Japanese officials say industrial production rose for the third straight month in June, as the world’s number three economy recovers from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released a report Friday showing that factory output rose 3.9 percent in June from the previous month and is expected to […]
Panasonic to Sell White Goods Operations to China’s Haier
Japan’s Panasonic Corporation has decided to sell the so-called white goods operations of its subsidiary Sanyo Electric to China’s Haier Group. The planned sale of the washing machine and refrigerator operations aims to avoid Sanyo’s business overlapping that of its Osaka-based parent firm, Panasonic. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of […]
Japanese Lawmakers Warned of Risk in Visit to Disputed Island
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak says the safety of four Japanese lawmakers cannot be assured if they go ahead with a planned visit to an island claimed by both countries. Mr. Lee’s spokesman said Wednesday the president told officials to convey that message to Tokyo and to urge the Japanese to cancel the visit. The […]
Japan, China Resume Defense Talks
Japan and China say they have agreed to enhance communication between their defense departments and establish a maritime liaison system in the East China Sea. Senior Chinese and Japanese defense officials met for talks Tuesday in Tokyo, for the first time since 2008 to discuss defense and military cooperation. The meeting brought together Japanese Vice […]
Japan, China Resume Defense Talks
Japan and China say they have agreed to enhance communication between their defense departments and establish a maritime liaison system in the South China Sea. Senior Chinese and Japanese defense officials met for talks Tuesday in Tokyo, for the first time since 2008 to discuss defense and military cooperation. The meeting brought together Japanese Vice […]
Japan Promises to Buy Up Tons of Contaminated Beef
Japan’s government says it will buy back many tons of beef containing unsafe levels of radioactive cesium resulting from leaks at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. Agriculture Minister Michihiko Kano announced the plan Tuesday, saying the costs will be passed along to the plant’s operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Company. Japanese national broadcaster NHK says […]
Japanese Airmen Hone Skills at Alaskan Air Base
About 200 members of Japan’s Air Self-Defense Forces are in Alaska for exercises that include low-level flying, in-air refueling and cargo air drops. The U.S. military’s Pacific Command said Tuesday the drills also include landings on incompletely prepared runways. It said the Japanese airmen have few opportunities to practice low-level flying in their densely populated […]
IAEA Chief Visits Japan’s Crippled Nuclear Plant
The head of the United Nations nuclear monitoring agency has praised Japan’s cleanup work at the nuclear power plant crippled by an earthquake and tsunami in March. Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, visited the Fukushima Daiichi plant Monday to assess progress in containing damage from the biggest nuclear crisis since […]
Japan Passes Second of Three Quake Recovery Budgets
Japan’s parliament approved a $25 billion extra budget Monday to help pay for disaster relief and rebuilding after the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The budget is seen as a stop-gap measure between an initial $51 billion package passed in May and a third extra budget estimated to be around $127 billion. It was […]
Villagers Re-Enter Fukushima Radioactive Zone to Honor Earthquake Victims
Dozens of people from Okuma, a Japanese village near the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, traveled deep into the radioactive restricted zone Sunday to hold a belated memorial for friends and family who died in the massive March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Wearing protective suits and face masks, residents and media were brought in on government-chartered […]