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JAPAN
Aug 4, 2009

Those off lay judge hook feel relieved

Relief was the overriding emotion of the candidates who weren't picked in a final lottery draw Monday to participate in the first criminal trial under the new lay judge system.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 2, 2009

No brains when it comes down to transplants

The bill to revise the Organ Transplant Law, which cleared the Upper House on July 13 and thus gained full Diet passage, is a rare example of bipartisan agreement. Known as Plan A, the new law has three significant features: It recognizes brain death as legal death, allows the harvesting of organs from...
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2009

Aso unveils LDP policy platform

Prime Minister Taro Aso revealed the campaign platform for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday, pledging to bring about 2 percent economic growth in the second half of 2010 and boost Japan's per capita income to among the highest in the world within 10 years.
COMMENTARY
Aug 1, 2009

Tough times for politicians

Democratic governments everywhere are in trouble. In Britain, the Labour government is tottering. In Japan, defeat looms for Prime Minister Taro Aso's Liberal Democratic Party. In Italy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is clinging on amid a sea of scandal. In France, hyperactive President Nicolas Sarkozy...
BASKETBALL
Jul 31, 2009

Apache says dispute with Baker resolved; source begs to differ

Weeks after undergoing surgery at a Tokyo hospital to repair a torn Achilles tendon he sustained in the bj-league championship game, Dameion Baker returned to his home in North Carolina in late June.
JAPAN
Jul 30, 2009

Uighur activist calls on Japan to probe riot

Japan must not turn a blind eye to China's suppression of ethnic minorities and should take the on responsibility of assisting them, the president of the World Uighur Congress said Wednesday.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jul 30, 2009

Homegrown hit-men giving Okada plenty of ammunition

Japan's eternal weakness in producing strikers has long been reflected in the J. League top-scorer charts, but a strong homegrown challenge this season is proving to be a timely exception with the countdown to the World Cup under way.
Japan Times
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Jul 30, 2009

No hurry for Kitajima to return to spotlight

With four Olympic gold medals on his sterling resume, breaststroker Kosuke Kitajima has already attained a level of success that millions of athletes can only dream of.
JAPAN
Jul 29, 2009

Three killers are sent to the gallows

Three convicted murderers were hanged Tuesday, the Justice Ministry said, bringing the number of executions this year to seven and maintaining the fast pace that saw 15 people sent to the gallows in 2008.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ELECTION 2009
Jul 29, 2009

Politicians tap Twitter to tweak profiles

At 6:44 p.m. on July 15, Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Seiji Osaka posed a question on his Twitter profile: "I think bringing the voting age down to 18 years old is OK. What do you think about it?"
JAPAN / PARTY POWERS
Jul 29, 2009

Shii says JCP will play loyal opposition role

Japanese Communist Party President Kazuo Shii said Tuesday that if the Democratic Party of Japan takes control of the Lower House his party intends to be a "constructive opposition party" that will cooperate when policies overlap but will remain a vocal critic on points of disagreement.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 28, 2009

Japan's funerals deep-rooted mix of ritual, form

Funerals in Japan incorporate a unique mixture of religion, tradition, culture, ritual and geography that to the outsider may appear perplexing.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2009

Okuyama heads to win in Sendai

SENDAI (Kyodo) The candidate backed by the Democratic Party of Japan was set Sunday night to win the Sendai mayoral election, according to Kyodo News projections.
COMMENTARY
Jul 27, 2009

Threats against Iran feed off modern myths

NEW YORK — Several myths regarding Iran stand in the way of the United States and other nations reaching a peaceful relationship with that country. Much of the concern that Iran may attack Israel, if Iran successfully develops nuclear weapons, rests on the statement by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 26, 2009

Matsunaka powers PL to win

Takeya Nakamura won the home run derby that was held before the All-Star Game in Hiroshima.
TENNIS
Jul 26, 2009

Federer's wife delivers twin girls

GENEVA (AP) Roger Federer is playing a different kind of doubles.
Japan Times
JAPAN / MIXED MATCHES
Jul 25, 2009

Belgian no waffler on love, life in Japan

Pascal Latui, 28, first fell for Yumiko, 36, on a backpacking trip in Japan in June 2006. She was a receptionist at the Tokyo youth hostel where he was staying.
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2009

Aso pulls plug on Lower House

Prime Minister Taro Aso played his ultimate trump card Tuesday and dissolved the Lower House, turning a deaf ear to vociferous opponents of the move from within his own party.
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2009

Nakasone blasts DPJ's 'irresponsible' foreign policy

Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone on Tuesday slammed the Democratic Party of Japan's foreign policies for "being irresponsible" and "lacking specifics."

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years