Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri articles from December 2008, page 3

Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri archives from December 2008

Train tests held over outbreak of flu strain.
December 23, 2008... Train tests held over outbreak of flu strain Yomiuri The Construction and Transport Ministry's Policy Research Institute conducted tests Monday to verify the number of passengers a railway car can safely carry following the outbreak...

Govt OK's crime-prevention plan / Help for troubled youths.
December 23, 2008... Govt OK's crime-prevention plan / Help for troubled youths, beefed-up consumer protection top agenda Yomiuri The government on Monday decided on an action plan for crime prevention focusing on helping young people who feel isolated...

Ambulance need survey to be conducted.
December 23, 2008... Ambulance need survey to be conducted Yomiuri As a result of an increasing number of ambulance requests made in nonserious cases, the Tokyo Fire Department is planning its first opinion survey of citizens about situations in which...

Universities, colleges with delinquent student loans to be.
December 23, 2008... Universities, colleges with delinquent student loans to be named Yomiuri The Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) plans to disclose the names of universities and colleges that have more than twice the average of graduates who...

Firms feel backlash over firing of temporary workers.
December 23, 2008... Firms feel backlash over firing of temporary workers Yomiuri The employment situation in the automotive industry is worsening as indicated by Nissan Motors Co.'s announcement last Tuesday that it would lay off all of its temporary...

Museum dedicated to Doraemon creator eyed.
December 23, 2008... Museum dedicated to Doraemon creator eyed Yomiuri The Kawasaki municipal government has unveiled a basic concept for a museum showcasing the works of Fujiko F. Fujio, the late manga artist who created such characters as Doraemon and...

Care workers struggling with kanji / Indonesian nurses fin.
December 23, 2008... Care workers struggling with kanji / Indonesian nurses finding Japanese writing system a formidable challenge Hiroshi Uesugi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Yomiuri "We have something similar to 'chahan' in Indonesia. It's called...

'Self-isolated' students form school council.
December 23, 2008... 'Self-isolated' students form school council Yomiuri KYOTO KYOTO--A student council was formed Monday by members of a Kyoto Miyama High School correspondence course, where many of the students have refused to go to school and...

Suspect used court knowledge in scam.
December 23, 2008... Suspect used court knowledge in scam Makoto Murayama and Noboru Takikawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers Yomiuri The recent arrest of a Kyoto Family Court clerk on suspicion of affixing an official seal on a bogus court document...

USSR pushed Japan on N-arms / Declassified documents revea.
December 23, 2008... USSR pushed Japan on N-arms / Declassified documents reveal past diplomatic imbroglio Yomiuri As if riding the wave of sentiment in Japan against nuclear tests that held sway in the late 1950s and early '60s, the Soviet Union staged...

Arrested court clerk 'acquired 60 million yen'.
December 23, 2008... Arrested court clerk 'acquired 60 million yen' Yomiuri SAITAMA SAITAMA--A Kyoto Family Court clerk, arrested on suspicion of using a forged private document to apply for a cash transfer from a bank account that was frozen over a...

EDITORIAL / 'Worsening' economy already bad enough.
December 23, 2008... EDITORIAL / 'Worsening' economy already bad enough Yomiuri The government has, at last, explicitly admitted that the nation's economy is "worsening." In the monthly economic report for December, the government lowered its...

Primary Advice / Keep kids in the English zone.
December 23, 2008... Primary Advice / Keep kids in the English zone Helene J. Uchida / Special to The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri Q: I have been an assistant language teacher for seven years. The biggest problem I have is that Japanese teachers love to...

Books on Language.
December 23, 2008... Books on Language Shigeru Matsumoto, Robert Gaynor and Gail Oura Yomiuri Sokudoku-sokucho, Eitango: Business 1200: Vocabulary Building x Rapid Reading & Listening By Shigeru Matsumoto, Robert Gaynor and Gail Oura ZKAI...

Report: Marines have eyes on Iguchi.
December 23, 2008... Report: Marines have eyes on Iguchi The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri The Chiba Lotte Marines are trying to acquire second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, the Nikkan Sports reported on Monday. The 34-year-old, who won a World Series ring...

Wakanoho to receive severance pay.
December 23, 2008... Wakanoho to receive severance pay The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri The Japan Sumo Association intends to make a severance payment to former wrestler Wakanoho, who was fired in August after his arrest for marijuana possession, it was...

Matsumoto makes winning transition.
December 23, 2008... Matsumoto makes winning transition Ken Marantz / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri In the end, Shingo Matsumoto didn't need any techniques involving the legs to get his hands on a freestyle wrestling title. Matsumoto, a...

Antlers' Marquinhos named J.League MVP.
December 23, 2008... Antlers' Marquinhos named J.League MVP Shintaro Kano / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri After making his J.League debut in 2001, Marquinhos bounced around with four clubs before landing at Kashima last year. With Antlers,...

TROUBLE AT TOYOTA: SPREADING SHOCK WAVES / Eco-friendly ca.
December 22, 2008... TROUBLE AT TOYOTA: SPREADING SHOCK WAVES / Eco-friendly cars seen rescuing firm's fortunes Yomiuri This is the fourth and final installment of a series on the impact of the "Toyota shock" on related industries, local governments and...

Sato told U.S. to use nukes if Japan hit / Johnson urged t.
December 22, 2008... Sato told U.S. to use nukes if Japan hit / Johnson urged to retaliate in event of 'war' Yomiuri In 1965, then Prime Minister Eisaku Sato asked the United States to immediately use nuclear weapons if Japan was attacked with nuclear...

2 teens held over beating cop, stealing his gun, cuffs.
December 22, 2008... 2 teens held over beating cop, stealing his gun, cuffs Yomiuri YOKOHAMA YOKOHAMA--Two youths were arrested early Sunday on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and stealing his handgun and handcuffs on a road in...

OBITUARY / Tetsujo Oh / Brother of world's home run king.
December 22, 2008... OBITUARY / Tetsujo Oh / Brother of world's home run king Yomiuri Tetsujo Oh, the brother of baseball legend Sadaharu Oh, died of respiratory failure Saturday. He was 78. A graduate of Keio University's medical school, Tetsujo ran...

China antipiracy move leaves Japan all at sea.
December 22, 2008... China antipiracy move leaves Japan all at sea Yomiuri The government is reportedly extremely frustrated following China's announcement that it plans to dispatch naval ships to the seas off Somalia to back U.N.-led efforts to fight...

Private colleges taken for a ride / Burned on stock market.
December 22, 2008... Private colleges taken for a ride / Burned on stock market after financial firms exploited their ignorance Yomiuri The financial problems reported Saturday at 18 private universities have been caused by a combination of a falling...

Suzuki to cover tuition for foreign kids.
December 22, 2008... Suzuki to cover tuition for foreign kids Yomiuri HAMAMATSU, Shizuoka HAMAMATSU, Shizuoka--Suzuki Motor Corp. is planning to pay the tuition fees at a vocational school for the children of laid-off South Americans living in...

Job measure grants OK'd for local govts.
December 22, 2008... Job measure grants OK'd for local govts Yomiuri The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has decided to provide local governments with special tax grants to help fund 50 percent to 80 percent of the cost of implementing...

Govt breaks taboo to prop up economy /Use of 'buried treas.
December 22, 2008... Govt breaks taboo to prop up economy /Use of 'buried treasure' to fund extraordinary FY09 budget a dangerous development Hiroshi Arimitsu and Makoto Miyazaki / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers Yomiuri The draft state budget for...

INSIGHTS INTO THE WORLD / Reform of UNSC needed now.
December 22, 2008... INSIGHTS INTO THE WORLD / Reform of UNSC needed now Shinichi Kitaoka / Special to The Yomiuri Shimbun Yomiuri The world is facing a major turnaround. The global economic crisis has shown no signs of getting closer to hitting...

EDITORIAL / Take direct approach for better schools.
December 22, 2008... EDITORIAL / Take direct approach for better schools Yomiuri An Education, Science and Technology Ministry panel of experts has recently concluded that the policy on disclosing the results of nationwide academic achievement tests...

IN THE MARKETPLACE / Electronics firms battle to lift sale.
December 22, 2008... IN THE MARKETPLACE / Electronics firms battle to lift sales Takanori Yamamoto and Kensuke Nakazawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers Yomiuri The average price of digital appliances such as flat-screen TVs and notebook computers is...

Gamba outlast Pachuca in Club playoffBy Shintaro Kano.
December 22, 2008... Gamba outlast Pachuca in Club playoffBy Shintaro Kano Shintaro Kano / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri YOKOHAMA Gamba Osaka followed in the footsteps of Urawa Reds last year by finishing third in the FIFA Club World Cup...

Obata captures 1st 84-kg titleBy Ken Marantz.
December 22, 2008... Obata captures 1st 84-kg titleBy Ken Marantz Ken Marantz / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri Kunihiko Obata planned to end his career at the Emperor's Cup national wrestling championships. Winning another title might give him...

2009 to be Valentine's last in Chiba.
December 22, 2008... 2009 to be Valentine's last in Chiba Jim Allen / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri Bobby Valentine, the first foreign-born manager to win the Japan Series, will leave the Chiba Lotte Marines after the 2009 season. "It's...

Sungoliath beat wind, Rockets By Rich Freeman.
December 22, 2008... Sungoliath beat wind, Rockets By Rich Freeman Rich Freeman / Daily Yomiuri Sporstwriter Yomiuri Daigo Yamashita called it right on Sunday. The Suntory captain won the toss of the coin and his decision to play against a...

Rooney lifts Man U past Quito.
December 22, 2008... Rooney lifts Man U past Quito Shintaro Kano / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri YOKOHAMA With his team down a man in the second half and a world title on the line, Wayne Rooney answered manager Alex Ferguson's prayers. ...

Park: From Kyoto to Old Trafford.
December 22, 2008... Park: From Kyoto to Old Trafford James Hardy / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri It's been six years since Park Ji Sung led Kyoto Purple Sanga to the final of the Emperor's Cup, scoring the equalizer and setting up the winner...

TROUBLE AT TOYOTA: SPREADING SHOCK WAVES / Will cost-cutti.
December 21, 2008... TROUBLE AT TOYOTA: SPREADING SHOCK WAVES / Will cost-cutting efforts suffice to overcome crisis? Yomiuri This is the third installment of a series about the impact of the Toyota shock on related industries, local governments,...

18 private colleges rack up 69 bil. yen in latent losses.
December 21, 2008... 18 private colleges rack up 69 bil. yen in latent losses Yomiuri Eighteen major private universities had suffered latent losses totaling 68.8 billion yen on securities they held as of the end of March, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun...

15-year-old 'soccer player' defrauds man of 500,000 yen.
December 21, 2008... 15-year-old 'soccer player' defrauds man of 500,000 yen Yomiuri UTSUNOMIYA UTSUNOMIYA--A 15-year-old student from Shimotsuke, Tochigi Prefecture, was arrested Friday on suspicion of defrauding a man out of 500,000 yen after...

Finance Ministry cuts make 2 dam projects unlikely.
December 21, 2008... Finance Ministry cuts make 2 dam projects unlikely Yomiuri The Finance Ministry's draft budget for fiscal 2009, presented Saturday to each ministry and agency, cut the requested allocations for two dam construction projects by 40...

Instrument shortage hits bone marrow ops.
December 21, 2008... Instrument shortage hits bone marrow ops Yomiuri Hospitals will find it more difficult, at least temporarily, to offer bone marrow transplants from February due to a shortage of instruments used in such transplants manufactured by a...

In vitro rates boosted by 'breathing eggs' finding.
December 21, 2008... In vitro rates boosted by 'breathing eggs' finding Yomiuri Fertility treatment pregnancy rates increase significantly and miscarriages are reduced if eggs that consume oxygen in a stable manner are used for in vitro fertilization,...

76 high schoolers lose job offers / Teachers union survey.
December 21, 2008... 76 high schoolers lose job offers / Teachers union survey shows worsening situation for soon-to-be graduates Yomiuri At least 76 third-year high school students across the country have had informal job offers made by companies and...

Police to establish fraud case against Mikasa Foods head.
December 21, 2008... Police to establish fraud case against Mikasa Foods head Yomiuri OSAKA OSAKA--A joint police investigation squad will seek to establish a criminal case of fraud against the president of rice miller Mikasa Foods and several...

40% of potential lay judges have declined to serve.
December 21, 2008... 40% of potential lay judges have declined to serve Yomiuri About 40 percent of citizens selected as candidates to be lay judges have notified the Supreme Court they are declining to serve in that position, the court said. Of the...

GSDF lost summit documents.
December 21, 2008... GSDF lost summit documents Yomiuri Two members of a Ground Self-Defense Force helicopter unit lost classified documents related to the travel arrangements of dignitaries for the Group of Eight summit meeting in Toyakocho, Hokkaido,...

Govt to earmark 69 bil. yen for U.S. troop transfer.
December 21, 2008... Govt to earmark 69 bil. yen for U.S. troop transfer Yomiuri The government has decided to set aside about 68.9 billion yen in the fiscal 2009 budget to be spent on projects related to the realignment of U.S. forces stationed in...

BOJ bending over backward to help firms.
December 21, 2008... BOJ bending over backward to help firms Tetsushi Onoda and Kunihiko Yasue / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers Yomiuri The Bank of Japan's latest decision to cut its key interest rate signifies a desperate attempt to support...

EDITORIAL / Budget cooked up with buried treasure, bonds.
December 21, 2008... EDITORIAL / Budget cooked up with buried treasure, bonds Yomiuri Government spending must increase to prop up the economy and cover swelling social security costs, but tax revenues are forecast to drop substantially. In the teeth of...

Matsumoto takes rare shot at freestyle.
December 21, 2008... Matsumoto takes rare shot at freestyle Ken Marantz / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri Shingo Matsumoto will be shouldering a heavier load at this year's Emperor's Cup national wrestling championships. At least he'll be able to...

Shocked Seibu clinches playoff spot.
December 21, 2008... Shocked Seibu clinches playoff spot Yomiuri SAPPORO SAPPORO--A day after hearing their parent company will disband the team, the Seibu Prince Rabbits managed to put aside uncertainty about their future by ensuring they won't...

Sau's trick sees Jubilo top Big Blue.
December 21, 2008... Sau's trick sees Jubilo top Big Blue Yomiuri Male Sau picked up his second hat trick of the season on Saturday as Yamaha Jubilo beat IBM Big Blue 46-10 at Yamaha Stadium. On Oct. 13, Sau celebrated his 21st birthday by crossing...

Man U banks on Ronaldo working his magic in final.
December 21, 2008... Man U banks on Ronaldo working his magic in final Shintaro Kano / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri YOKOHAMA YOKOHAMA--Sir Alex Ferguson thinks Cristiano Ronaldo can be really good--good enough to finish with a career as...

Dodgers' righty Kuroda pulls out of WBC.
December 21, 2008... Dodgers' righty Kuroda pulls out of WBC Koji Yamawaki / Yomiuri Shimbun Sportswriter Yomiuri HONOLULU HONOLULU--Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda has decided not to play for Japan at the World Baseball Classic,...

Kyoto court clerk admits forging private document.
December 20, 2008... Kyoto court clerk admits forging private document Yomiuri SAITAMA SAITAMA--A Kyoto Family Court clerk arrested on suspicion of using a forged private document to apply for a cash transfer from a bank account that had been frozen...

Govt economic stimulus packages total 64 tril. yen.
December 20, 2008... Govt economic stimulus packages total 64 tril. yen Yomiuri The series of pump-priming measures devised since the launch of Prime Minister Taro Aso's Cabinet will amount to 64 trillion yen, including the latest one, which will center...

Murder suspect Koizumi to receive psychiatric tests.
December 20, 2008... Murder suspect Koizumi to receive psychiatric tests Yomiuri SAITAMA SAITAMA--Prosecutors on Friday decided to seek a court order to have Takeshi Koizumi, who is suspected of committing two knife attacks at the homes of two...

Musings / Dec. 17, 2008.
December 20, 2008... Musings / Dec. 17, 2008 Yomiuri The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's Dec. 17 issue. * * * Among the seasonal terms that are no longer used in haiku poems is the phrase "etto...

Tobacco tax hike bid easily snuffed out.
December 20, 2008... Tobacco tax hike bid easily snuffed out Yomiuri In the background of a failed attempt last week to raise the tobacco tax in the outline of the ruling coalition's tax system reform for fiscal 2009 was strong opposition from tobacco...

Tokyo to host global transport CO2 meet.
December 20, 2008... Tokyo to host global transport CO2 meet Yomiuri Transport ministers from around the world are to gather in Tokyo in January to discuss ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in key transport areas, with a focus on air and road...

Deaf painter recalls sign language prejudice.
December 20, 2008... Deaf painter recalls sign language prejudice Reiko Bando / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Yomiuri SAPPORO SAPPORO--Deaf painter Hideto Noritomi, 39, recently published a book titled "Shuwa de Ikitai" (I Want to Live with Sign...

After ASDF's Iraq exit, what next?
December 20, 2008... After ASDF's Iraq exit, what next? Toshimitsu Ishima and Toshiyuki Fukushima / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers Yomiuri The Air Self-Defense Force's airlift missions between Iraq and Kuwait officially ended Wednesday, but the...

EDITORIAL / BOJ policy back in emergency mode.
December 20, 2008... EDITORIAL / BOJ policy back in emergency mode Yomiuri The global financial crisis and the fast-deteriorating domestic economy have put Japan's monetary policy back in emergency mode. The Bank of Japan decided at its monetary...

Dutch ship on alert off Somalia.
December 20, 2008... Dutch ship on alert off Somalia Shiomi Kadoya Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent Yomiuri OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA--Crew members of the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS De Ruyter have been keeping an...

Uehara's streak ends at Meribel moguls.
December 20, 2008... Uehara's streak ends at Meribel moguls Yomiuri MERIBEL, France MERIBEL, France--Reigning World Cup champion Ai Uemura's bid to run her winning streak to six straight victories came up short when she was ousted in the...

Sumo tour to London canceled.
December 20, 2008... Sumo tour to London canceled Yomiuri A sumo exhibition tour planned for next autumn in London has been canceled due to the world financial crisis, it was learned Friday. With the global economy in shambles, organizers faced great...

Seibu to abandon Asian ice.
December 20, 2008... Seibu to abandon Asian ice Yomiuri The Japan ice hockey scene received a shock on Friday as the Seibu group, one of the pillars of the old Japan League and the current Asian League, announced it would disband its team after this...

Uchikawa gets big raise.
December 20, 2008... Uchikawa gets big raise Yomiuri Seiichi Uchikawa reaped the fruits of his first Central League batting title on Friday, when he received a 50 million yen raise to 85 million yen The Hiroshima Carp said Friday they have reached...

TROUBLE AT TOYOTA--Spreading shock waves/Impact of cutback.
December 20, 2008... TROUBLE AT TOYOTA--Spreading shock waves/Impact of cutbacks hits local government coffers Yomiuri This is the second installment of a series about the impact of the Toyota shock on related industries, local governments and affected...

Govt sees zero growth in fiscal 2009 real GDP.
December 20, 2008... Govt sees zero growth in fiscal 2009 real GDP Yomiuri The government officially announced Friday a forecast of zero growth in real gross domestic product in fiscal 2009--its first zero forecast in the rate adjusted for price...

Killer of 7-year-old girl files request for retrial.
December 20, 2008... Killer of 7-year-old girl files request for retrial Yomiuri NARA NARA--A 40-year-old man sentenced to death for kidnapping and killing a 7-year-old girl in Nara in 2004 has filed a request with the Nara District Court for a...

Hybrid cargo carrier built.
December 20, 2008... Hybrid cargo carrier built Yomiuri KOBE KOBE--An unusual cargo carrier operated partly by solar photovoltaic energy generated on its deck was completed at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe Shipyard & Machinery Works in Kobe and...

Trouble at Toyota--Spreading Shockwaves/'Toyota shock' roc.
December 19, 2008... Trouble at Toyota--Spreading Shockwaves/'Toyota shock' rocks regional economies Yomiuri Referred to as the "Toyota shock," the dramatic plunge in the profits of Toyota Motor Corp., the nation's largest manufacturer, is symbolic of...

Progress seen for Minamata sufferers.
December 19, 2008... Progress seen for Minamata sufferers Yomiuri A ruling coalition project team working on mercury poisoning issues decided Thursday to consider accepting a plan to establish a subsidiary of Chisso Corp., a firm responsible for causing...

Conductor held over attack on girl at station.
December 19, 2008... Conductor held over attack on girl at station Yomiuri OTSU OTSU--An off-duty JR West conductor was arrested Thursday following an incident in which a high school girl was attacked the same day by a man with a knife at a public...

Ministries submit draft plan for doctor training system.
December 19, 2008... Ministries submit draft plan for doctor training system Yomiuri The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the Education, Science and Technology Ministry have proposed to a panel a draft plan to help solve the doctor shortage, it has...

Administrative entities paid 1.3 bil. yen in unreported be.
December 19, 2008... Administrative entities paid 1.3 bil. yen in unreported benefits Yomiuri The Board of Audit discovered Wednesday that eight independent administrative institutions have paid a total of 1.3 billion yen in benefits to their employees...

Hankyu to hire subsidiary's staff / 840 station, train cre.
December 19, 2008... Hankyu to hire subsidiary's staff / 840 station, train crew workers to be transferred to boost safety, morale Yomiuri Hankyu Corp. has decided in principle to directly hire from October 2009 about 840 station and train crew who...

79-yr old dies after being refused by 6 hospitals.
December 19, 2008... 79-yr old dies after being refused by 6 hospitals Yomiuri FUKUSHIMA FUKUSHIMA--A 79-year-old woman who was experiencing cardiorespiratory arrest following a car accident, was refused treatment seven times at six hospitals and...

Health insurance to cover engineered-tissue treatment.
December 19, 2008... Health insurance to cover engineered-tissue treatment Yomiuri Treating serious burns using cultured skin from a patient's own cells will be covered from January next year by medical care insurance, the Health, Labor and Welfare...

Panel urges doubling of textbook content.
December 19, 2008... Panel urges doubling of textbook content Yomiuri A government education reform council submitted a report Thursday to Prime Minister Taro Aso seeking better quality school textbooks with increased content. In its second report,...

Saitama Pref. to ban cell phones at high schools.
December 19, 2008... Saitama Pref. to ban cell phones at high schools Yomiuri The Saitama prefectural government's Education Bureau adopted Wednesday a policy to ban in principle the use of cell phones by students at its 150 high schools. The bureau...

Uncertainty lingers as firms seek guaranteed loans.
December 19, 2008... Uncertainty lingers as firms seek guaranteed loans Chihiro Nakajima / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Yomiuri Faced with a deteriorating economy, many managers at small and midsized companies are increasingly wary about whether they...

Sales tax hike faces opposition / New Komeito presses govt.
December 19, 2008... Sales tax hike faces opposition / New Komeito presses govt not to specify when increase will take place Yomiuri The path forward for the government's plan to raise the consumption taxCopyright 2008 The Daily Yomiuri