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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
Sep 13, 2008
MSDF to start refueling of Danish ships
Denmark joined a group of nations Friday whose ships will receive fuel from the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Indian Ocean support mission, the Foreign Ministry said.
JAPAN
Sep 12, 2008
Hayashi stresses action in terrorism fight
In the fight against terrorism, Japan will earn more respect around the world through action than by just providing money, Defense Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Thursday.
JAPAN
Sep 12, 2008
ASDF Iraq mission could end this year
The Air Self-Defense Force unit flying transport operations between Kuwait and Iraq may be withdrawn by the end of the year, the government said Thursday.
JAPAN
Sep 11, 2008
Kim's absence at gala baffles North watchers
Foreign Ministry officials expressed puzzlement Wednesday over North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's failure to make a public appearance Tuesday to mark the hermit state's 60th anniversary.
JAPAN
Sep 10, 2008
No congrats on N. Korea's birthday
Japan did not send a congratulatory message to North Korea on its 60th anniversary Tuesday and instead urged the hermit state to play a "constructive role as a member of the international community," Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2008
Chongryon chief says Japan must compensate North Korea
Japan needs to compensate North Korea for its wartime aggression before ties with Pyongyang can be normalized, Ho Jong Man, head of the Chongryon group of North Korean residents in Japan, said Monday.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2008
Japanese and Chinese differ on diplomatic ties
More than 80 percent of Chinese are optimistic about future ties with Japan, while only 32 percent of Japanese feel likewise, a bilateral survey released Monday shows.
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2008
Saiki to meet six-party delegates Hill, Kim
Japan's chief delegate to the six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea will visit Beijing on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2008
Japan probing North Korea reactor rumor
Japan is staying in close contact with other countries regarding reports that North Korea is restoring its nuclear reactors at Yongbyon, Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Kazuo Kodama said Wednesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2008
Sub's radioactive leak not harmful, U.S. says
The U.S. government Friday filed its final report on the submarine USS Houston's radioactive leak earlier this year, saying it had no adverse effect on human health or the environment, the Foreign Ministry said.
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2008
Conferees call for unity on nonproliferation
SAITAMA — Ongoing discussions and a more muscular nuclear nonproliferation treaty are vital to achieving progress in disarmament efforts, speakers and participants at a U.N. conference in Saitama agreed Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2008
Six-party talks key to defusing North nukes
SAITAMA — The six-party talks must remain the principal vehicle for defusing North Korea's nuclear threat, speakers at a U.N. disarmament meeting in Saitama agreed Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2008
Aid worker found slain in Afghanistan
A Japanese Embassy official in Afghanistan confirmed Wednesday that a body found earlier in the day was that of kidnapped Japanese aid worker Kazuya Ito, the Foreign Ministry said.
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2008
Saitama U.N. disarmament talks follow North denuclearization snub
SAITAMA — A three-day U.N. conference on nuclear disarmament kicked off Wednesday in Saitama, a day after North Korea announced it had stopped disabling its atomic facilities.
JAPAN
Aug 26, 2008
Commission to lay foundation for NPT review
The world faces a pressing need to monitor civilian use of nuclear technology and maintain strong discipline in the face of weapons proliferation, former Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said Monday in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2008
Georgian ambassador asks Japan to act
To achieve peace and stability in Georgia, Japan should increase the pressure on Moscow to end its occupation of the sovereign state, Georgian Ambassador to Japan Ivane Matchavariani said Wednesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Aug 20, 2008
S. Korea envoy pushes North to meet pledge
It is in North Korea's interests to carry out its pledge to complete a probe into the abduction of Japanese nationals, South Korea's chief delegate to the six-party talks on the North's denuclearization said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2008
Rightwingers slam no-show ministers for lacking spirit
Hundreds of rightwingers and kin of the war dead made their annual pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine and lashed out at Cabinet members who gave the contentious Tokyo landmark a miss Friday, the 63rd anniversary of Japan's surrender.
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2008
Cautious response to investigation counseled
Japanese experts welcomed Wednesday's developments between Japan and North Korea in Shenyang, China, as critically important, but also warned that Japan should not be in a rush to lift sanctions.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2008
Don't let looks sucker punch you
Daria Abramova is an instant knockout, boasting a stunning combination of dark blonde hair, light brown eyes and candy-colored lips.

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