Political earthquake in Osaka
Toru Hashimoto's huge victory in the Osaka mayoral election was undoubtedly a political earthquake. The question now is how sweeping and powerful will be the tsunami that follows. My worry is that...
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World's oldest dog dies at age 26
The world's oldest living dog, as recognized by Guinness World Records, has died at its home in Sakura, Tochigi Prefecture, at the age of 26 years and 9 months, equivalent to more than 125 years in...
View ArticleNoda steps up reform efforts
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda instructed members of a reform panel to map out a draft of social security and tax reforms, including a consumption tax hike, showing his desire to come up with a...
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Georgia woman missing in Japan
Authorities in Japan are searching for a Georgia mother of two who disappeared from a U.S. Air Force base more than a month ago. Facebook Kelli Cribbs Abad and her children. Abad has been missing in...
View ArticleNintendo: 3DS gets boost from Mario, at least in Japan
Sales of Nintendo Co Ltd's 3DS games device will hit 3 million units in the Japanese market within days, but consumers in the U.S. and Europe seem to be delaying their holiday season shopping due to...
View ArticleBaseball: Japan's dirty laundry hung out
In Japan's good old days (ie last year), badmouthing the boss was something done behind the scenes, or not done at all. In the past few weeks, mudslinging has gone public, with some of Japan's biggest...
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Japan town embraces volunteer who stayed after tsunami
The slender woman in a puffy black ski hat and camouflage pants hurried among the crowd at the opening ceremony for a new vegetable market here, carrying a rolled-up events schedule like an architect...
View ArticleJapan forex reserves hit new record high
Japan said Wednesday its foreign exchange reserves hit a record high $1.3 trillion in November after authorities intervened in currency markets to stem the yen's rise. The level was $94.88 billion...
View ArticleDriver who caused supercar crash in Japan admits he was speeding
The 60-year-old self-employed man from Chikushino in southern Fukuoka, who has not been named, told police he was driving over the 80km per hour speed limit when he lost control of his red Ferrari. The...
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Spring Airlines to launch carrier in Japan
hanghai-based Spring Airlines, the most successful Chinese low-cost carrier, is preparing to launch a carrier in Japan to gain a deeper foothold in the Japanese market. Spring spokesman Zhang Wu'an...
View ArticleJapan FM feels 'deep emotion' about Pearl Harbor
Japan's foreign minister says he feels "deep emotion" about the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Koichiro Gemba said Wednesday that even though the U.S. and Japan fought in...
View ArticleSurvivors remember Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 70 years ago
Four survivors of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor were honored aboard the USS Yorktown in Charleston Harbor on Wednesday, the 70th anniversary of the battle that brought the United States...
View ArticleOlympus promises to go after erring executives
Olympus Corp. vowed Wednesday to go after erring executives involved in an elaborate scheme to hide $1.5 billion of investment losses. The Japanese camera and medical equipment maker said it will...
View ArticleNurse jailed for tearing off toenails
The Kyoto District Court on Wednesday sentenced a 38-year-old assistant nurse to three years in prison for tearing off the big toenails of four patients at a hospital in Kyoto in August. Akemi Sato...
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Alcohol-free beverages rapidly carving out niche
Sales of alcohol-free beverages that taste like beer and wine remain on an upward trajectory as an increasing number of people are abstaining from drinking for health reasons or forgoing purchases of...
View ArticleBaseball: Wedge mulling where to bat Ichiro
Seattle Mariners manager Eric Wedge says he's still figuring out where to bat longtime leadoff man Ichiro Suzuki. The 38-year-old Ichiro is coming off a season in which he hit .272 with a .310 on-base...
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Celebrating New Year's in the traditional way
As people in Japan prepare to celebrate New Year's Day, among the most notable tasks of the season are housecleaning, which echos the timeworn ritual of susuharai ("cleaning soot from the timbers under...
View ArticleHosono: No Kyoto extension
Environment Minister Goshi Hosono told environmentalists Tuesday that Japan won't reverse its refusal to accept fresh binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol,...
View ArticleNoda's first Beijing trip off
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's planned trip to Beijing from Dec. 12 to 13 has been canceled at the request of China, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Wednesday. China sited domestic...
View ArticleOzawa raises most cash for second straight year
Democratic Party of Japan power broker Ichiro Ozawa raked in ¥328.63 million in political funds in 2010, easily outdistancing the country's other lawmakers as the top recipient of donations for the...
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