News On Japan

Japan's Nikkei share average slipped to its lowest close in more than two months for the second day in a row on Friday, with Softbank Corp tumbling 17 percent after it said it was in talks to invest in U.S. firm Sprint Nextel. (Reuters)

Japan's huge public debt load puts the world's third-largest economy in "unchartered territory" and means the country may have to push through further tax and immigration reform over time, the head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Friday. (Wall Street Journal)

Japanese and Chinese vice-ministers will hold talks soon in a bid to resolve a bitter row over disputed islands that has severely damaged ties between the Asian giants, a report says. (The Australian)

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5 hit eastern Japan on Friday, public broadcaster NHK said. (Reuters)

With the nuclear crisis from last year's earthquake forever plaguing Japan, the problematic row over the Senkaku Islands with China that has resulted in political and economic ramifications, as well as Japan's stagnated economy, the land of the rising sun doesn't need any more bad news. What they need is a glimmer of hope. (The Student)

Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said on Saturday that female labor participation in Japan is still too low on a global scale, even compared with some other Asian economies. (deutsche-boerse.com)

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is facing mounting pressure following his justice minister's admission to past links with a yakuza gang, just 10 days after he was appointed. (AFP)

The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's biggest daily, published a front page apology in its Oct. 13 morning edition admitting its sensational reports earlier in the week on the transplant of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells were wrong. (Asahi)

Three more people were arrested on suspicion of imprisoning a woman found dead at an apartment here, following the Oct. 5 arrest of a truck driver on the same charges, police said on Oct. 13. (Mainichi)

Japanese Finance Minister Koriki Jojima told the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund on Saturday that Japan will continue implementing measures necessary to cut its debts and achieve fiscal consolidation. (Mainichi)

Eleven students and teachers were stung by hornets in Shibata, Niigata Prefecture, on Saturday morning. (Japan Today)

A man has been arrested in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, after he allegedly imprisoned his ex-girlfriend in his home for 11 days. (Japan Today)

Police on Sunday arrested a 27-year-old woman for allegedly trying to strangle to death her 3-year-old daughter at their home in Inashiki, Ibaraki Prefecture. (Japan Today)

Dani Pedrosa battled from behind to beat championship leader Jorge Lorenzo at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, stepping up his bid to overtake his fellow Spaniard for his first MotoGP title. (The Age)

Heather Watson edged past Taiwan's Chang Kai-Chen in a marathon final of the Japan Women's Open to become the first Briton in 24 years to win a WTA title. (Herald Sun)

Nonito Donaire of the Philippines stopped Toshiaki Nishioka in the ninth round of their world super bantamweight title unification fight on Saturday. (Japan Times)

Since a family of killer whales has been on display at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, the number of visitors to the facility has jumped. (Mainichi)

Japan's putative "grabbing" of the Senkaku Islands has been shrilly reported in Chinese media this past month. Known in China as the Diaoyu Islands, this small collection of islets and rocky outcroppings in the East China Sea has lain outside of direct Chinese control since 1895. By 1970, the discovery of probable fossil fuel resources transformed these uninhabited islets into a watery stage for political theatre. (guardian.co.uk)

Hong Kong put on a dominant display beating arch rivals Japan 28-7 to be crowned champions of the HSBC Asian Sevens Series Mumbai Sevens, at the Bombay Gymkhana grounds, on Sunday. (India Times)

Four blocks of Parramatta's city centre were transformed into a downtown Japanese city as Hugh Jackman was spotted filming for the action movie The Wolverine on Saturday. (Sydney Morning Herald)

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