The Japan Times: All Stories

Student dies from archery arrow wound

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:10:00 PST

A 16-year-old boy who fell unconscious earlier this month after being struck between the eyebrows with an arrow, shot by a 17-year-old boy from the same high school archery club, died Sunday at a hospital where he had been treated, police said.
The police said they plan to conduct an autopsy on the boy to determine the cause of death, with an eye to possibly laying a charge of gross negligence resulting in death against the 17-year-old boy, who was practicing archery alone with the victim at the time of the accident.

Symposium highlights unresolved issues of Minamata disease sufferers

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:11:00 PST

The problems facing people suffering from fetal Minamata disease remain unresolved more than 50 years after the mercury-poisoning disorder was officially detected in 1956, a researcher of the disease said Sunday.
"While sensory impairment is one of the criteria for official recognition as a Minamata disease patient, it is difficult for sufferers who have entered their 50s to prove the symptom, although they exhibit higher brain dysfunction apparently caused by mercury," said Masazumi Harada, professor at Kumamoto Gakuen University.

Renatinho hits hat-trick as Kawasaki triumphs over Chiba

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:12:00 PST

KAWASAKI (Kyodo) Renatinho provided J-League leaders Kawasaki Frontale with the perfect tonic for their Nabisco Cup hangover with a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-2 win over JEF United Chiba on Sunday.
Chiba took a shock lead through Kohei Kudo's first-half strike but Renatinho leveled from the penalty spot before the Brazilian striker's deflected second put the home side in front with 19 minutes left.

Muto takes 3rd career title at Lexus championship

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:13:00 PST

BANDO, Ibaraki Pref. (Kyodo) Toshinori Muto shot the day's low round of 7-under 64 to win the Championship by Lexus by three strokes for his third career title on Sunday.
Teeing off two shots off the lead in tie for third, Muto picked up two shots on the front nine and birdied five of the last nine holes in a flawless round to seal victory on 16-under 268 at Otone Country Club in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Song wins Mizuno Classic by 3 strokes

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:14:00 PST

SHIMA, Mie Pref. (Kyodo) Overnight leader Song Bo Bae closed with a 4-under 68 Sunday to win the Mizuno Classic by three strokes.
The Japan-based South Korean finished at 15-under 201 at Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club in Mie Prefecture for her third career Japan LPGA title and second of the season following the Japan Women's Open in October.

Demo of 21,000 people demand closure of Futenma air base

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:15:00 PST

GINOWAN, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) Around 21,000 people protested against the planned relocation of a U.S. military airfield within Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Japan, in a sign of growing local frustration over the new Japanese government's vague stance in reviewing the transfer plan.
The protesters called for the immediate closure of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station located in a downtown residential area of Ginowan and urged Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to reject the transfer of the facility to a coastal zone in Nago, northern Okinawa, in his talks with Obama slated for Friday in Tokyo.

Okinawa police investigate possible hit-and-run involving U.S. military vehicle

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:16:00 PST

NAHA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) Okinawa prefectural police said Sunday they have begun examining a vehicle used by U.S. military personnel in connection with the death of a man in the village of Yomitan in a possible hit-and-run accident.
The vehicle was brought to a garage close to the site where the man's body was found. The police said hair was found on the broken windshield of the vehicle.

Hatoyama, ministers meet to discuss JAL rescue plan

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:17:00 PST

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama met with ministers at his official residence Sunday evening on the pressing issue of how to rescue ailing Japan Airlines Corp., government officials said.
The government is seeking to compile a comprehensive rescue package for Japan's largest airline, which is facing the risk of a cash shortage as early as the end of this month.

Frontale's Nakamura pulls out of Japan squad due to thigh injury

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:18:00 PST

Kawasaki Frontale midfielder Kengo Nakamura has withdrawn from Japan's squad for the upcoming games against South Africa and Hong Kong after hurting his right thigh in Sunday's 3-2 win over JEF United Chiba in the J-League.
"The thigh has been sore for a little while and the same area now hurts even more. There is no way I can go on national duty," said Nakamura, who will need two weeks to make a full recovery.

Kan aims to create longer-term growth strategy by year-end

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:19:00 PST

Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Sunday that he is aiming to devise by year-end a 10- to 20-year economic growth strategy for the government of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
Speaking to the press, Kan, who doubles as state minister in charge of national policy, said he wants "jobs, the environment, children and economic stimulus to become the four pillars (of the economic strategy)."

Yuzaki wins Hiroshima gubernatorial election

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:20:00 PST

HIROSHIMA (Kyodo) Hidehiko Yuzaki, a 44-year-old former trade ministry bureaucrat, won the gubernatorial election in Hiroshima Prefecture Sunday, replacing outgoing Gov. Yuzan Fujita.
Backed by Fujita supporters among Liberal Democratic Party members of the prefectural assembly, as well as by members of the Democratic Party of Japan, Yuzaki defeated four other contenders and secured his first four-year term in the governor's office.

Japan announces fiscal reconstruction plan at G20

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:21:00 PST

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (Kyodo) Japan told a meeting of the Group of 20 major countries about its plan to set up at an early date a target to rebuild its finances, Senior Vice Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Saturday.
During a press conference at the end of the two-day meeting of the G20 finance ministers and central bankers, Noda also said the Japanese economy is "picking up but lacks self-sustainability, and employment conditions are severe," and that he will aim to realize economic growth led by domestic demand.

Torso found near severed head of missing Shimane woman

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:22:00 PST

MATSUE, Shimane Pref. (Kyodo) A human torso was found Sunday at a mountain in Hiroshima Prefecture near the site where the head of a missing 19-year-old woman from neighboring Shimane Prefecture has been found, the police said.
A joint investigation squad of the Shimane and Hiroshima prefectural police said they believe the undressed torso belonged to Miyako Hiraoka, a first-year student at the University of Shimane, who went missing after finishing her shift at a part-time job on the evening of Oct. 26.

Hatoyama, Obama will skip in-depth talks on Futenma: Okada

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:23:00 PST

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and U.S. President Barack Obama are unlikely to engage in in-depth discussions on a bilateral dispute over the relocation of a U.S. Marine Corps airfield in Okinawa Prefecture when they meet in Tokyo later this week, Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said Sunday.
"There has been a tacit agreement (between the two countries) that silliness, in which the top Japanese and U.S. leaders discuss the issue but can't decide on anything, should be avoided," Okada said during a TV Asahi program.