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The article focuses on the plans of Japan's Posts and Telecommunications Ministry to fund on communication companies to develop a telephone system that enables translation between Japanese and English language. The ministry believes that the system will be available by 2000, however its abbreviated version will be on line in 1993. Most of the fund will come from the ministry, but the companies will also tap funds from corporate owners including Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corp.

The article reports on the process developed by Kirin Brewery Co. Ltd. in Japan to speed the fermentation of beer from a week to just about 24 hours. Brewmasters will feed their mixture of malt and water into a bioreactor wherein yeast trapped inside gel capsules would continuously convert sugar into alcohol. However, the company revealed that the taste still needs to be refined and will take about five years before it can be perfected.

The article reports the impact of political party on the regime of Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone in Japan. His regime has got weaker to stay on as prime minister, after he failed to convince the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) which required him to step down as party chief. This is a bad news for Administration officials who had hoped that he would be able to open Japan's protected market despite opposition from the country's established bureaucracy.

The article reports that Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., the second biggest photographic products company in Japan, is planning to buy Fotomat Corp. to protect its interests. Saint Petersburg, Florida-based Fotomat Corp. is planning to shut down hundreds of its film processing kiosks across the U.S. in order to survive. This move also affects Konishiroku because this means lost sales.

The article reports that U.S. corporate treasurers are being courted for the first time by Japanese banks and securities firms into the Tokyo securities market instead of being barred from it. The Japanese Finance Ministry has relaxed the tight financial ratios that the Japanese had previously required for Samurai bond issuers.

The article offers world news briefs. The joint ventures between South Korea and Japan seemed to be interrupted by the payoffs controversy against Lockheed Martin which affect the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Bavarian Finance Minister Ludwig Huber approach to make the buyers of German companies pay for the sellers' capital gains tax. The U.S. suppliers were not confined for payoffs from the companies which tried to settle foreign defense contracts.

Discusses the scandals involving Japan's Ministry of Finance in January 1998. Resignation of Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka; Disinterest of stock market traders in the affair; Japan's stimulus plans; Statistics on the Nikkei stock average; Pressure on Japan to recharge its economy.

Discusses the 1997/1998 Winter Olympics to be held in Nagano, Japan. Travel and event ticket options available to Nagano-bound visitors from the United States; Attractions other than Olympic events.

Opinion. Comments on the pension crisis in Japan. Japan as having the largest unfunded pension bill in all industrialized countries; The irony in Japan's fiscal dilemma; Assertion that Japan's government can be blamed for the problem; The author's solution to the problem.

Focuses on the events and developments relevant to the 1996 elections in Japan. Emphasis on low voter turnout; Victory of Liberal Democratic Party's Ryutaro Hashimoto; Indications of politics and government.

Reports that a business research has revealed that foreign corporations account for 5.7 percent of sales in Japan, more than the one percent in documents from the Japan Ministry of International Trade & Industry. "Keiretsu" system of cross-ownership by Japanese firms; Japanese tax and regulatory policy.

Reports on the role of U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor in the growth of the country's exports. Percentage increase in shipments to Japan in 1995; Positive effect of Kantor's complaints about U.S. losses due to foreign rivals' use of bribes to obtain business overseas.

Reports on Haruo Ishikawa and colleagues at the University of Osaka Prefecture's use of alkaline protease enzymes produced by the B21-2 species of Bacillus bacteria to recover silver from X-ray films. Ability of the enzymes to break down the film's gelatin layers; Use of a coagulant such as aluminum sulfate to make the silver grains precipitate out of the solution; Japan Chemical Engineering and Machinery Co.'s construction of plant in Osaka, Japan to process used X-ray films.

Editorial. Reports on the investment prospects in Japan. Remarks on investment regulations; Attitude of Japanese consumers to American-made products; Reaction of American investors; Effect of American products on prices of Japanese products.

Speculates on the possible merger between automobile makers Honda and Mitsubishi. Advantages of merger; Merger announcement of Bank of Tokyo and Mitsubishi Bank; Anticipation of management shifts; Inevitability of consolidation in Japan's automobile industry.

Highlights the report of Shigeki Sakaki, regarding Japan's unemployment rate. Downsizing of manufacturing employment; Hiring by the nonmanufacturing sectors.

The article discusses the forecast on the economic condition of Japan in 1995. According to the author, expert analysts are focused on how the country can sustain the strength of their economic recovery so that their stock market could not feel the effect of the inflation. Kiyoshi Imai of NCB Management Co. gives proposals to foreign investors to invest 7.5% to 15% of their money in the country because it has low interests rate and it is set for a further fall.

Reports on the greater financial performance of Japan over the United States. Growth of the East Asian economy; Stress on infrastructure and industrial projects; Asia's share of Japan's overseas investment; Japan's exports to Asia as greater than that of the United States.