YUBARI, Hokkaido (Kyodo) The city of Yubari, Hokkaido, once the center of a thriving coal-mining industry, has the dubious honor of being the second city in the nation to get bankruptcy protection.
Once all the mines shut down, the town tried to live off its Yubari melon fame and international film festival, however it could not prevent the municipal government from being designated as in financial reconstruction -- the equivalent of bankruptcy protection for a private enterprise.
"There is no longer any other way" but to go along with the reconstruction, Yubari Mayor Kenji Goto said as he left the municipal assembly chamber June 20 after announcing his administration had given up plans to get the city back on its feet.