Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri articles from April 2012

Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri archives from April 2012

Japan-U.S. statement to include energy ties.
April 30, 2012... Japan-U.S. statement to include energy ties Yomiuri A Japan-U.S. joint statement to be released at the close of the forthcoming summit meeting between Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and U.S. President Barack Obama will include an accord on...

7 die in Kanetsu Expressway bus accident.
April 30, 2012... 7 die in Kanetsu Expressway bus accident Yomiuri Seven people were killed Sunday morning after a long-distance bus heading for Tokyo Disneyland crashed into a noise-blocking wall on the Kanetsu Expressway in Fujioka, Gunma Prefecture. ...

Ova donated abroad led to 130 births.
April 30, 2012... Ova donated abroad led to 130 births Yomiuri At least 130 children were born in Japan through in vitro fertilization using eggs donated abroad by third parties in the five years from 2007, according to a survey conducted by The Yomiuri...

4,110 people to get spring decorations.
April 30, 2012... 4,110 people to get spring decorations Yomiuri Writer Taichi Sakaiya, 76, and actress Shima Iwashita, 71, are among the 4,110 recipients of this year's spring decorations for their contributions to society, the government said Sunday. ...

EDITORIAL / Help low-income earners with reduced tax rates.
April 30, 2012... EDITORIAL / Help low-income earners with reduced tax rates for necessities Yomiuri Comprehensive reform of the social security and tax systems is a top-priority issue that will influence the future course of the nation. Yet both the ruling...

Holiday volunteers arrive in disaster zones.
April 30, 2012... Holiday volunteers arrive in disaster zones Yomiuri FUKUSHIMA FUKUSHIMA--Many volunteers visited devastated areas in the Tohoku region on Saturday, the first day of the Golden Week holiday period. Members of Kokyo Seisaku Shiendan, a...

Ozawa takes aim at Noda / Says prime minister has forgotte.
April 30, 2012... Ozawa takes aim at Noda / Says prime minister has forgotten the DPJ's basic mandate Yomiuri Former Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa criticized Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda at a meeting this weekend for trying to realize...

Tour bus, car collide, leaving 8 injured.
April 30, 2012... Tour bus, car collide, leaving 8 injured Yomiuri TAKAMATSU TAKAMATSU--Seven passengers on a tour bus and the driver of a car were injured in a head-on collision on National Highway Route 32 in Mitoyo, Kagawa Prefecture, on Sunday. ...

Schools consider changing hours on annular eclipse day.
April 30, 2012... Schools consider changing hours on annular eclipse day Yomiuri Many primary and middle schools in the Tokyo metropolitan area plan to change the starting time for classes on May 21, when an annular eclipse will be observed for the first...

Ministry working to devise measures to prevent expressway.
April 30, 2012... Ministry working to devise measures to prevent expressway traffic jams Yomiuri The land ministry plans to conduct the first survey on frequently crowded sections of expressways, due to concerns over the repercussions of traffic jams in...

Ova brokers remain unchecked / No. of births resulting fro.
April 30, 2012... Ova brokers remain unchecked / No. of births resulting from in vitro fertilization abroad unknown Yomiuri Although Yomiuri Shimbun research indicates that at least 130 children were born to Japanese parents from 2007 to 2011 after their...

Carmakers play on nostalgia / Automobile firms offer more.
April 30, 2012... Carmakers play on nostalgia / Automobile firms offer more efficient versions of older models Yomiuri Automakers are catering to the nostalgia of drivers by reviving old models or releasing new cars with names similar to those of famous old...

Takeda's 2-hitter lifts Fighters.
April 30, 2012... Takeda's 2-hitter lifts Fighters The Daily Yomiuri column Masaru Takeda doesn't bring a lot of punch to the mound, but the soft-tossing lefty KO'd the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, picking up his fourth win as the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters...

U.N. approves Japan's claim on wider seas / Govt plans to.
April 29, 2012... U.N. approves Japan's claim on wider seas / Govt plans to trawl for resources Yomiuri The United Nations' Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has approved the addition of about 310,000 square kilometers to Japan's continental...

Giants, 4 players demand Asahi correction, apology.
April 29, 2012... Giants, 4 players demand Asahi correction, apology column The Yomiuri Giants and four of its players have filed a complaint against The libeled them and violated their privacy with an article that reported contract amounts and related...

EDITORIAL / Ensure steady progress on return of Okinawa ba.(Editorial)
April 29, 2012... EDITORIAL / Ensure steady progress on return of Okinawa bases Yomiuri An agreement has been reached between Japan and the United States that has made it possible to balance the maintenance of deterrence capabilities with lessening Okinawa...

87% say Ozawa's explanations lacking.
April 29, 2012... 87% say Ozawa's explanations lacking Yomiuri According to a poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun, 87 percent of those surveyed think former Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa has not sufficiently explained the scandal...

EDITORIAL / Govt takes on heavy burden in nationalizing TE.(Editorial)
April 29, 2012... EDITORIAL / Govt takes on heavy burden in nationalizing TEPCO Yomiuri The nationalization of Tokyo Electric Power Co. means that the government will be required to shoulder greater responsibilities for important energy polices such as...

Tokyo govt to establish 'Senkaku team'.
April 29, 2012... Tokyo govt to establish 'Senkaku team' Yomiuri The Tokyo metropolitan government will soon establish a team of officials under the direct supervision of Gov. Shintaro Ishihara that will prepare to send a landing team to the Senkaku...

Research vessel sets deep drilling record.
April 29, 2012... Research vessel sets deep drilling record Yomiuri A research vessel with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology has set a record for the deepest undersea research drill, reaching a depth of 7,740 meters in waters off...

Ozawa prosecution mulls appeal / May deadline looms as law.
April 29, 2012... Ozawa prosecution mulls appeal / May deadline looms as lawyers weigh prospects of taking case to high court Yomiuri Following the not-guilty ruling in the trial against former Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa, the focus has...

Historical walks give new depth to familiar places.
April 29, 2012... Historical walks give new depth to familiar places Yomiuri People of all ages are getting a new perspective on familiar landscapes as they take walks using maps from the Edo period (1603-1867) and other past eras. Participants say they...

Girl from Iwate town debuts as singer.
April 29, 2012... Girl from Iwate town debuts as singer Yomiuri OTSUCHI, Iwate OTSUCHI, Iwate--A 13-year-old girl from this city, which was seriously damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, has made her debut as a professional singer to cheer up...

LDP drafts Constitution revisions / 2nd version clarifies.
April 29, 2012... LDP drafts Constitution revisions / 2nd version clarifies right to collective self defense, emergency provisions Yomiuri The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party has unveiled the second draft of its revisions to the Constitution,...

Matsumoto misses out on London berth.
April 29, 2012... Matsumoto misses out on London berth The Daily Yomiuri column If Atsushi Matsumoto accompanies his older brother to the London Olympics, it will be as a spectator. Matsumoto failed to secure a berth in the men's freestyle 84-kilogram...

Inaba reaches 2,000 hits; Fighters draw.
April 29, 2012... Inaba reaches 2,000 hits; Fighters draw The Daily Yomiuri column Atsunori Inaba wasted little time reaching his milestone with a first-inning single, but a decision in Saturday's game at Kleenex Stadium Miyagi never really came. ...

Bo 'took at least 1 bil. yuan in bribes'.
April 28, 2012... Bo 'took at least 1 bil. yuan in bribes' Takanori Kato and Takeshi Makino / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondents Yomiuri BEIJING BEIJING--Bo Xilai, the former Chinese Communist Party secretary of the southwestern megacity of Chongqing who...

Govt announces marine move.
April 28, 2012... Govt announces marine move Yomiuri The Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee--made up of the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries--announced on Friday an agreement that will see about 9,000 U.S. marines relocated from...

BOJ decides new monetary easing steps / Bank expands bond-.
April 28, 2012... BOJ decides new monetary easing steps / Bank expands bond-buying, keeps rates low Yomiuri The Bank of Japan on Friday decided to take additional monetary easing measures, expanding government bond purchases by 10 trillion yen, as part of...

EDITORIAL / Ozawa still looks bad, and so do his prosecuto.
April 28, 2012... EDITORIAL / Ozawa still looks bad, and so do his prosecutors Yomiuri Former Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa has been found "white" (not guilty), but the judicial decision clearly views him not as innocent but as "gray." ...

New flu bill clears Diet.
April 28, 2012... New flu bill clears Diet Yomiuri A bill on special measures concerning preparations for an outbreak of a highly virulent new strain of influenza passed the House of Councillors on Friday and became a law, thanks to the support of the...

Use special glasses to view eclipse, experts urge.
April 28, 2012... Use special glasses to view eclipse, experts urge Yomiuri With an annular solar eclipse expected on May 21, the Japanese Ophthalmological Society and the Japan Ophthalmologists Association are calling on people not to observe the eclipse...

Indirect disaster deaths reach 1,618.
April 28, 2012... Indirect disaster deaths reach 1,618 Yomiuri More than 1,600 people died in Tokyo and nine prefectures for reasons related to, but not as a direct result of, last year's Great East Japan Earthquake, according to the Reconstruction Agency....

Boy killed in Chiba car accident / Second tragedy prompts.
April 28, 2012... Boy killed in Chiba car accident / Second tragedy prompts talks on new safety measures for school roads Yomiuri CHIBA CHIBA--A first-year primary school boy was killed Friday morning when a minivehicle rammed into a line of people on...

Foreign buyers snap up land / Survey shows many people use.
April 28, 2012... Foreign buyers snap up land / Survey shows many people use Japanese names to hide acquisitions Yomiuri At least 1,100 hectares of mountain forest and other land have been acquired by foreigners, with Hokkaido providing the lion's share,...

N-ban leaves bamboo farmers out on a limb.
April 28, 2012... N-ban leaves bamboo farmers out on a limb Yomiuri Bamboo farmers in Chiba Prefecture and surrounding areas are suffering under curbs on shipments of bamboo shoots after radioactive cesium exceeding the new national limit was found in...

High court OK's sale of drugs online.
April 28, 2012... High court OK's sale of drugs online Yomiuri The Tokyo High Court has ruled illegal a health ministry ordinance regulating online drug sales, abandoning an earlier ruling by the Tokyo District Court and recognizing two plaintiff companies'...

Rolling blackouts possible this summer.
April 28, 2012... Rolling blackouts possible this summer Yomiuri With serious power shortages expected this summer in the Kansai region, the government is considering implementing forced power-saving measures such as rolling blackouts and power usage...

Asahi in 'final talks' to buy Calpis.
April 28, 2012... Asahi in 'final talks' to buy Calpis Yomiuri Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. has begun final negotiations with Ajinomoto Co. over the purchase of Ajinomoto subsidiary Calpis Co., sources said. If an agreement is reached, the deal will be one...

Japan, U.S. to pledge 'dynamic' defense alliance.
April 27, 2012... Japan, U.S. to pledge 'dynamic' defense alliance Yomiuri A joint statement to be issued by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and U.S. President Barack Obama after their summit meeting scheduled for Monday will emphasize "dynamic" defense...

Mandatory indictment: Valid judicial tool?
April 27, 2012... Mandatory indictment: Valid judicial tool? Fumio Tanaka / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Yomiuri The first mandatory indictment case brought against a politician has found him not guilty, but the fact that this case has been contested in...

DPJ to lift suspension of Ozawa's membership.
April 27, 2012... DPJ to lift suspension of Ozawa's membership Yomiuri The Democratic Party of Japan will lift the suspension of former DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa's party membership following Ozawa's acquittal over his alleged involvement in irregularities...

Court finds Ozawa not guilty / Judges acknowledge involvem.
April 27, 2012... Court finds Ozawa not guilty / Judges acknowledge involvement, criticize falsified investigative report Yomiuri The Tokyo District Court found former Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa not guilty on Thursday over his alleged...

ASDF has record 156 scrambles in FY11 against Chinese plan.
April 27, 2012... ASDF has record 156 scrambles in FY11 against Chinese planes Yomiuri The number of scrambles by Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets in response to Chinese planes in fiscal 2011 reached a record 156, up 60 from the previous year, the...

EDITORIAL / Prioritize implementation of 'no increase, 5 s.(Editorial)
April 27, 2012... EDITORIAL / Prioritize implementation of 'no increase, 5 seats less' plan Yomiuri Do the ruling and opposition parties intend to seriously work on the correction of the disparity in the value of one vote, which is an urgent task for the...

EDITORIAL / Brainstorm to attract more tourists to Japan.(Editorial)
April 27, 2012... EDITORIAL / Brainstorm to attract more tourists to Japan Yomiuri We hope the government and the private sector will make concerted efforts to convey to the world the appeal of Japan as a tourist destination. For the first time in five...

Ozawa relieved at ruling / Judge slams political heavyweig.
April 27, 2012... Ozawa relieved at ruling / Judge slams political heavyweight's poor management, attitude Yomiuri Former Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa, 69, bowed slightly when a chief judge declared him innocent at the Tokyo District...

Police gave Kameoka victims' info to driver's father.
April 27, 2012... Police gave Kameoka victims' info to driver's father Yomiuri KYOTO KYOTO--Personal information about the people killed or injured in a fatal car accident in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, this week was given without permission to the father...

Ishikawa hails court decision.
April 27, 2012... Ishikawa hails court decision Yomiuri House of Representatives member Tomohiro Ishikawa on Thursday praised the Tokyo District Court's decision to acquit Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa of involvement in a case...

Mixed views on comeback / Some support Ozawa reinstatement.
April 27, 2012... Mixed views on comeback / Some support Ozawa reinstatement; others seek full explanation Yomiuri Reactions were mixed within the ruling Democratic Party of Japan regarding former DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa's possible comeback to the...

Ozawa's statements 'inconsistent, astonishing'.
April 27, 2012... Ozawa's statements 'inconsistent, astonishing' Shin Watanabe / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Yomiuri In October 2009, The Yomiuri Shimbun ran a story about a suspicious land deal by Ichiro Ozawa's political funds management body,...

Experts: Political funds law should be revised.
April 27, 2012... Experts: Political funds law should be revised Yomiuri In response to the case involving former Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa, legal experts are calling for further revision to the Political Funds Control Law, which is...

A STUDY OF BRANDS / Chanel sticks to being creative.
April 27, 2012... A STUDY OF BRANDS / Chanel sticks to being creative Izumi Miyachi / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer Yomiuri French fashion house Chanel has been adding some style and spice to women's wardrobes for almost a century by constantly seeking...

Solar power price of 42 yen eyed / Draft proposal seeks to.
April 27, 2012... Solar power price of 42 yen eyed / Draft proposal seeks to boost spread of renewable energy production Yomiuri An expert panel of the economy ministry has proposed fixing the purchase price of electricity generated by solar power at 42 yen...

Saito helps give Fighters a puncher's chance.
April 27, 2012... Saito helps give Fighters a puncher's chance John E. Gibson / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter column As No. 1 starters go, Yuki Saito isn't big in stature, he doesn't have big numbers and can't come close to the intimidation factor Yu...

Fault under nuclear plant feared active / Doubt cast on re.
April 26, 2012... Fault under nuclear plant feared active / Doubt cast on reactivation of Tsuruga plant Yomiuri A panel of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) has suggested that faults beneath the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Tsuruga, Fukui...

Fujimura: No threat to Japan.
April 26, 2012... Fujimura: No threat to Japan column The discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a dairy cow in the United States does not pose any health threat to consumers in Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Wednesday. The...

Chiba Pref. revises tsunami forecast.
April 26, 2012... Chiba Pref. revises tsunami forecast Yomiuri Tsunami up to three meters high could swamp parts of coastal Chiba Prefecture facing Tokyo Bay after a large earthquake, according to new predictions released as a map Wednesday by the...

U.S. troop relocation plan delayed.
April 26, 2012... U.S. troop relocation plan delayed Kentaro Nakajima / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent Yomiuri WASHINGTON WASHINGTON--Tokyo and Washington have decided to postpone the announcement of a joint document reviewing realignment plans for...

EDITORIAL / Parties Must Compromise to Start Deliberations
April 26, 2012... EDITORIAL / Parties must compromise to start deliberations on sales tax hike bill Yomiuri Diet deliberations on a bill to raise the consumption tax rate, which the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has placed at the top of...

EDITORIAL / State subsidies alone cannot revitalize agricu.(Editorial)
April 26, 2012... EDITORIAL / State subsidies alone cannot revitalize agriculture Yomiuri Agricultural revitalization is an urgent task to be tackled as Japan aims to take part in Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations. But little progress has been...

Private univs coy on fall enrollment.
April 26, 2012... Private univs coy on fall enrollment Yomiuri More than 70 percent of private universities and colleges are taking a wait-and-see approach to whether to change undergraduate enrollment from spring to autumn, according to a survey. The...

Ministry to sell former Diet dorm to Tokyo.
April 26, 2012... Ministry to sell former Diet dorm to Tokyo column The Finance Ministry said Wednesday it will sell the former Takanawa housing complex for House of Representatives members in Minato Ward, Tokyo, to raise funds for reconstruction efforts in...

Confusion reigns over beef limits / Agriculture ministry i.
April 26, 2012... Confusion reigns over beef limits / Agriculture ministry issues conflicting instructions on cesium standards Yomiuri The agriculture ministry has caused confusion in the cattle industry by issuing conflicting instructions on the allowable...

Program creates more jobs in quake-hit areas.
April 26, 2012... Program creates more jobs in quake-hit areas Yomiuri For the unemployed in areas heavily damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, a government program to create long-term employment opportunities shines out like a beacon of hope amid a...

Ishihara to meet Noda 'to discuss Senkakus plan'.
April 26, 2012... Ishihara to meet Noda 'to discuss Senkakus plan' Yomiuri Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda could hold a meeting as soon as Friday, at which the governor is likely to ask Noda to allow a field research team to...

DPJ to 'ignore' unreasonable demands.
April 26, 2012... DPJ to 'ignore' unreasonable demands Yomiuri As Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto intensifies his efforts to rattle the government, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan is also shifting its policy of cozying up to him to ignoring his demands. ...

Dog 'can detect cancer with high accuracy levels'.
April 26, 2012... Dog 'can detect cancer with high accuracy levels' Yomiuri A 10-year-old Labrador retriever has been trained to detect gynecological cancer such as uterine cancer with a high level of accuracy. Marine, a female, was trained in...

Hashimoto giving central government jitters.
April 26, 2012... Hashimoto giving central government jitters Yuichi Suzuki, Yoshifumi Sugita and Kotaro Nishiyama / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers Yomiuri Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto is probably sending shivers down the central government's spine. ...

Toshiba drops plans to bid on Elpida.
April 26, 2012... Toshiba drops plans to bid on Elpida Yomiuri Toshiba Corp. will not join the second round of bidding that will decide which company will support the corporate rehabilitation of chipmaker Elpida Memory Inc., it has been learned. This...

YIES / OECD head supports rise in consumption tax rate.
April 26, 2012... YIES / OECD head supports rise in consumption tax rate Hiromu Namiki / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer column Angel Gurria, secretary general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, on Wednesday strongly backed the...

ENGLISH SPECIAL / Japan and the English Language / Bringin.
April 26, 2012... ENGLISH SPECIAL / Japan and the English Language / Bringing Hollywood to Japan Hiromu Namiki / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer column What does it mean to use English as a jimaku (subtitle) translator? In an interview with The Daily Yomiuri,...

ENGLISH SPECIAL / Japan and the English Language / Advance.
April 26, 2012... ENGLISH SPECIAL / Japan and the English Language / Advanced technology may lead to fewer subtitled films Hiromu Namiki / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer column Despite their familiarity with subtitled foreign films, an increasing number of...

ENGLISH SPECIAL / Japan and the English Language / Japan m.
April 26, 2012... ENGLISH SPECIAL / Japan and the English Language / Japan must perceive English as a global language Hiromi Kanekita / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer column Will Japan excel or fall behind China and South Korea in promoting the teaching and...

ENGLISH SPECIAL / Japan and the English Language / Interes.
April 26, 2012... ENGLISH SPECIAL / Japan and the English Language / Interest growing in South Korea's English program Hiromi Kanekita / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer column Japanese educators are becoming increasingly interested in the English-language...

Players seek another look at 'dead' ball.
April 26, 2012... Players seek another look at 'dead' ball Yomiuri Even the pitchers are concerned that the lack of home runs might be detracting from the game. Japan's players union has requested that Nippon Pro Baseball reexamine the unified baseball...

2 more ibis chicks hatch to keep 1st one company.
April 25, 2012... 2 more ibis chicks hatch to keep 1st one company Yomiuri NIIGATA NIIGATA--The crested ibis chick whose hatching was confirmed Sunday on Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, now has two siblings. The hatching of the new chicks was...

Top Chinese official probed over Bo links.
April 25, 2012... Top Chinese official probed over Bo links Takanori Kato / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent Yomiuri BEIJING BEIJING--The Chinese Communist Party's discipline committee has launched an investigation into its ninth-highest official over...

3 of 9 utilities may fail to meet demand / Power curbs see.
April 25, 2012... 3 of 9 utilities may fail to meet demand / Power curbs seen likely this summer Yomiuri Three of the country's nine electric power companies may be unable to meet expected demand this summer, the government says. Kansai Electric Power...

Osaka govts call for review of Oi restart.
April 25, 2012... Osaka govts call for review of Oi restart Yomiuri Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui called for the government to reexamine its plan to restart two nuclear reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear power plant...

Boy caught without license before / Family, friends grieve.
April 25, 2012... Boy caught without license before / Family, friends grieve over young girl, pregnant woman killed in crash Yomiuri KYOTO KYOTO--An 18-year-old boy who was arrested in the wake of a fatal car accident Monday in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture,...

EDITORIAL / Conservation effort pays off as hope hatches i.(Editorial)
April 25, 2012... EDITORIAL / Conservation effort pays off as hope hatches in an ibis nest Yomiuri It was really heartwarming to see a parent crested ibis cuddling its chicks in a nest. The crested ibises, designated as a specially protected natural...

EDITORIAL / French presidential race to decide European cr.(Editorial)
April 25, 2012... EDITORIAL / French presidential race to decide European crisis Yomiuri No winner was chosen in the first round of voting in the French presidential election. Incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, former first secretary...

Cell phone game sites to set charge limits.
April 25, 2012... Cell phone game sites to set charge limits Yomiuri Six companies that operate cell phone social networking service-type gaming sites, such as DeNA Co. and Gree Inc., have decided to set charge limits for young players at 10,000 yen or...