Kyodo economic news summary -4-.

Japan Weekly Monitor, December, 2003

TOKYO, Dec. 8 Kyodo

---------- Japan's 2003 rice harvest worst postwar

TOKYO - Japan's rice harvest this year came to 7.78 million tons, the worst in the postwar era, due to unseasonably low temperatures and lack of sunlight in the summer, the farm ministry said Monday.

The previous worst record was 7.81 million tons in 1993.

---------- Ripplewood to invest 3.5 bil. yen to improve Seagaia resort

MIYAZAKI, Japan - Ripplewood Lodging said Monday it will invest more than 3.5 billion yen to create new facilities and renovate existing ones at the Phoenix Seagaia Resort complex in Miyazaki, southwestern Japan.

The investment, which constitutes the second-phase development of the complex by Ripplewood, will include...