Officials say Japan has granted an entry visa to former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in spite of his status as a fugitive in his homeland. The visa allows Thaksin to come to Japan to deliver a speech and visit areas devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Thaksin, who now lives in Dubai, […]
Japan Grants Visa to Fugitive Thai Politician Thaksin
Posted August 15th, 2011 at 3:20 am (UTC-5)
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Japanese PM Reaffirms Promise to Resign
Posted August 10th, 2011 at 12:25 pm (UTC-5)
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has reaffirmed his decision to leave office after parliament passes two key bills later this month addressing the financial and energy crises following the country’s devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Mr. Kan, speaking Wednesday, told lawmakers he will make good on his promises to resign as soon the legislation […]
Japan Ruling Party Could Elect New Leader in Late August
Posted August 9th, 2011 at 10:25 pm (UTC-5)
Japanese news media say the country’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan is likely to resign by the end of this month. Reports say the ruling Democratic Party is aiming to hold a leadership election around August 28. Likely candidates to replace Mr. Kan include Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, former land minister Sumio Mabuchi and former environmental […]
Star Cal Ripken Excited About US-Japan Baseball Exchange
Posted August 9th, 2011 at 7:00 pm (UTC-5)
Hall-of-Fame baseball star Cal Ripken Jr. says he is excited to “spread the good word about baseball,” as the U.S. and Japan initiate a new sports exchange. Ripken told reporters in Washington Tuesday that sports give people a way to relate to each other in different cultures around the world. The Baltimore Orioles baseball legend […]
Japan to Ease Restrictions Around Damaged Nuclear Plant
Posted August 9th, 2011 at 10:40 am (UTC-5)
Japan’s government has decided to lift evacuation advisories for some areas around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, paving the way for thousands of people to return to their homes. The March 11 earthquake and tsunami knocked out cooling systems at the plant, causing meltdowns at three of its six reactors. Engineers have been struggling ever […]
Japanese Leaders Promote Nuclear Power Alternatives at Nagasaki Memorial
Posted August 9th, 2011 at 2:55 am (UTC-5)
Japanese leaders called for a shift away from nuclear power at a solemn ceremony Tuesday marking the 66th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. About 6,000 people, including diplomats from 44 countries, gathered in the city’s Peace Park to hear a bell toll at the exact moment the bomb fell 66 years ago. The […]
Report: South Korea Upset by U.S. Selection of “Sea of Japan” Name
Posted August 8th, 2011 at 10:00 pm (UTC-5)
South Korean news media say the country’s officials are criticizing the U.S. government’s decision to call the body of water between Japan and South Korea the Sea of Japan, instead of the East Sea, as preferred by Seoul. Koreans are campaigning for the international usage of the name East Sea, or at least both names. […]
UN Chief Offers Encouragement to Japan’s Nuclear Plant Evacuees
Posted August 8th, 2011 at 10:05 am (UTC-5)
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the Japanese government will share with the international community invaluable experiences learned after its recent earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters. Mr. Ban on Monday travelled to Fukushima, Japan, where he toured the evacuation zone and spoke to about 300 people removed from their homes around the crippled nuclear plant, urging […]
Anger in China Brings Down Memorial to Japanese Colonists
Posted August 8th, 2011 at 3:10 am (UTC-5)
The government of Fangzhen county in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province has torn down a small memorial wall to Japanese immigrants that it had built last month, following outrage from the public. The local government built the wall, engraved with the names of Japanese settlers who died in the area, at a cost of about $109,000 […]
UN Chief Offers Encouragement to Japan’s Nuclear Plant Evacuees
Posted August 8th, 2011 at 12:15 am (UTC-5)
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has offered encouragement to victims of Japan’s nuclear crisis during a visit to an evacuation center in Fukushima. Speaking in Japanese Monday to about 300 people who have been removed from their homes around the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, Mr. Ban urged them to persevere. The U.N. chief later told a […]
