Majority of Japanese oppose quick revision of Imperial House Law
February 12, 2006Fifty-five percent of Japanese respondents to a new poll are opposed to an early revision of the Imperial House Law that would pave the way for female monarchs in Japan, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Sunday. The Mainichi said its telephone poll of 1,115 people, conducted Friday and Saturday, shows that 39 percent support revising the law during the current parliamentary session through June.
Japan's Tanaka to become U.N. undersecretary general
February 12, 2006The United Nations has unofficially decided to name Nobuaki Tanaka, the Japanese ambassador to Pakistan, as undersecretary general for disarmament affairs, succeeding Nobuyasu Abe, diplomatic sources said Saturday. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is expected to soon appoint Tanaka to the post, the sources said. Tanaka will assume the job in mid-March or later to become the sixth Japanese undersecretary general of the world body.