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Mayumi Negishi

BUSINESS

Aug 18, 2005

China to swoop on Iran oil field if Tokyo pulls support: firms

On the brink of tapping into one of the world’s largest known oil reserves, Japanese companies are fretting over the possibility of further rivalry with China.

JAPAN / 60 YEARS,AND ONWARD

Aug 14, 2005

War’s end brought cash to Hokkaido

When the 77th Division of the 9th Army Corps landed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, on Oct. 4, 1945, it began a low-key U.S. presence in Japan’s northernmost prefecture which continues to this day.

JAPAN

Aug 13, 2005

Economy grew 0.3% in April-June quarter

The nation’s economy grew by a less-than-expected 0.3 percent in the April-June quarter, the government said Friday, but economists said better business and consumer spending, along with strong exports, suggest Japan’s recovery this time may last.

JAPAN

Aug 12, 2005

Welfare costs lift leeway for ‘06 budget

The Cabinet on Thursday approved a 47.5 trillion yen cap on core policy-related outlays for fiscal 2006 budget requests.

BUSINESS

Aug 11, 2005

Government seeks to keep 3% cost cut target in budget

The government hopes to trim public-works spending by at least 3 percent in the fiscal 2006 budget, the same modest cost cuts made for this fiscal year, according to budget compilation guidelines submitted Wednesday to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Japan Times

JAPAN / 60 YEARS AND ONWARD

Aug 10, 2005

Daylight-saving time always a tough sell

Pity the proponents of daylight-saving time. Late last month, the third bill drafted to revive the energy-saving practice was put on the Diet’s back burner, delayed by filibustering over postal privatization.

JAPAN

Jul 29, 2005

Japan eyes retaliatory tariffs for U.S. steel

Japan may impose retaliatory duties on U.S. steel products, including ball bearings, in September to counter subsidies paid out to steel firms by Washington under an antidumping program that has been ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization.

BUSINESS

Jul 22, 2005

Crude oil price spike dents trade surplus

Japan’s merchandise trade surplus for the first half of 2005 shrank 26.4 percent from the previous year to 4.53 trillion, yen the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

BUSINESS

Jul 15, 2005

Pension program invested into black

The public pension program cleared its books of red ink in fiscal 2004, with a weak yen helping it offload foreign stocks and bonds for a profit, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Thursday.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jul 15, 2005

Teikoku Oil gets drilling rights in East China Sea

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry granted Teikoku Oil Co. rights Thursday to explore in disputed waters in the East China Sea near Chinese drilling platforms.

BUSINESS

Jul 14, 2005

Oil-price rises may hold recovery hostage: experts

Rising oil prices have yet to faze Japan. But with oil experts projecting further hikes to as much as $80 a barrel, the nation should brace itself for direct and indirect hits on its recovery in the not-so-distant future, economists say.

BUSINESS

Jul 5, 2005

‘04 tax revenue up 5.3% as jobs, dividends grow

In a sign the economy is growing stronger, tax revenues in fiscal 2004 rose 5.3 percent from the previous year to 45.59 trillion yen for the first increase in four years, the Finance Ministry said Monday.

BUSINESS

Jun 29, 2005

‘Mr. Yen’ sees symbolic yuan gesture by yearend

China may make a “symbolic” gesture of addressing overseas complaints about its currency policy by slightly loosening the yuan’s peg to the dollar before the end of the year, a former top currency guru said Tuesday.

JAPAN

Jun 25, 2005

Shady cash stash puts METI in hot water

A probe into years of accounting fraud at Kanebo Ltd. has led to a secret stash of nearly 30 million yen collected over 20 years by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry officials.

BUSINESS

Jun 23, 2005

Credit card data thieves ring up 110 million yen

Data on about 46,000 Visa card holders have been stolen and so far, more than 110 million yen in illicit purchases have been reported, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Wednesday.

BUSINESS

Jun 22, 2005

Dependent tax breaks may end, but hike denied

The Tax Commission is recommending that spouse and adult offspring deductions be cut to help get rid of the nation’s debt.

BUSINESS

Jun 18, 2005

Tax Commission to boost exemptions for donations to NPOs

The Tax Commission, an advisory panel to the prime minister, said Friday in a report that it will increase exemptions for donations made to nonprofit organizations.

Japan Times

BUSINESS

Jun 16, 2005

‘Scandal spokesman’ speaks on crisis management

The cost of scandals to business is at an all-time high. Time was when a bow held for 10 seconds by executives in a news conference, plus the resignation of a top official, would clear the air for business as usual.

BUSINESS

Jun 11, 2005

Tax panel takes aim at dependent exemptions

The Tax Commission, an advisory panel to the prime minister, said Friday it will study ways to reduce income tax exemptions, including those for homemakers and other nondisabled dependents, to raise revenues and combat the mounting national debt.

Japan Times

BUSINESS

Jun 3, 2005

Jakarta leader backs FTA talks but balks on UNSC bid

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono agreed Thursday to launch talks for a free-trade accord as part of a comprehensive bilateral economic partnership.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.

What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival

By Alex K.T. Martin

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