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japan: news and opinion

Latest stories from Channel NewsAsia 


07 Nov 09 visit Japan to increase aid to Myanmar TOKYO: Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Saturday said Japan plans to increase aid to Myanmar gradually while hailing Washington's latest efforts to engage the military-ruled country.
06 Nov 09 visit Japan seeks closer Southeast Asian ties with Mekong summit TOKYO: Japan from Friday hosts the leaders of Southeast Asia's five Mekong River nations as the world's number two economy looks to deepen ties with the resource-rich region amid growing influence from China.
06 Nov 09 visit Gunman in Japan wounds three, kills himself TOKYO: A gunman in Japan who said he was a gangster shot and wounded three people before killing himself on Friday in Yokohama near Tokyo, police and news reports said.
05 Nov 09 visit Top US envoy for Asia in Japan amid base row TOKYO : The top US diplomat for Asia was due to meet Japan's foreign minister on Thursday for talks amid a worsening row over an American military airbase on the southern island of Okinawa.
04 Nov 09 visit Burger King Gives Japan a Seven-Patty Challenge Burger King has not exactly lived up to its name in Japan. It has only 15 stores nationwide, compared to McDonald's roughly 3,750. But there's no denying that Burger King now offers the biggest burger in town. This month, the American fast food chain, in...
02 Nov 09 visit Japan aims to bury greenhouse gas emissions OMUTA, Japan: Swathes of dirty clouds brood over a coal plant in rural Japan, but scientists are now hoping to send the pollutants the other way, deep into the bowels of Mother Earth.
31 Oct 09 visit "I hate whale meat," Japan's PM confides: report TOKYO : Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has revealed he dislikes whale meat, a newspaper reported Saturday, in an unusual confession for the prime minister of a country that defies Western criticism of whaling.
31 Oct 09 visit Dalai Lama defends visit to disputed Indian state TOKYO: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said he was surprised at China's protest against his planned visit to an area of India claimed by Beijing, hinting he backed India on the border issue.
31 Oct 09 visit Japan reportedly to fund infrastructure project in Afghanistan TOKYO: Japan will fund a programme costing up to five billion dollars to help build roads and boost agriculture in conflict-torn Afghanistan, a newspaper reported on Saturday.
28 Oct 09 visit Japan shoots down missile in test off Hawaii WASHINGTON: Japanese naval forces successfully shot down a medium-range missile off Hawaii in a test of Tokyo's missile defence weaponry, the US military said on Wednesday.
28 Oct 09 visit Japan to carry out missile shoot-down test off Hawaii WASHINGTON - Japanese naval forces plan to shoot down a medium-range missile on Tuesday off Hawaii in a test of Tokyo's missile defence weaponry, the US military said.
27 Oct 09 visit Japanese, S.Korean ships collide in Japan TOKYO : A Japanese naval escort ship and a South Korean container ship collided late Tuesday between two islands in southern Japan, the Defence Ministry said.
27 Oct 09 visit Japan mulls anti-piracy naval plan TOKYO: Japan may send a naval refuelling mission now backing the NATO-led Afghan campaign to support anti-piracy efforts off Somalia next year, the defence minister said Tuesday.
26 Oct 09 visit Japan's PM pushes for "equal" ties with US TOKYO : Japan's centre-left Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama stressed in his first policy address to parliament Monday that he wants a relationship of equals with the United States.
26 Oct 09 visit Typhoon Lupit nears southern Japan TOKYO: Typhoon Lupit approached Japan's southern islands Monday and was forecast to churn along the country's east coast, brushing Tokyo the next day, the weather agency said.
25 Oct 09 visit Hatoyama's DPJ wins two seats in Japan's upper house TOKYO: Candidates from new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's party won two by-elections for Japan's upper house on Sunday, in the first test for the centre-left government, officials results showed.
25 Oct 09 visit Asian leaders give rival visions for economic blocs HUA HIN, Thailand - Asian leaders heard competing plans from Australia and Japan for a massive EU-style economic and political bloc as they wrapped up an annual summit in Thailand on Sunday.
25 Oct 09 visit Japanese voters go to polls in key by-elections TOKYO - Voters went to the polls Sunday in two by-elections for Japan's upper house, in the first test of the popularity of Prime Minister Yuko Hatoyama's one-month old centre-left government.
24 Oct 09 visit Japan's PM pushes East Asia bloc at summit HUA HIN, Thailand : Japan's new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama pressed plans for a new East Asian community at a summit on Saturday, saying that the region should aspire to lead the world.
24 Oct 09 visit Japanese govt's coalition partner rejects new US base proposal TOKYO: A coalition partner of Japan's centre-left government on Saturday voiced opposition to a fresh proposal for keeping a controversial US base within the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.
23 Oct 09 visit Top US military officer in Japan amid base row TOKYO : The top US military officer on Friday kicked off a series of talks in Japan, government officials said, as their decades-long alliance is being strained by a military base dispute.
21 Oct 09 visit Gates presses Japan to "move on" with base pact TOKYO : US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday pressed Japan to quickly "move on" with a plan to relocate a controversial US military base to a new area of southern Okinawa island.
20 Oct 09 visit Blue roses to debut in Japan TOKYO : Which colour would you like your roses? Red, white, yellow ... or perhaps blue?
20 Oct 09 visit China objects to Japan visit by exiled Uighur leader BEIJING: China on Tuesday expressed its "strong dissatisfaction" over a visit to Japan by exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer, whom it blames for fomenting recent deadly unrest in its Xinjiang region.
20 Oct 09 visit Japanese lawmakers visit war shrine, PM stays away TOKYO: More than 50 Japanese politicians on Tuesday visited a controversial war shrine in Tokyo, but the new centre-left Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his Cabinet stayed away.
20 Oct 09 visit No alternative to US forces in Japan deal, says Gates ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT : Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday ruled out reopening negotiations on a deal to relocate a US airbase in Okinawa, saying alternatives had proven "unworkable."
19 Oct 09 visit Sino-Japanese relations likely to improve under Hatoyama government, say analysts TOKYO: Among China's external relations, Sino-Japanese ties easily count as one of the most important, but also among the most difficult ones to manage.
19 Oct 09 visit Japan starts H1N1 flu vaccinations TOKYO - Japan on Monday started vaccinating medical workers against H1N1 flu, which is known to have killed 27 people in the country, the health ministry said. The country has a limited supply of the domestically-made vaccine, with doses for about...
19 Oct 09 visit Hatoyama support over 70%, according to polls TOKYO : The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama enjoys approval ratings of more than 70 percent a month after taking office, surveys showed Monday.
18 Oct 09 visit Japan, Australia lead talks on nuclear arms reduction TOKYO : An international committee led by Japan and Australia began a fourth round of talks on Sunday to draft recommendations on how to achieve a nuclear weapon-free world.
16 Oct 09 visit Countries press Japan on parental child abductions TOKYO : Envoys of eight countries were due Friday to meet Japan's justice minister to press Tokyo to sign a treaty to prevent international parental child abductions, a diplomatic source said.
15 Oct 09 visit Japan informs US it will stop Afghan naval mission TOKYO : Japan has told the United States it will end a naval refuelling mission backing its war in Afghanistan, a month before President Barack Obama visits Tokyo, a top defence official said Thursday.
14 Oct 09 visit UN humanitarian chief, Japan FM visit Indonesia quake zone PADANG - The United Nations' humanitarian chief and Japan's foreign minister visited quake-hit areas of Indonesia's Sumatra island Wednesday to inspect relief efforts.
13 Oct 09 visit Free samples of snacks a common marketing tool in Japan TOKYO : In Japan and many countries around the world, it is common to receive free samples of snacks or cosmetics. They are a marketing tool to entice people to buy the actual thing.
11 Oct 09 visit Japan's FM makes surprise visit to Afghanistan TOKYO : Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Sunday, becoming the first member of Japan's new government to travel there, his ministry announced.
10 Oct 09 visit Japan PM calls on China to settle disputes BEIJING - Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Saturday called on Chinese premier Wen Jiabao to work with him to overcome two prickly issues -- a territorial dispute in the East China Sea and food safety.
10 Oct 09 visit 5.2-magnitude quake hits northern Japan TOKYO: A moderate, 5.2-magnitude offshore earthquake hit northern Japan on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage and no tsunami alert was issued.
10 Oct 09 visit China, Japan, SKorea urge new NKorea nuclear talks BEIJING: The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea on Saturday pledged to work together for an "early resumption" of talks on ending North Korea's nuclear programmes and vowed to deepen regional cooperation.
10 Oct 09 visit 3-way Asia summit begins in China, NKorea in focus BEIJING: The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea on Saturday opened a rare three-way summit expected to focus on bringing North Korea back to nuclear disarmament talks and building regional trust.
09 Oct 09 visit North Korean issues expected to dominate trilateral summit in Beijing TOKYO : Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is now in the Chinese capital.
09 Oct 09 visit China reportedly detects deadly nerve gas at border with NKorea TOKYO : China has detected deadly nerve gas at its border with North Korea and suspects an accidental release inside the secretive state, a Japanese news report said Friday.
08 Oct 09 visit Two dead as strong typhoon batters Japan TOKYO: A powerful typhoon slammed into Japan's main island on Thursday, leaving at least two people dead as violent winds damaged homes, uprooted trees and prompted fears of landslides.
08 Oct 09 visit One dead as strong typhoon batters Japan TOKYO - A powerful typhoon slammed into Japan's main island on Thursday, killing at least one person as violent winds damaged homes, uprooted trees and prompted fears of landslides.
08 Oct 09 visit Powerful typhoon makes landfall in Japan, 18 injured TOKYO - A powerful typhoon made landfall in central Japan early Thursday, damaging houses, paralysing transport and leaving at least 18 people injured, officials and news reports said.
07 Oct 09 visit Obama to make Asian debut tour next month WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama will make his debut Asian tour next month, visiting Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea between November 12 and 19, the White House said Wednesday.
07 Oct 09 visit Japan on alert as powerful typhoon approaches TOKYO: Heavy rains and strong winds lashed southwestern Japan on Wednesday as a powerful typhoon approached, cutting power to more than 10,000 homes and blowing off roofs, officials said.
06 Oct 09 visit Japan's government to trim 'wasteful' extra budget TOKYO : Japan's new government has identified some 2.5 trillion yen (28 billion dollars) in cuts to be made from an extra budget laid out by its conservative predecessor, a state minister said Tuesday.
06 Oct 09 visit Strong typhoon bears down on Japan TOKYO: A powerful typhoon barrelled towards Japan on Tuesday, prompting warnings of strong winds and high waves just days after storms wreaked devastation in Southeast Asia.
06 Oct 09 visit PM Lee meets Japanese PM Hatoyama in Tokyo TOKYO: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Tokyo on Tuesday.
05 Oct 09 visit Japanese political heavyweights pay respect at Nakagawa's home TOKYO: Former Japanese prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Taro Aso were among political heavyweights who turned up at ex-finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa's home to pay their respects just hours after his death was reported.

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