Kajima Corp

Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa's most powerful ally acknowledged Monday that he accepted donations from a construction company under investigation for bribing politicians, but he denied any wrongdoing. Allegations surfaced last week that Ichiro Ozawa, a powerbroker behind Hosokawa's coalition government, took the equivalent of more than $46,000--possibly on several occasions--from construction giant Kajima Corp.

Trumpets, a 16-foot hot-air balloon, 5,000 small balloons and eight confetti cannons will signal the start of work Wednesday on the Greater Los Angeles World Trade Center/Long Beach. "The (ground-breaking) ceremonies will also honor the World Trade Center's sponsor, the Port of Long Beach, on the occasion of its 75th anniversary of service to the Southern California shipping industry," said Michael J. Choppin, president and chairman of the board of IDM Corp.

The first phase of the $550-million Greater Los Angeles World Trade Center in Long Beach--a project that on completion will be the second largest of its kind in the nation--opens Tuesday. Consisting of a 27-story office tower with 553,026 square feet of office and retail space, the initial phase is 60% signed and committed, according to Michael J. Choppin, president and chairman of IDM Corp. The trade center is sponsored by the Port of Long Beach and is a joint venture of IDM and Kajima International Inc. "The United States Customs Service will be moving its Pacific Region Headquarters from 300 N. Los Angeles St. in downtown Los Angeles to the World Trade Center this fall," Choppin said, adding that the unit of the Treasury Department will occupy three floors or about 54,000 square feet in the project near Ocean Boulevard and the Long Beach (710)

The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council this week gave conceptual approval to a 63-unit residential development on a 59-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Crest and Highridge roads. The council, which had rejected several earlier plans for the subdivision, on Tuesday approved Kajima Development Corp.'s proposal for 28 one-story, 24 two-story and 11 split-level homes. It set the minimum lot size at 16,025 square feet, with an average lot size of 19,723 square feet.

The final plan for the Long Beach World Trade Center, revealed publicly Monday, shows that when its four development phases are completed, it will contain 2.2 million square feet of commercial space and a major hotel and have a total value of $450 million. The ground lease was signed on April 5 between the Port of Long Beach, which assembled and owns the downtown site, and the developer, IDM/Kajima, a joint venture of Long Beach-based IDM Corp.

Acting on prosecutors' request, the Tokyo District Court asked Parliament on Tuesday to approve the arrest of a former construction minister and Liberal Democratic Party member on bribery charges. This was another blow to the corruption-riddled former ruling party and represented the first move against a member of Parliament since prosecutors started arresting mayors, governors and construction company executives last June.

Born from the rubble of two land deal disasters, plans for building the Los Angeles Unified School District's first new high school in more than 20 years--in the Temple-Beaudry area near Downtown--are finally beginning to jell.

For three days, the 10 men representing the titans of Japan's construction industry met at an elegant restaurant and politely discussed how to carve up the latest public works project. On Day 1, three men bowed out. On Day 2, five others were persuaded to give up. On Day 3, the remaining two candidates faced off. Now, finally, the polite masks came off. "I don't mean to insult you, but this project is too big for your company," one said to the other. "You think you're big?

In an extraordinary action, the U.S. Justice Department is negotiating to collect $35 million in damages from a cartel of Japanese construction companies that rigged bids on U.S. Navy contracts in Japan, U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday. David Schlitz, a department lawyer sent from Washington, has demanded that members of the consortium of 140 companies pay a cash settlement or face legal action in U.S. and Japanese courts, the officials said.

The slums just west of downtown Los Angeles have been hammered by government for years. Blocks of old houses and apartments, home to generations of Mexican immigrant families, were ripped down to make way for a huge real estate development, Central City West, which fizzled with the shattered commercial real estate market. Nearby, overcrowded apartment houses seldom see a city inspector. Garbage and refuse litter the curbs. The message is clear: Nobody cares.