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Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Feb 1, 2002

Japanese squirrel

* Japanese name: Nihon risu * Scientific name: Sciurus lis * Description: The Japanese squirrel is an arboreal species, which means it lives in trees. It has a long, bushy tail, large tufted ears and sharp claws. Its fur changes color according to the season. In summer, the fur is red-orange. In winter,...
BUSINESS
Feb 1, 2002

China's IT engineers get smoother visa path

Japanese and Chinese bodies responsible for assessing the qualifications of information technology engineers signed a memorandum of understanding for mutual recognition Thursday in Beijing.
BUSINESS
Feb 1, 2002

SESC calls for punishment of Morgan Stanley Japan

The government's stock market watchdog has recommended to the Financial Services Agency that Morgan Stanley Japan Ltd. and two Morgan Stanley traders be punished for illegal stock deals involving short-selling.
EDITORIALS
Jan 31, 2002

Time to get back to business

In an unprecedented development Wednesday, Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka and Vice Foreign Minister Yoshiji Nogami were simultaneously dismissed for their failure to maintain an effective foreign policy team. This is the first time in the history of Japan's parliamentary Cabinet system that the foreign...
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2002

Tokyo impounds relabeled imported beef

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials on Wednesday impounded about 3.5 tons of imported beef repackaged as domestic and stored at Snow Brand Food Co.'s warehouse in Tokyo's Ota Ward.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2002

Population seen peaking at 127.74 million in '06

Japan's population is expected to fall to about 100.59 million in 2050 after peaking at roughly 127.74 million in 2006 -- a year earlier than in the last report -- according to an estimate released Wednesday by an institute affiliated with the health ministry.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2002

U.S. urged to strengthen intelligence

U.S. author and terrorism expert Martin Keating said Wednesday that the United States must build a stronger human intelligence network after the failure of intelligence-gathering networks in preventing the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2002

NPA warns hooligans in English

The National Police Agency released an English-language message Wednesday to warn foreigners intent on causing trouble at the 2002 World Cup soccer finals cohosted by Japan and South Korea that Japan is ready to deal with them.
COMMENTARY
Jan 31, 2002

Toughest task yet: rebuilding Afghanistan's civil society

HONOLULU -- Two decades of war have exacted a horrific toll on Afghanistan. As the dust settles after the latest conflagration, the meaning of "nation building" is becoming clear -- and it's a mind-boggling assignment.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2002

Arabian Oil to integrate with refiner

Arabian Oil Co. and Fuji Oil Co. said Wednesday they have agreed to integrate operations under a joint holding company to be set up next January.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Jan 31, 2002

Backhand compliment earns volley

The most significant volley that Marcelo Rios had to face at this year's Australian Open was the volley of abuse he received from female professionals after describing the women's game as a "joke."
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2002

Slump shows no indication of letting up

Decelerating business activity and deteriorating employment conditions show no signs of abating, the Finance Ministry said in a report Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2002

Crown Prince leaves for Dutch nuptial

Crown Prince Naruhito left for the Netherlands on Wednesday to attend the wedding of Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2002

MHI, Comex announce alliance

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Wednesday it has agreed to cooperate with Comex Nucleaire of France in offering postoperational services to French nuclear power facilities.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2002

Minami finally throws in the towel

Minami Corp., a cash-strapped sporting goods retailer, filed for court protection from creditors Wednesday with liabilities of 28.9 billion yen, the company said.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2002

Electronics production posts record fall for '01

The combined value of domestic electronics equipment production in 2001 is estimated to have fallen 15.3 percent from the previous year to 22.16 trillion yen, marking a record year-on-year decline, the Japan Electronics & Information Technology Industries Association said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2002

Former regional tax chief indicted

A former chief of the Sapporo Regional National Tax Administration Bureau was indicted Wednesday on a charge of evading roughly 250 million yen in taxes by concealing about 730 million yen in income for four years to 2000.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2002

Public funds won't help banks, Mizuho exec says

A fresh injection of public funds would hamper, not help, Japan's banks, a banking official tapped to be the next president of the Mizuho Holdings Inc. banking group said Wednesday.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Jan 31, 2002

Taking a look at animals' 'me' and 'you'

We take for granted our ability to easily recognize the people we interact with regularly. We also take it as a given that we can distinguish between the many thousands of other people we meet superficially during our lives, perhaps never learning who they are, yet knowing each one of them as a different...
ENVIRONMENT
Jan 31, 2002

Learning their ways makes sharks much safer

During the blistering heat of last summer, which was accompanied by unusually warm waters to the east of the Philippines and the Nansei Islands, a juvenile hammerhead shark wandered into the Sea of Japan. After being sighted off Shimane Prefecture it was hunted ruthlessly -- but apparently never caught....
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2002

Crisis fears grow as crunch time for banks nears

A recent nationwide flurry of collapsing credit unions and "shinkin" credit associations was accompanied by a total lack of panic.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2002

Kansai Kogin lied in recapitalization drive

OSAKA -- Failed credit union Kansai Kogin raised more than 15 billion yen in additional capital in 1999 and early 2000 without telling potential investors that it was facing financial difficulties, sources close to the credit union said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2002

Firms' demand for funds on the decline, BOJ says

Demand for funds from companies has weakened over the past three months, reflecting the economic recession, a Bank of Japan survey on banks showed Wednesday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Jan 31, 2002

Nautical 'kombat' game is a wash

Role-playing games, probably the most popular genre in Japan, have a moderate following in the United States. Americans prefer action-packed, top-down view style RPGs like "Baldur's Gate" and "Diablo" to traditional "Final Fantasy" RPGs.
BUSINESS
Jan 31, 2002

Life, nonlife insurers scrap tieup

Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance Co. and Asahi Mutual Life Insurance Co. have decided to scrap their plans to integrate under a single holding company by March 2003 due to the cautious stance of the nonlife insurer, sources from the two companies said Wednesday.

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’