Japan, N. Korea fall short of conclusion on 1st day of talks
December 24, 2005Japan and North Korea fell short of agreeing on Tokyo's proposal to set up three working groups to address outstanding bilateral issues as they began their two-day talks on Saturday, Japan's chief delegate Akitaka Saiki said. But the North also acknowledged the ''necessity and importance'' of such panels in their discussions, which focused on the format of their future negotiations, said Saiki, the deputy head of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau.
Japan, N. Korea discuss 3 working group format in Beijing
December 24, 2005Japan and North Korea on Saturday discussed the format proposed by Tokyo to set up three working groups to address outstanding issues of bilateral concern separately but did not come to a conclusion as to how to proceed with future negotiations, Japan's chief delegate Akitaka Saiki said. ''We heard (North Korea's) thoughts'' on Japan's proposal, Saiki told reporters in Beijing, but added that there were many points of contention and that the talks which began Saturday will continue the next day.
Soccer: Oguro to join Grenoble in early Jan. on multiyear deal
December 24, 2005Gamba Osaka and Japan striker Masashi Oguro will join French second-division club Grenoble on a multiyear full-transfer deal running from Jan. 2 next year, Grenoble general manager Kazuyoshi Tanabe said Saturday. No other deals were immediately known on the contract for Oguro, who is slated to hold a press conference on Tuesday. Both clubs agreed on the transfer of the 25-year-old earlier this week.
Horse racing: Jockey Take rewrites single-season win record
December 24, 2005Star jockey Yutaka Take picked up two wins Saturday to set a single-season Japan Racing Association record with 212 wins, breaking the mark he produced last year. Take eclipsed his own mark when he steered 4-year-old horse Firenze to victory at Hanshin Racecourse, two races after posting his 211th win of the year in the day's seventh race.
Japanese abductee kin urges gov't not to abandon abduction issue
December 24, 2005The families of Japanese victims of abduction by North Korea urged their government Saturday not to abandon the issue and to take a firm stand in dealing with North Korea on the matter in bilateral talks taking place this weekend in Beijing. Shigeo Iizuka, 67, whose sister Yaeko Taguchi was taken to North Korea in 1978 at age 22, said, ''I hope (the Japanese government) will not just abandon the abduction issue or make the talks a stage for North Korea to buy time or close the curtain'' on the abduction issue.