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BUSINESS
Aug 30, 2002

Moody's cuts heavy industry firms

Moody's Investors Service Inc. said Thursday it has downgraded its long-term debt ratings of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. in response to Japan's economic slump and severe competition abroad.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Aug 30, 2002

Harbor seal

* Japanese name: Zenigata-azarashi * Scientific name: Phoca vitulina stejnegeri * Description: Harbor seals are pinnipeds -- mammals adapted to life in the ocean. Their limbs are modified into flippers, each with five digits. The fore flippers are used for grooming, scratching and fighting; the hind...
BUSINESS
Aug 30, 2002

FSA plans to offer cash incentives to banks that merge

The government may provide as much as 1 trillion yen to banks that agree to consolidate, according to a proposal outlined Thursday by the Financial Service Agency.
SOCCER / World cup
Aug 30, 2002

Playing abroad good for J. Leaguers: Zico

New Japan manager Zico is encouraging J. League clubs to play abroad to help improve the standard of Japanese soccer, Japan Football Association president Saburo Kawabuchi quoted him as saying Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2002

Green tea advocates see cafes dedicated to the brew boom

A growing number of people are entering the Japanese green tea cafe business as the brew claims ground against its coffee cousin, according to the World Green Tea Association.
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2002

Exchange engineers slather praise on Japan

Asian engineers from outside Japan participating in an exchange program aimed at promoting urban development and international relations said at a presentation at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building Wednesday that they had generally favorable impressions of Japanese people.
COMMENTARY
Aug 29, 2002

Taiwan ditching 'nice guy' diplomacy

Taiwanese Vice President Annette Lu was greeted triumphantly upon her return to Taiwan, but her trip to Indonesia yielded mixed results at best. Taiwan may well have raised expectations in Indonesia that it may not be able to fulfill. Moreover, China will now put renewed pressure on Southeast Asian countries...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2002

Will Europe's left back a war on Iraq?

LONDON -- In the black and white world of U.S. President George W. Bush, the European left is as soft as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is evil. And the White House seems to be as uninterested in persuading the left to back a war in Iraq as they are in negotiating with the Iraqi leader about readmitting...
EDITORIALS
Aug 29, 2002

Inching toward normalization talks

Japan and North Korea are moving toward resuming the long-stalled talks to normalize relations. Foreign ministry officials from the two nations met in Pyongyang for two days earlier this week and agreed to continue consultations to explore the possibilities for restarting the negotiations. Also, Prime...
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2002

GMOs in 30% of 'organic' soybean

The farm ministry said Wednesday that 25 out of 80 randomly selected tofu and "natto" soybean products sold under organic labels were found to contain genetically modified soybeans.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2002

Koizumi moves to temporary home during renovations

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi moved Wednesday to a temporary home in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, while he awaits the completion of renovation work on his official residence in Chiyoda Ward.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 29, 2002

Red hot Swallows close gap on Giants

The Yakult Swallows are starting to look like birds of prey.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2002

NGO to fight Mali famine by planting new-type rice

A Tokyo-based nongovernmental organization will seek to counter famine in Mali by planting a new strain of rice in the northwestern Africa country, members of the organization said.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2002

Coast guard to build beefed-up patrol vessels

The Japan Coast Guard plans to build 11 high-speed patrol vessels that authorities hope would give the force more muscle to hunt down unidentified ships operating off the nation's coasts, officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2002

PCBs from military bases may be sent back to U.S.

The U.S. Department of Defense hopes to ship over 3,000 tons of materials containing polychlorinated biphenyls stored at military bases in Japan to the United States for recycling or disposal, officials at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said Wednesday.
COMMUNITY
Aug 29, 2002

Telephone counselors sought

TOKYO ENGLISH LIFE LINE (TELL) is offering a training program for volunteer telephone counselors. TELL is a 365 days-a-year free counseling line for English speakers and has been serving the international community in Japan since 1973.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2002

Mitsui workers suspected of bribing foreign official

Employees of trading house Mitsui & Co. are being questioned on suspicion that they bribed a Mongolian government official last year to secure an order for a power project financed by the Japanese government, informed sources said Wednesday.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 29, 2002

U.S. swimmers win four out of five finals

YOKOHAMA -- Sachiko Yamada had the home crowd screaming their lungs out. Same with Ian Thorpe, who proved he was fastest regardless of length.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2002

Typhoon Rusa approaches Amami

Typhoon Rusa, the 15th typhoon of the season, is approaching the Okinawa and Amami regions, the Japan Meteorological Agency said Wednesday.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Aug 29, 2002

Prehistory still abounds in everyday life

In the course of a normal day, the word "fossil" may quite possibly never occur to you. Fossils are, however, crucial to many aspects of daily life.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2002

IT-related sectors' CO 2 output may soar by 2010, report says

Carbon dioxide emitted by industries involved in information technology in Japan could log a three-fold increase in the 10 years from 2000 to 2010, according to a recent study.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Aug 29, 2002

Clearing the air, resurrecting cash and finding a pet

Clearing the air With summer winding down, and in readiness for new seasonal beginnings, time to clean the slate.
BUSINESS
Aug 29, 2002

Fitch leaves ratings of 10 major Japanese banks unchanged

Fitch Ratings said Tuesday it has left unchanged the credit ratings of 10 Japanese banks, including a holding company, in anticipation that the Japanese government will extend support if needed.
BUSINESS
Aug 29, 2002

Land ministry budget up 16%

The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry said Wednesday it has requested a budget appropriation of 8.309 trillion yen for fiscal 2003, up 16 percent from its initial budget for the current fiscal year.

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’