Provides the latest RSS feeds for Japan News. For more headlines on Breaking, National, Business, Finance, Sports and World News, visit our home page The Tokyo News.net http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/cat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044/ en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 21:04:46 -0400 Sun, 19 May 2013 21:04:46 -0400 30 While confirming North Korea's missile launches Saturday, the Japanese government clarified none of the missiles landed in its territorial waters, Xinhua reported. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, citing its country's defence ministry, had reported that North Korea launched three short-range guided missiles into the Sea of Japan. The ministry had detected two missiles being launched in the ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214608691/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 22:00:02 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214608691/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Japanese biotech ventures promising to make jet fuel from algae and to produce synthetic cartilage are soaring in Tokyo trading as cash pumped into the economy by the central bank cascades into speculative investments. Five of the ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214620737/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:54:02 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214620737/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 USD/JPY traded 100 pips lower from the Friday close during early interbank trade after the Japanese EconMin said over the weekend that the Yen correction had gone far enough. The USD index broke above an important technical resistance level at 84.10 on Friday and bullish dollar momentum seems to be picking up some steam. There are no data releases of note on today's calendar and most of the ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214620739/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:48:03 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214620739/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 TOKYO, May 20 (Reuters) - The Nikkei share average is set to extend its record-breaking run on Monday, as further weakness in the yen and signs of an improving U.S. economic outlook bolsters prospects for higher Japanese corporate earnings in the current business year. Wall Street's record closing highs on Friday is also expected to underpin the market, likely pushing it to a fresh 5-1/2 year ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214620562/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:36:17 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214620562/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 TOKYO, May 20 (Reuters) - Following are orders for Japanese stocks placed through six foreign securities houses before the start of trade on Monday. Japanese Stocks: BUY 14.0 million ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214620738/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:13:53 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214620738/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 stock futures rose, indicating the Nikkei 225 Stock Average will extend gains that took it the highest level in 5 1/2 years, after U.S. leading indicators and consumer sentiment advanced more than estimated. The yen gained against the dollar. Nikkei 225 Stock Average futures climbed 1.1 percent, after the gauge closed at the highest level since December 2007. The yen climbed as much as 1.1 ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214620225/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:04:34 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214620225/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Japan is scheduled to release a batch of data on Monday, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. On tap are final March figures for the leading and coincident indexes, plus April numbers for machine tool orders, convenience store sales, department store sales and Tokyo condominium sales. In addition, the Cabinet Office will release its monthly economic report for May.The ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214619626/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:29:44 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214619626/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 By Stanley WhiteTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan risks missing, yet again, an opportunity to use foreign investment to help fuel sustained economic growth that has eluded it for the last two decades.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to make Japan "the world's easiest country for companies to do business in" as part of his economic revival plan, which so far has been largely met with ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214619097/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 17:43:47 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214619097/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 US$ dollars have been flooding the financial markets ever since Bernanke launched quantitative easing, allegedly to turnaround the US economy. These huge amounts of US$ toilet papers are mainly in financial markets (and in central banks) outside of the United States. A huge chunk is represented as reserves in central banks led by China and Japan. If truth be told, the real value of the US$ would ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618606/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 16:50:01 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618606/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 North Korea has fired its fourth missile in two days despite international condemnation against the tests. Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged a return to talks on the Korean peninsula to mitigate ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618726/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 16:37:45 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618726/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Toru Hashimoto, co-head of Nippon Ishin No Kai (Japan Restoration Party), told Shintaro Ishihara, the other co-leader of the Japanese opposition party, on Sunday that he has no intention to withdraw his recent remarks that have triggered outrage both at home and ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618725/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 16:37:45 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618725/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Abe showed the plan when he inspected a new cancer therapy center in Tosu, Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, where heavy ion beam will be used to destroy cancerous tissues in a method called radiotherapy. Abe pointed out that when he toured Russia and some Middle East nations recently, he heard officials of these countries say they want to introduce Japan's advanced ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618724/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 16:37:43 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618724/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 A possible solution to the increasing amount of contaminated water inside the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant could be to pump groundwater into the sea before it gets into the reactor buildings, as planned by the plant operator, the head of international inspectors has ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618728/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 16:37:43 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618728/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Hakuho kicked off the second week of action with another swashbuckling win to keep his unblemished record intact, mowing down Russian Aran at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618727/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 16:37:43 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214618727/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 It was Thika United, who went up first in the match after John Wanyonyi scored in the 23rd minute. The move was initiated by Kennedy Otieno, who picked a loose ball in the middle of the pack and shot on the turn. The goal bound shot was too fast for Joseph Ruto in goal. He palmed it allowing a waiting Wanyonyi to simply tap it home. Mathare United were back in the match after ten minutes and it ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214617721/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 15:10:41 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214617721/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Japan continues to be the world's biggest financial story. The consensus seems to be that the country's extraordinary economic measures are good for both itself and the world. I've detailed previously how Japan's efforts are likely to have terrible domestic economic consequences, whether they succeed or not. Today, I'm going to explore the latter idea: that Yen ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214617722/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 14:54:09 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214617722/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 This undated picture, released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 13, 2013 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju (2nd L), enjoying a performance given by the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Korean People's Internal Security ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616602/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 13:14:23 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616602/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Economic revitalization minister Akira Amari revealed Sunday that he plans to open talks with national labor and management representatives on how to convince companies to raise wages. Amari said on a TV program that improved corporate earnings resulting from ';Abenomics,'; the moniker for the yen-weakening, deflation-busting plans of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, could lead to a hike in ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616154/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:15:07 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616154/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Give and take: A Japanese student (center), playing the role of a diplomat, negotiates with other students during a mock U.N. meeting Saturday in New York. | ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616155/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:15:06 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616155/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Full-service future: A worker at a gas station pumps hydrogen into a fuel cell car in April in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture. The station, operated by JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp., is the first in the nation to offer both gasoline and hydrogen fuel. | ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615950/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:15:05 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615950/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s private disco featured not only aspiring showgirls performing striptease acts as sexy nuns and nurses, but one woman dressed up as President Barack Obama and a prominent Milan prosecutor whom the billionaire media mogul has accused of persecuting him, ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616156/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:15:04 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616156/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 WASHINGTON - After a market debut marred by technical glitches and a deep dive in the company’s stock price, Facebook has spent the past year focused on its biggest weaknesses: how to make money and keep its more than 1 billion users tethered to the social network. The results have been mixed. The company’s stock price has recovered some of its worst losses, and Facebook has ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616157/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:15:03 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616157/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 They were the first: Kelly Dempsey sits with her twin daughters Jordan (left) and Erin Barker, 17, and their pet dog Alou at their home in Bothell, Washington, on April 28. A court dog helped the girls during a molestation trial against their father. | ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616158/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:15:02 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616158/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s private disco featured not only aspiring showgirls performing striptease acts as sexy nuns and nurses, but one woman dressed up as President Barack Obama and a prominent Milan prosecutor whom the billionaire media mogul has accused of persecuting him, ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616159/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:15:01 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616159/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s private disco featured not only aspiring showgirls performing striptease acts as sexy nuns and nurses, but one woman dressed up as President Barack Obama and a prominent Milan prosecutor whom the billionaire media mogul has accused of persecuting him, ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616069/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:15:00 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616069/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 KANDANA, SRI LANKA - A hot cup of Ceylon tea is better known as being soothing and relaxing, but Sri Lanka is now marketing its most profitable export as a luxury boost for the libido. The tea industry is increasingly plugging Ceylon’s supposed aphrodisiac qualities in a bid to radically change perceptions of the brew, which manufacturers say can sell for less than water in some markets. ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616088/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:15:00 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616088/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 WASHINGTON - Rene Carlos Vos, an arms dealer in Alexandria, Virginia, began hanging around the Washington headquarters of the National Rifle Association in the mid-1980s. The NRA’s staff were intrigued to see the garrulous, back-slapping Vos in the group’s seventh-floor suite, home to its lobbying operation and the chief congressional lobbyist, Wayne LaPierre. Vos and LaPierre struck ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616160/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:58 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616160/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Life in Japan just seems tailor-made for certain foreign residents, who slip into the fabric of this society as smoothly as a hand slides into a glove. American Curtis Patterson, a professional koto player and music teacher, is a case in point. Not only ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616161/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:56 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616161/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 One team’s quest for a first title has ended. The other team’s fight will continue next season. The Yokohama B-Corsairs outplayed the Rizing Fukuoka in Sunday’s bj-league championship game, controlling the tempo for larger stretches and making enough timely baskets to fill an instructional ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616162/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:55 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616162/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 IRVING, TEXAS - Keegan Bradley overcame two early bogeys — and a dropped shot on the 18th for the third-straight day — to maintain his lead at the Byron Nelson Championship with 2-under 68 in the third round Saturday. Bradley had a 13-under 197 total for a one-stroke lead over Bae Sang Moon (66) and two-shot advantage over Tom Gillis (67). Ryo Ishikawa carded a 2-under-par 68 and ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616163/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:54 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616163/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 TOKOROZAWA, SAITAMA PREF. - The Hanshin Tigers beat the Seibu Lions 10-5 on Sunday in a battle of pitching aces that saw precious little quality from the mound. Tigers ace Atsushi Nomi (4-2) allowed a season-high five runs in five innings, but that was enough to win his third straight start once his teammates were done with Lions ace Hideaki Wakui. ';All the credit goes to the position ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616165/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:53 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616165/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Hit it a long way: Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano hits a two-run home run against the Blue Jays on Saturday in New York. The Yankees won 7-2. | ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616164/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:52 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616164/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Down the stretch: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (right) leads as Carmelita Jeter grabs her thigh during the women's 100-meter race at the Diamond League competition in Shanghai. | ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616153/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:52 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616153/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 BALTIMORE - A pair of not so over-the-hill Hall of Famers pulled off a huge upset in the Preakness and ended any hopes of a Triple Crown attempt at the Belmont Stakes. Thanks to Oxbow’s wire-to-wire win Saturday over Kentucky Derby winner Orb, trainer D. Wayne Lukas and jockey Gary Stevens have themselves another classic to add to their stellar resumes. ';I get paid to spoil ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616167/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:51 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616167/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 On to the next one: The Pacers' David West (right) vies for a loose ball against Knicks guard Raymond Felton during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday in Indianapolis. The Pacers won 106-99 to win the series 4-2. | ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616166/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:50 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616166/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 CHICAGO - In case they weren’t aware already, the Chicago Blackhawks now know they’re going to have to earn it if they want to get past Detroit. The Red Wings hammered home that message on Saturday. Damien Brunner and Brendan Smith scored in the second period and Detroit beat the Blackhawks 4-1 in Game 2 to even their Western Conference semifinal series. It was a strong response by ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616168/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:49 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616168/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Survival of the fittest: Roger Federer waves to the crowd after his 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over Benoit Paire in the Italian Open semifinals on Saturday in Rome. | ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616152/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:49 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616152/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Drive and dedication: Yokohama's Masayuki Kabaya moves the ball during the B-Corsairs' 101-90 win over the Rizing Fukuoka in the bj-league championship game at Ariake Colosseum on Sunday. | YOSHIAKI ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616170/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:47 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616170/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 The identification of a geological fracture zone beneath a Tsuruga nuclear plant reactor as an active fault may force the decommissioning of the reactor in Fukui ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616171/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:14:45 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214616171/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Japan next month amid increasing demand from the nation's consumers for smaller and cheaper vehicles. The automaker, based in Yokohama, Japan, began production of the minicar at Mitsubishi's Mizushima plant in Okayama prefecture today. The model will be sold as the Nissan DAYZ and Mitsubishi eK Wagon in June, according to the companies. Nissan, which previously sold rebadged ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615623/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:29:48 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615623/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 WASHINGTON - The embarrassing arrest of a suspected CIA officer in Moscow is the latest reminder that, even after the Cold War, the U.S. and Russia are engaged in an espionage battle with secret tactics, spying devices and training that sometimes isn’t enough to avoid being caught. The most recent skirmish involves Russian security services ambushing a 29-year-old diplomat who they say was ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615624/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:37 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615624/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 NEW DELHI - India says all issues will be ';on the table,'; including a recent border spat and a festering trade imbalance, during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to the South Asian giant, which started Sunday. At the same time, New Delhi thinks ';very highly'; of Li’s decision to make India his first overseas stop since taking charge as premier, Indian Foreign ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615483/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:36 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615483/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Recently I was asked to write a blurb for a new liquid plant-nutrient. As soon as I saw the name of the product, ???? (Hayane Hayaoki), I smiled at this example of linguistic creativity. The four characters translate loosely as ';early root, early sprouting';; ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615625/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:34 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615625/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 WASHINGTON - Smoking’s not allowed on Washington’s Metro system. But what about e-smoking? The week before last, I was riding on the Orange Line when I saw a woman holding what I thought was a high-end felt-tip marker. It had a round barrel that tapered to a narrower point. Then she stuck the narrow end in her mouth, sucked, and blew out a white cloud. It didn’t smell like ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615398/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:33 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615398/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 The identification of a geological fracture zone beneath a Tsuruga nuclear plant reactor as an active fault may force the decommissioning of the reactor in Fukui ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615626/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:32 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615626/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 PARIS - At the end of 2011, sovereign wealth funds’ assets under management amounted to $3 trillion, following 237 direct investments worth $81 billion that year. Some experts even estimate SWFs’ assets to be worth $6 trillion. This means that SWFs, the avatars of state capitalism, are now twice as rich as the world’s hedge funds, the totems of liberal capitalism’s ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615627/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:31 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615627/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 LONDON - France played a decisive role in shaping not only the euro system but the entire European project. This history has predisposed French leaders to the goal of preserving the euro at all costs. Those costs, as we explained in Part 1 of this article, have become quite insupportable. A new strategy is needed, and France’s role in shaping it will once again be pivotal. France sits on ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615375/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:30 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615375/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Life in Japan just seems tailor-made for certain foreign residents, who slip into the fabric of this society as smoothly as a hand slides into a glove. American Curtis Patterson, a professional koto player and music teacher, is a case in point. Not only ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615628/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:29 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615628/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Life in Japan just seems tailor-made for certain foreign residents, who slip into the fabric of this society as smoothly as a hand slides into a glove. American Curtis Patterson, a professional koto player and music teacher, is a case in point. Not only ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615629/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:29 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615629/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 The death of an 11-year-old student who was allergic to dairy products after she ate a school lunch in Chofu, Tokyo, in December 2012 has prompted a public discussion of how to prevent similar tragedies at school. To this end, the education ministry in March 2013 instructed boards of education across the nation to take necessary measures. This month, the ministry also plans to establish a panel ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615385/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:28 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214615385/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 UPDATED: Michael Barker and Tom Bernard's specialty unit is a natural fit for Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi's new film, which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614971/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 10:34:03 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614971/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 HOLDEN is in danger of shutting its manufacturing operations and could bring the rest of the car industry down with it. That's the warning from University of Adelaide Associate Professor John Spoehr, who says he is seeing similar signs to the lead-up of Mitsubishi's Adelaide factory closure in 2008. LABOR MP SEEKS TARIFFS TO SAVE HOLDEN JOBS "I'm very concerned about the ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614548/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 10:00:00 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614548/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Japan has made progress in its attempts to curtail soaring fuel costs since the 2011 Fukushima disaster and Washington on Friday gave it the green light to import cheap liquefied natural gas. Since Japan is poor in natural resources, it has been longing to import U.S.-produced LNG emerging from the shale gas boom. This is not only because the price of U.S. natural gas is around a quarter of ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614571/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 09:43:12 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614571/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 OSAKA - A doctor who conducted a psychiatric evaluation of Mamoru Takuma, who was executed in 2004 for stabbing to death eight children at an Osaka school, will publish a book containing nearly the entire report, it has been learned. The book — titled ';Takuma Mamoru Seishin Kanteisho'; (';Mamoru Takuma Psychiatric Evaluation Report';) — contains statements made ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614317/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 08:51:56 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614317/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) coleader Toru Hashimoto said Sunday he doesn’t believe the so-called comfort women, over whom his controversial remarks have drawn flak, were ';sex slaves who were unwillingly forced into service by the country through violence, threat and abductions.'; Hashimoto, who is also the mayor of Osaka, said on a TV program he will clarify ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614318/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 08:51:53 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614318/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 The politics of immigration in Japan involve anxieties about national identity and worries about crime. Looking at other countries with large numbers of immigrants, the Japanese government has said ';no thanks.'; There are, however, strong economic reasons for Japan to let down the drawbridges. ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614258/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 08:51:50 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214614258/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 WAM ABU DHABI, May 19th, 2013 (WAM) --The Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation (SSHF) announced a new programme - The Art Trip, an educational art trip to Tokyo for ten Junior High School students from the 18th - 24th May 2013. As part of the Foundation's strategy to support emerging artists at the earliest stages of their development, the Foundation has selected ten passionate ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214613967/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 07:50:15 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214613967/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 the problem is that when a Japanese national divorces a foreigner overseas, he or she can abduct their children, bring them back to Japan and the law ensures that the parent left behind has no rights to see the children or take them back home. The U.S. State Department reports that there have been over a hundred such kidnappings since 1994-according to a source, the number is closer to 400. ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214613640/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 07:18:03 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214613640/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Create a Spokesman.com profile and register for FREE access. S-R Media, The Spokesman-Review and Spokesman.com are happy to assist you. Contact Customer Service ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214613622/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 07:17:27 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214613622/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Shinzo Abe made the comment after a surprise visit to North Korea by one of his advisers last week has irritated the United States and South Korea as a possible damper to their efforts to forge a united front against Pyongyang. "I want to pursue negotiations or dialogue" with North Korea, he told reporters in Fukuoka, southern Japan, according to Japanese media. "I will definitely ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214613264/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 06:30:25 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214613264/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Brendan Jones, Paul Sheehan and Scott Strange have recorded top-15 finishes at the PGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodles Cup on Sunday.The trio finished tied for 15th at two over at the Sobu Country Club Sohbu Course near Tokyo, with Jones and Strange the best of the group on the final day with even-par 71s while Sheehan shot two over.South Korea's Kim Hyung-Sung claimed the Japan Golf Tour ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214612879/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 05:49:59 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214612879/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Support rate for the Cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has edged down almost 2 percent to 70.9 percent, compared with 72.1 percent in the previous poll last month, according to a Kyodo News survey showed on Sunday.It was the fourth time that the Cabinet approval rating has surpassed 70 percent in the monthly surveys since Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) took power in ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214612573/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 04:52:34 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214612573/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese minister on Sunday defended a surprise visit to North Korea by one of the prime minister's aides which Washington and Seoul said could not help efforts to forge a united front against Pyongyang.Akira Amari, state minister of economic revitalisation, said the four-day trip by Isao Iijima reflected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's resolve to have North Korea come clean ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214611674/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 03:19:50 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214611674/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 An expert panel on education will recommend that the government lower the grade when primary school students start studying English from the fifth year and make it a regular subject for fifth and sixth graders, sources ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214611732/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 03:02:44 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214611732/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 SAITAMA, Japan (AFP) - When amateur actress Etsuko Shigemoto walks out in front of a Paris audience in an all-Japanese production this month she will forget about being 87 years old."I have weak hearing and poor sight. I have problems all over my body," she said. "But I am still young in spirit."Shigemoto is one of a troupe of elderly actors -- average age 74 -- under the ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214611733/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 03:02:26 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214611733/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 TOKYO | Sun May 19, 2013 2:40am EDT TOKYO May 19 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp is planning to increase production of lithium-ion batteries by six times, as the automaker prepares to eventually use them in its flagship Prius gasoline-electric hybrid cars, the Nikkei business daily reported on Sunday. Currently, most of Toyota's hybrid vehicles use nickel-metal hydride batteries but ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214611575/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 02:40:11 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214611575/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Japan's earnings season has drawn to a close with the sharply weaker yen helping inflate profits at some of the nation's top exporters, but, warn some commentators, the drop is not all good news. Sony booked its first annual profit in five years, Toyota more than tripled its earnings in the fiscal year to March and the head of rival automaker Nissan hailed the taming of the currency. ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214610799/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 01:22:09 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214610799/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 PARIS: The recovery of the Japanese economy, just as a recession in Europe digs in, is renewing pressure on European policymakers to shift course from austerity to stimulus. Data released on Thursday showed Japan's economy grew markedly in the first quarter, only weeks after a new government and a new team at the central bank set about stoking the world's third-biggest economy. The ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214610249/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sun, 19 May 2013 00:21:32 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214610249/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 The Japanese government on Saturday pledged to provide 2 billion US dollars to support resource development projects by Japanese companies in Africa over the next five years, local media reported.The plans were announced during a meeting that brought together ministers and representatives from Japan and 15 African countries in charge of resource issues. The event was held ahead of a summit- level ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214608802/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 22:03:30 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214608802/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 When the yen's value falls, many Japanese goods become less expensive worldwide. Toyotas become cheaper in Germany, the United States and South Korea. So do Sony electronics. For tourists, Tokyo doesn't cost so much to ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214608830/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 21:48:15 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214608830/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Nobel Prize-winning writer Kenzaburo Oe and fellow activists warned against the intensifying moves in the political world to revise Japan's pacifist ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214608898/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 21:36:29 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214608898/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 OSAKA--Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto is now pointing the finger at translators as well as native speakers of Japanese for the continuing criticism over his recent comments on "comfort women," those who were forced to provide sex to Japanese soldiers during World War ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214608897/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 21:36:28 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214608897/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 INDIANAPOLIS ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214606075/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 16:45:03 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214606075/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 NOWHERE is the opulence of Old Hollywood more palpable than on the Sony Pictures lot in Culver City. Arching just inside the front gate is an eight-story rainbow. This grand $1.6 million sculpture, a condition of a lot expansion, rose last year and became a symbolic link between past glories ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214606077/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 16:33:03 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214606077/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 The Japanese government should carefully address the issue of amending Article 9 of the country's constitution, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said in an interview with U.S. magazine Foreign ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214605533/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 16:26:11 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214605533/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 The government said Saturday that it will contribute 2 billion dollars over five years to support Japanese firms' natural resources development in ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214605534/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 16:26:11 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214605534/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Hakuho kept his eyes firmly on the prize and wrapped up the first week of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament with another high-octane performance against Takarafuji on ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214605535/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 16:26:09 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214605535/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 A GENERATION ago, Japan was a colossus on any investing map of the world. Envious foreigners called its export-driven economy a ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214605424/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 15:47:30 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214605424/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan Saturday, jolting residents in the area hit hard by a massive quake in 2011, officials said. Police and fire officials said no injuries were reported and the temblor caused no damage at the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 nuclear reactors, Kyodo News said. No tsunami warning was issued. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said the quake was 28.5 ... http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214604888/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044 Sat, 18 May 2013 15:13:55 -0400 http://www.thetokyonews.net/index.php/sid/214604888/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044