| Record 44 sentenced to death in Japan in 2006 | | Posted Saturday, December 30, 2006 3:05:35 PM by Blog57 Team | | _ A record 44 people were sentenced to death in Japan this year, while capital punishment on 21 defendants was finalized, bringing the number of death row inmates to 94, also a record high, according to the Supreme Court and other sources. The 21 defendants include AUM Shinrikyo cult founder Shoko Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, 51, who was convicted of masterminding the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system and other charges, and Kaoru Kobayashi, 38, who murdered a 7-year-old girl in Nara Prefecture in 2004. Asahara's special appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court in September, while Kobayashi withdrew his appeal in October after receiving a death sentence at the Nara District Court. Among the 44 convicts who were sentenced to death, the initial verdict for three was life imprisonment.... | |
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| | | Napster Launches Phone Tunes in Japan | | Posted Monday, November 06, 2006 7:20:38 PM by Blog57 Team | | Internet music download company Napster Inc. on Monday said its song and ringtone service for cell phones is now available to Japan's NTT DoCoMo subscribers for about $3 per month. Currently, more than 40 million customers use DoCoMo's iMode Internet platform. Napster Mobile on iMode subscribers will receive a monthly allotment of credits that can be used to buy whole songs or ringtones that are delivered over-the-air compatible phones. Napster said DoCoMo, Japan's biggest mobile phone company, is promoting the service with a multi-million-dollar marketing campaign that includes TV advertising. In October, Napster launched a Japanese music service in a joint venture with Tower Records Japan, in a bid to catch up with Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes in one of the world's biggest mobile music markets.... | |
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| | | Japan energy: Goodbye Iran, hello Iraq | | Posted Monday, November 06, 2006 1:34:44 PM by Blog57 Team | | TOKYO - Fresh from a serious setback in Iran, where it lost its controlling stake in the huge Azadegan oilfield, Japan has launched diplomatic efforts in earnest to secure petroleum in neighboring Iraq. Recently, Tokyo invited Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani to Japan and they issued a joint communique pledging Japanese assistance for improvements to the oil and gas infrastructure in the war-torn country. Japan specifically pledged to provide loans of about 20 billion yen (US$170 million) to Iraq as part of the $3.5 billion aid package already committed. Iraq is believed to have the world's third-largest oil reserves, after Saudi Arabia and Iran. Despite its huge potential, however, the country is relatively unexplored because of years of sanctions and war.... | |
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| | | Santana pulls out of All-Star tour of Japan | | Posted Friday, October 27, 2006 11:13:09 PM by Blog57 Team | | TOKYO (AP) -- Minnesota Twins pitcher Johan Santanahas been removed from the roster of stars scheduled to play an exhibition tour in Japan next month. The official reason cited by Major League Baseball was shoulder tendinitis, but Santana had a number of ailments by the end of the season -- including soreness in his back and hip. .... | |
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| | | Japan, Acting to Calm U.S. Worries, Rules Out Building Nuclear Arms | | Posted Thursday, October 19, 2006 7:06:06 AM by Blog57 Team | | TOKYO, Oct. 18 -- Japan "is absolutely not considering" building a nuclear arsenal in response to the North Korean nuclear test, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Wednesday, moments after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated that Japan was protected by the American nuclear umbrella. Rice arrived here Wednesday on the first stop of a tour through northeast Asia and Russia. Her trip is aimed at allaying concerns and coordinating strategy against the Pyongyang government in the wake of the test. .... | |
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| | | Japan's Nikkei 225 Climbs to Five-Month High on Profit Outlook | | Posted Tuesday, October 10, 2006 11:01:11 AM by Blog57 Team | | Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average climbed to the highest in almost five months on speculation companies will report better-than-forecast profit in coming weeks. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. and Canon Inc. led advances. ``The confidence level on corporate earnings that are expected soon is pretty high,'' said Yoji Takeda, who helps manage $600 million in Asian stocks for RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd. in Hong Kong. ``The economy is growing at a moderate pace.'' The Nikkei rose 41.19, or 0.3 percent, to 16,477.25 at the 3 p.m. close in Tokyo, after earlier losing as much as 0.7 percent. That's the highest since May 15. The broader Topix index added 0.62 point to 1634.83, reversing a 0.6 percent decline. Shares pared their gains after the Cabinet Office said machinery orders rose at a slower-than-expected pace in August.... | |
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| | | Japan Japan coach Osim opts for new blood | | Posted Sunday, October 01, 2006 11:05:59 PM by Blog57 Team | | Japan coach Ivica Osim sprung another surprise on Sunday by calling up four more uncapped players for Wednesday's home friendly against Ghana. Free-scoring Gamba Osaka striker Ryuji Bando was among the latest to get the call from Osim, who has completely overhauled the Japan side since taking over in July. Bando celebrated his call-up by scoring his 15th J-League goal of the season on Sunday. Kawasaki Frontale's Kengo Nakamura and JEF United Chiba's Hiroki Mizumoto and Satoru Yamagishi were also named among Osim's 20-man squad. Osim's recent penchant of recruiting lesser-known J-League players has led to a shortfall of ticket sales for Japan matches, however, with demand for Wednesday's game also slow. None of Japan's Europe-based players was named in Osim's squad.... | |
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| | | Sony Cuts PS3 Price by 20 Percent as Japan Users Balk (Update7) | | Posted Friday, September 22, 2006 7:09:10 PM by Blog57 Team | | Sept. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Sony Corp., the world's biggest maker of video-game players, cut the price in Japan of its PlayStation 3 by about 20 percent, responding to complaints it cost twice as much as Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. consoles. The game player will retail for 49,980 yen ($430) when it goes on sale from Nov. 11, Ken Kutaragi, head of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., said at the Tokyo Game Show today. The company previously said it would sell the cheapest model for 59,800 yen, excluding tax. ``They had to cut it because rivals have lower prices, and they may lower the price again if sales don't go well,'' said Yoku Ihara, head of equity research at Retela Crea Securities Co. in Tokyo. ``Sony should have looked further ahead before they announced the PS3 price in the first place'' in May.... | |
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| | | Japan's premier race lacks competition | | Posted Saturday, September 16, 2006 1:27:28 PM by Blog57 Team | | TOKYO -- Japan is facing one of its most important prime ministerial elections in years: Tokyo's ties with Asia are in crisis, the country is moving toward constitutional revision and a fiscal crunch is around the corner. But Japan's race for a new leader is anything but riveting. The heir apparent, Shinzo Abe, has been apparent for at least a year, and has been endorsed by the popular incumbent, Junichiro Koizumi. Abe's plans are decidedly vague, and the only man capable of challenging dropped out months ago. The absence of competition has important implications. With his election as ruling party president - and then prime minister - all but guaranteed, Abe has had little pressure to outperform his rivals by presenting a detailed platform. The dearth of definition could mean that he'll take office without a mandate for a definite direction.... | |
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| | | It's never too late to train for Osim's Japan | | Posted Saturday, September 02, 2006 1:11:10 AM by Blog57 Team | | For a man who once said there is nothing to be learned from resting, that Ivica Osim worked out his team at almost one in the morning should not come as a surprise. Japan arrived in Jeddah for Sunday's Asian Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday, the players exhausted from the long travel. A quick shower, then bed time was what they had to be thinking. So what does the manager do? Takes the 24-strong squad to the training ground directly from the airport, and organizes a 70-minute practice in 33 C heat and smothering humidity. The team bus left for the hotel at 2 a.m. "I've never trained at this hour in my entire life," midfielder Yasuhito Endo said. "I was shocked when Iooked at my watch." "We used to train right after traveling at Chiba, but this is tough," said forward Seiichiro Maki, a former Osim fledgling at JEF United Chiba.... | |
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