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BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2002

Mitsukoshi to get new president

Japan's leading department store chain, Mitsukoshi Ltd., plans to name senior executive director Taneo Nakamura as company president, company sources said.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2002

Asahi Bank shareholders OK merger

Asahi Bank's shareholders on Thursday approved a proposal to integrate operations with Daiwa Bank Holdings Inc., Asahi Bank officials said.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2002

Appeal over 'Sayama case' dismissed

The Tokyo High Court has dismissed a formal objection against its 1999 decision to deny a retrial for a man convicted of murdering a high school student in 1963, sources close to the court said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2002

Canon plots merit-based wage system

Canon Inc. will scrap its seniority-based wage structure April 1 and introduce a system under which pay is determined by achievement and performance, company officials said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2002

Peugeot challenging Germans in import car mart

France's Peugeot Citroen is grabbing a larger share of Japan's market for imported vehicles, challenging the dominant German automakers, according to industry officials.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2002

World Cup flights to go via Haneda

Tokyo's Haneda airport will accommodate up to 26 international charter round-trip flights per day during the World Cup finals between May 31 and June 30, airline industry officials said Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 25, 2002

JAAF OKs Murofushi turning pro

The Japan Amateur Athletic Federation (JAAF) on Wednesday approved "pro" status for hammer thrower Koji Murofushi, who has already been accepting fees for personal and commercial appearances.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2002

Trade surplus fell 38.3% in '01

Dogged by a global economic slump that started early last year, Japan's merchandise trade surplus in 2001 plunged 38.3 percent from the previous year to 6.61 trillion yen, marking the biggest percentage fall in 31 years, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2002

Mitsui Mining, Sumitomo Metal forge zinc deal

Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co. and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. said Thursday they have agreed to integrate their zinc operations in an effort to cut costs and cope with intensifying international competition.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2002

Supermarket sales sank 5% last year

Supermarket sales fell for the fifth straight year in 2001, reflecting depressed consumer spending, an industry association said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2002

No haven from doubts on U.S. outlook

New York share prices have been on a roller-coaster ride in recent weeks, hurting investor sentiment around the globe.
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 25, 2002

Alex confident of making World Cup squad

IBUSUKI, Kagoshima Pref. -- As many players fight over places on Japan's World Cup squad, Shimizu S-Pulse midfielder Alessandro Santos, known as Alex, calmly expressed his confidence in surviving the selection race.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2002

Continue with energy reform, USTR's Huntsman says

Despite the collapse of Enron Corp., the U.S. energy giant that pushed liberalization of the Japanese energy market, Japan should continue with its own efforts to open the lucrative sector, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jon M. Huntsman Jr. said Thursday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2002

Seibu may shut five bleeding stores

Seibu Department Stores Ltd. is considering closing down about five loss-making outlets in rural areas over the next three years, company sources said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2002

New 'G-men' to help protect others' treasures

The government has drawn up a package of measures -- including the appointment of a special "G-man" task force -- to fulfill obligations under an international treaty that bans illicit traffic in cultural treasures, government sources said Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 25, 2002

Daring assault in Calcutta hijacks peace moves

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's landmark pledge on television two weeks ago to crack down on religious extremist groups appears to have been hijacked by terrorists.
LIFE / Lifestyle / MATTER OF COURSE
Jan 25, 2002

Students sweat out a spell of high pressure

It's been strangely quiet lately in the sixth-grade classrooms at my children's school. When I looked in the other day, nearly half the seats were empty. I couldn't understand why. A flu epidemic? Then I remembered. It's juken season -- entrance examination time.
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Jan 25, 2002

Serow

* Japanese name: Nihon kamoshika * Scientific name: Capricornis crispis * Description: Serows look like a cross between a goat and an antelope, with horizontal pupils and sharp, dagger-like horns. The ears are mule-like, narrow and tasseled, and are longer than the horns. Serows are the most primitive...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 24, 2002

Forget peace if the rules differ for Israel

NEW YORK -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to keep Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat under siege in the West Bank city of Ra- mallah shows an utter disrespect for the Palestinian leader and for the Palestinians. While Sharon insists that Arafat will not leave the city until...
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Jan 24, 2002

A case for campaign finance reform

WASHINGTON -- Controversy is raging about the Enron collapse. Is it a political story? Is it a criminal story? Is it a business story? Is it a story about personalities? The Enron story is all three. The real question is which category is the most important. and that all depends on your perspective.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2002

Ministry to admit explanation of public works is lacking

The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry has conceded in a white paper that its explanations of the need for and efficacy of public works projects have been inadequate, according to an outline of the paper obtained Wednesday by Kyodo News.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2002

Alleged crime boss gets new warrant

A man believed to be the leader of the largest Chinese crime syndicate in Japan has been served a fresh arrest warrant on suspicion of entering false information on a government document, police said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2002

O'Neill against relying on weak yen for recovery

In an apparent move to step up pressure on Japan, U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill warned Wednesday that Tokyo should not resort to a weak yen to revive the long-ailing economy.
EDITORIALS
Jan 24, 2002

How to check nosocomial infection

Yet another outbreak of hospital-acquired group infection caused by serratia bacteria has occurred. At a hospital in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward, a total of 12 inpatients on the same floor were infected, and seven of them died within a week. This is an extremely serious case of medical error.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2002

Public buildings face new barrier-free codes

The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry plans to strengthen the barrier-free law by making it obligatory for public buildings to install handrails and other facilities needed by senior citizens and the physically impaired, ministry sources 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’