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Envoy hands over Pyongyang peace missive to Chinese president

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:58:46 -0400

BEIJING - A senior North Korean envoy delivered a letter from his leader Kim Jong-un to Chinese President Xi Jinping and told him that Pyongyang was ready to take "positive action" to re-join stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks. The letter was handed over by envoy, Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae. Choe told Xi that North Korea is willing to take positive actions to solve problems ...

Myanmar visit to turn new page in history Japanese PM

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:50:01 -0400

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a message published in Myanmar official media here Saturday that his current official visit to Myanmar will bring Japan-Myanmar cooperation to even higher level and serve as an opportunity to lay down a foundation for turning a new page in history. Abe said he will exchange views with President U Thein Sein in the forthcoming meeting, expected to take ...

PM to undertake five-day visit to Japan Thailand from Monday

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:50:03 -0400

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will undertake a five-day official visit to Japan and Thailand from Monday. He will first visit Japan from May 27 to May 29 and then visit Thailand on May 30 to 31. The focus of the visit to Japan is expected to be on strategic content and ways to expand bilateral energy and economic ties, while the visit to Bangkok will be aimed at signing a long awaited ...

JX Nippon KUFPEC and Santos begin oil output in Australia

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:25:41 -0400

(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration Corp., a unit of Japan's top refiner, said Friday it started commercial oil production from the Finucane South field, off Western Australia, on May 16. The project is jointly owned by a local unit of state-owned Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) and Australian upstream group Santos. Production began ...

Japans central bank chief upbeat on monetary easing

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:25:40 -0400

(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Bank of Japan (BOJ) new Governor Haruhiko Kuroda on Friday expressed confidence with effects of the central bank's drastic monetary easing to end the country's deflation that has lasted for nearly 15 years."What's most important is that the effect of our monetary easing creates a positive cycle of output, income and spending in the economy, ...

Japanese Lab Workers Exposed to Radiation

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:10:04 -0400

TOKYO -- As many as 55 workers at a national laboratory may have been exposed to low levels of radiation after an experiment overheated, releasing radioactive particles into the air, the agency operating the lab said ...

Minamisanriku Tsunami-Hit Town In Japan Gets Easter Island Statue As Symbol For Recovery

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:08:15 -0400

Japanese high school students and carvers from Chile pose before a new 'Moai' statue (back C), modelled on the mysterious carvings at Easter Island, as it was set at the tsunami-devastated town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan on May 25, 2013. The giant present, a three-meter tall stone statue, crossed the ocean from Chile as the town's original was destroyed ...

A staff member watches monitors on May 22 at the National Weather Center in Norman Oklahoma which observes tornado activity round-the-clock.

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:56:33 -0400

NORMAN, Okla.--The large-scale tornado that devastated the city of Moore, Okla., on May 20 will likely have a lower death toll than expected, thanks in part to a Japanese meteorologist who helped develop tornado forecasting ...

Nuclear physics lab continued experiment even after radioactive leak

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:56:32 -0400

Scientists at a nuclear physics laboratory in Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture, ignored the ringing of an alarm that radioactive substances were leaking and continued with the experiment that triggered the problem for more than four hours, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency said May ...

Japan can be the model for change

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:15:07 -0400

A GENERATION ago, Japan was widely admired -- and feared -- as an economic paragon. Business best sellers put samurai warriors on their covers, promising to teach you the secrets of Japanese management; thrillers by the likes of Michael Crichton portrayed Japanese corporations as unstoppable juggernauts rapidly consolidating their domination of world markets. Then Japan fell into a seemingly ...

David Lee Roth Stars as an Assassin in Mysterious Japanese Short Film

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:19:04 -0400

Van Halen News Desk , the video features famed Japanese sumo wrestler Konishiki, a friend of Roth's. VHND also notes that Roth has been living in Tokyo part-time since last year, where he is studying sword training and martial ...

Abe pledges nation-building support to Myanmar

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:38:41 -0400

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday that his country will provide nation-building support to Myanmar while paying due heed to the needs of local ...

6 Japan researchers suffer internal radiation exposure

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:38:41 -0400

At least six researchers suffered internal radiation exposure this week due to an accident during an experiment related to elementary particles, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency said ...

Sumo Hakuho moves closer to 25th Emperors Cup

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:38:40 -0400

Hakuho proved an impregnable force for ozeki stalwart Kisenosato in an electrifying showdown of undefeated wrestlers Saturday, putting himself within arm's length of his 25th Emperor's Cup at the Summer Grand Sumo ...

Next TPP trade round set for July 15-25 Japan to join near end

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:38:40 -0400

The eleven countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations agreed to hold the next round of talks in Kuala Lumpur from July 15 to 25 as they concluded their 17th round of talks in Lima on ...

Hashimoto to retract remark suggesting U.S. military use sex industry

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:38:39 -0400

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said Saturday he will retract his remark suggesting that U.S. servicemen in Japan use the country's adult entertainment industry in order to prevent them from committing sex offenses against locals, adding that he will apologize to the U.S. people and ...

In Tokyo Bulgari dazzlers amid the sakura blooms

Sat, 25 May 2013 17:11:17 -0400

Floral brooch in diamonds propped up amid sakura blooms Tokyo had a distinctive way of welcoming spring when we were there last month. The drizzle was slightly heavy and the gusts of wind were strong enough to almost upturn the umbrella we were using, albeit in a futile manner, in Omotesando. But after a day, the sun shone bright, and the sakura blossoms shone even brighter and were luxuriant ...

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto retracts US brothel remark

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:11:45 -0400

Osaka mayor and co-leader of the Japan Restoration Party Toru Hashimoto speaks before press at the Osaka city hall in Osaka, western Japan on May 24, 2013. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty ...

Japanese laboratory reports radiation leak

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:09:43 -0400

TOKYO -- An atomic research lab in northern Japan has reported a radiation leak that may have affected about 50 people, though none were hospitalized and no impact was expected outside the facility, the lab's operator said ...

Four scientists exposed to radiation in Japan lab mishap

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:18:09 -0400

An equipment malfunction at a Japanese research center exposed at least four scientists to radiation, regulators said Saturday. The researchers suffered internal radiation exposure when the output of a proton beam increased unexpectedly and vaporized part of a gold target, resulting in radioactive substances leaking from the controlled area, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency said. Investigators ...

J.League Wrap Omiya Ardija stay top Yokohama keep pressure on

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:18:09 -0400

Yokohama F.Marinos maintained the pressure at the top of the table with a 1-0 win away to relegation-threatened Sagan Tosu. The game appeared to be heading for a 0-0 draw, before defender Seitaro Tomisawa's timely intervention in the 77th minute. Kashima Antlers defeated Tokyo 3-2 in an entertaining fixture at the Kashima Soccer Stadium to maintain their own hopes of challenging for the ...

A big ‘F-ck yeah’ from 26-year-old Tumblr CEO on $1.1 billion Yahoo deal

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:58 -0400

NEW YORK - Tumblr Inc. Chief Executive Officer David Karp, a 26-year-old who started the company in 2007, signed a note announcing Yahoo! Inc.’s $1.1 billion acquisition with the closing, ';F-ck yeah.'; Beyond just expressing elation, Karp was making a statement that the New York-based company will retain its distinctive and irreverent character under a new owner. The phrase is ...

History shows one man’s rape is another’s wooing

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:56 -0400

';The evolution of political thought in this relatively isolated island nation during the period in question is unique to the point of being somewhat freakish.'; This gives a reader pause. Freakish? The judgment is historian Hiroshi Watanabe’s in ';A History of Japanese Political Thought, 1600-1901,'; his 2010 book whose title defines ';the period in ...

‘Ruby’ in Berlusconi case denies own statements

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:55 -0400

MILAN, ITALY - The woman whom prosecutors allege had sex in exchange for money with Silvio Berlusconi while he was Italy’s prime minister spent her second day on the witness stand Friday, denying her former sworn descriptions of racy escapades at his ';bunga bunga'; parties and of expensive jewelry and watches she had received from the media mogul. Karima el-Mahroug, a Moroccan ...

Xenophobia stretches from the street to the dinner table

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:54 -0400

The territorial disputes between Japan and its nearest neighbors over the islands of Takeshima (Dokdo in Korean) and the Senkakus (Diaoyu in Chinese) have gradually faded from the front pages; but this does not necessarily mean there have been no repercussions. Accumulated resentment on both sides serve as a constant irritant, making it easier for conflicts to spill over into other areas. The ...

Toronto mayor ‘I do not use crack cocaine’

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:53 -0400

TORONTO - Breaking a week of silence, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denied Friday that he smokes crack cocaine and said he is not an addict after a video purported to show him using the drug surfaced. The mayor of Canada’s largest city did not say whether he has ever used crack. Ford did not take questions from reporters at a news conference at City Hall that was held after close allies released ...

Artists vie for global exposure

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:51 -0400

Up to 30 researchers are feared to have suffered internal radiation exposure after an experiment went awry at a Japan Atomic Energy Agency ...

The dark side of Japanese fashion made in Bangladesh

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:51 -0400

Few, if any, similarities exist between the redactions of the Benghazi e-mails and the deletions and distortions made by Richard Nixon in his taped ...

Scientists elated ALMA in full swing

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:50 -0400

Eye toward the sky: Some of the dish antennas that make up the ALMA radio telescope are seen in silhouette in March on Chile's Atacama Plateau, at an altitude of around 5,000 meters. | ...

Visiting Abe assures Myanmar of support from ‘whole of Japan’

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:49 -0400

Wholehearted support: Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi meets with visiting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Yangon on Saturday. | ...

Corporal punishment has long history in Japanese sports

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:46 -0400

Getting slapped by a coach has always been, as far as I could see, simply another aspect of sports training in Japan. I remember being invited to see a practice session at the Isenoumi sumo stable in eastern Tokyo back in the early 1960s shortly after I arrived for my first stay in Japan. Obese young sumo wrestlers grappled with each other and ...

LeBron’s late mistakes help Pacers even series

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:45 -0400

Fadeaway: Indiana's David West shoots over Miami's Chris Bosh in the first half of Game 2 on Friday night. The Pacers won 97-93 to even the series 1-1. | ...

Penguins put away Senators

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:43 -0400

Formidable force: Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin moves in to score a breakaway goal in front of Ottawa's Jean-Gabriel Pageau in the second period of Game 5 on Friday night. The Penguins whipped the Senators 6-2 to win the series 4-1. | ...

Jones homers in ninth to carry Eagles past Carp

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:43 -0400

Breaking the deadlock: The Eagles' Casey McGehee belts a solo home run to shatter a scoreless tie in Hiroshima on Saturday. Tohoku Rakuten defeated the Carp 2-1. | ...

Detroit’s Sanchez loses no-hit bid in ninth against Twins

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:42 -0400

DETROIT - Joe Mauer is becoming quite the spoiler. For the third time in his career, Mauer broke up a no-hitter in the ninth inning, lining a clean single off Detroit’s Anibal Sanchez on Friday night. That was the only hit for Minnesota, and the Twins lost 6-0 to the Tigers. ';He’s nasty, and he had everything working tonight,'; Mauer said. ';Obviously, you know ...

Sanfrecce rack up third straight victory

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:41 -0400

HIRATSUKA, KANGAWA PREF. - Sanfrecce Hiroshima stepped up the defense of their J. League title with a comfortable 2-0 win over Shonan Bellmare on Saturday. First-half goals from Yojiro Takahagi and Mihael Mikic at Shonan BMW Stadium Hiratsuka were enough to secure the three points for the defending champions, who have now won three in a row and have a game in hand on leaders Omiya Ardija before ...

Kan Yasuda’s tactile art brings new life to Bibai

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:40 -0400

, for this is a site with surprises. Climb the little grassy knoll to your right and you will find hidden and nestling in its top a sunken outdoor auditorium with at its center a great marble shape, smoothly surfaced and sensually rounded as if begging to be stroked, or even caressed. This is just the first of some 40 astonishing artwork pieces scattered intriguingly around these 17-acre grounds ...

Sato aiming to return Japan spikers to glory

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:40 -0400

Up to 30 researchers are feared to have suffered internal radiation exposure after an experiment went awry at a Japan Atomic Energy Agency ...

Mr. Abe Bag the nukes and heed the Keeling Curve

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:39 -0400

Up and away: Keeling Curves of atmospheric CO2 levels show the seasonal peaks and dips since 1958. | COURTESY OF THE SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF ...

Wisteria wanderings in Kameido

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:38 -0400

Each year, I tell myself I have to make time to enjoy the famed trellises of wisteria blossoms at Kameido Tenjin in Tokyo’s eastern Koto Ward. Then, I blow it. This year, I enlist my mother-in-law, who’s savvy about such things, to get the timing just right. ';It’ll be really crowded,'; she warns. Sure enough, after I alight from a JR Sobu Line train at Kameido ...

Are we close to understanding bipolar disorder

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:37 -0400

It may seem perverse to express nostalgia for a category of mental illness, but many sufferers, as well as some psychiatrists, regret the passing of ';manic depression.'; STRICTLY BIPOLAR, by Darian Leader. Penguin, 2013, 112 pp., £5 (paperback) My brother, Archie, was diagnosed with ...

Infernal prose flows again from Dan Brown’s brain

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:36 -0400

I used to think that Dan Brown was merely bad. Now, after reading the latest version of the apocalyptic thriller he rewrites every few years, I suspect he might be mad as well. ';Inferno'; begins with the hero suffering from ';head trauma,'; and Brown’s head — a boggy hideout for the craziest superstitions of the so-called Dark Ages — seems to be similarly ...

Inaction during ‘scandal’ will undo a presidency

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:35 -0400

LOS ANGELES - During President Barack Obama’s May 16 news conference, reporter Jeff Mason asked as part of his question: ';And, more broadly, how do you feel about comparisons by some of your critics of this week’s scandals to those that happened under the Nixon administration?'; The president responded, ';I’ll let you guys engage in those comparisons, and you ...

Expect Hague spirit to be abused

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:34 -0400

Preparing for the Hague Convention ,'; and realizing that ';domestic violence'; is covered as a grave danger to a child, I felt I must comment. Many Japanese women immediately claim domestic violence as a reason for running away from marriages, and many of them go to the police to make these claims — even if the claims are totally unfounded and untrue. The Japanese police ...

Pattern of denial in leadership

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:32 -0400

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto insulted people worldwide with his repeated denials and justifications of the Imperial Japanese Army’s sexual slavery system during World War II. These and many other idiotic statements from Japanese politicians give us real insight into the thinking of much of Japan’s leadership. Psychologists will tell you that patterns of behavior are important to watch. ...

Language debate goes nowhere

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:31 -0400

English-language education proposal has French up in arms '; on The Japan Times’ front page May 20 was to stimulate the ongoing debate about English education in Japan. Although ours is the information age, very few people seem to understand the complicated nature of the various issues of modern society, much less the likely future consequences of decisions we make now. For example, ...

Weighing the costs and benefits

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:30 -0400

Secondhand smoke is the enemy ,'; it appears that the debate on the socialization of health care costs is off the table. Flynn states: ';The main thrust behind banning smoking in most places is to reduce the harmful effects of secondhand smoke on nonsmokers.'; I couldn’t agree more. My position is based on the idea that people should be free to do whatever they want as long ...

A pet is a lifelong commitment

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:29 -0400

Destroying pets at Kochi animal center pains staff ';: Not to mention how much it pains the animals being put down. Sasano Nomura (the Small Animal Management Center staffer quoted in the article) is lucky that she feels depression. It’s a good sign that she still has a conscience and is not a ';brute'; as her neighbors sometimes suggest. Her place of work should be called ...

Japanese PM Visits Myanmar

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:44:37 -0400

Naiyipid, May 25 (Prensa Latina) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, met a wide range of activities during the first three days of an official visit to Myanmar, highlights the digital website of the NHK Japanese television. Abe and his wife Akie, laid a wreath at the Martyrs' Mausoleum in Yangon, the country's largest city. It is a monument dedicated to General Aung San and his comrades ...

Sony Microsoft or Nintendo Were In A Console Rut

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:39:31 -0400

week's Xbox One announcement . The "best" part of the hour long presentation was near the beginning, when it was demonstrated that the Xbox could flip seamlessly between television and the console with a simple voice or gesture command. The audience cheered as the screen flipped forward between a game and TV, and it did feel vaguely futuristic. But when you stop and think about ...

‘Abenomics’ boosting Japan’s economy

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:34:46 -0400

TOKYO - After years of grinding malaise, Japan suddenly has some of its bling back. A humbled Sony - once a titan of Japan Inc. - recently sprang back into the black for the first time in five years, courtesy of a plunging yen. Honda, another corporate icon, triumphantly announced a return to Formula One racing, rejoining an exclusive club of high-performance carmakers after having slunk away ...

Japan slump ahead of Wales tour

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:30:17 -0400

Venues: Hanazono Stadium, Osaka & Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, Tokyo Dates: Saturdays 8 & 15 June, 2013 Kick-offs: 06:00 BST Coverage - First-Test: (Osaka) - Live on BBC One Wales, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & online Coverage - Second Test : (Tokyo) - Live on S4C, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Wales & BBC ...

Former sex slave says Japanese mayors comment absurd should resign from politics

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:21:19 -0400

South Korean former sex slaves Kim Bok-dong, center left, and Kil Won-ok, center right, arrive for a meeting with supporters in Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, May 25, 2013. Kim Bok-dong was referring Saturday to comment by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto. He has angered many by saying Japan’s wartime practice of forcing many Asian women into prostitution for its military was considered ...

Green phoenix rises from the ashes as Japan shifts its focus

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:45:18 -0400

The word "Fukushima" may be synonymous with nuclear meltdowns, ghost towns and contaminated rice fields. The north-east region of Japan, however, once famed for its green mountains and fresh vegetables, is in the midst of the most ambitious of rebranding projects: it is attempting to transform itself into a ...

Tonga see off Japan

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:41:17 -0400

Tonga scored four tries on Saturday to beat Japan 27-17 in the opening match of the Pacific Nations Cup at Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium in Yokohama. Two early tries by Fetu'u Vainikolo and a kick by Fangatapu Apikotoa saw Tonga take a 12-0 lead. Takeshi Kizu ran in a try in the 20th minute to give the hosts some life but a try by Will Helu and a penalty and conversion by Apikotoa allowed ...

Researchers hurt at Ibaraki nuclear facility

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:20:11 -0400

At least four researchers suffer internal radiation exposure after an experiment on elementary particles goes awry at a Japan Atomic Energy Agency ...

Top North envoy gives Xi letter from Kim

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:20:09 -0400

BEIJING - A top North Korean envoy has delivered a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Chinese President Xi Jinping and told him Pyongyang will take steps to rejoin the stalled nuclear disarmament talks, in an apparent victory for Beijing’s efforts to coax its unruly ally into lowering tensions. North Korean Vice Marshal Choe Ryong Hae’s three-day visit was seen as a fence-mending ...

Easter Island statue erected in Japan tsunami town

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:42:07 -0400

TOKYO (AFP) - A giant statue from Chile's Easter Island on Saturday found a new home in a small tsunami-devastated Japanese town where it will become a symbol for its recovery.The new statue, with coral eyes and a stone hat, was erected near the town's shopping area, where makeshift stores now operate after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami destroyed almost the entire town.The ...

Japan mayor to apologise to US over brothels advice

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:41:57 -0400

TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese politician who drew fire for calling "comfort women" a wartime necessity has been forced to apologise for suggesting US soldiers in Okinawa visit brothels to vent their violent frustrations.Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto had suggested that US servicemen in the southern prefecture of Okinawa, where relations are frequently tested by violent crimes including rapes and ...

Japan PM vows all possible help for Myanmar economy

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:41:55 -0400

YANGON (AFP) - Japan's premier on Saturday pledged "all possible assistance" to kick-start Myanmar's ailing economy, hailing a major industrial zone near Yangon as a symbol of development for the impoverished nation.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is touting the potential of Japanese businesses to boost the once junta-ruled nation's economy, visited the Thilawa project -- ...

Artist creates his own Japan in Switzerland

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:39:56 -0400

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang says a free trade accord with Switzerland should serve as an example for closer relations with other European countries. He believes a deal with the Swiss finance industry will also boost the economy in ...

Myanmar Japanese firms sign MoU on Thilawa SEZ development

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:32:14 -0400

Myanmar and Japanese firms on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on development of Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ), in Myanmar's Yangon.The MoU on significant cooperation between nine Myanmar public companies and a Japanese consortium including -- Mitsubishi Corp., Marubeni Corp. and Sumitomo Corp which are engaging in the zone development, was signed between U Win Aung, ...

Sex Slave Row Mayors Japan Brothel Gaffe

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:21:51 -0400

A Japanese politician already under fire over comments about wartime sex slaves has apologised for suggesting US soldiers in Okinawa visit brothels. Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto claimed American servicemen should go to legal sex businesses in the southern prefecture to vent their violent frustrations and prevent sex assaults against local women. The remark has sparked disgust in the US and ...

Japanese researchers exposed to radiation

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:19:28 -0400

FILE - In this April 7, 2011 file photo, Japanese police, wearing suits to protect them from radiation, search for victims inside the deserted evacuation zone, established for the 20 kilometer radius around the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactors, in Minamisoma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, ...

At least four exposed to radiation after Japan laboratory leak agency

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:17:25 -0400

TOKYO (Reuters) - At least four people, and possibly up to 55, were exposed to radiation when radioactive material leaked during a laboratory experiment in Japan, the facility's operators said on Saturday, although authorities were not told of the leak for two ...

Japan government says unaware of ghosts at PM residence paper

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:46:57 -0400

TOKYO (Reuters) - A delay in Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife moving into their official residence, the site of past assassinations, has revived talk of ghosts in the corridors, prompting the government to deny any knowledge of ...

Context Launches Kyoto and Tokyo Japan Walking Tours

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:38:52 -0400

Context, the critically acclaimed walking tour company whose small-group, scholar-led "walking seminars" have revolutionized day tours in cities across Europe and North America, announces its continued expansion into Asia with the opening of tours in Tokyo and Kyoto. Working with local historians, Context has opened with five innovative tours in each city, designed to help curious ...

San Francisco Travel Association Announces New Marketing Representation In Japan

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:38:34 -0400

The San Francisco Travel Association, in partnership with San Francisco International Airport (SFO), has retained AVIAREPS Marketing Garden Ltd. (AMG) as their new marketing representation office in Japan. San Francisco Travel and SFO first retained representation services in Japan in 1987, making San Francisco one of the first cities in the U.S. to have an office in Tokyo. In 2000, a ...

Japanese midfielder Makoto Hasebe extends contract with Wolfsburg

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:31:41 -0400

Japanese international and Wolfsburg midfielder Makoto Hasebe extends his running contract until 2014 with the German Bundesliga champion 2009, the club announced on Thursday. Midfielder Hasebe joined Wolfsburg in 2009 to stage 88 appearances in Bundesliga to score two goals. He was also able to win the German championship in 2009 with the "Wolves" . "I am happy that Makoto has ...

Japan never had smooth ties with China DPM Taro Aso

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:31:20 -0400

Taro Aso (File photo) Japan has never in the past 1,500 years had a smooth relationship with China, Japanese deputy prime minister Taro Aso was quoted Sunday as saying during a visit to India. "India shares a land border with China, and Japan has had maritime contacts (with China), but for the past 1,500 years and more there has never been a history when our relations with China went ...

Japan PM visit boosts huge Myanmar industrial zone

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:31:51 -0400

YANGON (AFP) - Japan's premier on Saturday backed the development of a major industrial zone near Yangon on a visit to Myanmar aimed at deepening economic ties with the former junta-ruled nation.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe observed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at the Thilawa project on the first day of a trip promoting Japanese business in a country which desperately needs ...

Radiation leak at Japan lab small impact expected

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:21:59 -0400

TOKYO (AP) -- A nuclear research lab in northern Japan has reported a radiation leak that may have affected 55 people, though none were hospitalized and no impact was expected outside the ...

Japans Abe in Myanmar on landmark visit

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:08:26 -0400

Shinzo Abe, accompanied by a large business delegation, is visiting Myanmar - the first by a Japanese leader in more than three decades as the Japanese attempt to reassert its position as a top economci partner after decades of poor relations with the previous military regime. The Japanese prime minister has visited Myanmar's mausoleum, which commemorates the national hero, General Aung ...

Japan leads at mens World Gymnastics Cships

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:31:42 -0400

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Russia's Evgeni Krylov fell on his opening tumbling pass and was injured at the World Gymnastics Championships, putting the perennial powerhouse's medal hopes in question. It wasn't immediately clear what Krylov's injury was or whether he'd be able to continue. He was unable to put any weight on his left foot and had to crawl off the podium. ...

9.0-Magnitude quake shakes Japan

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:33 -0400

An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter Scale hit the sea off the east coast of Honshu, Japan at 8:05 a.m. Beijing Time Friday, according to the China Earthquake Networks ...

Four Japanese tourists seriously injured in Australia crash

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:12 -0400

Four tourists were seriously injured early on Thursday in a crash involving a minibus and a truck in Bundaberg, 220 miles north of Brisbane in Australia's Queensland, the Department of Community said.About 10 tourists, believed to be from Japan, were on the minibus when the crash happened, the Department of Community said."Four were taken to Bundaberg Hospital with serious head and ...

Kobe Steel mulls shutting blast furnace in western Japan -Nikkei

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:24:26 -0400

TOKYO | Sat May 25, 2013 4:24am EDT TOKYO May 25 (Reuters) - Kobe Steel Ltd is considering shutting a blast furnace in Kobe, western Japan, to cut production capacity by 20 percent, the Nikkei business daily reported on Saturday, as it tries to turn around its loss-making iron and steel business. Its iron and steel operations posted an ordinary loss of 50.2 billion yen ($496.1 million) ...

Radioactive substances leak at lab after incident in Japan

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:45:38 -0400

Japanese nuclear authorities said Saturday that radioactive substances leaked from a nuclear physics laboratory of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency in Ibaraki prefecture after an incident on Thursday, local media reported.About 55 researchers and others who engaged in an experiment to generate particles by applying a proton beam to gold may have been exposed to radiation as a result of inhaling the ...

DoCoMo counting on RD to stay ahead

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:28:45 -0400

NTT DoCoMo Inc., despite being Japan’s biggest mobile phone carrier, has been struggling against tough smartphone competition from KDDI Corp. and Softbank Corp., which is leading in that area. But one edge that the cellphone behemoth — it has more than 60 million subscribers ...

Radiation leak at Japanese nuclear lab

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:20:37 -0400

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said Saturday radioactive substances leaked into the atmosphere at a nuclear physics laboratory in Ibaraki prefecture. The leak occurred Thursday outside the controlled area at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency facility, Kyodo reported. Fifty-five researchers and others involved at the lab may have been exposed by inhaling the substances, but no one was ...

Russia Japan try to bridge gaps on thorny issues

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:06:42 -0400

MOSCOW, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Japan managed to move their positions closer on certain issues, pledging to speed up talks on reaching a peace treaty for the first time since the end of WWII, as leaders of the two countries met here on Monday. Following his talks with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that they have instructed ...

Japanese officials secretly visit North Korea

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:43:10 -0400

In a move that apparently surprised its allies--the US and South Korea--Japan recently sent a secret delegation to North Korea. Leading the visit, Isao Iijima, an advisor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, landed in Pyongyang on May 14, departing three days later. During his visit, he met with senior leaders of the North Korean regime including Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Presidium of the ...

Japanese politician Toru Hashimoto apologizes for comfort women comments

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:29:46 -0400

A Japanese politician on Friday apologised to women forcibly drafted into military brothels during World War II after his comments about them being a military necessity sparked outrage. Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto issued the apology hours after he was due to meet two former "comfort women", but the elderly South Korean women cancelled over fears of becoming political pawns in a ...

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe reluctant to move into haunted official residence report

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:29:44 -0400

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Photo: EPA Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been in office for five months and reporters who follow him every day still have one question: why hasn’t he moved into the Prime Minister’s Official Residence? Despite his extremely tight schedule, a security detail-escorted limousine takes Abe to the prime minister’s office every morning, a ...

Okinawans angry with Hashimoto say sex services dont curb crime

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:47:36 -0400

Citing the failure of similar attempts decades earlier, Okinawan residents have criticized Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's recent suggestion that U.S. military members use legal sex services to curb sexual ...

BIZ BRIEF Mitsubishi Motors to reduce capital to write off accumulated loss

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:47:35 -0400

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said May 24 it will reduce its capital and capital reserves by 924.85 billion yen ($9.08 billion) to write off its accumulated loss and create an environment for an early resumption of dividend ...

S. Korean women cancel meeting with Osaka mayor

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:07:25 -0400

South Korean women shout slogans during a demonstration on Wednesday in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, calling for the resolution of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Issue. Provided to China ...

Anthony Hilton Britain’s malaise will last for a while but at least it’s better than Japan

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:01:11 -0400

I remember a conversation with Paul Fisher in his office deep in the bowels of the Bank of England one day last summer when he said Japan was still struggling after 20 years to get back on its feet following its financial crash so we should not expect too much too soon from the United ...

Cannes Sony Classics Nabs Jim Jarmuschs Only Lovers Left Alive

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:51:56 -0400

). "It would take a stake through the heart to keep Barker, Bernard and Leiner away from a good movie," said Jeremy Thomas about Sony Pictures Classics' ...

Bollywood hopes Cannes will can the ‘B-word’

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:51:17 -0400

Sealed: Indian star Aishwarya Rai arrives for the screening of 'Blood Ties' at the 66th international film festival in Cannes, on France's Mediterranean coast, on Monday. | ...

Is Sony Worried About Falling Android Sales or the Strength of Samsung

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:01:41 -0400

Sony's lowered estimates for their smartphone sales during the 2014 fiscal year. Originally pencilled in as 1.8 trillion yen, they Japanese company have dropped this to 1.5 trillion yen. What has brought this on? Samsung. The Xperia range of Android smartphones has been making steady improvements, with the current flagship Xperia Z proving to be a solid mid to high end handset. I found the ...

Thailand-Japan plan two-way tourism traffic flows.

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:57:06 -0400

In an effort to address a gap in travel between Thailand and the island of Kyushu in Japan, a tourism exchange was recently organized in the city of Fukuoka between the Thai Government and the private sector of ...

BestWorst Daily ETF Returns Japan Funds Fall

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:51:35 -0400

The SPDR Russell/Nomura Small Cap Japan ETF ( ) lost 5.40 percent on Thursday, May 23, the biggest loss for a handful of Japan-based funds that underperformed that day. Markets were down, with the S'P 500 losing 4.84 points, or 0.29 percent, to close at 1,650.51, and U.S.-listed ETF assets fell to $1.523 trillion overall. Top 10 1-Day Performers, Excluding Leverage/Inverse Funds and ...

Yen rises amid Japanese stock volatility

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:46:37 -0400

THE yen has gained against the euro and the US dollar as heavy volatility in the Japanese equity market reverberated through the currency ...

US markets turn sober after Japan plunge

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:46:33 -0400

THE 7.3 per cent plunge in Japanese stocks during the week injected needed sobriety into US markets, but they showed a resilience that cheered investors worried about protecting the year's ...

T Magazine All the Rage | Japanese Whiskey Takes Manhattan

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:42:35 -0400

Suntory’s Hibiki 12-year whiskey with a food pairing by the chef David Bouley, served at an event at Noguchi Museum in Long Island City. Over the past week, hordes of bartenders, distillers, liquor reps and booze hounds have descended thirstily upon New York City for the fourth ...

Panel 70 chance of Nankai Trough quake by 2040s

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:36:03 -0400

A government research panel says there is a 60 to 70 percent probability that a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8 to 9 will occur off Japan's Pacific coast in the next 30 ...

CO2 density rising above intl. standard in Japan

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:36:02 -0400

Weather officials say the average density of carbon dioxide in Japan is rising above the international standard at all 3 observation points in the country. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases associated with global ...

Nagoya Castle structures restored

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:36:02 -0400

At the Nagoya Castle compound in central Japan, restoration work has been completed on the entrance and reception room of the main residential building for the first time in 70 ...

Abe goes to Myanmar as Japan Inc. eyes Asias cheapest wages

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:36:02 -0400

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday becomes the first Japanese leader to visit Myanmar in 36 years as his nation's companies seek to invest in the former dictatorship, which has some of the cheapest labor in ...

Sumo Hakuho awaits ozeki rival

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:36:00 -0400

Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho and ozeki Kisenosato both powered to their 13th wins on Friday to set up a mouth-watering showdown at the Summer Grand Sumo ...

Suga Japan to watch N.Korea with US S.Korea

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:35:59 -0400

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary has indicated that Japan will closely monitor North Korea, following its senior official's expression of willingness to hold a dialogue with relevant nations on easing tensions on the Korean ...

Japan must continue efforts to deactivate Fukushima nuclear plant - UN agency

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:47:05 -0400

IAEA's Director of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology Juan Carlos Lentijo (right), speaks with Shift Superintendent Ikuo Izawain at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Photo: IAEA/Greg ...