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UN agency to open nuclear emergency preparedness centre in Fukushima

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:15:33 -0400

22 May 2013 150 Experts from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are heading to Japan to launch an emergency preparedness and response centre in Fukushima, the coastal city devastated two years ago when a massive earthquake and tsunami set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. The IAEA, supported by the Government of Japan, will designate a new Response and ...

Nikkei slumps 3.7 pct on weak China data 10-yr JGB prices turn higher

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:40:33 -0400

Reset TOKYO (May 23): Japan's Nikkei stock average tumbled 3.7 percent on Thursday, in a dramatic turnaround from a 5-1/2-year high hit in morning trade and was on track for its biggest daily drop in two years, as weak Chinese factory activity data rattled investors. The sharp turnover in the Japanese stock market prompted investors to seek safety in government bonds, with the 10-year ...

Japan’s REITs Drop as Government Bond Yields Rise Tokyo Mover

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:34:26 -0400

Japan 's real estate investment trusts fell, with the Tokyo Stock Exchange REIT Index dropping the most in eight weeks, after 10-year Japanese government bond yields rose to 1 percent for the first time in a year. The REIT index declined as much as 5.7 percent and slumped 5.5 percent to 1,398.59 as of 1:21 p.m. in Tokyo, set for the biggest slide since April 1. The Topix Real Estate ...

Will U.S. Yield Follow Japans Higher

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:28:19 -0400

Is the chart of Powershares DB 3x Inver Jap Gov Bond ETN (JGBD) Yield reflecting incipient inflation concerns by Japanese bond investors? Of course, inflation is exactly what the BOJ wants, but that does not preclude an investor exodus from the bond market, which by definition will drive up interest rate costs for the Japanese government. Does the relentless climb in JGB Yield suggest that the ...

Japanese becomes oldest person to conquer Everest

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:27:01 -0400

Eighty-year-old Yuichiro Miura has become the oldest person to scale Mount Everest, his management office said Thursday. In his third successful attempt to climb the 8,848-meter peak, Miura and his Sherpas left the last base camp at 8,500 meters shortly after 2 a.m. local time and reached the summit less than seven hours later, according to information received by the office in Tokyo. Miura ...

Far-right Japan Restoration Party defends wartime abuse of “comfort women”

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:48:59 -0400

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, a leader of the far-right Japan Restoration Party (JRP), set off a firestorm in Asia and within Japan last week, by declaring that the Japanese army's policy of keeping thousands of women as sex slaves throughout Asia during World War II was necessary. At a May 13 press conference, Hashimoto declared: "If you want them [troops fighting a war] to have a rest ...

As yen tumbles Japans gain isnt South Koreas pain

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:41:36 -0400

Thu May 23, 2013 12:41am EDT * Yen down 20 percent vs dollar over past year, won up by a third against yen * Weaker yen won't necessarily undercut South Korea's competitiveness * Currency fluctuations don't immediately translate into market share By Wayne Arnold and Vikram Subhedar May 23 (Reuters) - South Korea's economic problems aren't made in Japan. That isn't the way ...

STOCKS NEWS THAILAND-Bank of Ayudhya up after Japan MUFG stake bid report

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:34:56 -0400

Thu May 23, 2013 12:34am EDT Shares in Bank of Ayudhya Pcl rose after a local newspaper cited a financial market source as saying that Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) had offered to acquire General Electric's stake in the Thai bank at 40 baht per share. The potential acquisition of the 25.3 percent stake, or around 1.54 billion shares, from GE Capital International Holding ...

Nikkei slumps in afternoon trade

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:24:52 -0400

(8 mins ago) Tokyo shares plunged more than three percent in early Thursday afternoon trade as investors sold positions on weak Chinese data to lock in profits on recent rapid gains. The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange lost 3.20 percent or 500.04 points to 15,127.22 at one point before narrowing its loss to 2.15 percent by 0400 GMT, AFP reports. The plunge came after HSBC said ...

Japans wartime brothels were wrong says 91-year-old veteran

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:17:02 -0400

1 of 2. 91-year-old former Japanese army medic Masayoshi Matsumoto points at a photograph of himself taken in the 1940s, during an interview with Reuters at his daughter's house in Sagamihara, south of Tokyo May 22, ...

Britain told U.S. in early 1941 Japan might be preparing for war

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:16:31 -0400

The prospect of a clash over defense policy between South Korea's new president and the U.S. has been diminished by North Korea's own ham-fisted ...

U.S. admits drone strikes have killed four Americans

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:16:29 -0400

Pope Francis’ fascination with the devil took on remarkable new twists Tuesday, with a well-known exorcist insisting Francis helped ';liberate'; a Mexican man possessed by four different demons despite the Vatican’s insistence that no such papal exorcism took place. The case concerns a 43-year-old ...

Brutal meat cleaver murder in London blamed on radical Islam

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:16:28 -0400

LONDON - Two men with butcher knives hacked another man to death Wednesday near a London military barracks and one of them then went on video to explain the crime, shouting political statements, gesturing with bloodied hands and waving a meat cleaver. Soon after, arriving police shot and wounded the unidentified assailants and took them into custody. The brutal daylight attack rocked the city ...

Japans SoftBank to give US govt Sprint board choice WSJ

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:11:53 -0400

NEW YORK (AFP) - Japan's SoftBank is preparing to hand the US government an unusual degree of influence over operation of Sprint Nextel, after security concerns raised by the proposed cross-border takeover, The Wall Street Journal reports online."Tokyo-based SoftBank has agreed to give the (US) federal government the right to approve one of the directors it names to Sprint's ...

Tokyo stocks plunge in afternoon trade

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:10:21 -0400

TOKYO shares have plunged more than three per cent in early afternoon trade as investors sold on weak Chinese data to lock in profits on recent rapid gains. The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange lost 3.20 per cent or 500.04 points to 15,127.22 at one point before narrowing its loss to 2.15 per cent by 1400 (AEST) on ...

Japans trade deficit widens to USD8.6b in April

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:31:33 -0400

(MENAFN) Japan's Finance Ministry announced that the country's trade balance posted a deficit of USD8.6 billion last month, up by around 70 percent from a year earlier, reported AP.The ministry added that exports rose by 3.8 percent to USD56.3 billion, while imports gained 9.4 percent to USD64.9 billion.It said that the cost of oil purchases dipped, however, the value of imports of ...

China losing luster for Japan makers

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:24:23 -0400

With labour costs surging in China and domestic production recovering competitiveness thanks to the weaker yen, many Japanese manufacturers have been prompted to review their production in China. Japan Display Inc., the world's largest maker of small and midsize liquid crystal displays, reportedly plans to relocate part of its production in China to Japan. Other domestic manufacturing ...

Japan needs more companies that cherish their female workers

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:23:32 -0400

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has trumpeted women's active involvement in the workforce as a pillar of the government's growth strategy. He aims to better utilise women's abilities to invigorate the nation's economy. Abe specifically asked for cooperation from the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and other organisations in urging all listed companies to appoint at ...

Active Fault May Block Restart of Tsuruga Reactor in Japan

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:56:28 -0400

TOKYO ...

Japan govt natural for JGB yields to rise as share prices gain

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:37:39 -0400

TOKYO | Wed May 22, 2013 10:37pm EDT TOKYO May 23 (Reuters) - Japan's top government spokesman said on Thursday that it was natural for government bond yields to rise on the back of gains by Tokyo stocks and that he fully trusts the central bank's response to market moves. "I expect that the Bank of Japan will appropriately deal with it," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide ...

FBI kills man possibly linked to Boston bombings suspects media reports

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:16:29 -0400

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shot dead a man Wednesday who was possibly linked to the Boston bombings suspects, US media reported.The shooting occurred in Orlando, Florida early Wednesday morning while a man was being questioned by an FBI agent in Florida, NBC News reported.FBI Special Agent Dave Couvertier later confirmed in a statement that an unidentified agent encountered the man ...

Japan is integral to the future of Asia PM Lee Hsien Loong

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:12:44 -0400

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Japan is integral to the future of Asia and called on Japan to deepen its strategic engagement with Southeast Asia and the wider ...

Tokyo Skytree celebrates 1 year

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:04:16 -0400

Tokyo Skytree, the 634-metre-high tower in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, marked the first anniversary of its opening on Wednesday. During the past year, 6.38 million people visited the landmark, much higher than the 5.4 million predicted at the time of the opening. The total number of visitors to Tokyo Skytree and its neighbouring Tokyo Solamachi commercial facility was 50.8 million, about 60 per cent ...

Positive start for Nikkei

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:02:58 -0400

(1 hr 7 mins ago) Stocks in Tokyo opened 0.72 percent higher after the yen fell against the US dollar on signals that the US Federal Reserve could soon scale back its aggressive stimulus measures. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index, which closed at its best level in more than five years yesterday, added 112.72 points to 15,739.98 at the ...

Asia Markets Tokyo stocks soar as Sydney Seoul retreat

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:57:49 -0400

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Australian and South Korean stocks dropped Thursday on worries the Federal Reserve could downscale its bond purchases, while Japanese shares marched to fresh multiyear highs as several exporters got a lift from the weakened ...

Japan passes bill to join Hague treaty on child abduction

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:43:40 -0400

Long accused of tolerating "kidnapping," Japan on May 22 approved a bill to join the Hague convention on resolving cross-border abductions of children from broken international ...

Listed firms project 48 jump in fiscal 2013 net profits

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:43:39 -0400

Buoyed by the weakening yen, Japan's largest companies are projecting a 48.4-percent jump in combined net profits for the current fiscal year, building on an increase of 24.1 percent recorded for the previous ...

Nikkei climbs 1.9 pct to new 5-12-year high Fast Retailing stars

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:34:24 -0400

* Bernanke remarks sees yen at 103 to dollar, aids exporters * Nikkei heads for fifth straight day of gain * Fast Retailing jumps as retail investors in hot pursuit By Dominic Lau TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average soared 1.9 percent to a 5-1/2-year high on Thursday, aided by exporters as the yen weakened against the dollar after the U.S. Federal Reserve chief suggested the ...

RUBBER-Tokyo futures fall as oil weakens China data awaited

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:55:05 -0400

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) - Key Tokyo rubber futures fell on Thursday, pressured by weaker oil prices and caution over the outlook for demand for the industrial commodity ahead of Chinese manufacturing data later in the day. FUNDAMENTALS * The key Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) rubber contract, for October delivery , was trading 1.1 percent lower at 287 yen per kg as of 0029 GMT. * The ...

Japan stocks rise on weaker yen banks drop

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:49:33 -0400

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks on Thursday sidestepped concerns that the U.S. Federal Reserve may downscale its monetary stimulus to rise further toward multiyear highs, with a weakened yen giving several exporters a lift and offsetting losses in banks. The Nikkei Stock ...

Tokyo stocks open up 0.72

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:37:18 -0400

TOKYO stocks have opened 0.72 per cent higher after the yen fell against the dollar on signals that the US Federal Reserve could soon scale back its aggressive stimulus measures. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index, which closed at its best level in more than five years on Wednesday, added 112.72 points to 15,739.98 at the start on Thursday. The rise came despite the Dow Jones Industrial Average ...

Japan ponders direct talks with Pyongyang

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:55:34 -0400

/enpproperty--> Japan is considering direct talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the government said on Wednesday, adding momentum to the cause after a top level aide to the prime minister made a surprise trip to Pyongyang. Bilateral talks are on the table as Tokyo seeks to salve the running sore of abductions of its nationals by DPRK spies in the 1970s and 1980s, ...

Nikkei set to pull back from 5-12-year highs on Bernanke remarks

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:17:40 -0400

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average is expected to retreat from a 5-1/2-year high on Thursday after U.S. Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke suggested the central bank could scale back stimulus in coming months. The Nikkei is likely to trade between 15,550 and 15,700, strategists said, while Nikkei futures in Chicago closed at 15,640 on Wednesday, down 0.2 percent from the Osaka ...

Nuclear regulators acknowledge fault below Tsuruga reactor is active

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:29:41 -0400

The Nuclear Regulation Authority accepted on Wednesday an assessment that a reactor at the Tsuruga plant in western Japan is sitting above an active fault, making it increasingly difficult for the facility to resume ...

Ama divers seek cultural designation

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:29:40 -0400

Ama female divers from the Toba-Shima area have formed a group to preserve their traditions, as part of a bid by the Mie prefectural government to have the divers declared a national cultural property and UNESCO intangible cultural heritage ...

Sumo Hakuho Kisenosato win to keep title within reach

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:29:35 -0400

Yokozuna Hakuho dispensed with Kotooshu, and Kisenosato did a hatchet job on Aran to improve to 11-0 with four days remaining at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on ...

Japan no longer sanctions child abduction in mixed-marriage cases

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:18:52 -0400

Tokyo lawmakers unanimously approve Hague convention to settle child custody in broken international marriages. But Japanese domestic laws and legal loopholes still need to change, say ...

Japan rates may torpedo recovery

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:18:50 -0400

By James Saft (Reuters) - Spiking interest rates in Japan threaten to undermine, and possibly end, the recovery being engendered by Abenomics. That could reverse gains not only in Tokyo stocks, but in stock markets world-wide which have benefited from Japanese liquidity. While a rebound in activity has allowed the Bank of Japan to upgrade its assessment of conditions for a fifth straight ...

Japans Daiichi says key details concealed in Ranbaxy sale

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:29:11 -0400

NEW DELHI (AFP) - The Japanese owners of Ranbaxy on Wednesday accused former shareholders of the Indian company of concealing key information about a US probe into the safety of medicines made by the New Delhi-based firm.Last week, Ranbaxy Laboratories pleaded guilty in the United States to charges of making and distributing adulterated drugs at its two Indian plants of Paonta Sahib and Dewas and ...

Japan reaches historic low in April trade deficit

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:14:54 -0400

TOKYO -- Japan on Wednesday posted its worst April trade deficit as a weak yen ramped up import costs and helped extend the run of monthly shortfalls to the longest in more than three ...

REFILE-Panasonic to stop making silicon wafers at Oregon factory-Nikkei

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:50:16 -0400

Wed May 22, 2013 2:50pm EDT May 23 (Reuters) - Panasonic Corp will stop making silicon wafers, used in solar cells, at a factory in Oregon next month as it centralizes production at a plant in Malaysia, the Nikkei reported. Having shut down a plant in California last year, the company will have no processing facilities in the United States, the newspaper said. Panasonic makes silicon ingots at ...

Japan mulls resuming talks with N. Korea official

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:15:37 -0400

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan is considering direct talks with North Korea, the government said Wednesday, adding momentum to the cause after a top level aide to the prime minister made a surprise trip to Pyongyang.Bilateral talks are on the table as Tokyo seeks to salve the running sore of abductions of its nationals by North Korean spies in the 1970s and 1980s, an issue that inflames public opinion at ...

Japan considering resuming NK talks

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:50:38 -0400

Japan is considering direct talks with North Korea, the government said Wednesday, adding momentum to the cause after a top level aide to the prime minister made a surprise trip to Pyongyang.Bilateral talks are on the table as Tokyo seeks to salve the running sore of abductions of its nationals by North Korean spies in the 1970s and 1980s, an issue that inflames public opinion at home.But any ...

San Francisco Bay Area awarded ’16 Super Bowl

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:30:35 -0400

Kazuhiro Shiraishi, 66, is a guest-house manager in the Izu-kogen Highlands, a famous resort area on the Izu Peninsula of Shizuoka Prefecture. Looking out onto the Pacific Ocean, and just 90 minutes by train from Tokyo, Izu has a warm climate all year round ...

Confident rookie Straily outduels Darvish in A’s victory

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:30:34 -0400

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - Oakland rookie right-hander Dan Straily was well aware of the ace pitcher and the powerful lineup he was facing. Now everyone can take notice of Straily, who on television before his latest start saw plenty of highlights touting Yu Darvish being on the mound. Straily allowed only two singles while facing 22 batters — just one over the minimum for his seven scoreless ...

Wagner Kudo propel Kashiwa into Asian Champions League quarterfinals

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:30:33 -0400

Closer to the goal: Jorge Wagner celebrates after Kashiwa's second goal on Wednesday. Reysol defeated Jeonbuk Motors 3-2 to reach the Asian Champions League quarters. | ...

Asian shares mixed Tokyo ends at 5-year high

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:40:10 -0400

A visitor takes a picture of an electronic stock board on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo, Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday despite a strong lead from Wall Street as markets awaited testimony from the US Federal Reserve chief, but Tokyo stocks finished at their highest level in five years. AP PHOTO/ITSUO INOUYE HONG KONG--Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday ...

Washington alienated by Tokyo rightists

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:38:56 -0400

South Korean President Park Geun-hye's rhetoric proved to have an impressive reach on a recent visit to the US. A series of speeches in Washington caused a panic in Japan, far across the Pacific.The panic stemmed from a declaration at a banquet where Park expressed her willingness to address the North Korea issue in concerted efforts with China and the US after the North suspends its ...

Pacy racing pigeon Bolt sets new world record

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:51 -0400

Ai Weiwei uses obscenity-filled music video to mock state power in China

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:51 -0400

BEIJING - Two emotionless prison guards watch Ai Weiwei as he eats, sleeps, paces, showers — and even sits on the toilet — in the artist’s new obscenity-filled, metaphor-rich music video mocking China’s state power. The video accompanying the visual artist’s single ';Dumbass'; — released Wednesday but blocked online in mainland China — is meant ...

30 of indecent assault victims were staring at mobiles

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:50 -0400

About 30 percent of victims of indecent assaults in Osaka last year were using cellphones, smartphones or portable music players at the time of the attack, Osaka Prefectural Police investigative sources said. Of some 860 indecent assaults reported in 2012 to the prefectural force, about 14 percent of the victims said they were using mobile or smartphones and another 15 percent said they were ...

Olympus fears compact camera sales will keep falling

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:49 -0400

Olympus Corp. fears sales of its compact cameras may fall by half next fiscal year, extending a decline as consumers increasingly use smartphones to take pictures. Volume sales will drop to about 1.35 million units as early as the year starting in April, Chief Executive Officer Hiroyuki Sasa said in an interview in Tokyo on Monday. The company forecasts it will sell 2.7 million compact cameras ...

BOJ maintains monetary easing policy upgrades economic appraisal

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:48 -0400

The prospect of a clash over defense policy between South Korea's new president and the U.S. has been diminished by North Korea's own ham-fisted ...

Kyoto papers seek heritage status

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:47 -0400

Preserving history: The 'Toji Hyakugomonjo' documents, mainly minutes of discussions about the management of Toji Temple in Kyoto between the eighth to late 19th century, will be recommended for UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. | ...

Hell hath no fury Pope an exorcist

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:46 -0400

Sony to mull selling stake in show biz

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:44 -0400

Sony Corp. said Wednesday that its board of directors will consider a proposal by a U.S. hedge fund to put on the stock market a minority stake in Sony’s entertainment division, retracting an earlier statement that they won’t be put up for sale. Daniel Loeb, the hedge fund billionaire who heads the U.S.-based Third Point LLC — Sony’s major stakeholder — suggested ...

Nationalism rearing ugly head with greater frequency

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:44 -0400

Angry protesters took to the streets Sunday in Tokyo’s Shin-Okubo district, home to many Korean shops and restaurants, describing the Korean residents there as ';cockroaches'; and calling for their immediate ';extermination.'; It was only the latest in a series of anti-Korean rallies in the neighborhood that have grown more intense in the past few months. Often ...

Annual entrance passes eyed for Skytree

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:43 -0400

The operator of Tokyo Skytree is considering issuing annual observatory entrance passes, Michiaki Suzuki, president of Tobu Tower Skytree Co., said in an interview. ';A new ticket sales strategy is undoubtedly a key part of our business agenda. We are now examining the timing of the launch of the passes,'; Suzuki said. Currently, an on-the-day entry ticket for the 634-meter-tall ...

Does France have right revival plan

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:42 -0400

PARIS - The man charged with reviving France’s shrinking economy and attracting businesses to invest there is gaining a reputation for doing the opposite. As the country’s first-ever minister for industrial renewal, Arnaud Montebourg has told the world’s largest steelmaker it is not welcome in France; exchanged angry letters with the head of an American tire company he was ...

Kagawa can become United star despite frustrating first season

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:41 -0400

Spurs ride out storm

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:39 -0400

When Tony Parker started running low on masterful plays, Tim Duncan was there to take over and guide the San Antonio Spurs to a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. Parker had 15 points and a career playoff-high 18 assists, Duncan scored San ...

Guitarist Dustin Wong brings singer Takako Minekawa out on a ‘Toropical’ journey

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:38 -0400

Guitarist Dustin Wong hesitates for a split second. It’s a pause that would go unnoticed during most other sets, but Wong has spent the last 40 minutes seemingly in a trance while playing guitar and looping the notes via an array of pedals in ...

Explore one of Tokyo’s most indie neighborhoods at Shimokitazawa Sound Cruising

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:37 -0400

Finding an artistic home for fashion

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:36 -0400

Spring wear: Tsumura Kosuke's transparent survival jackets, now on display in the design gallery at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. | © FINAL ...

The humor of candid camera

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:36 -0400

With the advent of the digital camera, mobile phones and social networking, the world is now drowning in photographic imagery. This raises the question: Can photography survive as an art form in a world where it is ubiquitous? The exhibition of work by Kayo Ume, under the title ';Umekayo,'; at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery offers a partial response to this question, and suggests how ...

Sometimes it’s hard for Leonardo to impress

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:35 -0400

Ms. Park’s triumphant U.S. visit

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:34 -0400

The prospect of a clash over defense policy between South Korea's new president and the U.S. has been diminished by North Korea's own ham-fisted ...

Watching what the church does

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:33 -0400

-bashing. Catholics are bashed quite enough by their own pedophile priests. 2. She says my letter ';falsely portrays the Cathars as a … wrongfully persecuted religious minority.'; So, in Kim’s opinion, they were obviously a rightfully persecuted minority. 3. She says ';the Cathars had murdered a papal envoy.'; And that justifies the murder over decades of an ...

Inventors of human rights

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:32 -0400

Jennifer Kim, in her letter of May 16, seems to be doing a bit of an Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto special. She appears to be suggesting that the mass murder of heretics [Cathars] was necessary at the time. She seems to take the apparent wrongness of their teaching — which supposedly took the anti-life bias of Christianity a little too far — as justification for a ';crusade.'; ...

Perfect material for bullying

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:32 -0400

It ain’t easy being a bilingual girl ';: I agree that bilingual Japanese face obstacles today as they did 30 years ago. We are constantly subjected to bullying in private as well as in the media. Look at all the television shows that persistently make fun of returnees, portraying them as some unidentified creature. We are considered stuck up because of our opinions, and our good ...

Hitler cited his religious faith

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:31 -0400

While there does seem to be some disagreement among historians about the degree of Adolf Hitler’s religious beliefs, I think it’s inaccurate for Jennifer Kim, in her May 16 letter, to claim his Catholicism was abandoned in his youth. Published in 1925 and 1926, ';Mein Kampf'; includes a plethora of religious statements. For example, on page 46, Hitler wrote, ';I ...

Use of ‘force’ was the difference

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:30 -0400

Perhaps I am in a rare position to comment, from almost firsthand experience, on the statements [about the inevitability of wartime prostitution] made by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and former Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara. In the 1960s I served my country as a fighter pilot and, as such, was often on foreign bases and in the company of pilots and other military personnel from other countries. I ...

Embarrassing for the Japanese

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:29 -0400

Many of us who are of Japanese descent, but who are now citizens of foreign countries by birth or emigration, are totally in shock and disbelief over the continuous stream of distortions of history that emanate from Japanese politicians. For what the world community describes as rape, kidnapping, slavery and crimes against humanity, Japanese leaders use the phrase ';voluntary support for ...

Not for impressionable men

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:28 -0400

';I was stopped by two men in a government-registered vehicle, blindfolded and dragged off the street. They took me away to a house in a place I did not know. I was forced into a room with blood all over the walls and floor, ...

‘Obama scandals’ could actually hurt Republicans

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:18:28 -0400

NEW YORK - Republican politicians and activists can barely contain their glee at the simultaneous eruption of three major controversies about the Obama administration. Conservatives are at a low boil over the administration’s dissembling about its actions after the attacks on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. The public is concerned about the targeting of conservative groups ...

Yen eases after Japan’s trade deficit

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:27:39 -0400

Tokyo - The yen edged down against the dollar and euro in Asia on Wednesday after Japan posted its worst ever April trade deficit, fuelling yen-negative ...

Japans humble space dream to come true triumphantly

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:49:08 -0400

"I came to Japan for the first time in 1987, when I attended the well-known Japanese Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF), which gathers nuclear scientists from around the world. It takes place in spring when cherry trees blossom, so everything was very beautiful and unusual. I delivered a speech on Chernobyl, and, among other things, Academician Legasov. Some time later, I went to Japan for the ...

Japan’s trade deficit hits $8.6bn

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:10:00 -0400

Tokyo - Japan reports its trade deficit widened to a larger-than-expected 879.9 billion yen ($8.6 billion) in April as its weakening currency accentuated surging import ...

Tokyo stocks close up

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:09:55 -0400

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks climbed 1.60 percent to close at their highest level in more than five years with investor appetite unabated on a weak yen and record-setting levels on Wall ...

BOJ target at risk as spreads show tame G-7 prices

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:57:12 -0400

The extra yield on Group of Seven nations' notes over Japan's narrowed to 61 basis points last week, the lowest since 1990, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data. While central banks in G-7 countries keep borrowing costs at record lows and maintain unprecedented stimulus, consumer-price increases have lost momentum in most of those economies. The BOJ affirmed its ...

Cesium levels in water plankton baffle scientists

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:47:11 -0400

Plankton and seawater sampled at 10 points less than a year after the Fukushima meltdowns found concentrations of radioactive cesium were highest at different locations in the Pacific, puzzling scientists. The group collected zooplankton and surface seawater at 10 points between Hokkaido and Guam, 500 to 2,100 km from the crippled power plant, between Jan. 14 and Feb. 5, 2012. Cesium 134, with ...

As Hashimoto self-destructs party also reels

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:47:10 -0400

Recent remarks by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto justifying the Imperial Japanese Army’s ';comfort women'; brothel system have upset relations with the United States and South Korea and enraged human rights activists both at home and abroad. The impact on domestic politics has also been great, as major parties distance themselves from Hashimoto’s Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan ...

Kim sends special envoy to Beijing

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:47:10 -0400

PYONGYANG/BEIJING - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un dispatched a high-profile official and close confidant to China on Wednesday at a time of strained relations and ahead of a China-U.S. summit. Choe Ryong Hae, a top Workers’ Party official and a vice marshal tasked with supervising the North Korean military, departed on a chartered flight with a political and military delegation. Chinese ...

NRA backs Tsuruga active fault finding

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:47:09 -0400

The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday accepted an assessment that reactor 2 at the Tsuruga nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture is sitting on an active fault, increasing the likelihood that the unit can never be restarted. ';We have received a report from a panel of experts that said there is an active fault. . . . I think there is a need to accept the conclusion sincerely,'; NRA ...

Japan approves joining international child custody treaty amid concerns about abductions

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:46:17 -0400

In this May 5, 2010 file photo, fathers that lost their children to spousal abduction to Japan hold photos of their children during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Japan’s parliament has approved joining an international child custody treaty amid foreign concerns that Japanese mothers can take children away from foreign fathers without recourse. The upper house of ...

UPDATE 1-Nomura eyes Asia alliances boosts Japan asset target

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:21:11 -0400

Wed May 22, 2013 8:21am EDT (Recasts, adds COO comments and details) By Nathan Layne TOKYO May 22 (Reuters) - Japan's largest brokerage firm Nomura Holdings Inc said on Wednesday it was seeking partners to expand its retail and asset management operations in Southeast Asia and was in talks with several financial institutions in the region. Chief Operating Officer Atsushi Yoshikawa did not ...

Premarket Bernanke in spotlight Nikkei hits fresh 5 12-year high

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:44 -0400

Stock markets aren't straying too far from unchanged this morning, as traders await an important appearance from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke later today. U.S. stock futures are just slightly in positive territory, though European markets are a little in the red. In Asia overnight, Japanese equities were again outperforming most other markets, with the Nikkei rising 1.6 per cent to ...

Japan watchdog Nuclear plant sits on active fault

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:04:51 -0400

TOKYO -; Japan's nuclear watchdog on Wednesday endorsed a panel's conclusion that a seismic fault running underneath one of two reactors at an atomic plant in western Japan is active, making the reactor's restart virtually ...

Bank of Japan not concerned about increase in bond yields

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:37:42 -0400

There were no major surprises in connection with today's Bank of Japan (BoJ) meeting and the market impact should be neutral. The expansion of the monetary base (now the main policy instrument) was maintained at JPY60- 70trn. In addition BoJ as expected upgraded its view of the economy and now believes that the economy has started to ...

Peso in slight dip as market weighs Japan central bank’s heavy bond buying

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:31:29 -0400

AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines -- The peso was almost unchanged on Wednesday as the market digested reports the Japanese central bank is poised to continue with its heavy bond buying to stimulate the world's third-biggest economy out deflation. The local currency closed at 41.175 against the US dollar, down by just half a centavo from the previous day's finish of 41.17:$1. ...

Equity investors flock to Japan funds exit emerging markets-Lipper

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:07:40 -0400

By Joel Dimmock LONDON | Wed May 22, 2013 7:07am EDT LONDON May 22 (Reuters) - Equity investors piled a net $9.1 billion into Japan mutual funds and ETFs last month, while exiting some emerging markets, showing continued support for "Abenomics" - Japan's efforts to revitalise economic growth. Japan equity products were by far the top-performing sector in April, taking in ...

Japan holds steady vows market steps to curb bond turbulence

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:57:14 -0400

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda speaks during a news conference in Tokyo, May 22, 2013. Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Wednesday that the central bank would closely monitor moves in the government bond market and respond with flexibility in its purchases of government debt and in its market operations. (YUYA ...

Japan copper buyers not seeking alternatives to closed Indonesia mine

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:37:44 -0400

TOKYO | Wed May 22, 2013 6:37am EDT TOKYO May 22 (Reuters) - Japanese buyers of copper ore from Indonesia's Grasberg mine have stockpiles at the closed mine and a port in the area, and have no immediate plans to buy from other suppliers, a mining industry association in Japan said on Wednesday. Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc said on Wednesday it would not restart production at ...

Carlyle plans to raise $2 bln for Japan investments

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:24:39 -0400

"I’m drawn to cinema because I have absolute faith in its transformative power, in its ability to raise human awareness," says Nandana ...

Japan holds steady upgrades economic outlook

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:50:08 -0400

Japan mulling to restart inter-governmental talks with DPRK

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:41:11 -0400

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in Tokyo on Wednesday that Japan is mulling to resume the stalled inter-governmental talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in an effort to resolve abduction issue.Suga said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is resolute to resolve the issue and that Japan seeks every possibility to communicate with the DPRK to make the issue ...

Japan nuclear reactor atop active fault regulator

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:37:34 -0400

Japan's nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday that one reactor was sitting directly above an active tectonic fault, effectively ruling out a restart ...

Japan hospital tests powerful breast cancer therapy

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:29:28 -0400

A Japanese cancer specialist said Wednesday she has started the world's first clinical trial of a powerful, non-surgical, short-term radiation therapy for breast ...

Japans central bank keeps policy unchanged says economy picking up as trade deficit grows

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:29:06 -0400

TOKYO - Japan's central bank says the world's third-biggest economy is "picking up" as demand recovers in other countries and remains resilient at home, though the trade deficit widened in April, for the tenth straight month. The Bank of Japan ended a policy meeting on Wednesday with no change to its strategy of doubling the monetary base to reach a 2 per cent inflation ...

Japan BoJ sees economy picking up

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:22:39 -0400

The BoJ left monetary policy unchanged. The Bank did not comment on the rise in JGB yields, which might force it to bring asset purchases forward. Today's trade data confirm that demand in overseas economies is picking up. The seasonally adjusted trade deficit improved to JPY764.4 billion in ...

Committed to civil nuclear cooperation with India Japan

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:27:41 -0400

civil nuclear cooperation with India despite its concerns over nuclear safety. The negotiations between the 2 countries have remained stalled since the disaster in Fukushima in 2011 leading to speculation that Japan's rethink over its nuclear policy will hurt India's chances of signing a deal for nuclear cooperation with Japan. Japanese government told TOI that it has decided in favour ...

Tokyo shares end higher on heavy volume investors bullish

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:23:04 -0400

Tokyo stocks rose sharply Wednesday on heavy volume as confidence in recovering domestic and U.S. economies helped construction firms such as Kajima Corp., exporters such as Olympus, and Fast Retailing and other heavily indexed ...

Senators OK immigration overhaul

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:14:23 -0400

A sit-in by visa violators and their families entered its second day Tuesday in front of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau with protesters seeking government good will. The action at the bureau in Minato Ward is being organized by the Asian People’s Friendship Society, ...

Rafsanjani Ahmadinejad aide cut from Iran presidential race

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:14:22 -0400

Out: Two-term former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (left) and incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's top aide, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, have been disqualified from Iran's June 14 presidential election. | ...

Search for tornado survivors wraps up

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:14:21 -0400

MOORE, OKLAHOMA - The search for survivors and the dead was nearly complete Tuesday in the broken remnants of an Oklahoma City suburb where a massive tornado flattened homes and demolished an elementary school, the fire chief said. Authorities lowered the death toll to 24, down from 51. Fire Chief Gary Bird said that he’s ';98 percent sure'; there are no more survivors or bodies ...

Stalled abduction talks with N. Korea may resume soon

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:14:20 -0400

Modern history is the story of how liberal democracy, originating in Britain and America, spread around the world. This may sound like an absurd fantasy. In actuality, this Whiggish narrative of progress underpins most newspaper editorials, political commentary and speeches in the West, and ...

Nomura lifts retail client asset target amid Japan stock boom

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:48:32 -0400

TOKYO | Wed May 22, 2013 3:48am EDT TOKYO May 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Nomura Holdings Inc said on Wednesday that it had raised its target for retail client assets to 100 trillion yen ($975 billion) by March 2016 after clearing the previous target of 90 trillion yen last month amid a sharp rally in Japanese stocks. Nomura had set the 90 trillion yen target in September of last ...

Weak yen a help for Japan but headache elsewhere

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:34:27 -0400

TOKYO -; A steady decline in the yen is proving a godsend for exporters such as Toyota and has won solid support from Japan's main trading partners, who are betting the impact on their own currencies will be offset by gains from a recovery in the world's third-largest economy. It's not such good news for entrepreneurs like Thamonwan Thawornthaweewong, whose Angry Bird fish balls, ...

South Korea Japan US defense chiefs to meet

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:27:58 -0400

Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Korea, Rear Adm. William C. McQuilkin, left, salutes as Rear Adm. Michael S. White, commander of the Nimitz Strike Group, right, smiles from U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz upon its arrival at Busan port, south of Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Ahead of the U.S. carrier’s visit to South Korea, North Korea on Friday called this ...

Tokyo stocks close up 1.60

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:25:18 -0400

TOKYO stocks have climbed 1.60 per cent to close at their highest level in more than five years, with investor appetite unabated because of a weak yen and record-setting levels on Wall Street. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index on Wednesday gained 246.24 points to 15,627.26, the best finish since late December 2007. The Topix index of all first-section issues was up 0.44 per cent, or 5.64 points, at ...

Weak Yen Wont Stop Our Push Outside Japan Lexus

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:24:05 -0400

Mark Templin, Executive Vice President at Lexus said the luxury carmaker doesn't run its global business based on fluctuations in exchange ...

Nikkei closes on a high

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:12:58 -0400

(37 mins ago) Stocks in Tokyo climbed 1.60 percent to close at their highest level in more than five years with investor appetite unabated on a weak yen and record-setting levels on Wall Street. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained 246.24 points to 15,627.26, the best finish since late December 2007, while the Topix index of all first-section issues was up 0.44 percent, or 5.64 points, at ...

Tokyo stocks up 1.12pc after BoJ stays pat

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:07:37 -0400

5 TOKYO: Tokyo stocks maintained early gains and were up 1.12 percent in early afternoon trade after the Bank of Japan made its widely-expected announcement of no new easing measures.The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 171.79 points at 15,552.81 soon after the afternoon session started while the Topix index of all first-section issues was up 0.72 percent, or 9.12 points, at ...

Japans crocodile tears over Russias Kuril Islands

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:44:30 -0400

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a short time has demonstrated his capabilities and lack of fear in tackling problems using non-trivial methods. Abe likes Russia - it's in his genes. The Russian President said he was ready for a dialogue on the peace treaty with Japan on the principles of a draw. Did he decide to give the Japanese two of the four South Kuril Islands? Japanese Prime ...

Japan mulls talks with NKorea surprising allies

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:18:51 -0400

TOKYO -; Japan's government is looking into re-opening official talks with North Korea to resolve questions over the abductions of Japanese citizens decades ago, raising concerns among allies who fear Tokyo's focus on that issue might weaken efforts to reign in Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ...

Japan Keeps Monetary Policy Steady

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:18:51 -0400

TOKYO ...

Bank of Japan maintains policy cheers Abenomics

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:01:55 -0400

Japan's central bank pledged Wednesday to maintain its ambitious quantitative easing program, saying that economic conditions in the country are ...

Nikkei up on BOJ optimism

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:57:57 -0400

(21 mins ago) Tokyo stocks maintained early gains and were up 1.12 percent in early afternoon trade after the Bank of Japan made its widely-expected announcement of no new easing measures. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 171.79 points at 15,552.81 soon after the afternoon session started while the Topix index of all first-section issues was up 0.72 percent, or 9.12 points, at 1,279.51, ...

Bank of Japan sees economy improving

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:57:36 -0400

(1 hr 4 mins ago) Japan's central bank says the world's third-biggest economy is "picking up'' as demand recovers in other countries and remains resilient at home. The Bank of Japan ended a policy meeting on Wednesday with no change to its strategy of doubling the monetary base for the sake of reaching a 2 percent inflation target and jolting the economy out of two ...

Economic Report Bank of Japan ups economic outlook

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:53:19 -0400

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- The Bank of Japan raised its economic assessment at the end of its two-day meeting on Wednesday, while holding its policy ...

Asia Markets Japan stocks hold gains after central-bank meet

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:53:18 -0400

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks stayed on course for a fresh multiyear high Wednesday after the country's central bank raised its economic outlook, even as it left other elements of its monetary policy ...

Researchers find high cesium in some Pacific plankton

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:51:23 -0400

Kyle Bass Bets on Full-Blown Japan Crisis

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:50:00 -0400

Kyle Bass hopes he is wrong, and so may everyone else, as the danger predicted by the founder of Dallas-based Hayman Capital is nothing less than a full blown financial crisis in the world's third-largest economy, Japan. While the hedge-fund trade of the year has been to short the yen and buy Japanese stocks placed for an export boom, Mr. Bass sees in "Abenomics" - stimulus from ...

Japan outlasts Denmark in thriller at Sudirman Cup

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:49:46 -0400

/enpproperty--> KUALA LUMPUR - Japan outgunned Denmark to top Gruop D after a nail-biting final group match at the 13th Sudirman Cup team badminton championships on Tuesday, while China overpowered Indonesia 5-0. The Japan-Denmark tie see-sawed with Denmark taking the lead after the first and third matches, only for Japan to equalize. After Denmark's mixed doubles pair of Joachim Fischer ...

China-Japan trade will pick up

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:49:28 -0400

Economic and trade cooperation between China and Japan will get back on track if there is no further deterioration of the countries' already strained ties, leading Chinese think tanks said in an annual report released on ...

Japan uses sound waves against Chinese sub

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:48:35 -0400

A Maritime Self-Defence Force patrol plane used sound waves emitted from a sonobuoy against a submarine detected in the contiguous zone around Minami-Daitojima island in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday, according to government sources. The action against the submarine, which is believed to belong to the Chinese Navy, is an apparent demonstration that the MSDF is steadily monitoring the movement of ...

Japanese scholars slam Tokyo on history

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:48:02 -0400

A group of Japanese intellectuals on Tuesday rebutted their government's territorial claim to Dokdo and urged Japan to have a correct understanding of history. During a press conference in Busan, they called on Shimane prefecture to rethink its annual observance of Takeshima (Dokdo in Japanese) Day, designated in 2005 to underline its sovereignty claim to the Dokdo islets in the East Sea. ...

Bruins take commanding 3-0 series lead over Rangers

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:42:18 -0400

NEW YORK (AP) Daniel Paille snapped a tie with 3:31 left in the third period, and the Boston Bruins put the New York Rangers on the brink of elimination with a 2-1 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night. Boston leads the best-of-seven series 3-0 and can advance to the conference finals as early as Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Only three teams in NHL ...

Visa violators continue sit-in at Immigration

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:31:47 -0400

Japan’s cellphone lineups for summer 2013 — fit and focused

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:31:46 -0400

Lean and focused would be a good way to characterize the recently launched lineups from Japan's three top cellphone carriers. While NTT DoCoMo Inc. had released 18 kinds of smartphones last summer, it trimmed down to 9 for this ...

Japans trade deficit hits $8.6B due to weaker yen

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:50:02 -0400

TOKYO -; Japan's trade deficit widened to a larger-than-expected 879.9 billion yen ($8.6 billion) in April as its weakening currency accentuated surging import ...

RUBBER-Tokyo futures edge down BOJ in focus

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:30:21 -0400

(Refiles to clarify in paragraph 1 that yen has strengthened from 4-1/2 yr low) TOKYO, May 22 (Reuters) - Key Tokyo rubber futures extended declines on Wednesday on falling oil prices, while investors awaited the end of a Bank of Japan policy meeting for clues on whether the yen would continue to strengthen from last week's 4-1/2 year low versus the dollar. FUNDAMENTALS * The key ...

Japan exports disappoint full benefits of weak yen yet to show

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:26:48 -0400

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's exports rose less than expected in April from a year earlier due to weak demand from Europe and China, highlighting the challenges confronting the world's third-biggest economy as policymakers try to engineer a sustained ...

Tokyo stocks open up 0.39

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:25:35 -0400

TOKYO stocks have opened 0.39 per cent higher with investor sentiment staying bullish after US shares closed at new all-time highs and despite worse-than-expected Japanese trade ...

Japan stocks climb Mitsubishi Motors Sony jump

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:24:46 -0400

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks extended gains early Wednesday, with exporters spurred after two Federal Reserve members suggested the central bank wasn't close to slowing monetary stimulus in the U.S. The Nikkei Stock ...

Fish-gulping cormorants maneuvered by a fisherman duck underwater to catch sweetfish in the Chikugogawa river.

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:09:54 -0400

ASAKURA, Fukuoka Prefecture--The reflection of 3,000 fireworks colored the surface of the Chikugogawa river in the Harazuru hot springs area of Haki district here on May 20, commemorating the opening of the "ukai" traditional cormorant fishing season and heralding the start of ...

Nikkei scales 5-12-year high ahead of BOJ meeting Sony surges

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:52:21 -0400

* Sony jumps on report of assessing spin-off proposal * BOJ set to stand pat but may seek to ease bond market jitters By Dominic Lau TOKYO, May 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average climbed to a 5-1/2-year high on Wednesday, ahead of the outcome of the Bank of Japan meeting, with Sony Corp surging on reports it is considering evaluating a proposal to spin off entertainment assets. The Nikkei ...

Japan Trade Deficit Y879.936 Billion In April

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:40:10 -0400

Japan saw a merchandise trade deficit of 879.936 billion yen in April, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.That missed forecasts for a shortfall of 620.6 billion yen following the downwardly revised deficit of 364.0 billion yen in March.Exports were up 3.8 percent on year, also missing forecasts for a gain of 5.4 percent after adding 1.1 percent in the previous month.Imports climbed an ...

Japans Nikkei rises 0.3 in opening minutes

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:15:59 -0400

NASDAQ traded symbols and their current financial status. Intraday data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges. S&P/Dow Jones Indices (SM) from Dow Jones & Company, Inc. SEHK intraday data is provided by SIX Financial Information and is at least 60-minutes delayed. All quotes are in local exchange ...