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Emily O'keefe
For Emily O'keefe's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2008
Aussie puzzles out midget sub mystery
An Australian government maritime archaeologist appears to have partially unraveled the mystery of how a Japanese midget submarine that attacked Sydney Harbor during World War II finally met its end. Tim Smith, who led an official investigation of the M24 after its discovery off Australia's east coast in November 2006, believes he has found the answer to where the Japanese two-man submarine M24 was heading during its final hours.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2008
Woman tries to clear name 16 years on
Chika Honda spent more than 10 years in an Australian prison for smuggling heroin into the country — a crime that new evidence suggests she did not commit, according to her supporters.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 8, 2007
Antiwhaling hardliner shoves off to intercept 'criminal' Japanese fleet
With a loyal crew of 40 on board, skipper Paul Watson, a hardline antiwhaling campaigner, set sail this week from the port of Melbourne for the chilly waters of the Southern Ocean.
JAPAN
Nov 26, 2007
Will Rudd cool relations with Japan?
Kevin Rudd's election as prime minister of Australia could mean a substantial shift in Japan-Australian relations. Japan has found a valuable friend and ally in Australia in recent years. The relationship blossomed under the departing John Howard — particularly in the past 12 months, which saw the signing of a joint defense declaration and the beginning of negotiations for a bilateral free-trade agreement.
JAPAN
Nov 10, 2007
Japan whaling to be Aussie election issue
With Australia's general election just weeks away, environmental activists are gearing up to make Japanese whaling an issue in competitive districts. Antiwhaling campaigners from the International Fund for Animal Welfare commissioned a poll released last week that shows 63 percent of Australians believe their Nov. 24 vote will be influenced by the stances of political parties on whaling. More than 87 percent of Australians think the government needs to do more to challenge Japan's whaling program, the poll found.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2007
N.Z. documentary heats up cold case of Japanese woman slain in '98
Nine years ago, the naked and partially decomposed body of 29-year-old Kayo Matsuzawa was found in a locked cupboard near the stairwell of a shopping center in Auckland.
JAPAN
Sep 18, 2007
Aussies go full bore on soap opera
The Australian government is pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to host a Japanese soap opera as a means of reviving tourist numbers from Japan. Tourism Minister Fran Bailey, who in May first flagged the novel idea of a Japanese soap opera filmed in Australia, said last week the project is ready to move forward.
JAPAN
Aug 22, 2007
'Princess Masako' author, Tokyo publisher threatened
The Australian journalist who wrote a controversial biography of Crown Princess Masako has received death threats ahead of the release of its Japanese translation. Daisan-Shokan, the Tokyo-based publisher of the translation, has also reported being targeted by rightwing nationalist groups.
JAPAN
May 22, 2007
Gas company Inpex at odds with Aboriginals over sacred land
The Inpex Corp. gas exploration company is at the center of a dispute with Aboriginal Australians who say it is conducting a drilling program on their traditional land. Tokyo-based Inpex has been investigating lucrative gas deposits off the coast of northwestern Australia's Kimberly region and recently installed a floating rig at the uninhabited Maret Islands for geotechnical testing.
JAPAN
Mar 30, 2007
New Zealand gentian flowers bring new color to Japan
A team of scientists and growers in New Zealand has reinvented one of Japan's favorite flowers in a new range of colors. The gentian, a flower native to the high alpine regions of Asia, Europe and the Americas, has always held a special place in Japanese homes and hearts. It is often used in flower arrangements and Buddhists traditionally offer gentians at the altars of their ancestors. It is the official flower of Nagano and Kumamoto cities.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world