Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri articles from February 2009, page 5

Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri archives from February 2009

Niigata governor nixes request for additional funds for Sh.
February 13, 2009... Niigata governor nixes request for additional funds for Shinkansen Yomiuri NIIGATA NIIGATA--The governor of Niigata Prefecture on Thursday rejected the central government's request for additional funding for a Shinkansen...

Ex-stablemaster denies link to death / Rejects responsibil.
February 13, 2009... Ex-stablemaster denies link to death / Rejects responsibility over hazing that preceded death of 17-year-old wrestler Yomiuri NAGOYA NAGOYA--A former sumo stablemaster on Thursday denied charges that in 2007 he ordered wrestlers...

Govt to tap NGOs to help asylum seekers.
February 13, 2009... Govt to tap NGOs to help asylum seekers Yomiuri Faced with an increasing number of foreign nationals applying for refugee status in Japan, the Foreign Ministry plans to set up a liaison council with nonprofit organizations and human...

Personal data of 4,210 students, teachers lost.
February 13, 2009... Personal data of 4,210 students, teachers lost Yomiuri KYOTO KYOTO--An external hard disc containing the personal information of 4,210 people, including students' academic records and the addresses of graduates and teachers, has...

IN THE NEWS / Scientist seeks to read dreams.
February 13, 2009... IN THE NEWS / Scientist seeks to read dreams Shigenobu Hata / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Yomiuri OSAKA OSAKA--A research paper written by Yukiyasu Kamitani that was published in a U.S. science magazine in December has...

Govt to have Japan Post properties appraised.
February 13, 2009... Govt to have Japan Post properties appraised Yomiuri The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has decided to have appraisals done of Japan Post Holding Co.'s major properties, including its Kampo no Yado spa and resort...

Farming policy review splits farmers, LDP.
February 13, 2009... Farming policy review splits farmers, LDP Makoto Miyazaki and Hajime Furukawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers Yomiuri The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry is considering leaving it up to farmers whether to accept cuts...

POLITICAL PULSE / Firm strategy needed on N. isles / Russi.
February 13, 2009... POLITICAL PULSE / Firm strategy needed on N. isles / Russian demand that visitors submit disembarkation cards a ploy Tetsuya Harada Yomiuri The Russian government demanded that a Japanese delegation fill in and submit...

BEHIND THE NEWS / Jobless women have seen tough times befo.
February 13, 2009... BEHIND THE NEWS / Jobless women have seen tough times before Atsushi Tanase Yomiuri A 34-year-old woman, allegedly desperate to save on electricity bills, sneaked into her next-door neighbor's apartment to recharge her cell...

Big Brothers and Sisters running out of siblings.
February 13, 2009... Big Brothers and Sisters running out of siblings Aki Nakamura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Yomiuri The nonprofit organization Big Brothers and Sisters (BBS) has recently seen a rapid decline in young volunteers who work with...

EDITORIAL / Space debris measures must be strengthened.
February 13, 2009... EDITORIAL / Space debris measures must be strengthened Yomiuri Our planet is surrounded by space debris, a matter that is becoming of increasing concern. The collision of a U.S. satellite weighing about half a ton with a Russian...

On a wing and a prayer: Hitmaker mangaka Urasawa turns to.
February 13, 2009... On a wing and a prayer: Hitmaker mangaka Urasawa turns to period fiction with his new 'Billy Bat' Cristoph Mark / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri It's already been an eventful year for Naoki Urasawa, whose manga have garnered...

SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS / On the front lines of Japanese p.
February 13, 2009... SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS / On the front lines of Japanese pop culture Roland Kelts / Special to The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri Near the end of last month, I took two groups of graduate students to Akihabara, the eastern Tokyo...

COMICS REVIEW / Monsters and bullies.
February 13, 2009... COMICS REVIEW / Monsters and bullies Tom Baker / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri Gantz By Hiroya Oku Translated by Matthew Johnson 3 volumes and counting Dark Horse Manga 224 pages and 12.95 dollars...

Hamburg Ballet fetes 35 years under Neumeier.
February 13, 2009... Hamburg Ballet fetes 35 years under Neumeier Mieko Sasaki / Special to The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri Germany's Hamburg Ballet is celebrating its 35th year under artistic director John Neumeier, showcasing two of his works during its...

Fun is in the reflection of the beholder.
February 13, 2009... Fun is in the reflection of the beholder Cristoph Mark / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri "Fun" is a word rarely uttered when discussing contemporary art. Meaning, technique, significance, vision...these are expressions...

Mr. Big's back - where they're big.
February 13, 2009... Mr. Big's back - where they're big Stephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri In rock music, the phrase "Big in Japan" can be a pejorative term. But try telling that to U.S. band Mr. Big, who chose Tokyo's Hard Rock...

250 years later, Burns' Scottish poetry echoes in Japan.
February 13, 2009... 250 years later, Burns' Scottish poetry echoes in Japan Tom Baker / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri Because Robert Burns (1759-1796), the national poet of Scotland, had the good timing to be born in winter, the Burns Night...

TROUBLESHOOTER / Man's raunchy 'habit' grieves, angers wif.
February 13, 2009... TROUBLESHOOTER / Man's raunchy 'habit' grieves, angers wife Yomiuri Dear Troubleshooter: I'm a housewife in my 40s. Ten years ago, I found out my husband had gone to an adult entertainment establishment. As he saw that I was...

TASTE OF HOME #63 / Love of parent-and-child bowl skipped.
February 13, 2009... TASTE OF HOME #63 / Love of parent-and-child bowl skipped a generation Tamako Sakamoto / Special to The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri Oyakodon is one of my recipes that all of my children love to eat. And I feel so happy when they...

TROUBLESHOOTER / Long-ago failure haunts me still.
February 13, 2009... TROUBLESHOOTER / Long-ago failure haunts me still Yomiuri Dear Troubleshooter: I'm a man in my 50s. I have a wife and two children. I used to work at company in Tokyo, but came back to my hometown more than 10 years ago, partly...

Choosy about cheese.
February 13, 2009... Choosy about cheese Kumi Matsumaru / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri Cheese varieties at supermarkets and shops in Japan have traditionally been limited, even though domestic companies have been offering such once novel items...

80-year-old film returns to light of day.
February 13, 2009... 80-year-old film returns to light of day Yomiuri A classic movie starring a prewar cinema heartthrob was finally restored to its former glory last month. The silent movie Kurotegumi Sukeroku (Sukeroku of the Black Hand Gang)...

Fighting in the forest.
February 13, 2009... Fighting in the forest Tom Baker / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri Defiance 4 stars out of five Dir: Edward Zwick Cast: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell What would you do to the man who killed your...

Few surprises in cop thriller.
February 13, 2009... Few surprises in cop thriller Tom Baker / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri Street Kings (Japan title: Fake City: Aru Otoko no Rule) 2 stars out of five Dir: David Ayer Cast: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker,...

TELEVIEWS / Can terrestrial TV in Japan be revived? Televi.
February 13, 2009... TELEVIEWS / Can terrestrial TV in Japan be revived? Televiews suggests its 5-point plan of action Wm. Penn / Daily Yomiuri Columnist Yomiuri Terrestrial TV is struggling. The need for an industry-wide renaissance is clear and...

NATURE IN SHORT / Despite falling numbers, Japanese brown.
February 13, 2009... NATURE IN SHORT / Despite falling numbers, Japanese brown frogs can still be seen Kevin Short / Daily Yomiuri Columnist Yomiuri Nearing mid-February the skies and temperatures here in the southern Kanto region can fluctuate...

Kawakami gets 1st workout.
February 13, 2009... Kawakami gets 1st workout The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri Former Chunichi Dragons ace Kenshin Kawakami went through a light workout on his first day of spring training with the Atlanta Braves in Kissimmee, Fla., on Wednesday. The...

Japan-based distance runner hurt in crash.
February 13, 2009... Japan-based distance runner hurt in crash The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri Megubo Mogusu, 22, a Kenyan distance and ekiden runner based at Yamanashi Gakuen University, was slightly injured in a Monday car crash in Kenya, it was learned...

VIEW FROM THE SOFA.
February 13, 2009... VIEW FROM THE SOFA Stuart Galbraith IV / Special to The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri The 81st Academy Awards are just around the corner, with some nominees recalling earlier winners whose work you can enjoy on DVD and Blu-ray. The...

Aussies too tall for Japan in World Cup test.
February 13, 2009... Aussies too tall for Japan in World Cup test Shintaro Kano / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri If Japan was simply trying to qualify for the World Cup, there wouldn't be much room for criticism in Wednesday night's goalless...

Kobayashi in frame for final ekiden.
February 13, 2009... Kobayashi in frame for final ekiden Ken Marantz / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri Yuriko Kobayashi still doesn't consider herself a 5,000-meter runner, even though she's the national champion in the event and has run it in...

Govt eyes paying firms to introduce job-sharing.
February 12, 2009... Govt eyes paying firms to introduce job-sharing Yomiuri The government and ruling bloc likely will provide financial support to companies that introduce a job-sharing system as part of measures to protect employment, according to...

Ministry cancels intl body appointment over amakudari.
February 12, 2009... Ministry cancels intl body appointment over amakudari Yomiuri Amid criticism over the practice of amakudari, the Foreign Ministry has canceled plans to appoint one of its retired officials as secretary general of the ASEAN-Japan...

Tokyo govt buildings to be renovated.
February 12, 2009... Tokyo govt buildings to be renovated Yomiuri Electrical and other equipment installed at the Tokyo metropolitan government office complex will undergo a 10-year, 78 billion yen renovation, metropolitan officials said Tuesday. ...

2 mil. doses of Relenza to be imported by April.
February 12, 2009... 2 mil. doses of Relenza to be imported by April Yomiuri Glaxo SmithKline K.K. has announced it will import 2 million doses of the antiflu drug Relenza from France by April, as an emergency measure to cope with the spread of flu...

Woman helps foil telephone swindlers.
February 12, 2009... Woman helps foil telephone swindlers Yomiuri Three men have been arrested on suspicion of conducting multiple bank transfer scams, the Metropolitan Police Department announced Tuesday. Their arrests can be attributed to a...

Ex-Nishimatsu president indicted over slush funds.
February 12, 2009... Ex-Nishimatsu president indicted over slush funds Yomiuri A former president of Nishimatsu Construction Co., a contracting company embroiled in a cash scandal, was indicted Tuesday on suspicion of instructing employees to bring 70...

Ex-sumo wrestler held over defrauding 'fiancee'.
February 12, 2009... Ex-sumo wrestler held over defrauding 'fiancee' Yomiuri A former sumo wrestler was arrested on suspicion of swindling 7.3 million yen from a woman he had proposed to, police said Wednesday. Hisao Akimoto, 43, a former Kasugano...

Bereaved family's stiff sentence call heeded in 1st trial.
February 12, 2009... Bereaved family's stiff sentence call heeded in 1st trial under new system Yomiuri SAPPORO SAPPORO--The Sapporo District Court on Tuesday handed down its ruling in the first criminal trial held under a new system in which...

Oga used ties with Canon chairman / Company president accu.
February 12, 2009... Oga used ties with Canon chairman / Company president accused of tax evasion used personal link to build business Yomiuri The president of an Oita-based firm who was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of tax evasion in connection with the...

Uygur student 'freed' after 11 yrs in China jail.
February 12, 2009... Uygur student 'freed' after 11 yrs in China jail Yomiuri An Uygur man who had been detained in China for 11 years while a Tokyo University Graduate School student has been discharged from prison, according to sources. Tohti...

Returned abductee tells govt Taguchi married S. Korean.
February 12, 2009... Returned abductee tells govt Taguchi married S. Korean Yomiuri One of the five Japanese former abductees who returned to Japan from North Korea in October 2002 has told the government that Yaeko Taguchi, an abductee believed to be...

Research team to help restore Indian cave art.
February 12, 2009... Research team to help restore Indian cave art Yomiuri A research group from the Tokyo-based National Research Institute for Cultural Properties will be dispatched Thursday to help restore and preserve Buddhist wall paintings in the...

New hope for return of Hayabusa space probe.
February 12, 2009... New hope for return of Hayabusa space probe Yomiuri The troubled Hayabusa space probe, which landed on the asteroid Itokawa, has managed to activate its main engine after 16 months, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced....

Anti-Aso sentiment whipped up again.
February 12, 2009... Anti-Aso sentiment whipped up again Yomiuri Prime Minister Taro Aso's knack for putting his foot in his mouth--most recently his remarks over a review of the postal service privatization--has rekindled discontent with the premier...

EDITORIAL / Will U.S. 'bad bank' achieve its purpose?
February 12, 2009... EDITORIAL / Will U.S. 'bad bank' achieve its purpose? Yomiuri Amid the expanding global financial crisis, the U.S. government overhauled its planned rescue measures and announced a new bailout package. The U.S. Congress, for its...

Afghan teachers seek Japanese help.
February 12, 2009... Afghan teachers seek Japanese help Yoshiko Kosaka / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Yomiuri In mid-January, a group of 13 female teachers working at the secondary level arrived in Japan all the way from Afghanistan. They were eager...

Using The Daily Yomiuri in the Classroom.
February 12, 2009... Using The Daily Yomiuri in the Classroom Simon Goddard Weedon / Special to The Daily Yomiuri Yomiuri With the specter of global economic doom being forefront in the public eye, this month we look at how workers in the Japanese...

The sky's the limit as Kobe Airport turns 3.
February 12, 2009... The sky's the limit as Kobe Airport turns 3 Kiyomi Arai / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri KOBE KOBE--Kobe Airport, which is to celebrate its third anniversary on Feb. 16, serves more passengers than any other local...

Rice festival takes on adult flavor.
February 12, 2009... Rice festival takes on adult flavor Kenichi Okumura / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer Yomiuri ASUKAMURA, Nara ASUKAMURA, Nara--A sexually explicit and humorous folklore festival attracted a large crowd to a shrine in the...

Lisitings / Feb. 12, 2009.
February 12, 2009... Lisitings / Feb. 12, 2009 Yomiuri Intl Community NISHINOMIYA INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE DAY: Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Frente Nishinomiya Bldg. in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. The program features multicultural performances,...

THE HOT CORNER: Iwamura: Tampa Bay confidential.
February 12, 2009... THE HOT CORNER: Iwamura: Tampa Bay confidential Jim Allen / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri Moving to second base after a lifetime spent at third could have been a gut-wrenching decision, but Akinori Iwamura made short work of...

Japan frustrated by Australia.
February 12, 2009... Japan frustrated by Australia Shintaro Kano / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri YOKOHAMA On a positive note, Japan put the best defense in Asia under a lot of pressure. The down side is that Takeshi Okada's side drew at...

G-7 moneymen to oppose protectionism.
February 11, 2009... G-7 moneymen to oppose protectionism Yomiuri Finance ministers and central bank chiefs of the Group of Seven major economies plan to voice strong opposition to protectionism at their upcoming meeting in Rome, according to the agenda...

3 firms probed over tax evasion / Daiko, affiliates suspec.
February 11, 2009... 3 firms probed over tax evasion / Daiko, affiliates suspected of concealing 3 bil. yen over Canon factories Yomiuri Prosecutors have launched an investigation into Oita-based consultant company Daiko and two affiliates on suspicion...

Lower House Dissolution in May Could Be Difficult
February 11, 2009... Lower house dissolution in May could be difficult Yomiuri Prime Minister Taro Aso is attempting to buoy his flagging administration by prioritizing efforts to bolster the sinking economy. Among the government's stimulus measures is the...

Next shuttle mission to complete ISS.
February 11, 2009... Next shuttle mission to complete ISS Hiroshi Masumitsu / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent Yomiuri WASHINGTON WASHINGTON--Astronaut Koichi Wakata and colleagues currently are preparing for a flight aboard the space shuttle...

EDITORIAL / Crisis prevention key in bailing out firms.
February 11, 2009... EDITORIAL / Crisis prevention key in bailing out firms Yomiuri The government's safety net likely will be stretched to protect private corporations in addition to financial institutions. The government has been preparing a...

Rohingya boat people caught in limbo / Plight of Myanmar's.
February 11, 2009... Rohingya boat people caught in limbo / Plight of Myanmar's Muslim minority fails to move Thai, Indonesian authorities Hideaki Hayashi Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent Yomiuri IDI RAYEUK, Indonesia--Members of Myanmar's Rohingya...

Dragons duo makes switch.
February 11, 2009... Dragons duo makes switch Yomiuri Chunichi manager Hiromitsu Ochiai would never think about breaking up the Dragons' Golden Glove double-play combo of Hirokazu Ibata and Masahiro Araki. But he has taken the drastic measure of...

SCRUM DOWN: When the final is not the finale.
February 11, 2009... SCRUM DOWN: When the final is not the finale Rich Freeman / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri In almost every professional sport, the season ends with a championship game to determine the best team in the land. Under normal...

Japan confident in clash with Socceroos.
February 11, 2009... Japan confident in clash with Socceroos Shintaro Kano / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri YOKOHAMA YOKOHAMA--Contrary to Australia coach Pim Verbeek's belief that Japan is under pressure, Takeshi Okada claims he isn't...

New Japan hoops coach Hobbs set to dig into task.
February 11, 2009... New Japan hoops coach Hobbs set to dig into task John E. Gibson / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter Yomiuri Just 10 days after arriving in Japan, David Hobbs admits he has been struggling to use chopsticks. That means the new coach...

Nishimatsu used multiple shell firms to move cash.
February 11, 2009... Nishimatsu used multiple shell firms to move cash Yomiuri Nishimatsu Construction Co., a contracting company currently embroiled in a slush fund scandal, frequently acquired and closed shell companies abroad so it could maintain its...

Kanji test body misled board over real estate purchase.
February 11, 2009... Kanji test body misled board over real estate purchase Yomiuri KYOTO KYOTO--The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation informed its board members it planned to buy a plot of land and a building in Kyoto "to turn into a museum,"...

Gunma helicopter crash injures 2, cuts power.
February 11, 2009... Gunma helicopter crash injures 2, cuts power Yomiuri MAEBASHI MAEBASHI--A 52-year-old man suffered serious injuries when the helicopter he was in crashed in a mountainous area in Gunma Prefecture after clipping a power line...

Mikasa Foods boss, 4 others arrested over tainted rice.
February 11, 2009... Mikasa Foods boss, 4 others arrested over tainted rice Yomiuri OSAKA OSAKA--The president of Osaka-based rice miller Mikasa Foods and four others were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of illegally reselling as edible rice...

Osaka Pref. expecting back-in-black budget.
February 11, 2009... Osaka Pref. expecting back-in-black budget Yomiuri OSAKA OSAKA--The Osaka prefectural government's draft for its fiscal 2009 general accounting budget is expected to be in surplus for the first time in 11 years, The Yomiuri...

Musings / Feb. 7, 2009.
February 11, 2009... Musings / Feb. 7, 2009 Yomiuri The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's Feb. 7 issue. * * * Poet Bunmei Tsuchiya (1890-1990) penned a work that reads: Because of this mother...

LDP 'set to field assassin against Watanabe'.
February 11, 2009... LDP 'set to field assassin against Watanabe' Yomiuri The Liberal Democratic Party leadership likely will field an "assassin" candidate in the constituency currently represented by Yoshimi Watanabe, a former state minister for...

Support rating fall blamed on Aso gaffes.
February 11, 2009... Support rating fall blamed on Aso gaffes Mieko Kawashima / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Yomiuri Ruling party lawmakers pointed to Prime Minister Taro Aso's recent remarks about a possible review of the postal service...

Tax-exempt bond issuance urged / Lawmakers hope to prompt.
February 11, 2009... Tax-exempt bond issuance urged / Lawmakers hope to prompt citizens to spend dormant funds Yomiuri Some in the government and ruling parties have begun calling for the issuance of no-interest inheritance tax-exempt government bonds to...

Japan Post may cancel sale of inns to Orix.
February 7, 2009... Japan Post may cancel sale of inns to Orix Yomiuri Japan Post Holdings Co. appears set to cancel its plan to sell its Kampo no Yado inns and other facilities to an Orix Group firm because Internal Affairs and Communications Minister...

Govt considers new rules on student recruitment.
February 7, 2009... Govt considers new rules on student recruitment Yomiuri The Education, Science and Technology Ministry is considering setting clearly defined rules on when companies may begin recruiting and other matters related to students' job...

Amari's civil service bill to go to Diet in March.
February 7, 2009... Amari's civil service bill to go to Diet in March Yomiuri Akira Amari, state minister in charge of administrative reform, said Friday he would submit a bill revising the National Civil Service Law to the Diet in March to press...

Local govt gave 55 mil. yen in subsidies to bogus group.
February 7, 2009... Local govt gave 55 mil. yen in subsidies to bogus group Yomiuri SAITAMA SAITAMA--The Kuki municipal office in Saitama Prefecture has paid about 55 million yen in subsidies to a bogus organization over the past 16 years,...

2 bodies found in burned building.
February 7, 2009... 2 bodies found in burned building Yomiuri CHIBA CHIBA--Two bodies were found in a fire-damaged two-story wooden building in Yachiyo, Chiba Prefecture, on Friday morning, police said. According to the police, the fire broke...

Investors 'helped run L&G scam' / Worked in tandem with co.
February 7, 2009... Investors 'helped run L&G scam' / Worked in tandem with company staff to operate alleged pyramid scheme Yomiuri Dozens of upper-level investors in bedding supplier L&G K.K.'s alleged pyramid scheme were deeply involved in the...

Ministry issues ban on online drug sales.
February 7, 2009... Ministry issues ban on online drug sales Yomiuri The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry on Friday issued a ministerial ordinance banning Internet and mail-order sales of nonprescription drugs except for those with a low risk of side...

Machimura reinstated as faction head.
February 7, 2009... Machimura reinstated as faction head Yomiuri The Liberal Democratic Party's largest faction decided at a general meeting Thursday to reinstate former Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura as chairman, marking a change of the...

Hashimoto making impact with direct style.
February 7, 2009... Hashimoto making impact with direct style Hiroshi Iwaisako and Yoshihiro Kiyonaga / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers Yomiuri OSAKA OSAKA--Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto, who reached his first anniversary in office Friday, has...

Musings / Feb. 4, 2009.
February 7, 2009... Musings / Feb. 4, 2009 Yomiuri The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun's Feb. 4 issue. * * * The legend of the "overnight castle" built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) in...

U.S. N-policy could hurt Japan / Obama's changes may under.
February 7, 2009... U.S. N-policy could hurt Japan / Obama's changes may undermine planned N-waste disposal facility Keiko Chino / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer Yomiuri U.S. President Barack Obama's nuclear energy policy could have considerable...