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COMMENTARY
Mar 14, 2004

Getting Beijing to mind its own business

WASHINGTON -- China routinely vilifies any comment on its political practices as unwarranted outside "interference." Yet Beijing is always ready to lecture America on its policies.
Features
Mar 14, 2004

Worlds of meaning in the naming game

"What's in a name?" Juliet famously asked Romeo in Shakespeare's tragedy of young love doomed because of their families' rivalry.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Kin of abductees spooked by specter of Kerry in White House

OSAKA -- November's U.S. presidential election will be watched with great interest and concern by relatives and other supporters of Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea, who wonder what implications a Democratic victory might have for their cause.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

More visas proposed for Chinese tour groups

A Liberal Democratic Party panel came up with a proposal Friday to expand the number of visas it gives to Chinese tour groups.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Record 19% of Japan population aged 65 or older

Japan's population was an estimated 127.619 million as of Oct. 1, up 184,000 from a year earlier, with a record 19 percent aged 65 or older.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 13, 2004

Usual suspects set to do battle for J. League honors

Turkish World Cup star Ilhan Mansiz lining up for big-spending Vissel Kobe. Japan international Alessandro Santos in an Urawa Reds shirt. Veteran defender Yutaka Akita battling it out at the back for Nagoya Grampus Eight.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Japan and Mexico reach final FTA agreement

Japan and Mexico reached a final agreement Friday on a bilateral free-trade agreement, but postponed a decision on tariffs for some Mexican farm products.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Unknown soldiers ID'd via DNA

State-funded DNA analysis has identified eight Japanese soldiers who were buried in the former Soviet Union, where they were held in prison camps after the war.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Agency's use of pension funds for checkups raises eyebrows

The Social Insurance Agency tapped into Japan's cash-strapped, state-run pension system and health insurance plans to pay for 370 million yen in medical checkups for its own employees in fiscal 2003 and 2004, it was learned Friday.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Man tied to spy ship got mob drug funds

A South Korean man linked to a North Korean spy ship that sank off Amami-Oshima Island after a shootout with the Japan Coast Guard in December 2001 has received deposits of several million yen from people connected to gangsters, sources have said.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2004

Key business lobby floats FTA panel

The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) proposed Friday the creation of a strategy panel headed by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and a special ministerial post to promote economic collaboration with East Asian economies, including the conclusion of free-trade agreements.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2004

Corporate bankruptcies slipped 23.8% in February

The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan fell 23.8 percent in February from a year earlier to 1,208, marking a 14th straight month of decrease, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Friday.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2004

Industrial output data revised down

The government on Friday revised its industrial production figures for January downward to show seasonally adjusted growth of 3.3 percent on a month-on-month basis.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Plans for U.S. military still source of friction

Japan and the United States remain divided over plans to realign the U.S. military forces in Japan, according to Japanese government sources.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Mar 13, 2004

The color of funny? Gotta be red

Here's the story . . .
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Cabinet Office to revoke NPO licenses for first time

The Cabinet Office said Friday it will revoke the licenses of five nonprofit organizations that have corporate status because the groups either failed to submit activity reports or because their representatives were arrested in criminal cases.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Be considerate, Japan Tobacco ads tell smokers

Japan Tobacco Inc., threatened by increasing public animosity against smoking, said Friday it will launch a campaign on television and in newspapers to encourage smokers to be more considerate.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Hapless hikers earn Iraq police shakedown, Tokyo's wrath

Two young Japanese travelers wandering in southern Iraq earned the wrath of top government officials Friday, after they were temporarily detained and interrogated by local police.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2004

Mitsui Chemicals plans new factory

Mitsui Chemicals Inc. said Friday it will ask Chinese authorities for permission to build a plant in Jiangsu Province to produce raw materials for polyester and plastic bottles.
COMMENTARY
Mar 13, 2004

Poll severely tests Indonesia

HONG KONG -- As the campaign for the triple-tiered Indonesian general election gets under way, the world's fourth-largest nation is displaying its democratic aspirations. It is also giving its weak administrative structure a severe test.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2004

Crows, pigeons face random testing

The Environment Ministry said Friday it will ask prefectural governments to carry out random bird-flu tests on live crows and pigeons, to help it gain a better understanding of how the virus is spreading.
EDITORIALS
Mar 13, 2004

Unrealistic claim of espionage

In 2001, a Japanese researcher was indicted in the United States on charges of industrial spying. Since he had already returned to Japan, the U.S. requested his extradition under a bilateral treaty. However, legal opinion here remains divided over whether he should be tried in a U.S court -- in other...
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2004

University grad job outlook darkens

The employment situation for this spring's university graduates has worsened, with the outlook for males at a record low.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 13, 2004

Iraqi sovereignty remains a distant goal

SEOUL -- Let's start with the obvious but often overlooked topic of what isn't taking place in Iraq today. Commentary to the contrary, sovereignty is not being handed back to Iraqis on June 30; it isn't even on the table.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2004

Finance Ministry to seek expert advice

Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said Friday that he will appoint seven business leaders and experts April 1 to help the ministry deal with the nation's debt-ridden finances and still-fragile economy.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2004

Consortium to push Linux system

A group of 14 information technology companies announced Friday the establishment of a consortium to develop an advanced information system using a Linux-based operating system.

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