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CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 25, 2003

The boy bachelor

Last week, the National Tax Bureau released its annual list of the country's top tax-payers, and at the summit of the pile of show business personalities was Masahiro Nakai, the self-effacing leader of the boy group SMAP. Nakai's high salary is easy to understand: He appears in at least a half-dozen...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 25, 2003

The rise and fall of the Romanovs remembered

First of two parts At its height, in the middle of the 19th century, the Russian Empire ruled by the Romanovs covered more than one-sixth of the surface of the globe. It was a glorious era for a dynasty that had sprung from obscure beginnings, when in 1613, in a bid to end years of civil unrest at home...
COMMENTARY / World
May 25, 2003

Marooned Argentines trust in Kirchner

NEW YORK -- The election of Nestor Kirchner as Argentina's new president offers hope for a national economic and social recovery following decades of government mismanagement. Kirchner will need to back his intentions with prompt implementation of effective policies to convince Argentines that he will...
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003

Fuji Heavy banking on new Legacy

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., which makes Subaru vehicles, launched a remodeled Legacy wagon on the domestic market Friday, hoping the key product will reinvigorate the carmaker's sluggish sales.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003

Tertiary activity index posts first decline in four years

The index of tertiary industry activity in Japan fell 0.4 percent in fiscal 2002 from the previous year, due to sluggish business in the financial and insurance sectors and the transport and communication sectors.
COMMENTARY / World
May 24, 2003

Restoring trust in the ROK-U.S. alliance

South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and U.S. President George Bush took a major step in restoring mutual trust in the South Korea-U.S. alliance by announcing at their May 14 summit that the Korean Peninsula should be nuclear-free and that the North Korean nuclear problem should be resolved through peaceful...
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003

Hazama logs net loss of 122 billion yen

Ailing contractor Hazama Corp. said Friday its group net loss swelled to 122.6 billion yen in fiscal 2002, due to valuation losses on its asset holdings, including stocks. The firm posted a group net loss of 1.66 billion yen in fiscal 2001.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003

Scandal-hit Snow posted major loss in fiscal 2002

Snow Brand Milk Products Co. continued to struggle in fiscal 2002, suffering a group net loss of 27.1 billion yen for the year that ended in March, the scandal-tainted dairy said Friday.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003

Legislation to cut yields paid by insurers submitted to Diet

The government submitted an amended bill Friday to the Diet to allow life insurance companies to cut the guaranteed yields they promised to policyholders, government officials said.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003

Shiokawa not sold on Thai FTA

Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa and Somkid Chatusripitak, deputy prime minister of Thailand, remained divided Friday over whether to launch talks on a bilateral free-trade agreement, according to a ministry official.
SUMO
May 24, 2003

Asashoryu closes in on Cup

Yokozuna Asashoryu employed a crafty leg technique to trip up ozeki Musoyama to move one win away from securing his first Emperor's Cup as grand champion with a 12-1 record at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003

Jury out on new bank's prospects

A new bank proposed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government appears to be good news for struggling smaller companies.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003

Isuzu eyes fiscal 2003 turnaround

Isuzu Motors Ltd. expects to return to the black in the year to March 2004 with a group net profit of 35 billion yen, company officials said Friday.
COMMENTARY
May 24, 2003

A boost for Japan-China ties?

China has been attracting much attention in the international community of late for both positive and negative reasons. On the positive side, as the confrontation between the United States and North Korea intensifies, and the positions of Japan and South Korea remain delicate, China is playing the role...
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003

Hokuriku, Hokkaido banks to merge

Hokuriku Bank and Hokkaido Bank said Friday they have agreed to integrate their businesses under a joint holding company in fiscal 2004, creating Japan's second-largest regional bank in terms of deposits after the Bank of Yokohama.
EDITORIALS
May 24, 2003

Tighten Japan's tobacco controls

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control adopted at the latest annual assembly of the World Health Organization is the first multilateral pact in the field of public health. The harmful effects of tobacco on health are well-known, but its use remains widespread. The fact is that while the health dangers...
BASEBALL / MLB
May 24, 2003

BayStars' Nakamura blasts Giants

Takeshi Nakamura connected for three homers Friday as the last-place Yokohama BayStars defeated the Yomiuri Giants 14-10 in a slugfest at Yokohama Stadium.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
May 24, 2003

Steven Morgan

A pattern for life was set very early for Steven Morgan.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2003

Hiranuma cautious on Tokyo's new bank plan

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma responded cautiously Friday to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's plan to create a bank to fund small and midsize firms.
COMMENTARY / World
May 24, 2003

Political Islam is not global

MEDFORD, Massachusetts -- In light of the recent terrorist bombings in Riyadh and Casablanca, travel advisories were quickly issued for Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. The October Kuta bombings in Bali served as a crucial reminder of the vulnerability of Southeast Asia to terrorism. Will Middle Eastern-style...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 24, 2003

Dancing hands are guides along path of healing

Ray Baskerville is tall, lean, articulate and easy to talk to, and his hands weave mysterious patterns in the air as he heals clients back to physical and spiritual well-being.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 24, 2003

The 49th day -- tradition and cat hair

Four rolls of toilet paper, one bag of fried shrimp snacks, "manju," bourbon biscuits, two pieces of "milk candy" and some liquid soap. That's what I got on the 49th day of my landlord's death.
SOCCER / World cup
May 23, 2003

Zico names squad

Japan coach Zico on Thursday handed Cerezo Osaka hotshot Yoshito Okubo and two other Japan Under-22 players the chance to make their full international debut when he named a 23-man squad for the upcoming home friendly against 2002 World Cup cohost South Korea.
EDITORIALS
May 23, 2003

Al-Qaeda sends world a warning

A series of bomb attacks last week killed hopes that the threat from al-Qaeda was diminishing. Experts worry that the string of apparent successes in the international war against terrorism might even trigger more attacks. Ominously, the terrorists are focusing on softer targets, proving once again that...
BUSINESS
May 23, 2003

JFE's profit better than expected

JFE Holdings Inc., created last September by the integration of NKK Corp. and Kawasaki Steel Corp., has reported a group net profit of 15.95 billion yen for the year through March 31.
BUSINESS
May 23, 2003

Nippon TV net profit falls 41.4%

Nippon Television Network Corp. said Thursday its group net profit dropped 41.4 percent to 20.30 billion yen for the business year ended March 31 due to a plunge in advertising revenues amid the weak economy.
BUSINESS
May 23, 2003

Matsumotokiyoshi logs record profit

Boosted by a surge in sales of more profitable cosmetic items, the Matsumotokiyoshi Co., Japan's largest drugstore chain, reported a record group net profit of 7.05 billion yen for fiscal 2002.

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