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

Dec 14, 2007

Opposition camp turns down proposal to extend Diet again

The opposition parties rejected a ruling bloc proposal Thursday to keep the Diet open for another month in a symbolic gesture reflecting its resolve to block a new antiterrorism bill coveted by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

JAPAN

Dec 12, 2007

Parties reach deal on expenses disclosure

The ruling bloc and three opposition parties reached a final deal Tuesday on legislation that would require all political organizations linked to Diet members to keep receipts for every spending item of any amount — except salaries.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Dec 11, 2007

Cabinet pair issue car-top plea to horde at Shibuya

In a rare show of desperation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura and Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba stood atop a van Sunday in the crowded main intersection of Tokyo's Shibuya district, urging public support to pass the special antiterrorism bill now stranded in the Upper House.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Dec 6, 2007

Fukuda apologizes to war-displaced

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda issued an apology Wednesday for the ordeal endured by Japanese who as children were left behind in China in 1945.

JAPAN

Dec 6, 2007

Lawmakers agree to bare their expenses

After a month of discussion, the ruling and opposition camps reached a working-level accord Wednesday to improve transparency in political spending by requiring political bodies to keep receipts for all expenditures exceeding ¥1.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Dec 4, 2007

Panel looks to clean up Defense Ministry

Hoping to put an end to a raft of scandals, the government held the first meeting Monday of a panel on reforming the Defense Ministry.

JAPAN

Nov 28, 2007

Panel passes bill to end Iraq mission

In another symbolic move reflecting the divided Diet, a House of Councilors panel on foreign affairs passed a bill Tuesday to end the Air Self-Defense Force's airlift mission supporting the reconstruction of Iraq.

JAPAN

Nov 21, 2007

Rally targets Justice Ministry

the collection of very personal information, (have) been violated in the name of antiterrorism measures," said Makoto Teranaka, secretary general of AI Japan. "We want to strongly point out the fact that these foreigners are being targeted and discriminated" against by the government. One protester,...

JAPAN

Nov 20, 2007

Nukaga denies Yamada donation, admits selling party tickets

JAPAN

Nov 16, 2007

Moriya implicates former defense chiefs

Former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya divulged Thursday that lawmakers Fumio Kyuma and Fukushiro Nukaga were among those wined and dined by a former executive of defense equipment trader Yamada Corp. now at the center of a widening corruption scandal.

JAPAN

Nov 13, 2007

MSDF bill heads toward full vote in Lower House

Amid strong protests from opposition parties Monday, the ruling bloc rammed a special antiterrorism bill through a Lower House committee that would enable the Maritime Self-Defense Force to resume its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean.

JAPAN

Nov 8, 2007

Ozawa eats humble pie, puts blame on fatigue

president, I had been working to my limits both physically and mentally until the July Upper House election," he said. "But I think I was very tired, which made me lose vigor for a moment when I invited the confusion (over the proposed grand coalition)." Ozawa has had a history of heart problems.

JAPAN

Nov 7, 2007

Ozawa to stay on as DPJ president

quit easily," said Kazuhiro Harada, a DPJ Lower House lawmaker. "I promised the public that we would make (Ozawa) prime minister." One DPJ Lower House lawmaker who asked to remain anonymous, however, expressed dissatisfaction.

JAPAN

Nov 6, 2007

DPJ misses chance to come to the fore

Last Friday when Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, entertained a possible grand coalition, this sent shock waves through the political world only to be superseded by the chaos in the wake of Ozawa's abrupt offer Sunday to quit his party's helm.

JAPAN

Nov 5, 2007

Ozawa offers to resign

Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa offered his resignation Sunday as head of the biggest opposition force over the rift caused by his controversial handling of a proposal for a grand coalition with the ruling bloc.

JAPAN

Nov 3, 2007

DPJ nixes Fukuda's coalition offer to Ozawa

shares a laugh with Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa prior to their talks Friday at the Diet. AP PHOTO

JAPAN

Oct 31, 2007

MSDF duty over, Ozawa tells Fukuda

supplies fuel to a Pakistani destroyer in the Indian Ocean on Monday. It was the last refueling Japan will perform under the antiterrorism law that expires Thursday. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MARITIME SELF-DEFENSE FORCE/KYODO

JAPAN

Oct 24, 2007

Lower House takes up new MSDF bill

The Lower House began deliberating a bill Tuesday to enable the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue refueling naval ships in the Indian Ocean engaged in counterterrorism operations.

JAPAN

Oct 19, 2007

Ruling bloc's MSDF bill rankles opposition in Diet

won't be able to get Diet approval in the Upper House, in which the opposition parties hold a majority in accordance with the public's will," Yamaoka told a news conference. "That is why the Diet's approval was omitted. . . . (The bill) is one-sided and merely convenient" for the ruling coalition. The...

Japan Times

JAPAN

Oct 18, 2007

Ruling bloc's MSDF bill is given to Diet

The ruling coalition Wednesday submitted to a divided Diet a special bill to enable the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue providing logistic support in the Indian Ocean for U.S.-led antiterror operations in and around Afghanistan.

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.

Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.

The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'

By Tomoko Otake

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