Koizumi inspects factory producing painless hypodermic needles
January 21, 2006Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi recently inspected the Tokyo company that developed the world's first painless hypodermic needles.
Japanese women need to care more about bodies than diets
January 21, 2006"Japanese women really take a lot of care with their external appearance, but what's really important for our bodies now are not things like diets that undermine their health, but how we approach our bodies and sex," Noriko Hattori said in a report on her return to Japan from a stint living in Paris.
U.S. mad cow bungle forces Yoshinoya to drag gyudon from menu again
January 21, 2006Major restaurant chain Yoshinoya D & C said on Saturday that it would put off serving gyudon beef-and-rice meals because Japan has once again halted beef imports from the United States.
Unified university entrance exams start
January 21, 2006Unified university entrance examinations kicked off across Japan on Saturday, with listening dictation in English one of the programs for the first time.
Snow causes 28 injuries in capital area
January 21, 2006At least 28 people were injured when they toppled down on snowy roads in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture on Saturday, rescue officials said.
Livedoor executive tells colleague '99 percent' chance of hiding wrongs
January 21, 2006A Livedoor Co.
Red-faced cops apologize to boy over mistaken arrest
January 21, 2006MIYAKONOJO, Miyazaki -- Red-faced police apologized Saturday for mistakenly arresting a high school boy about a year ago for a theft and trespassing he never committed.
Middle-aged man fondles kindergarteners
January 21, 2006EBINA, Kanagawa -- A middle-aged man who fondled young sisters Friday in front of their kindergarten was arrested Saturday for violence, police said.
Snow blankets central Tokyo
January 21, 2006The Otemachi district of central Tokyo was covered on Saturday with snow more than 6 centimeters deep for the first time since January 2001, the Meteorological Agency said.
Rights crusader wins defamation battle with Ni-Chaneru
January 21, 2006IWAMIZAWA, Hokkaido -- Ni-Chaneru's operator has been ordered by a court here to pay 1.1 million yen compensation to foreigners' rights campaigner Debito Arudou for a defamatory posting on the country's most popular online bulletin board.
Labor official resigns for 'fining' colleague for mistakes
January 21, 2006OKAYAMA -- A section chief at a local labor bureau resigned after being punished for forcing a subordinate to pay him over 1 million yen in "fines" for making work-related mistakes, officials said Saturday.
Koizumi vows to continue reforms, improve ties with China and South Korea
January 21, 2006Japan will push ahead with wide-ranging reforms and strengthen its relations with China and South Korea, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Friday, in what may be his last annual policy speech to the Diet.
Man throttles senile mother
January 21, 2006A middle-aged Tokyo man was arrested for murder Saturday for strangling his senile mother because he was tired of looking after her, police said.
Student busted for covering face, license plates when driving past speed camera
January 21, 2006SAPPORO -- A postgraduate student has been arrested for concealing his face and his car's license plates when he sped past a speed camera, police said.
Masked bandits make off with safe
January 21, 2006OSAKA -- Four masked men made away from a ticket office in central Osaka on Saturday with a safe containing some 1.9 million yen in cash and 7,000 public lottery tickets, police said.