Mainichi Daily News articles from June 2006

Mainichi Daily News archives from June 2006

JEF Chiba coach Osim returns to Japan, ex-national team manager Zico leaves.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) NARITA -- JEF Chiba coach Ivica Osim, tipped by many as Zico's successor as the next manager of Japan's national team, arrived in Japan on Thursday, apparently to discuss his contract with the club. Osim...

Top model gets into 'Evangelion' cosplay.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Top talent Natsuki Kato visited the Mainichi offices Wednesday dressed as Rei Ayanami from the hit anime "Evangelion" to promote the July 1 release of Evangelion Chronicle magazine. Evangelion Chronicle...

Cigarette shipments up 50% in lead-up to price rise.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) June cigarette shipments are estimated to increase by 50 percent over the same time last year as the nation braces for a rise in the price of tobacco products, Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) officials said. The...

Pedophile childcare center worker suspecting of molesting more little girls.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) YOKOHAMA -- A former official at a municipal child guidance center arrested on Wednesday for molesting an 8-year-old girl under the center's protection is suspected of similarly assaulting seven other girls,...

Contract shows Fukui clearly aiming for profit with Murakami investment.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) The contract that Bank of Japan (BOJ) Gov. Toshihiko Fukui concluded with the controversial Murakami Fund in 1999 clearly shows that his investment was aimed at earning profits, it has emerged. Fukui signed...

Blaze claims 3 lives, leaves 2 more burned.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate -- Three people were burned to death and two others suffered burns in a fire that destroyed the home of a plasterer here early Thursday, police said. Investigators are questioning...

Woman's battered body found in car after collision.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) MITOYO, Kagawa -- The body of a woman with numerous bruises was found in a car involved in a collision that occurred here early Thursday, police said. Local police are searching for the driver, and are...

Group of men abduct young woman on Osaka street.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) OSAKA -- Three men abducted a woman on a street here late Wednesday night, police said Thursday. At around 11:55 p.m., two men spotted a group of three men hitting a young woman on a street in the Nanba...

South Korean abductee allowed to hold family reunion in North.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) SEOUL, South Korea -- A South Korean man abducted by North Korea, believed to be the husband of Japanese abductee Megumi Yokota, along with a girl believed born to the couple, held the first reunion with his...

Badly-behaved bicyclists get a red ticket from police.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Police issued 33 "red tickets" to bicyclists during May, in a bid to punish traffic violations after the National Police Agency (NPA) decided in the previous month to step up measures against bicyclists' bad...

Prosecutors demand death penalty for triple murderer.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) FUKUOKA -- Prosecutors demanded Thursday that a construction worker under indictment for murdering three women in Fukuoka Prefecture be hanged. "The defendant murdered three innocent women. His crimes,...

Police release man after 10 months in prison after wrongful arrest in.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) hit-and-run case Tokyo police have released and apologized to a 27-year-old man after wrongly arresting him for a hit-and-run accident one year ago. The unnamed man, a decorator from Sagamihara, Kanagawa...

Descendants of Iwo Jima flag raiser now raising call for peace.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Descendants of a U.S. Marine pictured raising the Stars and Stripes above Iwo Jima during one of World War II's fiercest battles are now sending American students to Japan and China to promote peace. ...

Scratches found on the bodies of 15 more trains on the Tokyu Denen-Toshi Line.
June 30, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Scratches have been found on the bodies of 15 more trains which travel on the Tokyu Toyoko Line between downtown Tokyo and Yokohama and subway and Tobu Railway lines for through services, railway officials said...

Celebrity surgeon whose daughter was kidnapped led lavish lifestyle.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Yuko Ikeda, a famous cosmetic surgeon whose daughter was rescued on Tuesday after being kidnapped and held to ransom, led a lavish lifestyle and owned four luxury imported vehicles, it has been learned. ...

Spat heats up over criticism of Koki Kameda by boxing association chairman.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Kiichiro Kanehira, head of the gym to which Japanese boxer Koki Kameda belongs, has lashed out at comments made in the Mainichi by East Japan Boxing Association Chairman Yoko Gushiken, threatening to stop...

Nagano woman swindled out of 47 million yen on over 100 occasions.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) UEDA, Nagano -- A woman who operates a company here has been swindled by someone claiming to be a moneylender out of a total of about 47 million yen on over 100 occasions, police said. Local police began...

Film depicting the abduction of Megumi Yokota shown in Tokyo.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) A film depicting the abduction of Megumi Yokota by North Korea and her family's life was shown on Tuesday night in Tokyo in a preview. Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe and members of a group of...

Youth denies murderous intent over Molotov cocktail death of homeless man.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) HIMEJI, Hyogo -- A youth under indictment for hurling Molotov cocktails that burned a homeless man to death on Wednesday reiterated his denial that he had murderous intent. "I had no intent to murder the...

Car plunges off elevated expressway into bamboo grove, killing 2.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) KOBE -- Two people died after their car smashed through a guardrail on an elevated expressway, flew over a railway line and plunged into a bamboo grove here, police said. Investigators said a resident...

Local gov't official suspected of embezzlement commits suicide in forest.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) A senior official at a local government in western Tokyo, suspected of misappropriating tens of millions of yen in taxpayers' money, has committed suicide by slashing one of his wrists, police said. At...

Koizumi defends visits to Yasukuni Shrine as matter of 'personal freedom'.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Wednesday defended his visits to Yasukuni Shrine, saying the visits were a matter of personal freedom. "Even if I visit the shrine many times, it's all right....

Abductors picked up woman by head, legs in Tokyo kidnapping.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) The two men who kidnapped Kanako Ikeda, the daughter of celebrity cosmetic surgeon Yuko Ikeda, picked her up by the head and legs when they bundled her into the vehicle used to abduct her, police investigators...

8-year-old boy escapes from vehicle of kidnapper in Osaka.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) TAKAISHI, Osaka -- An 8-year-old boy managed to escape from the clutches of a kidnapper after he was abducted in a vehicle while on his way to school here Wednesday, police said. Police said the boy, a...

Number of cars parked illegally sharply decreased since crackdown.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) The number of cars parked illegally has sharply decreased since police launched a crackdown on parking violators under the revised Road Traffic Law, the National Police Agency (NPA) said Wednesday. As a...

It's a tough life for Tokyo's parking inspectors.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Private parking inspectors commissioned by police to crack down on illegally parked vehicles are continuing to face tough work conditions nearly a month into their new jobs, with four inspectors already having...

Record rainfalls in Hokkaido delays trains, flights.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) SAPPORO -- Record rainfalls in Hokkaido between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning disrupted train services on the island and flights to and from the northernmost prefecture. The eastern Hokkaido city of...

Ballistic missile testing moratorium: Will North Korea break it?
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) North Korea is not likely to launch a ballistic missile unless Pyongyang's leadership determines it has more to gain than lose by breaking its moratorium. At the present time, the disadvantages outweigh...

Top model gets into 'Evangelion' cosplay.
June 29, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Top talent Natsuki Kato visited the Mainichi offices Wednesday dressed as Rei Ayanami from the hit anime "Evangelion" to promote the July 1 release of Evangelion Chronicle magazine. Evangelion Chronicle...

Celebrity surgeon's model daughter escapes kidnap ordeal unscathed.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Kanako Ikeda, the 21-year-old daughter of famous cosmetic surgeon Yuko Ikeda, was freed unharmed early Tuesday after a 13-hour abduction ordeal, police said. Three men have been taken into custody in...

Four teenage girls arrested for assaulting 12-year-old girl over boyfriend spat.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) KOBE -- Four teenage girls have been arrested for attacking and injuring a 12-year-old girl over trouble involving a boyfriend, police said. The arrested girls are 16 or 17 years old, either unemployed or...

Man busted for firing rifle to silence noisy boys.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) OTSUKI, Yamanashi -- A 50-year-old man has been arrested for firing a rifle in a bid to silence a group of noisy boys, police said. Company executive Hideyuki Hagiwara from Otsuki has admitted to the...

Police search for two men buried alive by gang at garbage site.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) OKAYAMA -- Police on Tuesday began a search for two men at a garbage collection site after another man admitted he and his gang buried the two there after attacking them. Ryuji Kobayashi, 21, an unemployed...

Celebrity surgeon whose daughter was kidnapped led lavish lifestyle.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Yuko Ikeda, a famous cosmetic surgeon whose daughter was rescued on Tuesday after being kidnapped and held to ransom, led a lavish lifestyle and owned four luxury imported vehicles, it has been learned. ...

Rescued daughter, celebrity mom meet in emotional reunion.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) The kidnapped daughter of celebrity surgeon Yuko Ikeda hugged her mother tightly in an emotional reunion following a successful police rescue operation on Tuesday morning, as the two faced crowds of reporters....

Man busted for selling illegal copies of World Cup DVDs.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) CHIBA -- A man who copied NHK soccer World Cup footage onto DVDs and sold about 260 of them has been arrested, police said. The man, Yoshihiro Umezawa, was arrested on suspicion of violating Japan's...

Shogun-era U.S. Navy Lt.'s grandson dies after fall in U.S.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) George Mercer Brooke Jr, the Tokyo-born grandson of the U.S. Navy lieutenant who in 1860 sailed the first Japanese warship to cross the Pacific Ocean, has died after a fall at his home in Lexington, VA, on June...

Man held over kidnapping of doctor's daughter caused fatal road accident in.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) 1990 One of three men who were arrested early on Tuesday after kidnapping the daughter of a famous cosmetic surgeon caused a fatal crash involving several vehicles in 1990, it has been learned. Kaneo Ito,...

Over 30,000 cases of child abuse reported in fiscal 2004.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) More than 30,000 cases of child abuse were reported in the 2004 financial year, a government white paper on juveniles has shown. A total of 33,408 cases of child abuse were reported at child consultation...

Police find 2 bodies buried at garbage site after gang attack.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) OKAYAMA -- Police searching for two 21-year-olds who went missing after being set on by nine attackers found two bodies at a garbage site on Tuesday, using information from a suspect who told them he buried the...

Koizumi heads to Canada, US.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday left for Canada and the United States for talks with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President George Bush, officials said. Koizumi is set to talk...

'Gutsy radish' offshoots starting to wither.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) AIOI, Hyogo -- Two offshoots salvaged from Dokonjo Daikon, the "gusty radish" that was cut short by a vandal after it sprang up through asphalt on a road in Aioi, have started to wilt, city officials said...

Shogun-era U.S. Navy Capt.'s grandson dies after fall in U.S.
June 28, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) George Mercer Brooke III, the Tokyo-born grandson of the U.S. Navy Captain who in 1860 sailed the first Japanese warship to cross the Pacific Ocean, has died after a fall at his home in Lexington, KY, on June...

Japan's unsung heroes get the acclaim they deserve.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Robots are the unsung heroes of Japan, contributing trillions to the economy and providing priceless memories for millions in a way that has not been seen in any other country. As Canadian journalist...

Tokyo war crimes tribunal 'unfair, but must be accepted,' 61% of Diet members.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) say The International Military Tribunal for the Far East in which the victorious Allied Forces tried Japan's political and military leaders for waging war was "unfair, but has to be accepted," according to 61...

Those who felt the trials were unfair but had to be accepted reached 61.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) percent, another 8 percent said the tribunal was victor's justice and 13 percent said the rulings were fair. By party, about two-thirds of the members of the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Party of...

TV ratings for Japan's World Cup game against Brazil hit 37 percent.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) TV viewer ratings for the second half of Japan's World Cup match against Brazil aired on NHK from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. on June 23 were 37.2 percent in the Kanto region, according to Video Research. The 37.2...

Hakuho hopes for second-straight victory to gain promotion to yokozuna.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Ozeki Hakuho is gunning for promotion to yokozuna in the upcoming Nagoya tournament that starts on July 9. After winning the previous tournament in May, Hakuho hopes to lift the Emperor's Cup again to earn...

Teenage arsonist was trying to stop parents from discovering exam marks.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) NARA -- A high school boy, under arrest for setting fire to his home and killing his mother, brother and sister, said he had planned to commit the arson earlier, police said. The 16-year-old boy from...

Parents of Akita schoolkids relieved following woman's arrest for murder.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) FUJISATO, Akita -- Students resumed going to a local elementary school by themselves on Monday following increased security measures after the murder of a student. When Goken Yoneyama, a student at the...

Teen celebrity Mami Matsuyama appears in Akihabara as 'Fighting Beauty'.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Teen celebrity Mami Matsuyama attracted fans to Tokyo's Akihabara district on Sunday as she appeared dressed as a cartoon heroine to promote Bandai's video game "Fighting Beauty Wulong." The 17-year-old,...

Father of murdered Hiroshima girl said daughter was 'killed twice'.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) HIROSHIMA -- The father of murdered Hiroshima elementary school girl Airi Kinoshita spoke out against the sexual violation of the 7-year-old on Monday, saying his daughter had been "killed twice." Kenichi...

Student caught using fake 10,000-yen bill at convenience store.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) An 18-year-old university student who tried to use a fake 10,000-yen note at a convenience store has been arrested, police said. Investigators said the 18-year-old, a private university student, tried to...

Man who faces death sentence for killing schoolgirl has 'nothing to say' in his.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) defense A former newspaper deliveryman under indictment for abducting and murdering an elementary school girl told a court on Monday that he had "nothing to say" after prosecutors earlier demanded he be...

Fraudsters use introduction of digital broadcasting to scam victims.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Fraudsters have started targeting residents with fake bills connected to the introduction of digital broadcasting in Japan, demanding payments for "antenna replacement installation fees" and other fictitious...

Train doors open on wrong side at Sapporo Station.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) SAPPORO -- The doors of a train on the JR Gakuentoshi Line in Sapporo opened on the wrong side when the train arrived at JR Sapporo Station on Monday morning, railway officials said. The six-carriage train,...

Heavy rain brings landslides, floods to Kyushu.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) FUKUOKA -- Heavy rain hit northern Kyushu and Yamaguchi Prefecture on Monday, causing landslides and flooding in Kumamoto Prefecture, officials said. Kumamoto Airport had 113 millimeters of rain in one hour...

Murakami set to be released on bail after arrest for insider trading.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) The founder of the scandal-tainted Murakami Fund was set to be released on bail on Monday after he was arrested for insider trading. Yoshiaki Murakami paid 500 million yen in bail to authorities after a...

Murakami released on bail after arrest for insider trading.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) The founder of the scandal-tainted Murakami Fund was released on bail on Monday after he was arrested for insider trading earlier this month. Yoshiaki Murakami paid 500 million yen in bail to authorities...

Lumber workers buried alive in landslide.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) YAMATO, Kumamoto -- A lumber worker was left in critical condition and two others suffered injuries after they were buried alive in a landslide here, rescue officials said. Officials said the landslide...

Lumber worker dies in landslide.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) YAMATO, Kumamoto -- A lumber worker died and two others suffered injuries after they were buried alive in a landslide here, rescue officials said. Officials said the landslide occurred on a mountain behind...

Shogun-era U.S. Navy Capt.'s grandson dies after fall in U.S.
June 27, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) George Mercer Brooke III, the Tokyo-born grandson of the U.S. Navy Captain who in 1860 sailed the first Japanese warship to cross the Pacific Ocean, has died after a fall at his home in Lexington, KY, on June...

World Cup round of 16 decided.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Preliminary matches have ended at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, sending 16 teams home and leaving the same number of teams to compete in the knockout rounds. Among the remaining teams, host Germany,...

Somber Japan team arrives home after World Cup failure.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Japan's national team was in a sombre mood after it arrived back home at Narita Airport on Saturday afternoon following a disappointing World Cup campaign. Hundreds of fans gathered at the airport to...

Somber Japan team arrives home after World Cup failure.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Japan's national team was in a sombre mood after it arrived back home at Narita Airport on Saturday afternoon following a disappointing World Cup campaign. About 700 fans gathered at the airport to welcome...

Osim to be appointed Japan's next manager.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Bosnian Ivica Osim, one of Europe's most respected coaches, is certain to take over from Zico as manager of Japan's national soccer team, Japan Football Association officials said Saturday. Osim, who led...

Teenage arsonist who killed mother, brother, sister, held vendetta against.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) parents NARA -- A 16-year-old boy, under arrest for setting fire to his home, killing his mother, younger brother and sister, has told investigators that he had held a grudge against his parents, prefectural...

Alligator snapping turtle found on Yokohama sidewalk.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) YOKOHAMA -- A dangerous alligator snapping turtle was found on a sidewalk here Saturday morning, police said. At around 7:05 a.m., a woman found a large brown turtle on a sidewalk in the Takada Higashi...

Sapporo's sex shops wet the beaks of the big three crime syndicates.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) SAPPORO -- Three gang-affiliated organizations here have placed dozens of sex shops in the Susukino district of the Hokkaido prefectural capital under their control, police said. Investigators suspect that...

Cops fear for lives of 2 men embroiled in fight over woman.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) HIGASHI OSAKA, Osaka -- Two men, including a university student, who were embroiled in a bitter fight over a woman with another group of men are feared dead, police said. The two have been missing for...

Foreigners suspected of using counterfeit cash at Okinawa convenience store.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) CHATAN, Okinawa -- Foreigners are suspected of using a counterfeit 20-dollar note at a convenience store here, police said Saturday. At around 8 p.m. on Friday, an employee of a convenience store in Chatan...

Summer starts sizzling with World Cup bikinis.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Pin-up idols in bikinis matching World Cup soccer team uniforms and poster girl queen Aki Hoshino decked out as an airline flight attendant dominated Entertainment access on the Japanese language MSN-Mainichi...

Truck plunges off highway into house, killing driver.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) KUMA, Kumamoto -- The driver of a truck died early Saturday after his vehicle plunged onto a home here, crushing part of the structure, police said. At around 1 a.m. on Saturday, a large truck pulling a...

Well-wishers set up memorial shrine at horror killing scene.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) TAWARAMOTO, Nara -- Well-wishers continued placing offerings Saturday at a memorial shrine outside the gutted remains of the home where earlier this week a woman and her two children died in a fire deliberately...

Hospital patient dies after nurse accidentally administers drug overdose.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) YAHATAHAMA, Ehime -- A patient at a taxpayer-funded hospital here died Friday night after a nurse mistakenly gave him a drug overdose, the hospital admitted on Saturday. At about 5:40 p.m. on Friday, a...

Time running out to catch killer of 'Satanic Verses' translator.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) The 15-year statute of limitations for prosecuting the killer of Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator of British author Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" will run out at midnight on July 11. Crime...

Two arrested over missing students, warrant taken out on third man.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) HIGASHI OSAKA, Osaka -- Two men wanted in connection with an attack on three men, two of who are missing and feared dead, were arrested Saturday after they gave themselves up, police said. A warrant has...

British woman arrested for 3.5 billion yen jewel heist.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) A 56-year-old British woman wanted by Japanese police for stealing 3.5 billion yen worth of jewelry from a shop in Tokyo about two years ago has been arrested in Italy, police officials said Saturday. The...

Kagawa farmers seek square deal with cube-shaped watermelons.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) ZENTSUJI, Kagawa -- Watermelons grown into the shape of cubes are being shipped out of the Shikoku prefecture of Kagawa, ready to go on display at department stores. The watermelons, a specialty of the...

Promoting oral contraceptives really fits the Pill.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Japan can boast of 5.43 million women who are either on, or want to take, the Pill, according to a 2004 survey we carried out as part of a research project for the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare....

prescription for the Pill, they can't go through with asking when it comes to.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) the crunch.

can attest for their quality.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) I call myself Kuni-chan the Pill Man. I have an inordinate interest in oral contraceptives and want to tackle the problems associated with them to come up with solutions. Since last year, I have given lectures...

Sweet fish with a fresh fragrance makes for tasty meal.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) Ayu is a freshwater fish that smells so much like a sweet moss it's often called kogyo, which means "fragrant fish". When June comes around, ayu anglers eagerly awaiting the official opening of the fishing...

Whopping tofu to feed 1,000 served up in Niigata Prefecture.
June 26, 2006... (From Mainichi Daily News) NAGAOKA, Niigata -- Local residents here have created a gigantic deep-fried tofu dish in a bid to promote their regional products. The Tochio district in Nagaoka is well-known for its large deep-fried tofu,...