search

 
 
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004

Private-sector exec's appointment seen as last-ditch attempt by LDP

In another apparent effort to win support for the ruling coalition before Sunday's election, the government said Tuesday it will appoint a private-sector executive as head of the Social Insurance Agency.
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2004

Electronics union looks to create job center

The Japanese Electrical Electronic & Information Union, an industrywide organization of labor unions at electrical appliance manufacturers, proposed Tuesday forming a program to help members find new jobs.
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2004

Lion to end Henkel joint venture

Household product manufacturer Lion Corp. said Tuesday it will terminate a joint-venture agreement with a Japanese unit of German firm Henkel KGaA.
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2004

Key economic index back in boom territory

A key gauge of the current state of the economy rose above the boom-or-bust line of 50 percent in May for the first time in three months.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ELECTION '04
Jul 7, 2004

Net-based campaigning still long way off

Candidates vying for House of Councilors seats in Sunday's election will not have the luxury of updating their positions or activities via the popular medium of the Internet.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004

Experts mull security issues at informal Kyoto meeting

KYOTO -- Nearly two dozen former political leaders and policy experts from around the world met in Kyoto on Tuesday for informal discussions on how to make the United Nations more effective in responding to international security threats.
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2004

Corolla retains No. 1 spot in first-half vehicle sales

The Toyota Corolla remained the top-selling vehicle in Japan in the half year through June, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 7, 2004

A classic -- by the numbers

Tange Sazen: Hyakuman Ryo no Tsubo Rating: * * * (out of 5) Director: Toshio Tsuda Running time: 119 minutes Language: Japanese Opens July 17 [See Japan Times movie listings] Tange Sazen -- the one-eyed, one-armed ex-samurai swordsman -- is one of those literary characters with a mythic...
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2004

Suica service to include FamilyMart

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) said Tuesday that users of its Suica electronic train fare cards will be able to use them for shopping at FamilyMart Co. convenience stores in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures.
MORE SPORTS
Jul 7, 2004

World's top agent Johnson key to IMG's future

How rare is an interview with Peter Johnson?
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004

Rise seen in prevoting-day ballots

More people have cast their ballots ahead of the voting day for the House of Councilors election than for the poll in 2001, the home affairs ministry said Tuesday.
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Jul 7, 2004

Web surfers turn to fiber optics

Japan boasts some of the fastest and cheapest broadband services in the world, thanks to fierce competition waged by new entrants like Softbank Corp. against telecommunications behemoth NTT Corp.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004

Park ranger training course eyed

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara said Tuesday that the metro government will launch a course to train rangers for service at national parks.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jul 7, 2004

Bush's financial edge fades as Kerry's coffers grow fat

WASHINGTON -- Throw away all of those crying towels that have been held in reserve to sop the tears of Democrats whining about the financial superiority of the Great Bush Money Machine. John Kerry just beat the record for fundraising by a presidential challenger, and he has a month to go to keep piling...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 7, 2004

Moving heaven and earth

Pina Bausch established her Tanztheater Wuppertal in the early '70s. Working from a small town in Germany's industrial heartland, her company has built up an extraordinary international reputation with more than 35 productions to its name.
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2004

Deregulatory zones inspire outpouring of ideas from cities

A fund designed to make it easier to collect money for festivals is just one of 652 proposals the government has received from municipalities for the soon-to-be-launched special deregulatory zones, Kazuyoshi Kaneko, minister in charge of revitalizing local economies, said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2004

Japan to launch natural gas initiative

Japan will start exploring its own exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea for natural gas on Wednesday, looking to counter ongoing gas exploration by China at a nearby location, government officials said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004

Iranian's charge of brutality vs. word of police

Jailed for two months and charged with obstructing justice, Ghadir Esmaeili, a 34-year-old Iranian permanent resident in Japan, claims he's a victim of police brutality, although other than his damaged eye he lacks damning visual evidence like the notorious video footage of L.A. police beating Rodney...
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004

Atomic commission buried cost estimates

The Atomic Energy Commission had concealed from the public estimates made a decade ago showing that burying spent nuclear fuel was up to 2.4 times cheaper than recycling it, commission members said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004

Unlicensed medicine sales net Aum arrests

Senior Aum Shinrikyo member Naruhito Noda and five others from the cult were arrested Tuesday over the alleged unlicensed sale of medicine.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004

Defense report pats SDF on the back for Iraq duty

The Self-Defense Forces troops deployed in Iraq have served Japan's national interests, strengthened the Japan-U.S. alliance and enabled the nation to carry out its responsibilities as a member of the international community, Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba said in an annual agency report released...
EDITORIALS
Jul 6, 2004

Prepare for higher interest rates

Japan's economic recovery is spreading across a broader spectrum of industries, according to the Bank of Japan. The latest "tankan" survey on business sentiment, which was conducted in June, showed large manufacturers feeling more confident about business conditions than at any time since the asset-price...
BUSINESS
Jul 6, 2004

Toyota launches remodeled Crown Majesta luxury sedan

Toyota Motor Corp. on Monday launched a remodeled version of the Crown Majesta luxury sedan, hoping to make it one of the firm's top cars.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo