Leaders of Japan’s ruling party say they will seek to extend the current parliamentary session until the end of August, giving themselves time to pass key legislation before the expected resignation of Prime Minister Naoto Kan. Mr. Kan has still not set a date for his departure, which he announced at a party meeting early […]
Japan’s Ruling Party Seeks 70-Day Extension of Parliament
Official: Japan’s PM to Resign in August
A Japanese ruling party official says Prime Minister Naoto Kan is set to resign by the end of August after reaching an agreement with the opposition. Kyodo news agency Tuesday quoted a senior lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Japan as saying Mr. Kan will resign after securing parliamentary passage of the second extra budget […]
Japan, US to Delay Base Realignment Plan
The United States and Japan have dropped a deadline for moving a U.S. Marine Corps air station, but reaffirmed their commitment to the overall plan to realign the U.S. military presence in the country and reduce the American footprint on the island of Okinawa. The announcement came Tuesday after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and […]
U.S.-Japan Basing Plan in Doubt Amid High-Level Talks
A hard-won agreement to move thousands of U.S. Marines to a new base in Okinawa is once again in doubt as top U.S. and Japanese officials sit down for talks in Washington Tuesday. The 2006 agreement called for a new base to be completed in a less congested part of Okinawa by 2014 and for […]
U.S.-Japan Basing Plan in Doubt Amid High-Level Talks
A hard-won agreement to move thousands of U.S. Marines to a new base in Okinawa is once again in doubt as top U.S. and Japanese officials sit down for talks in Washington Tuesday. The 2006 agreement called for a new base to be completed in a less congested part of Okinawa by 2014 and for […]
Sale of $16 Million Violin to Benefit Japanese Quake Victims
A Japanese foundation has raised almost $16 million for earthquake and tsunami victims with the sale at auction in London of a rare Stradivarius violin. The Tarisio auction house said an anonymous bidder purchased the instrument Monday for $15,894,000 – more than four times the highest previous price for a violin. The instrument was made […]
Japan’s PM Mulls Resigning in July
Japanese news media say that Prime Minister Naoto Kan is likely to step down in exchange for obtaining opposition support to pass a new extra budget and a bill the government needs to issue deficit-covering bonds. Kyodo News agency said Monday that the embattled prime minister is expected to announce in the coming days when […]
US Official: Base Relocation in Japan To Be Postponed
A senior U.S. official says a planned relocation of an American military base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa will be postponed. Under a 2006 agreement, the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is to be relocated to a less crowded area of the island and some troops are to be moved to the U.S. […]
Japan Exports Fall, Government Forecasts Economic Gains
Japan’s government has lifted its assessment of the country’s economy for the first time since a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck in March, saying the economy is moving upward. However, the Cabinet Office’s assessment Monday made clear that deep economic scars remain from the disaster, which left more than 23,000 people dead or missing, and […]
IAEA Chief: Nuclear Safety Must be Improved
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency is urging the world to re-examine safety measures in the aftermath of the accident at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility three months ago. Yukiya Amano said adherence to current practices is “not an option.” His remarks came at the start of a week-long meeting of the […]