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JAPAN
Mar 14, 2009

10-year overstayer is granted new visa

MAEBASHI, Gunma Pref. (Kyodo) The Justice Ministry granted a one-year residence status Thursday to an Iranian female college student who had illegally stayed in Japan for more than 10 years, ministry officials said.
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2009

DPJ seeks new rules on donations

Amid the political fundraising scandal involving the arrest of party President Ichiro Ozawa's chief secretary, Democratic Party of Japan executives are calling for a rule barring companies that bid on public works projects from donating to political parties.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 14, 2009

Aso calls for third stimulus plan

Prime Minister Taro Aso ordered a third spending plan aimed at easing what may be the nation's worst recession since World War II.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2009

Minor GDP upgrade fails to lift gloom

The economy shrank a bit less than first estimated in the fourth quarter, but the revised data released by the government Thursday offer little good news and only underscore an increasingly grim picture.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2009

Rural Hokkaido scandal trio's home

The eastern Hokkaido region of Tokachi has become scandal-central.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 13, 2009

Climate change mitigation by low-income countries

MUMBAI, CITIZENS NEWS NETWORK — The economies and resultant emissions of low-income countries are growing at a rapid pace. China and India are already among the top five greenhouse-gas emitters. The rest of the world may strive to stabilize its emissions at 1990 levels, but if China and India continue...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2009

'Curse of Colonel Sanders' statue returns minus hand, feet, glasses

After recovering its legs and right hand Wednesday, construction workers reassembled the long-lost statue of Kentucky Fried Chicken founder and mascot Colonel Sanders, which was tossed into the Dotonbori River in central Osaka 24 years ago, city officials said.
EDITORIALS
Mar 12, 2009

Words that sow distrust

The investigation that led to the arrest of the chief secretary of Democratic Party of Japan leader Mr. Ichiro Ozawa over alleged irregularities in political donations has put not only Mr. Ozawa but also some Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers in a difficult position. It also has put in focus the thoughtlessness...
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2009

FSA plans crackdown on credit skinflints

The Financial Services Agency plans to make unprecedented inspections of Japan's top banks to avert a loan drought that would boost bankruptcies.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2009

East Timor leader acknowledges aid

Japanese aid for infrastructure-building is vital to the development of East Timor, the Southeast Asian country's prime minister, Xanana Gusmao, said Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan Times
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
Mar 11, 2009

Catwalks for the King, a shot at glory for his underlings

With the Spring Basho less than two weeks away now, sumo fans might be forgiven for thinking something is amiss given the lack of any real news coming out of Osaka.
BUSINESS
Mar 11, 2009

Insight is bright light amid auto doldrums

Honda has taken 18,000 orders for its hybrid Insight since the model hit the domestic market about a month ago, outpacing its target and underlining the success of the new affordable and ecological vehicle, the carmaker said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 10, 2009

Nintendo secret: It's all in the game

It's a common belief that the video game industry is recession-proof.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
Mar 10, 2009

Silent assassin Nakajima making mark under cover

While Ichiro Suzuki and Shuichi Murata were dominating the headlines, Hiroyuki Nakajima was quietly racking up hits.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 10, 2009

Uruma recalls no off-record biased remark

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Iwao Uruma stressed Monday he does not recall saying the scandal over alleged illicit political donations from Nishimatsu Construction Co. would not implicate lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Mar 8, 2009

As prospects darken, Japan's voters need that vision thing again

When James Carville, a political consultant to Bill Clinton, coined the phrase "It's the economy, stupid" for the candidate's 1992 presidential campaign, little did he know that he was speaking for the general election in Japan in 2009 as well.
EDITORIALS
Mar 6, 2009

Blow to the DPJ

The arrest of the chief secretary of the Democratic Party of Japan leader Mr. Ichiro Ozawa on suspicion of violating the Political Funds Control Law has dealt a severe blow to the No. 1 opposition party. The damage to the DPJ is great all the more because the party is regarded as having a chance to win...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2009

Afghanistan's drama set for stage

A high-ranking Afghan diplomat and a British dramatist are meeting a lot these days to discuss their common agenda: staging a play about violence-racked Afghanistan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2009

Calderons hopeful as end game approaches

The clock is ticking for an undocumented Filipino couple in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, who must decide by Monday whether to leave the country with or without their 13-year-old Japan-born daughter.

Longform

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