The Japan Times: All Stories

Calderon case shows need for new mind-set

Dear Japanese lawmakers, In mid-March, I opened up my newspaper to find an article about the government granting one-year temporary resident status to Noriko Calderon, an ethnic Filipino girl. I was shocked by the news because Noriko was born and raised in Japan. And just like most of her ethnic Japanese counterparts, Noriko said she loves her native country. Still, the Japanese government treated her like an "alien." As far as I am concerned, Noriko is not a foreigner, and she shouldn't need any special permission to live in Japan. Sure, her parents are from the Philippines, so she is of...

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Rule of law eludes Guantanamo detainees despite Obama's cheerleading for rights

NEW YORK — The Obama administration should show resolve in releasing Guantanamo Bay inmates or trying them in a court of law, says Navanethem Pillay, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her statement challenges President Barack Obama's remarks last May indicating that some Guantanamo detainees were too dangerous to be released and might have to be held indefinitely. The high commissioner's comments represent some of the stronger reactions to President Obama's decision to limit investigation of past abuses of detainees and to continue to hold some detainees without trial.

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Accommodation advice and visas

It's good to be able to report some positive experiences regarding finding accommodation in Japan. Here are a couple of letters we received. Mike Turner reads The Japan Times online in Oak Harbor, Wash. A 30-year navy man, he spent 23 years in Japan with his Japanese wife, and since retiring in 2004 has returned here frequently.

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Charity clothes swap proves big hit, perfect fit with Tokyo ladies

For many people, clothing has a way of accumulating. Heaps of clothes rise ever higher in rooms and closets and stay there for months on end. Much of the clothing is outgrown, unwanted or rarely worn at best. It's a familiar scenario, especially for those people who love to shop. For others, however, the high cost of clothing can make shopping prohibitive. Yet others are unable to find the styles or sizes they need in Japan.

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Mr. Amano heads IAEA

Mr. Yukiya Amano, Japan's ambassador to the Permanent Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna, was elected last week as the next chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the nuclear watchdog that was established in the Austrian capital in 1957 and now has 146 member countries. Mr. Amano's election as the next IAEA director general is significant. He is the first person from Asia to serve as chief and he comes from a nation that suffered the world's only atomic attacks. It is hoped that he will do his utmost, as he has pledged, to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

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How do you feel about the death of Michael Jackson?

Samuel David Ellard, 29Music shop owner (U.K.)After Jackson's death, every second person that came into my shop asked about his records. I think he was a talented musician, but I'm not the greatest fan of his work. Nguyen Duy Srederie, 26Systems engineer (French)He was very famous, so I was shocked when I heard of his death. I think many people in France were sad to learn about his death.

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Battles with racism in India's own backyard

CHENNAI, India — It has long been known that India has its own brand of racism, manifested in a number of ways. Largely out of sight from the rest of the world, the malaise needed the gutsy chief minister of India's northeastern state of Mizoram, Pu Lalthanhawla, to get dramatic exposure. "I am a victim of racism," he told an international forum on water recently in Singapore, leaving his fellow delegates red-faced. "In India, people ask me if I am an Indian. When I go south (India), people ask me such questions. They ask me if I am from Nepal or elsewhere. They forget that the northeast is...

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Cops crack down with 'I pee' checks

My blog has been getting periodic pings about rumblings in Roppongi: Tokyo cops cleaning out pesky foreign touts before Olympic inspectors see them; the U.S. Embassy warning Americans to stay away from the area after reports of drugged drinks and thefts. The latter was particularly embarrassing (coming from the Americans, of all people) given Japan's reputation for having the world's safest streets. So police have begun reasserting their control, cracking down on — you guessed it — foreigners. And where might you find them? You guessed that too.

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Winter of Australia's discontent

SYDNEY — Now that Australia's politicians have scattered across the world — they are diligent in flying off on global research projects during long recesses — exasperated voters are enjoying relief from the mudslinging that marked the most frenetic-ever final week of a winter sitting in the Federal Parliament. Observers agree that the week muddied the shining reputation of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and dashed opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull's hopes of becoming prime minister.

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Relief for Minamata victims

The Upper House is likely to enact a bill that will offer financial relief to more sufferers of Minamata disease. It is expected to cover about 20,000 of some 30,000 people, mainly in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures, who are seeking recognition as Minamata disease sufferers. But it has flaws. Minamata disease is a neurological disorder caused by organic mercury that was released into the Sea of Shiranui a Chisso Corp. plant in Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture. In 1956, the existence of Minamata disease was recognized, and in 1968 it was officially recognized as a disease caused by man-made...

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Mexico rolls in Gold Cup opener

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Javier Aguirre could nitpick Mexico's mistakes. Instead, the country's new coach praised his young club for continuing to attack and create chances against defense-minded Nicaragua. Aguirre just hopes star forward Carlos Vela will be back for Mexico's next Gold Cup match after leaving Sunday's 2-0 victory over Nicaragua in Group C play with a lower leg injury.

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All regions looking up, BOJ says

The Bank of Japan raised its economic assessment Monday for all of the nation's nine regions, the first across-the-board upgrade since January 2006, thanks to export and production surges. In its quarterly Sakura Report on regional economies, the central bank said the economy has "begun to stop worsening, but it still remains in a severe situation," suggesting Japan is picking up from its worst postwar recession, albeit at a slow pace.

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Aussie Lee a doubt for first Ashes test

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) Australia fast bowler Brett Lee may be a doubt for the first Ashes test this week after going for a scan on a rib injury. Team spokesman Philip Pope said that Lee reported "a sore left rib" after playing against the England Lions and was to undergo a scan on Monday.

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Wallace agrees to deal with Celtics

NEW YORK (AP) Two newspapers are reporting that the Boston Celtics have reached an agreement with free agent Rasheed Wallace. Bill Strickland, Wallace's agent, told the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe on Sunday night that the 34-year-old forward told him to call off meetings the agent was in the process of scheduling with the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks.

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No need, but kids get diet supplements

Fifteen percent of parents of preschool kids have given dietary supplements to their children, mostly in the hope of improving their health even though there are no medical grounds for doing so, the National Institute of Health and Nutrition said in a study released Monday. "Even if they contain substances the body needs, continuing to give them could lead to an excessive intake and have harmful effects on small children," the institute warned, saying there is a lack of data to verify the effectiveness and safety of supplements for children.

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Chamusca to stay on as Oita coach

OITA (Kyodo) Troubled J. League club Oita Trinita have given manager Pericles Chamusca a stay of execution just days after indicating the charismatic Brazilian was on his way out, team official Yasushi Hara said Monday. "He will be in charge of the team for the next game," Hara said, referring to Sunday's trip to Jubilo Iwata. "At the moment I can't comment on what will happen after that."

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McNair's death ruled homicide

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Shot twice in the head and two more times in the chest, former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was the victim of a homicide, police declared Sunday. But authorities wouldn't say it was a murder-suicide — even with his 20-year-old girlfriend dead at his feet from a single bullet. McNair had been dating Sahel Kazemi for several months, and Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said Sunday that a semiautomatic pistol was found under her body. She was shot in the head.

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J. League names JOMO Cup squad

Urawa Reds rookie midfielder Naoki Yamada and Vissel Kobe striker Yoshito Okubo have been named to the All-Star squad of J. League players to meet their counterparts from South Korea's K-League in next month's JOMO Cup, the J. League said Monday. A record six players from J. League champions Kashima Antlers, including Mitsuo Ogasawara and Atsuto Uchida, feature in the squad to be led by Antlers' Brazilian manager Oswaldo Oliveira for the Aug. 8 match in Incheon, South Korea.

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Psychoanalyst Doi dead at 89

Renowned psychoanalyst Takeo Doi, who penned the 1970s best-seller "The Anatomy of Dependence," an analysis of the mentality and behavioral patterns of Japanese people, died Sunday of old age, his family said Monday. He was 89. The book, published in 1971 and later translated into English and other languages, dealt with the concept of "amae," or emotional dependency on and the desire to be cared for by authority figures.

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Porn downloads strain mobile network

Takeshi says he pays ¥6,300 a month to NTT DoCoMo Inc. for unlimited Internet access, allowing him to download adult movies on his mobile phone. "A mobile is far handier than a computer for Internet access — I seldom use a PC outside the office," said Takeshi, a 32-year-old Tokyo travel agent who declined to give his surname.

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Destroyers embark on antipiracy mission

YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa Pref. (Kyodo) Two Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers left Monday for antipiracy operations off Somalia under a new law authorizing them to escort commercial ships of any nationality. They are also allowed under the new law to fire on pirate boats that ignore warning shots and close in on commercial ships, although they still cannot harm pirates except in limited circumstances, such as in self-defense.

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Balanced news key for Yahoo Japan

While Yahoo Japan's news service has grown bigger and more powerful with the rise of the Internet, it has become tougher for the media to broadcast news with important value to its audience, said Michihiro Okumura, who leads a team that selects Yahoo Japan's news topics for its front page. "I feel the media are expected to be something that send a warning to society. But when I look at the access ranking (of news stories), that idea is forgotten. Working in Internet media, I strongly feel that significant things are not reaching people," Okumura, a former Yomiuri Shimbun reporter, said...

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Tiger wins title at his own event

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) Even after 68 victories, Tiger Woods never had a finish quite like Sunday at the AT&T National. It had nothing to do with the golf, which was all too familiar.

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Pitching aroma puts firms on profit scent

Because advertisements are ubiquitous, it's hard to make them stand out. While most rely on visual impact, some companies are attempting to appeal to another sense: smell.

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Man turns self in over pachinko parlor fire

OSAKA (Kyodo) A man turned himself in at a police station in Yamaguchi Prefecture Monday night saying he was responsible for a fatal pachinko parlor fire last weekend in Osaka, police said. The man was identified as Sunao Takami, 41. He was taken into custody on suspicion of arson and murder. Further information, including why he ended up in Yamaguchi Prefecture, was not immediately available.

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GM bankruptcy plan approved

NEW YORK (AP) A bankruptcy judge has ruled that General Motors Corp. can sell the bulk of its assets to a new company, potentially clearing the way for the automaker to quickly emerge from bankruptcy protection. U.S. Judge Robert Gerber said in his 95-page ruling late Sunday that the sale was in the best interests of both GM and its creditors, whom he said would otherwise get nothing.

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Sugimoto wins at Grand Slam Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO (Kyodo) Mika Sugimoto won the gold medal in the women's over 78-kg final at the Grand Slam Rio on Sunday but heavyweight Hiroki Tachiyama had to settle for silver in the men's over 100-kg category. Sugimoto clinched an "ippon" win by taking out Dutchwoman Carola Uilenhoed with a sweeping hip throw on the final day of the two-day meet in the Brazilian capital.

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Hobbs replaced as Japan's basketball coach

The Japanese national basketball team almost seems cursed. Every time it tries to move forward, there is some kind of disturbance. First off, Team Japan suffered major setbacks when it lost two of its best players in Takuya Kawamura and Yuta Tabuse, both of whom left the squad to compete for a spot on an NBA team in the United States.

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$500 million to boost Toyota Indiana plant

Toyota Motor Corp., grappling with excess North American plant capacity as sales wither, plans to spend about $500 million to upgrade an Indiana SUV assembly plant, its biggest single such investment this year. Toyota has budgeted ¥48.4 billion for the Princeton, Ind., project, out of its ¥830 billion global plan for factory upgrades, it said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 24.

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Sumo champ Asashoryu had spring divorce

Sumo grand champion Asashoryu divorced earlier this year, the Mongolian wrestler's manager said Monday on his blog, which also carried a statement from the 28-year-old wrestler saying the decision was made after the pair had "repeated discussions." Asashoryu, whose real name is Dolgorsuren Dagvadorj, married Gombotseren Tamir, 29, in December 2002 when he held the rank of ozeki, sumo's second-highest.

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Prius whips even minicars to top June sales ranking

The Toyota Prius outsold all other cars in Japan in June, even minivehicles, posting sales of 22,292 units, industry groups said Monday, as government tax breaks and other subsidies helped boost demand for fuel-efficient automobiles. It is the first time the gasoline-electric hybrid, including both old and new models, has reached the No. 1 spot, topping even the ever-popular minivehicles, which have engines no bigger than 660cc.

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NHK a fount of info, a lot of it from the government

Sometimes compared with the British Broadcasting Corporation or America's Public Broadcasting System — and by its fiercest critics even to the state-run media in China and North Korea — NHK boasts two terrestrial television services, three satellite television services, three radio networks and the NHK World international broadcast service. Beginning as a radio station in 1926, NHK started television broadcasting in 1950. Its most famous broadcast was arguably the radio announcement by Emperor Hirohito, known posthumously as Emperor Showa, that Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration,...

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Yi wins playoff for first LPGA title

SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) The gallery was going wild. There was no question what had happened. Eunjung Yi watched from the 17th tee and knew that Morgan Pressel, playing just ahead of her, had holed a lob wedge from 70 yards for eagle that had erased what had only a few holes earlier had been a six-shot lead.

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LDP candidates in Tokyo race cool to Aso

Prime Minister Taro Aso has been trying hard to rally support for Liberal Democratic Party candidates in next Sunday's Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, which figures to be a hard-fought race between the ruling bloc and opposition parties and a bellwether for the general election. The problem is the LDP candidates running for the Tokyo assembly don't like it.

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Pujols leads All-Star voting; Ichiro selected

NEW YORK — Albert Pujols will be in a familiar spot when St. Louis hosts the 80th All-Star game. Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield is headed for a brand new situation. Pujols was the leading vote-getter in balloting for the Midsummer Classic announced Sunday by Major League Baseball, giving the Cardinals first baseman the start in his home ballpark.

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Poll: DPJ surging past LDP in Tokyo

The Democratic Party of Japan is likely to become the most powerful party in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly in Sunday's election, overtaking the Liberal Democratic Party, a Kyodo News opinion poll indicated. Of 1,037 randomly chosen voters in Tokyo polled over the weekend by phone, 30.3 percent said they will vote for candidates backed by the DPJ.

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DPJ fiscal policy criminal: Yosano

The Democratic Party of Japan's fiscal policy stance is bordering on the criminal, Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano charged Monday. Yosano's strong criticism of the DPJ apparently reflects his frustration over the hard time facing the Liberal Democratic Party ahead of the general election.

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Series MVP Kishi among 17 first-timers on Japanese baseball All-Star rosters

Chunichi Dragons left-hander Yudai Kawai and Yakult Swallows right-hander Yoshinori Sato were among the managers' picks as the complete rosters were announced Monday for the upcoming Japanese baseball All-Star series. Central League manager Tatsunori Hara of the Yomiuri Giants and his Pacific League counterpart, Hisanobu Watanabe of the Seibu Lions, added their picks for the two-game series July 24-25, a week after organizers released the results of fan voting.

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Matsui, Yanks rally to defeat Blue Jays

NEW YORK (AP) Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter looked like an All-Star on Sunday, although that's hardly a surprise. The fact that Alfredo Aceves also did caught plenty of folks off guard.

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Egypt wins World Cup qualifier

CAIRO (AP) Mohammed Abu Treka scored twice to help Egypt to a 3-0 win over Rwanda in a World Cup qualifier Sunday. Hosni Abed Rabbu also scored for the Pharaohs, who jumped from last to second in their group with four points, three back of Algeria. Winless Rwanda, which hasn't scored a goal in three qualifiers, went to the bottom of Group C with one point.

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Federer finally stands alone

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) Roger Federer was playing for history. Andy Roddick was playing the match of his life. On and on they dueled, Federer trying for a record-breaking 15th major championship, Roddick striving for his second, in a Wimbledon final that required more games than any Grand Slam title match in the considerable annals of a sport dating to the 1800s.

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Cavendish wins Tour's second stage

BRIGNOLES, France (AP) Lance Armstrong just wanted to stay out of trouble on a scorching day that one rider felt was better suited for baking bread. British sprinter Mark Cavendish won the second stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, with Armstrong finishing safely in the pack and Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland keeping the leader's yellow jersey. Cancellara captured the opening time trial a day earlier.

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¥77 million for base asbestos death

YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa Pref. (Kyodo) The Yokohama District Court ordered the government Monday to pay about ¥77 million to the family of a deceased man who developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos while working at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. Presiding Judge Haruhiko Sakae of the Yokosuka branch of the district court ruled the government and the U.S. military neglected to take necessary safety measures, such as having workers wear protective masks.

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All-Star Hamilton to make return

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will be reinstated from the 15-day disabled list Monday, in time to return to Texas' lineup for the team's game against the Los Angeles Angels. To make room for Hamilton, the Rangers will send struggling first baseman Chris Davis to Triple-A Oklahoma City to get his swing untracked. Davis is batting .202 and leads the majors with 114 strikeouts.

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