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JAPAN
Jun 4, 2002

Reform-oriented budget sought

An advisory panel to the finance minister called Monday for a reform-oriented fiscal 2003 budget that will keep spending for policy measures at current levels to maintain fiscal discipline.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2002

Former Ishioka mayor admits taking 2 million yen to leak waterworks bid

A former mayor of Ishioka, Ibaraki Prefecture, pleaded guilty Monday to receiving 2 million yen in bribes in 1999 for unlawfully helping Hitachi Ltd. win the contract for a municipal waterworks project.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2002

January-March GDP to show growth: think tanks

The nation's gross domestic product for the January-March quarter will show an annualized 4 percent to 10 percent growth in real terms, in contrast to contractions in the preceding three quarters, 12 major private think tanks have predicted.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2002

75 million pieces of music copied via the Internet

In the past couple of years, 75 million pieces of music have been duplicated via online music-swapping sites, mostly illegally, since such sites became available in Japan, industry groups said.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2002

Standard housing-loan rate cut

The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry said Monday it cut the standard interest rate on which the Government Housing Loan Corp. bases its lending rates by 0.1 percentage point to 2.6 percent per annum.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2002

Despite heavy resistance, change is in the air

The reformist administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is in a crisis as a result of strong resistance to the slogan of structural reforms with no safe haven, under which he formed his Cabinet in April 2001.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2002

NEC and Matsushita in China tieup

NEC Corp. and Matsushita Communication Industrial Co. said Monday they have established a joint venture with a local firm in China to expand their third-generation mobile handset business.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2002

Casualty insurance giants plot three-way alliance

The largest casualty insurers in Japan, China and South Korea have agreed to form a business tieup on product development and market research, company sources said Monday.
SOCCER / J. League / ON THE BALL
Jun 4, 2002

Japanese refs owe debt to predecessor

Toru Kamikawa made his World Cup debut on Saturday when he officiated the Ireland-Cameroon game in Niigata in Japan's opening game. It was a nice appointment by FIFA. He became the fourth Japanese referee to serve in the quadrennial tournament.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2002

Revenue shortfall expected for 2001

The government is unlikely to attain its tax revenue target of 49.63 trillion yen for fiscal 2001, due in part to falling corporate tax receipts, the Finance Ministry said Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2002

Private data kept by all SDF arms

The Defense Agency on Monday said that it and each branch of the Self-Defense Forces have systematically collected data on individuals who made information-disclosure requests, contradicting a statement last week indicating the practice was isolated to the Maritime Self-Defense Force and carried out...
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 4, 2002

Troussier confident on eve of first game

SAITAMA -- Japan coach Philippe Troussier confidently expressed his team's readiness for today's World Cup match against Belgium, the team's first game in Group H, to be played at Saitama Stadium 2002.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2002

Convicts feeling the pinch as companies move offshore

Employment opportunities for prison inmates have been severely hit by the nation's prolonged economic slump, and sales of the goods they produced are falling, according to a Justice Ministry report.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2002

Suzuki allegedly received cash from firm that logged illegally

Lawmaker Muneo Suzuki in 1998 received around 5 million yen from executives of a Hokkaido logging firm who were apparently enlisting his help after the company was caught cutting down trees in a national forest without permission, sources close to the case said Monday.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2002

Listen to an ad, get a free call

Telecom venture Third Line Communications Co. said Monday it has launched a new fixed-line phone service that allows users to speak for free for about three minutes if they first listen to corporate ads for about 15 seconds.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2002

IDB chief backs Okinawa as meeting venue

Enrique Iglesias, president of the Inter-American Development Bank, said Monday he supports Japan's bid to hold the 2005 annual meeting of the bank in Okinawa, Finance Ministry officials said.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2002

Opposition seeks Fukuda's head

Four major opposition parties agreed Monday to demand the resignation of Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda over his suggestion last week that Japan could abandon its three nonnuclear principles.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 4, 2002

Italy continues impressive run in World Cup play

SAPPORO -- Italy had only lost one game (vs. Ireland in U.S.A '94) in regulation time in the World Cup since Mexico '86, conceding only 10 goals in those 19 games. This record was to remain untarnished as Italy used two goals from Christian Vieri to cruise to a 2-0 win over Ecuador in their Group G game...
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2002

New automobile sales down 1.4% in May

Domestic sales of new motor vehicles excluding minivehicles and specialty vehicles fell 1.4 percent in May from a year earlier to 284,826 units, down for the ninth consecutive month, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2002

Kawaguchi pushes Mideast peace

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi met with an Israeli official Monday and urged Israel to make efforts to resume peace talks with the Palestinians.
COMMENTARY
Jun 3, 2002

Time to leave European defense to Europe

WASHINGTON -- The 19 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have gathered in Rome to initiate a new partnership with Russia; they are also planning to add several new members to the alliance. The usual fatuous rhetoric emanating from the meeting cannot hide the fact that NATO is an organization...
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 3, 2002

England thwarted by Swedish jinx as teams draw 1-1

SAITAMA -- Thirty-four years and counting.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 3, 2002

South Africa rallies to tie Paraguay

PUSAN, South Korea -- A last-minute penalty capped a quite remarkable comeback for South Africa, giving it a 2-2 draw against Paraguay after it had been outplayed and out-thought for long periods of its Group B match on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 3, 2002

An occasion for peace and reconciliation

The cohosting of the World Cup that began Friday is a great occasion for fostering peace and reconciliation not merely between South Korea and Japan but also throughout the world. Although the World Cup is mainly a sporting event that takes place every four years, the current contest portends special...
JAPAN
Jun 3, 2002

11th-hour reversal on online ticket sales has Cup fans' heads spinning

The Japan World Cup Organizing Committee reversed its policy Sunday and sold tickets online for the day's match between England and Sweden, some said adding to the confusion and frustration over ticket distribution for World Cup soccer finals.
JAPAN
Jun 3, 2002

Survey shows regional gaps in Internet use

A wide regional digital divide exists in Japan despite government efforts to spread Internet use, according to a recent telecom ministry survey on household consumption.

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’