Masami Ito - The Japan Times

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Masami Ito

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Masami Ito

Masami is a staff writer for the Life and Culture Division at The Japan Times. She is in charge of the weekly Sunday Timeout, covering various issues related to Japan, from alcohol/drug addiction and juvenile crime to female sushi chefs and kendama. Over her 15-year career, she has written extensively on Japanese politics, foreign policy and social issues.

JAPAN

Jan 29, 2008

Stopgap bill eyed to keep gas, auto taxes

The ruling coalition is considering taking the unusual move of submitting a stopgap bill to the Diet to maintain provisional gasoline and other auto-related tax rates until May 31, triggering angry protests from the opposition parties.

JAPAN

Jan 24, 2008

Bill to keep high gas tax reaches Diet

The government submitted a tax reform bill to the Diet Wednesday that includes a clause to continue the special additional higher gasoline and other auto-related taxes — a key bone of contention that the opposition camp plans to confront the ruling bloc over in the current session.

JAPAN

Jan 23, 2008

Fukuda hints at second override

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda hinted Tuesday that he would again use the ruling coalition's two-thirds majority in the Lower House to override the Upper House if it fails to pass budget-related bills — including one on the gasoline and other auto-related taxes.

JAPAN

Jan 19, 2008

Fukuda opens Diet, lays out his agenda

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda vowed Friday to start Diet discussions on the establishment of a permanent law that would authorize the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces overseas to engage in peace operations so that Japan can fulfill its duties as a "peace-cooperating nation."

JAPAN

Jan 18, 2008

Take bold steps and listen to public, Fukuda advises LDP

The Liberal Democratic Party is facing its biggest crisis since it was founded in 1955, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Thursday.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jan 17, 2008

Ozawa stakes career on Lower House contest

Opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa said Wednesday the next Lower House election will be the "final battle" of his political career and for the Democratic Party of Japan itself.

JAPAN

Jan 16, 2008

Fukuda again rejects calling early election

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda reiterated on Tuesday his reluctance to dissolve the Lower House for a snap general election before the Group of Eight summit this July in Hokkaido.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jan 12, 2008

Lower House rams through antiterrorism bill

For the first time in half a century, the Lower House on Friday overrode the Upper, ramming a bill through the Diet to resume the Maritime Self-Defense Force refueling duty in the Indian Ocean.

JAPAN

Jan 11, 2008

MSDF bill step closer to ruling bloc's ultimate OK

An opposition-controlled Upper House panel Thursday rejected a special antiterrorism bill to enable the Maritime Self-Defense Force to resume its refueling operations in the Indian Ocean, in a last-minute bid to block its expected passage Friday in the ruling bloc-dominated Lower House.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jan 9, 2008

Work-life balance starts at home: Rengo chief

As part of efforts to stem the nation's depopulation, a guide to promoting a better work and family life balance among workers was recently adopted by a special government panel.

JAPAN

Jan 5, 2008

Fukuda: No midmonth reshuffling of Cabinet

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda dismissed speculation Friday that he would reshuffle his Cabinet before the Diet opens later this month to shore up his poor public approval ratings.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jan 1, 2008

'07 political storm really the calm before '08?

Last year was full of political turmoil — from scandals and arrests to suicide and a divided Diet — but there is no time to rest because 2008 may turn out to be a historical turning point if there is a general election, depending on which side wins, analysts say.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Dec 26, 2007

Fukuda meets, apologizes to hepatitis C victims

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Tuesday met with — and apologized to — representatives of people who contracted hepatitis C through tainted blood products and are now suing the government and drug makers.

JAPAN

Dec 22, 2007

Diet unites to tighten politicians' funding rules

With money scandals marring the image of lawmakers, the Diet passed a bill Friday to increase the transparency of political funding by obliging them to disclose all expenses other than salaries.

JAPAN

Dec 22, 2007

Japan calls off hunt for humpbacks

Even as its whalers sail for the Southern Ocean hunting grounds, Japan has agreed to temporarily suspend its pursuit of humpback whales, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura indicated Friday.

JAPAN

Dec 21, 2007

Financial disclosure bill passed by Lower House

Spurred to action by a series of money scandals, the Lower House approved a bill Thursday requiring political organizations to fully disclose all expenses other than salaries.

JAPAN

Dec 19, 2007

UFOs 'definitely exist,' Machimura asserts

definitely exist," Machimura stressed. "How else do you explain those various unexplainable things like Nazca," he said, referring to the series of mysterious giant drawings of animals and other figures on an arid plateau in southern Peru. Earlier Tuesday, the government made an official statement that...

JAPAN

Dec 18, 2007

Death penalty foes await U.N. moratorium vote

Human rights activists renewed on Monday their call to abolish capital punishment as the United Nations gets ready to vote on a resolution calling on member states to declare a moratorium on executions.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Dec 15, 2007

Fukuda seeks set law on SDF deployments

Japan needs a permanent law to allow the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces overseas so they can carry out peace activities whenever requested, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Friday.

JAPAN

Dec 15, 2007

Diet session extended a second time

The ruling bloc extended the extraordinary Diet session Friday by another month to Jan. 15, making it certain the contentious bill to resume the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Indian Ocean support mission will clear the divided legislature.

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The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'

By Tomoko Otake

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