Former Fukushima Gov. Eisaku Sato, 67, and his brother pleaded innocent Thursday to charges of taking bribes in 2002 from contractors that had worked on a dam construction project ordered by the prefecture.</PARAGRAPH> <PHOTO> <TABLE WIDTH='250' ALIGN='RIGHT' BORDER='0'> <TR> <TD><IMG ALT='News photo' BORDER='0' SRC='../images/photos2007/nn20070622a2a.jpg' WIDTH='250' HEIGHT='353'/></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT SIZE='1'><B>Former Fukushima Gov. Eisaku Sato –

and his brother, Yuji (center back), enter the Tokyo District Court for the Thursday start of their bribery trial. KYODO PHOTO

The ex-five-term governor told the Tokyo District Court during his first trial session that he was unaware of any shady dealings and could not grasp why he was being prosecuted.

U.S. urges clarity on Japan’s role in potential war over Taiwan, report says
A Ground Self-Defense Force member conducts a military drill with an anti-ship missiles unit, at the GSDF's base on Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture in April 2022.
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A Ground Self-Defense Force member conducts a military drill with an anti-ship missiles unit, at the GSDF's base on Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture in April 2022.
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Hideo Kojima, the leading auteur in Japanese video games, has skirted controversy in the wake of the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
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Our Planet

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After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
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