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BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2001

Surplus expected to plunge 39.5%

The customs-cleared trade surplus for fiscal 2001 is expected to plunge 39.5 percent from the previous year to 5.809 trillion yen, according to a trading industry association.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2001

Treaty on deadly chemicals to go before Diet soon

The government will submit a landmark international treaty banning the production and use of the world's most toxic and harmful chemicals to the Diet for ratification early next year, government sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2001

Japan to go to work on its image as a looter of cultural treasures

After years of foot-dragging, Japan is taking its first significant step toward shedding its reputation as a looter of cultural assets.
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2001

Deregulation panel seeks to relax medical advertising curbs

A final report currently being drafted by a government deregulation panel says restrictions on advertising by medical institutions should be relaxed by the end of March, panel sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2001

High pressure burst nuclear pipe

A steam pipe at Chubu Electric Power Co.'s Hamaoka nuclear plant in Shizuoka Prefecture ruptured instantly under enormous pressure last month, causing a radioactive steam leak, the plant's operator and the government's nuclear body said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2001

Two pipe makers agree to set up joint company

Mitsubishi Plastics Inc. and Sekisui Chemical Co. said Thursday they have agreed to a tieup in the field of polyvinyl chloride pipes, featuring the formation of a joint company to control production.
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2001

Expect more firms to follow Aoki as banks clean loan mess

Major construction company Aoki Corp. filed for court protection Thursday, unable to seek further aid from its creditors. The collapse is a foretaste of more to come, as banks hurry to clear their books of bad debts.
LIFE / Lifestyle / JET STREAM
Dec 7, 2001

Taking centerstage without clamming up

On his first visit to Urato Junior High School a year and a half ago, David Goldberg was awestruck. He was glad that he had followed his predecessor's advice to take a camera along. On the early morning 30-minute ferry ride from Shiogama City in Miyagi Prefecture to the island of Nonoshima, Goldberg...
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2001

Aoki goes under with 522 billion yen in liabilities

The construction industry was dealt another blow on Thursday when general contractor Aoki Corp. effectively went bankrupt, filing for court protection from creditors under a civil rehabilitation law.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Dec 7, 2001

Black mountain ant

* Japanese name:Kuroyama-ari * Scientific name:Formica japonica * Description: Like all ants, the black mountain ant has three clearly defined body parts: a capsulelike head with strong jaws; a thorax to which the three pairs of legs are joined; and an abdomen. There are also three different types,...
MORE SPORTS
Dec 7, 2001

Takahashi hospitalized for problem with colon

Olympic gold medalist Naoko Takahashi has pulled out of Sunday's national women's corporate ekiden championship after being hospitalized with intestinal problems, officials of her Sekisui Chemical team said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2001

Lack of urgency widens stock market schism

New York share prices shot up Wednesday, surprising players on the Tokyo market.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / LEARNING BY HEART
Dec 7, 2001

New b-boys and b-girls on the block

...
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2001

Teijin pulls out of power-selling study thanks to Enron

Major chemical and textile maker Teijin Ltd. said Thursday it will scrap a feasibility study with a Delaware company on selling power in Japan due to the failure of the U.S. firm's parent, Enron Corp.
EDITORIALS
Dec 6, 2001

Take action, Mr. Arafat

Two suicide bombing attacks by Islamic militants in Israel over the weekend followed by the severe responses on the part of the Israeli government have dashed hopes for bringing the Mideast peace process back to life in the near future. The horrific attacks have brought the situation to a head.
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2001

Terrorism took record toll on overseas travel in October

Revenues from overseas trips at 50 Japanese tourist agencies in October shrank a record 46.1 percent to 115.98 billion yen from the previous year due to transportation concerns caused by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a government survey showed.
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2001

Kindergarten struck by dysentery

OSAKA -- City health officials said Wednesday they are looking into the cause of a suspected dysentery outbreak at a kindergarten here after six pupils were confirmed suffering from the infection. An additional 37 teachers and pupils are believed to be infected.
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 6, 2001

World Cup ticket numbers drawn

The Japanese World Cup Organizing Committee held a draw Wednesday to pick the "lucky" numbers for second-round World Cup ticket applications from residents of Japan.
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 6, 2001

Soft touch advised with unruly fans

The key to controlling English soccer fans at the World Cup will be to understand the cultural differences in behavior of fans from different countries and to not put too much pressure on the English fans, an English security expert said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2001

Mad cow probe turns to fish in cattle-feed mix

Livestock farmers widely gave cows a type of feed made from a mixture of powdered fish meal and meat-and-bone meal until the government prohibited the use of meat-and-bone meal in September because of its suspected link to mad cow disease, industry sources said Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Dec 6, 2001

Okuda asks for sense of urgency

Hiroshi Okuda, chairman of the Japan Federation of Employers' Associations (Nikkeiren), urged the government and private sector Wednesday to try to prevent a further downgrading of Japan's sovereign ratings to avoid possible panic in the economy.
BUSINESS
Dec 6, 2001

Revised code limits liability of executives

The Commercial Code was revised Wednesday to make it easier for firms to limit the damages corporate executives must pay in lawsuits brought by shareholders.
BUSINESS / ON THE FRONT LINE
Dec 6, 2001

Dollar-positive factors may push yen down

The failure of U.S. energy giant Enron Corp. has rattled corporate bond markets around the world, prompting the Bank of Japan to inject trillions of yen into the banking system to offset liquidity concerns.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2001

Bookstores cashing in on royal birth

The birth of a girl to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess has led major bookstores in Tokyo to promote popular reading material relating to the Imperial family as well as books related to the new mother.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Dec 6, 2001

Bush scores high leadership marks

WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush continues to enjoy the support of the American people for his prosecution of the war against terrorism. His job rating on the war effort remains just under 90 percent, where it has been since it all began. The military successes in Afghanistan have quelled concerns...
BUSINESS
Dec 6, 2001

Mycal will not pay winter bonus

Failed supermarket chain Mycal Corp. has decided not to pay a winter bonus this year, scrapping a plan to pay a small bonus to its 7,200 employees, company officials said Wednesday.

Longform

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