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 Jun Hongo

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Jun Hongo
Jun Hongo graduated from Boston University and joined The Japan Times in 2006. He covers a wide range of domestic news, including politics and business. He is an avid Red Sox fan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2011
Osaka Hanshin store starts annual whale sale: 3 tons of Atlantic hunt
Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores Inc. kicked off its annual whale meat sale Thursday in central Osaka.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2011
Yosano exits party, seen angling for ruling bloc
Former Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano tendered his resignation Thursday to Tachiagare Nippon (Sunrise Party of Japan), fueling speculation he will join the Democratic Party of Japan-led Cabinet being reshuffled Friday.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Aug 27, 2010
Fight will reshape political landscape
Pundits were split Thursday over who will win the Democratic Party of Japan's presidential election, Prime Minister Naoto Kan or political heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 24, 2010
Intervention nontopic in Kan-Shirakawa chat
Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa on Monday exchanged views on the country's economy and the impact of the strong yen, but they didn't touch on intervening in the currency market, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said.
JAPAN
Aug 17, 2010
Saitama town thinks it's still hottest stuff
KUMAGAYA, Saitama Pref. — It was Aug. 16, 2007, and Minoru Tajima felt something strange in the air.
JAPAN
Aug 11, 2010
Kan apologizes for colonial rule of Korea
Prime Minister Naoto Kan issued a statement Tuesday apologizing to South Korea for Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2010
Privacy law may face new scrutiny
The government may look into revising the Personal Information Protection Law if some of its provisions are stopping municipalities from ascertaining the status of "missing" centenarians and other pension recipients, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku hinted Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2010
Kan renews plea for tax-hike cooperation
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday reiterated the need to hold nonpartisan talks on tax reform, telling a session of the Lower House Budget Committee that the government must curb the growing national debt.
JAPAN
Jul 31, 2010
Kan proposes to slash Diet ranks
Prime Minister Naoto Kan vowed Friday to prop up the economy by slashing wasteful spending, including reducing the ranks of lawmakers, while budgeting for projects that stimulate the job market and "bring back vigor."
JAPAN
Jul 30, 2010
Tax miscue caused poll loss, Kan admits
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Thursday admitted his push to open debate on hiking the consumption tax cost his Democratic Party of Japan seats in the July 11 Upper House election but called on his colleagues to support his Cabinet and unite for the tough road ahead.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2010
All ministries face 10% budget cut
Despite dissent within the ranks of his Democratic Party of Japan and Cabinet, Prime Minister Naoto Kan's administration endorsed on Tuesday a 10 percent cut on all ministries' fiscal 2011 budget requests and earmark at least ¥1 trillion to stimulate economic growth.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2010
Watanabe again scotches Your Party coalition talk
Your Party chief Yoshimi Watanabe on Monday reiterated that his group won't form a coalition with the Democratic Party of Japan or the Liberal Democratic Party, but he did indicate his door is open to anyone to join him if they agree with his party's political agenda.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2010
Cabinet seeks to streamline handling of suits against state
The Cabinet convened a special meeting Friday to seek ways to improve how the government deals with major lawsuits against the state that till now have been handled independently by separate ministries.
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2010
Panel votes to reopen Ozawa case
Former Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa should be indicted over his alleged involvement in falsifying a 2007 report compiled by his political fund management body, an independent judicial panel concluded Thursday in yet another blow to the ruling DPJ.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2010
Farmer's stud bulls won't get reprieve
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku on Wednesday asked Miyazaki Prefecture to slaughter six privately owned stud bulls to contain foot-and-mouth disease, saying no exceptions will be made in order to control the outbreak.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jul 13, 2010
Kan can expect rocky road
Political experts were quick and unanimous Monday in forecasting a tough road ahead for the Democratic Party of Japan, expressing concern that its Upper House election loss will threaten Prime Minister Naoto Kan on all fronts.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jul 12, 2010
Kan now faces gridlock, internal revolt
Voters handed a painful loss to the ruling Democratic Party of Japan on Sunday, with all signs indicating that more political instability — and even an internal revolt — could be in store for Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2010
Sengoku sees last-minute resurgence for DPJ at polls
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku on Friday downplayed media projections of a defeat for the ruling Democratic Party of Japan in Sunday's Upper House election, saying his party still has 48 hours to regain voter support.
JAPAN / DECISION 2010
Jul 10, 2010
DPJ shoots itself in foot in Shizuoka
SHIZUOKA — It was supposed to be Ichiro Ozawa's master plan, a strategy that would drive the final nail in the coffin of the Liberal Democratic Party and oust it from Shizuoka Prefecture for good.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 6, 2010
Despite 'wagyu's' history, foot-and-mouth hit hard
Although sushi may be the dish of choice for many Japanese, consumption of beef has greatly expanded in the country since it opened its doors to Western culture following the Meiji Restoration.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?