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Reiji Yoshida

Reiji Yoshida is a staff writer and deputy manager of the Domestic News Division. Since joining The Japan Times in 1993, he has intensively covered domestic politics, diplomacy and defense issues as well as the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.

JAPAN

Sep 7, 2006

Politicians happy to put off royal debate

a stable Imperial succession is an issue of extremely grave importance," he said. Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition party, said it is now a time for celebration, not debate.

JAPAN

Sep 3, 2006

Royal boy will put off succession crisis, not solve it

and Emperor Akihito (second from left) walk on a beach in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, with Prince Akishino (third from left) and his family -- Princess Mako, Princess Kiko and Princess Kako (from left to right), in this file photo taken Aug. 4, 2004. KYODO PHOTO

JAPAN

Aug 31, 2006

New EC envoy targets air, beef issues

Relations between European countries and Japan, once dominated by trade friction, have "immensely improved" and matured, but problems involving air services and beef imports still need to be resolved, the new European Commission ambassador said Wednesday.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Politics

Aug 18, 2006

JCG foils Senkaku landing try

A boatload of Taiwanese activists tried to approach disputed uninhabited islets controlled by Japan in the East China Sea early Thursday but was warned away by Japan Coast Guard ships before managing to enter Japan's territorial waters, JCG officials said.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Politics

Aug 16, 2006

'Stubborn maverick' makes good on promise

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday took his last opportunity while in office to visit Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of Japan's wartime surrender, finally following through on a campaign pledge he made before his April 2001 inauguration to break the diplomatic taboo by making the contentious...

JAPAN / History

Aug 12, 2006

Yasukuni gripes still dog nation

everyone (in the association) avoided," Kishimoto said. But this all changed several years ago, when the group's chairman, LDP House of Representative lawmaker Makoto Koga, and other association members started to speak publicly about removing the war criminals from Yasukuni, Kishimoto said.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Politics

Aug 9, 2006

Aso wants Yasukuni as nonreligious war memorial

Foreign Minister Taro Aso stirred up more controversy Tuesday over Yasukuni Shrine by proposing it be stripped of its religious status and turned into a state-run war memorial.

JAPAN / Politics

Aug 3, 2006

Discuss Yasukuni after LDP poll: lobby

The Japan War-Bereaved Families Association, the most powerful lobby for relatives of Japan's war dead, will forgo discussion of politically sensitive issues related to Yasukuni Shrine until after the Sept. 20 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, an executive of the group said Wednesday.

JAPAN

Aug 2, 2006

Paper hits North's missiles, China buildup

nuclear (arms) issue, are a destabilizing factor for the entire international community," the report reads. "The range of North Korean missiles is expected to be extended (farther), including possible derivatives of Taepodong-2 missiles," the paper, released Tuesday, says in reference to Pyongyang's...

JAPAN

Jul 28, 2006

Missile defense plans have their skeptics

North Korea has become Japan's main security concern in the post-Cold War era, as underscored by Pyongyang's July 5 test-firing of seven ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.

JAPAN / Politics

Jul 23, 2006

Retired Yasukuni official recounts turmoil over war criminal question

in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, in May 1981. KYODO FILE PHOTO

JAPAN

Jul 21, 2006

Fukuda seen shying from LDP race

told (the party branch) he won't attend. The reason was not clearly explained," an LDP source said. Supporters for Fukuda have urged him to publicly express his plan to run to draw media attention and build support in the party.

Japan Times

LIFE / WEEK 3

Jul 16, 2006

Dental 'charm school' puts bite on competition

The Omori Group is a booming dentistry franchise company that doubled its sales to 1.07 billion yen last year and now aims to double them again to 2 billion yen this year.

JAPAN

Jul 14, 2006

Abe denies upholding pre-emptive strike as defensive right

is being attacked with missiles" from that base. He added that an overseas first strike would fall within the legal parameters of self-defense "if there is no way to defend against an attack on Japan." Those comments, which followed North Korea's test-launching of seven ballistic missiles that fell into...

JAPAN

Jul 12, 2006

Officials try to defuse fallout from pre-emption issue

Monday's inflammatory remarks by Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe in the wake of North Korea's missile tests have touched off a controversy over Japan's interpretation of "pre-emptive attacks."

JAPAN

Jul 11, 2006

Hill wants unity on North's missile tests

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jul 8, 2006

Tokyo snubs Pyongyang threat over sanctions

Japan rejected North Korea's demand Friday to drop new economic sanctions over the North's Wednesday missile launches, ignoring Pyongyang's threat of "stronger measures" and "devastating consequences" unless it reversed its decision.

JAPAN

Jul 7, 2006

Taepodong-2 launch failed, Japan says

North Korea's launch of a Taepodong-2 ballistic missile ended in failure, even though Pyongyang counted it as a success along with the test-firing of six other shorter-range missiles, a top Defense Agency official said Thursday.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jul 6, 2006

Pyongyang fires seven missiles into Sea of Japan

North Korea fired six ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan early Wednesday and another one in the evening, drawing economic sanctions from Japan and intensifying international concern about its nuclear weapons and diplomacy with the United States.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jul 1, 2006

North looks to divide Tokyo and Seoul over abduction issue

The dramatic public appearance of Kim Young Nam, a South Korean who was believed kidnapped to North Korea, shed no new light on the mystery surrounding the abduction in 1977 of Megumi Yokota, who later became his wife.

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