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BUSINESS
May 17, 2003

Kenwood effects dramatic comeback

Kenwood Corp. said Friday that it chalked up its first return to profitability in four years and a record group net profit.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2003

JAL expects revenue to fall by 162 billion yen

Japan Airlines System Corp. revealed Friday that it could lose revenue of 162 billion yen during the current fiscal year due to a drastic fall in passengers on international flights.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 17, 2003

Lawmakers question validity of GDP data

Heavyweights in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday accused the government of misleading the public by giving primary importance to real-term figures in its release of gross domestic product data.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2003

Kawasaki Heavy chief gets new role

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. will have managing director Takashi Sugo concurrently serve as chairman of scandal-hit affiliate Nippi Corp., Kawasaki Heavy sources said Friday.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2003

Takeda Chemical reports record earnings

Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd., the nation's top drugmaker, on Friday reported record earnings and revenue for fiscal 2002, despite a cut in prescription drug prices.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 17, 2003

Giants power their way past Tigers

Lefty Gary Rath combined with Junichi Kawahara on a seven-hit shutout and Yomiuri did all its scoring on home runs as the Giants blanked the Hanshin Tigers 4-0 at Koshien Stadium on Friday for their first win against the Central League leaders this year in seven matchups.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2003

Corporate responsibility in spotlight

If you make up the rules, you've got an excellent chance of winning the game.
COMMENTARY / World
May 17, 2003

Blasts send message to Riyadh

BEIRUT -- Such a spectacular al-Qaeda-style exploit might have come as no great surprise to moderate Saudi Islamists familiar with the thinking of the extremists in their midst. The Iraq war brought anti-American sentiments in the kingdom to new heights and increased the determination of militants to...
BUSINESS
May 17, 2003

Kajima records 28.6% decline in pretax profit

Kajima Corp. said Friday its group pretax profit fell 28.6 percent in fiscal 2002 to 25.82 billion yen, primarily due to smaller profit margins and reduced revenue from construction projects.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
May 17, 2003

Family links are relative for third-culture kids

Here's a challenge for you:
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 17, 2003

APEC calls for urgent SARS action

Business leaders from member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum wrapped up on Friday a four-day meeting in Tokyo, urging their governments to take decisive action to combat the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Asia.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
May 17, 2003

Yumi Miyazaki

This year Yumi Miyazaki celebrates a milestone anniversary. One of Japan's earliest ballet masters, she says her career has progressed very naturally. "I feel I have lived five lifetimes in one," she said.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 17, 2003

New broom sweeps Seisen into the 21st century

Virginia Villegas was delighted to be asked to return to Japan last year to assist the then head of Seisen International School in Yoga, Tokyo. "When Sister Concesa Martin was elected to the General Council in Rome, I was asked to take over as headmistress," she explains, warm, direct and very perceptive....
BUSINESS
May 17, 2003

Fuji Heavy's profit tumbles 23.7%

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., maker of Subaru vehicles, reported Friday a consolidated operating profit of 67.52 billion yen for the year through March 31, down 23.7 percent from fiscal 2001.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 17, 2003

Defensive perfume: to use, just fling it

It was a bad Japan day. After a full day of teaching into the evening, the train was too crowded to find a seat on the way home, and just as I was taking up the old Japanese horse tradition (sleeping while standing), a drunk "salaryman" sidled up and accosted me with bad English for an entire 30 minutes....
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Mitsubishi Materials cuts net loss

Major nonferrous metal smelter Mitsubishi Materials Corp. said Thursday it slashed its group net loss to 26.85 billion yen in fiscal 2002 from the previous year's 61.32 billion yen on the strength of cost cuts and fewer special losses.
EDITORIALS
May 16, 2003

Al-Qaeda's warning to Riyadh

The series of car-bomb attacks that devastated Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier this week is a horrific reminder that victories in Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to have only a limited impact on the war against terrorism. More troubling is the likelihood of attacks intensifying in the weeks ahead. Although...
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Nippon Yusen sees profit sink 18.5%

Nippon Yusen K.K. reported Thursday an 18.5 percent decline in its group net profit for fiscal 2002 but said continued streamlining drives helped lift its pretax profit after a double-digit decline the previous year.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

JR Tokai records sales decline

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) said Thursday it suffered its first fall in group sales in three years in fiscal 2002. It attributed the decline to a slump in core bullet train services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line amid an adverse business environment and intense competition with airlines.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 16, 2003

Nioka cracks homers in three straight at-bats

Yomiuri shortstop Tomohiro Nioka homered in three consecutive at-bats and rookie right-hander Yuya Kubo carried a three-hitter over eight innings in his first career start as the Giants cruised past the Yokohama BayStars 9-2 at Tokyo Dome on Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

UFJ, SMBC to join up on systems development

UFJ Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. have agreed to jointly develop an improved account transfer system that would allow depositors to pay their utility bills automatically, sources said Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Corporate bankruptcies slide for fourth month

Corporate bankruptcies fell 7.7 percent in April from a year earlier to 1,514, down for the fourth consecutive month, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Thursday.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Isuzu expects loss to more than triple

Isuzu Motors Ltd. said Thursday its estimated group net loss more than tripled in fiscal 2002 from a year earlier to 144.3 billion yen due to restructuring costs. The truck maker posted a 42.99 billion yen loss the previous year.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

J-Pop helps Columbia Music out of seven years of red ink

Columbia Music Entertainment Inc., reviving itself under Ripplewood Holdings LLC, reported Thursday its first profit in seven years on a group operating basis.
SUMO
May 16, 2003

Asashoryu leads on his own

Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu shoved out Takanonami on Thursday to move into sole possession of the lead at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2003

Coalition mates 'George and John' savor diplomatic bonhomie

SYDNEY -- Two good friends, George W. Bush and John Howard, were chatting as they walked the American president's Scottish terrier, named Barney, around the "Texas White House." Suddenly Bush said: "You know, John, you should get yourself a dog."
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Mitsubishi Estate back in the black

Mitsubishi Estate Co.'s group net balance returned to the black in fiscal 2002 due to a much smaller special loss than the previous year, when it booked huge valuation losses on fixed property.
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

Mizuho action won't affect ratings

Standard & Poor's said Thursday that Mizuho Financial Group Inc.'s new corporate revitalization project will improve the soundness of the group's loan portfolio but will not trigger any immediate ratings action on its subsidiary banks.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 16, 2003

LDP ready to aid life insurers

The ruling coalition is ready to endorse a controversial draft bill that would allow troubled life insurance companies to reduce payouts promised to policyholders, the Liberal Democratic Party said Thursday.

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