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BUSINESS
Jul 12, 2003

Economic assessment unchanged

The government on Friday left its assessment of the economy unchanged for July, with sharp rises in stock prices offset by murky outlooks in the direction of overseas economies.
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2003

Plan to beautify Japan aired, hit as new pork-barrel tactic

The infrastructure ministry unveiled a new policy Friday designed to put greater emphasis on the nation's appearance.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2003

Saitama governor's daughter held

Saitama Gov. Yoshihiko Tsuchiya's eldest daughter was arrested Thursday evening on suspicion of hiding 113 million yen in donations paid to her father's political fund management body over five years.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2003

Japan Highway accused of hiding data that show it riddled with debt

Japan Highway Public Corp. may be keeping a secret.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2003

Diet enacts law on hospitalizing impaired lawbreakers

The Diet enacted a controversial law Thursday on procedures for hospitalizing mentally impaired lawbreakers, after an unusually long path of deliberation.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2003

Sex change recognition law enacted

The Diet enacted a law Thursday to enable people with gender identity disorder to change, under certain conditions, the way their sex is listed in their family registries.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2003

Koizumi, Malaysian envoy meet

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi agreed Thursday to continue pressuring Myanmar to release democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2003

State ready to move on new SDF bill

The government appears to be on the verge of expediting a bill that would give it permanent authority to send Self-Defense Forces on postconflict missions abroad.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2003

Nov. 9 election nearly a certainty: Yamasaki aide

A Nov. 9 general election is a near certainty as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is expected to dissolve the House of Representatives to meet that schedule, a close aide to LDP Secretary General Taku Yamasaki said Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 11, 2003

Paris plays multilateral card

SINGAPORE — Although one of the most notable moments at the June 1-3 Group of Eight summit in Evian, France, was the rapprochement between U.S. President George W. Bush and French President Jacques Chirac, Franco-American relations have not been completely restored. Senior Bush administration officials...
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 11, 2003

Australia takes on role as sheriff of the South Seas

SYDNEY -- South Pacific island states, led by Australia and New Zealand, are gearing up for an historic intervention in the internal affairs of one their distressed members, Solomon Islands. An armed "invasion" should land within weeks.
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2003

Current account surplus up as overseas travel dips

The nation's current account surplus rose for the second month in a row in May as the SARS epidemic trimmed overseas travel, surging 28.5 percent from a year earlier to 1.35 trillion yen, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2003

Narita looks to privatization, more profits, lower landing fees

With legislation for privatizing Narita airport set to win Diet approval Friday, the head of the operating authority pledged to do his utmost to make Japan's main gateway more profitable so it can go public in a few years after becoming a wholly state-owned joint stock corporation.
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2003

'Happoshu' sales succumb to tax hike

Due to a tax hike in May, shipments of low-malt beer known as "happoshu" fell 2 percent in the January-June term, logging the first half-yearly drop on record, according to data released Thursday by Japan's five major breweries.
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2003

New Toshiba gadget firm to open

Toshiba Corp. said Thursday it will establish a new engineering company in Kawasaki to provide advanced engineering support for discrete devices.
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2003

Wholesale prices decline for 34th straight month

Domestic wholesale prices fell 1 percent in June from a year earlier for the 34th consecutive month of decline, the Bank of Japan said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2003

Human rights lawyer to give talks on Middle East

An award-winning human rights lawyer from the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip will visit Japan to speak about the situation there and how global society can help the region move toward peace.
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2003

Mobile phone shipments up 23.5%

Domestic shipments of mobile phone handsets, including personal handy-phone equipment, rose 23.5 percent in May from a year earlier to 4,002,000 units, logging a seventh straight monthly gain, an industry association said Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2003

Tokyo Star taking a different approach to banking

Enter one of Tokyo Star Bank's four new branches, and you are soon ushered into booths arranged for private consultations with customers.
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2003

Telecoms to sue government over NTT's fee hike

Top officials of five telecom carriers agreed Thursday to take on the government in a bid to nullify its approval of an increase in the interconnection fees the firms must pay when accessing NTT Corp. lines.
EDITORIALS
Jul 11, 2003

Securing oil while keeping the alliance

Japan's oil development talks with Iran face a serious challenge from the United States. President George W. Bush's administration, which suspects Tehran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, is strongly opposed to Japan's pursuit of a development project in the Azadegan oil field of southwest Iran.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 11, 2003

Tigers edge Carp; magic number 48

George Arias' two-run double highlighted a go-ahead four-run third inning as the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers beat the Hiroshima Carp 5-3, reducing their magic number for clinching the league pennant to 48 in Hiroshima on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2003

Office vacancy rates at record levels

Office building broker Miki Shoji K.K. said Thursday the average vacancy rate of office buildings in central Tokyo hit a record high 8.57 percent as of the end of June, up 0.07 percentage point from a month earlier.

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