents of two infant sisters killed in a traffic accident he caused while driving drunk in 1999.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Building owner enters no plea in Kabukicho fatal fire case

The owner of a building in Shinjuku, Tokyo, gutted in a fire in 2001 withheld entering a plea Thursday on charges of professional negligence resulting in death.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

110 government offices paid extortion funds to mobsters in year

At least 110 government and public corporation offices paid extortion money to mobsters over the past year, caving in to demands to buy merchandise, subscribe to publications, make donations or pay hush money, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Former aide says she did not advise Tsujimoto

A woman who allegedly lent her name to a former lawmaker to be fraudulently registered for monetary gain has said she never went to the politician's office or advised her by phone, as has been claimed, sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

Opposition parties try to block SDF bill

The opposition parties launched a last-minute move Thursday to block final Upper House votes on a government-sponsored bill to dispatch Self-Defense Forces to Iraq, by submitting a series of censure motions against Cabinet ministers.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

Sony net profit nosedives 98% amid sluggish sales

Sony Corp.'s group net profit for the first quarter of this fiscal year nosedived 98 percent to 1.1 billion yen from a year earlier, the company said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

MMC plans Aussie R&D project

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and its Australian subsidiary, Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd., said Thursday they will spend 230 million Australian dollars for a new automotive research and development project.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

Keidanren chief seeks reform ideas

OYAMA, Shizuoka Pref. -- Business leaders should take the initiative in pushing structural reforms aimed at reinvigorating the stagnant economy, Hiroshi Okuda, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren), said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

Defiant Japan to raise beef tariff to 50%

Japan will raise its tariff on imported refrigerated beef to 50 percent from the current 38.5 percent Aug. 1, despite strong opposition by the United States and Australia, government sources said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

Cash dries up amid pension plan fears

The ratio of people who failed to pay national pension premiums hit a record-high 37.2 percent in fiscal 2002, surpassing the previous record of 29.1 percent in fiscal 2001, the Social Insurance Agency said Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Jul 25, 2003

Iraqis take control

The inauguration of an Iraqi-led government in Baghdad is the first concrete step toward creating a free and democratic Iraq. Installation of the Iraqi Governing Council by the United States is still problematic, but a successful transition from U.S. administration to a stable and functioning civil society...
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

Japan, U.S. may conduct first energy talks since 1996

Japanese and U.S. officials may hold a working-level meeting on energy, the first since 1996, Seiji Murata, vice minister of economy, trade and industry, said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2003

DPJ, Liberal Party exec panels approve fall merger proposal

The executive councils of the Democratic Party of Japan and Liberal Party approved on Thursday a proposal to merge the two parties by the end of September.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

June trade surplus plunges 30.7%

The trade surplus dropped 30.7 percent in June from a year earlier to 846 billion yen, marking its first fall in three months as exports sputtered, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 25, 2003

L'Ecailler: Why shell out?

One thing should be made clear from the outset: L'Ecailler is not a restaurant for everyone. This has nothing to do with location or exclusivity, though it must be said that tony, well-heeled Shirokanedai does boast a distinctive demographic all its own. Neither is it a question of finances. L'Ecailler...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2003

Rainy season pours cold water on recovery

The rain clouds hovering over most of Japan are not just drenching people -- they are also blighting the earnings outlook for corporate Japan.

Longform

The volunteer lifesavers of Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club never know what's in store at the start of their day.
It's no simple day at the beach for Japan's volunteer lifesavers