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BUSINESS
Oct 22, 2004

Nothing has changed in oil spat between Japan, China: adviser

A TV news report in June about China's oil field development close to the Sino-Japanese demarcation line for their exclusive economic zones in the East China Sea prompted an adviser to Uruma Resources Development Co. to recall a conversation he had with a bureaucrat decades ago.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2004

50 million yen donation cap considered

The Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the New Komeito, agreed Thursday to put an annual cap of 50 million yen on donations by registered political groups other than political parties and their fund management bodies, coalition lawmakers said.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2004

State might dip into reserve funds to repair typhoon damage

The chief Cabinet secretary said Thursday that the government might use reserve funds in the general-account budget for fiscal 2004, rather than creating a supplementary budget, to deal with the serious damage brought by Typhoon Tokage.
BUSINESS
Oct 22, 2004

Japan, U.S. begin beef trade talks

Japan and the United States began two days of high-level talks in Tokyo on Thursday in which the two countries are expected to confirm their goal of lifting Japan's import ban on American beef by next spring.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Oct 22, 2004

Following the way of the samurai in Akita's Kakunodate

For the Hollywood view of what life was like for the old warriors of Japan, go down to the video shop and take out "The Last Samurai." But for a more accurate glimpse of how the samurai lived and the kind of world they inhabited, take a trip to Kakunodate.
BUSINESS
Oct 22, 2004

Japan Post says Lawson parcel tieup not 'dumping'

Japan Post claimed at a court hearing Thursday that its tieup with convenience store operator Lawson Inc. in the parcel delivery business does not constitute dumping in violation of the Antimonopoly Law.
BUSINESS
Oct 22, 2004

Gas dispute talks scheduled

Japanese and Chinese officials will meet in Beijing next week in an effort to defuse a territorial dispute over natural gas deposits in the East China Sea, officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Oct 22, 2004

JAL, ANA consider airfare hike

Japan Airlines Corp. and All Nippon Airways Co. are considering raising airfares on domestic flights, possibly from the beginning of next year, due to soaring crude oil prices, airline officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Oct 22, 2004

Wacoal demands Kokudo annul share contract

Wacoal Corp. has asked Kokudo Corp. to annul a contract under which it bought some of Kokudo's shares in Seibu Railway Co. before the railway company announced that its financial statements were incorrect, Wacoal officials said Thursday.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Oct 22, 2004

Typical war of words ahead of Premiership showdown

LONDON -- It is likely to become very nasty and personal with no punches pulled -- and that is just the war of words between Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger as the build-up to Sunday's Old Trafford showdown reaches boiling point.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2004

Cultists held over death of member who didn't survive religious 'training'

Four members of a religious sect were arrested Thursday in connection with the death of a fellow cultist in September, according to Tokyo police.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Oct 22, 2004

Russian voters prefer Bush

MOSCOW -- According to a recent international poll, Russia is among a handful of nations that largely support U.S. President George W. Bush and want him re-elected. The Democratic Party nominee, Sen. John Kerry, doesn't do well at all among Russians surveyed -- as opposed to the overwhelming approval...
EDITORIALS
Oct 21, 2004

Bracing for an ugly two weeks

The U.S. presidential election is less than two weeks away. With both candidates running neck and neck, the election is still too close to call. Poll watchers worry that the victor will not be known even after the polls close: dysfunctional voting machinery and legal challenges may hold up results for...
JAPAN
Oct 21, 2004

Study to focus on surge in bear attacks

The Environment Ministry plans to conduct an emergency survey to discover what has prompted a surge in bear attacks across the country since the summer.
CULTURE / Books / THE BOOK REPORT
Oct 21, 2004

New life patterns for a new age

The end of the high-growth period and of the go-go bubble years has brought both new opportunities and great uncertainty as the old social system based on lifetime employment crumbles and even the outlines of its successor system remain hazy. Such uncertainty no doubt played a role in propelling novelist...
JAPAN
Oct 21, 2004

Coalition parties look to ban prepaid mobile phone sales

The Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, New Komeito, decided Wednesday to submit legislation to the current Diet session to ban sales of prepaid mobile phones, which are often used in fraud crimes.
BUSINESS
Oct 21, 2004

NTT subscription fees to be halved

The two fixed-line regional telephone units of NTT Corp. plan to cut subscription fees by half in January in the face of increasing competition, sources said Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 21, 2004

Typhoon kills 21, leaves trail of havoc

At least 21 people were dead Wednesday as massive Typhoon Tokage churned north across the Japanese archipelago after hitting Kochi Prefecture.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Oct 21, 2004

On the woodland trail of sprites and fungal delight

Common sounds in the hill forests of northern Japan these days are the thin "tsiping" calls of Black-faced Buntings elusively flitting through the dwarf bamboo, as enormous numbers of them head south to milder climes.
JAPAN
Oct 21, 2004

Post office worker accused of starving daughter to death

The 47-year-old mother of a 16-year-old girl who died of extreme weakness in 1999 has been arrested on suspicion of starving her to death, according to local police.

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