Tokyo Daily

Manabu Miyazaki among those opposing anti-yakuza legislation

TOKYO (TR) – On October 5, the National Police Agency announced a revision to the Anti-Organized Crime Law to be submitted to the ordinary session of the Diet. The initiative follows anti-gang ordinances adopted by all prefectures and administrative divisions last October.

In spite of attempting to reduce criminal activities, the moves are not without their critics, reports Nikkan Gendai (Jan. 28). Read the story »

Latest Features

Tokyo fest to feature five world premieres, offer support to Tohoku

TOKYO (TR) – The 24th Tokyo International Film Festival will be highlighted by five world premieres in competition and offer encouragement to the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, organizers announced on Wednesday.

TIFF chairman Tatsumi “Tom” Yoda said at a press conference at the Roppongi Hills complex in Tokyo’s Minato Ward that this year’s installment of the fest, which runs between October 22 and 30, will utilize the slogan “Believe! The power of films” in an effort to support the victims of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan’s Tohoku region. Read the story »

Osaka in 24 hours

OSAKA (TR) – As Japan’s third largest city, Osaka offers a mix of modernity and traditional touches: culturally important structures, culinary delights, interesting art — it’s all here. What follows is a guide to this city for a single day’s stay.

08:00: Osaka may be considered Japan’s second city in many ways but when it comes to urban sprawl it has just about as many flashing neon signs, packed trains, and towering skyscrapers as that found in Tokyo. For an idea of how things used to be, start your day by heading over to Osaka Castle, nearly an oasis of serenity in the center of this city of 2.6 million people. Around the grounds, paths wind beneath cherry trees, near the moats, and up to the imposing stone walls that surround the structure. Osaka Castle Museum includes displays that feature the history of castle, which was originally constructed by warlord Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1537-1598), elaborate samurai armor and helmets, and a top-floor observation deck. The area surrounding the compound also offers no shortage of vendors peddling grilled mochi (rice cakes) wrapped in nori (seaweed) and piping-hot red bean cakes. Read the story »

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TR News Blog

Preliminary talks on Japan’s entry in the TPP free trade negotiations begin Tuesday, Kyodo says

TOKYO (TR) – Preliminary talks on Japan’s entry to the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement negotiations will begin next Tuesday when senior U.S. and Japanese officials meet in Washington, Kyodo News reported, citing Japanese government officials.

The talks are scheduled to take place over two days. The two sides will discuss Washington’s call for Japan to further open its auto and farm markets, Kyodo said. The outcome of the talks will determine whether Japan joins the other nine nations currently involved in the TPP negotiations. Read the story »

Death toll from Japan snow storm surpasses 50; more storms predicted, International Business Times says

TOKYO (TR) – The worst snow storm in Japan in six years killed as many as 52 people and injured another 600, according to the International Business Times.

A series of storms stretching across much of the main island of Honshu and the northern island of Hokkaido since the New Year have battered the nation which is still trying to recover from the March 11, earthquake and tsunami that killed as many as 20,000 people. Nearly half the cities in the western prefecture of Niigata have already spent the funds earmarked for snow removal this year, the IBT said, citing news reports. Read the story »

Computer glitch temporarily halts trading on Tokyo Stock Exchange, Bloomberg says

TOKYO (TR) – The Tokyo Stock Exchange has resumed trading after a glitch forced a halt in early morning trading Thursday that affected 241 securities, including Sony Corp. and Hitachi Ltd., Bloomberg News reported.

The glitch was traced to a server tied to the exchange’s data transmission service, according to Bloomberg. The error also forced a temporary halt in trading of the affected securities on the Sapporo Stock Exchanged as well as alternative platforms such as SBI Japannext and Chi-X Japan Ltd.; their servers are linked, the news agency said. Read the story »

Pipe at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi plant breaks, leaks 8.5 tons of radioactive water, Kyodo says

TOKYO (TR) – As much as 8.5 tons of radioactive cooling water escaped from Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi reactor No. 4 after a pipe broke at the facility, Kyodo News reported, citing the power utility.

Engineers at the plant stopped the leak 13 minutes after the pipe burst and none of the radioactive water left the building, officials said, according to Kyodo. No fuel was in reactor No. 4 when the March 11, earthquake and tsunami hit; it was undergoing maintenance and offline at the time. Read the story »

Sony names Kazuo Hirai as President and CEO; Stringer to become Chairman of the Board

TOKYO (TR) – Electronics and entertainment giant Sony Corp. named Kazuo Hirai as president and chief executive officer as a replacement for Howard Stringer, who will become Chairman of the Board of Directors, according to a press release issued by the company on Tuesday.

Hirai’s promotion will be effective April 1, while Stringer will assume chairman duties in June, the release said.

For the second quarter of the current fiscal year, Sony reported a 27 billion yen ($346 million) loss. A strong yen and weak sales in televisions are expected to make this year the fourth consecutive in which the company has been in the red. Read the story »

Japanese auto suppliers Yazaki, Denso admit to U.S. price-fixing, execs agree to prison terms, Detroit Free Press says

TOKYO (TR) – Four Japanese executives for Yazaki Corp. are going to prison and the company has agreed to pay one of the largest anti-trust fines in U.S. history after the auto-parts company along with Denso Corp. plead guilty to price-fixing, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Yazaki Corp. and Denso Corp. executives plead guilty to conspiring to fix and inflate the price of automotive components they sold to U.S. companies. Yazaki agreed to pay a $470 million fine, the second largest ever for violating anti-trust laws in the U.S.; Denso agreed to pay $78 million. Read the story »