http://newsonjapan.com Latest News On Japan en-us http://newsonjapan.com/html/images/noj_logo_small.gif http://www.newsonjapan.com/ Latest News On Japan http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91IFGN01&show_article=1 The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper Friday suspended a reporter for three months and reprimanded four executives including President Yutaka Asahina over a column on its English language website that was closed following criticism for being "too vulgar." (Kyodo) Kyodo 2008-06-28 02:12:47 http://in.news.yahoo.com/137/20080625/362/twl-japan-punishes-bureaucrats-over-pub_1.html Japan's finance minister will return 20 percent of one month's salary to try to regain public trust after 600 ministry officials were found to have taken cash, coupons and beer from taxi drivers on late-night rides home. (Reuters) Reuters 2008-06-25 22:01:05 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C06%5C25%5Cstory_25-6-2008_pg5_38 A Japanese ministry aims to reintroduce subsidies on solar power equipment in 2009 to help boost Japanese firms' shrinking share in a 1 trillion yen ($9.25 billion) market, just as Germany cuts state support for such gear. (Daily Times) Daily Times 2008-06-25 02:41:40 http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91GFSE00&show_article=1 A female junior college student in Gifu Prefecture scrawled the nicknames of herself and her classmates, as well as an abbreviation of her school, on the wall of a world heritage cathedral in Florence, Italy, during a study trip in February, college officials revealed Tuesday. (Kyodo) Kyodo 2008-06-25 02:41:40 http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91E3S3O0&show_article=1 Heavy rain and thunderstorms may hit wide areas of southwestern to eastern Japan later Saturday through Sunday as a seasonal rain front stalls over areas from Kyushu to the Kanto region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. (Kyodo) Kyodo 2008-06-20 23:41:35 http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91DBSAO0&show_article=1 Takeshi Kitano, a globally well-known Japanese film director, was granted Thursday a lifetime achievement award for the outstanding contribution to film arts in the 30th Moscow International Film Festival at its opening day. (Kyodo) Kyodo 2008-06-19 22:46:22 http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/13/asia/13fat.php Japan, a country not known for its overweight people, has undertaken one of the most ambitious campaigns ever by a nation to slim down its citizenry. (International Herald Tribune) International Herald Tribune 2008-06-14 00:21:58 http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/nn20080613a2.html Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers made an ambitious proposal Thursday to raise the ratio of immigrants in Japan to about 10 percent over the next 50 years. (Japan Times) Japan Times 2008-06-12 23:00:55 http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D918IT3G1&show_article=1 A minor collision occurred at Haneda airport Thursday between an All Nippon Airways Boeing 777 and a Japan Airlines jumbo jet, but none of the over 600 passengers on the two planes was injured, transport ministry officials said. (Kyodo) Kyodo 2008-06-12 23:00:55 http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200806120059.html The government plans to distribute free digital TV tuners to about 1.07 million households on welfare before Japan's terrestrial TV broadcasting services switch to digital format in July 2011, sources said. (Asahi) Asahi 2008-06-12 04:57:05 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/08/content_8327797.htm Japan's Kosuke Kitajima, Athens Olympic double gold medallist, broke a world record Sunday in the men's 200-meter breaststroke at the Japan Open. (Xinhua) Xinhua 2008-06-08 11:51:08 http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/06/watermelon.japan/?iref=mpstoryview A marine products dealer in Japan plunked down a record $6,125 Friday for a black Densuke watermelon -- grown only on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. (CNN) CNN 2008-06-08 11:51:08 http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/asia/la-me-sumo8-2008jun08,0,3457504.story For the first time in 27 years, Grand Sumo -- the All-Star Game of this ancient sport -- has come to Los Angeles. And with it, 40 or so of Japan's biggest and brightest sumo celebrities. (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times 2008-06-08 11:53:06 http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080606/lf_afp/japantaxtobaccohealth_080606160130 A group of Japanese lawmakers on Friday called for a tripling of cigarette prices to nearly 10 dollars a pack in a bid to cover swelling social security costs. (AFP) AFP 2008-06-07 05:46:27 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080605/ap_on_fe_st/odd_japan_busiest_tv_host_2 Flick through a few channels on Japanese TV and Monta Mino is most likely there. And the world's most prolific television presenter, who just broke his own record for the most hours of live television in one week, says he wants to work even more. (AP) AP 2008-06-05 22:47:07 http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080605/wl_asia_afp/japannativerights_080605010652 Japan is set this week to recognise the Ainu as an indigenous people, in a landmark move for a nation that has long prided itself as ethnically homogeneous. (AFP) AFP 2008-06-05 13:23:30 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24953611/ Speedier family baths could help Japanese cut their burgeoning energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions tied to global warming, the government said Tuesday. (MSNBC) MSNBC 2008-06-04 07:48:08 http://beta.ph.news.yahoo.com/ap/20080604/tap-as-gen-japan-suicide-evacuation-4cec4ac.html Japanese police evacuated 34 people from an apartment building Wednesday after a man apparently killed himself by mixing chemicals and inhaling the deadly fumes, the latest in a string of similar suicides nationwide. (AP) AP 2008-06-04 07:48:08 http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080529/wl_asia_afp/skoreajapanairlinedeath_080529031237 A 29-year-old Japanese woman was found hanged inside the toilet of a Korean Air flight as the plane was preparing to land at Incheon airport near Seoul, the airline said Thursday. (AFP) AFP 2008-05-30 02:03:14 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/28/japanese_stash_returned/ Japanese customs have been reunited with the 142g of cannabis they mislaid at Tokyo's Narita airport during a drugs-busting test operation. (The Register) The Register 2008-05-29 01:10:41 http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/05/26/japan-drugdog.html?ref=rss Japanese customs officials apologized Monday for putting cannabis in an unsuspecting passenger's luggage but no one has come forward yet to accept the apology or to return the drugs. (CBC) CBC 2008-05-26 22:59:09 http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90TNQH00&show_article=1 Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will give up stubbornly wearing ties during work hours in order to help contribute to the government's annual "Cool Biz" energy-saving campaign, set to start from Sunday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura indicated Tuesday. (Kyodo) Kyodo 2008-05-27 03:34:25 http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90RVIVG1&show_article=1 Bulgarian yogurt is no longer the country's most well-known export to Japan. That honor belongs to Kotooshu, who exorcised his own demons in defeating Mongolian Ama to claim the title with a 13-1 record at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday to enter the history books as the first European wrestler to win an Emperor's Cup. (Kyodo) Kyodo 2008-05-24 13:29:37 http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90R361O0&show_article=1 Eight major marriage-service companies joined hands on Friday to improve the public's confidence in the complaint-ridden industry. (Kyodo) Kyodo 2008-05-23 04:11:03 http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080520TDY02307.htm A 31-year-old middle school teacher was arrested on suspicion of having a high school girl send nude photos of herself to his mobile phone, police said Monday. (Yomiuri) Yomiuri 2008-05-19 23:20:34