Japan

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8.9 Quake Rips Tokyo, Tsunami Shatters Coast

Wall of water rips down buildings

(Newser) - A tsunami rammed the coast of Japan following a powerful 8.9-magnitude earthquake that violently shook buildings in Tokyo and sent panicked residents into the streets. The extent of damage and injuries is not yet known from the quake and aftermath, but TV cameras showed a powerful Pacific wave ripping...

Japan Digs for Evidence of WWII Human Experiments

Excavates ground in search of remains linked to Unit 731

(Newser) - It's a grisly and mysterious effort: Japan today began excavations at a former army medical school—in the search for human remains linked to the military's shadowy Unit 731. It ran a notorious World War II program that allegedly conducted live experiments on foreign prisoners of war, most of them...

Activists Halt Japan Whale Hunt
 Activists Halt Japan Whale Hunt 
Feb 16, 2011 4:00 AM CST

Activists Halt Japan Whale Hunt

Harassment making Antarctic hunt 'unsafe,' says fisheries official

(Newser) - The Japanese have temporarily suspended an Antarctic whale hunt because of repeated harassment by activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The hunt, aiming to bag as many as 945 whales, has been halted because of "violent" disruptions, said the nation's top fisheries officials. No one has been injured...

China Economy Zooms by Japan to No. 2 Spot

Nation's now gearing up to take on No. 1 US

(Newser) - China has steamed past Japan to become the world's second-largest economy. Japan's economy, hit by a drop in exports and consumer demand, was worth $5.5 trillion at the end of last year, while China's was estimated at $5.8 trillion. China is expected to take over the US as...

700K Condoms Missing in Japan

Malaysian police investigating disappearance

(Newser) - Say, have you by any chance seen 700,000 condoms laying around? If so, you might want to let Malaysian police know. They’re investigating the disappearance of ultrathin Japanese condoms after the shipment went missing somewhere between Malaysia and Japan, AFP reports. The container arrived in Tokyo from the...

Throngs Gather for... Hole-Digging Contest?

Winner of Japanese competition gets $1,215—and Golden Shovel

(Newser) - And you thought hot-dog-eating competitions were weird. Try this one on for size: Japan has an All-National Hole-Digging Competition, in which participants, yep, dig holes. The contest, which drew more than a thousand participants to the outskirts of Tokyo yesterday, awards the following feats: deepest hole, most creative digging, and...

Say It Ain't So: Sumo's Fixed!
 Say It Ain't So: Sumo's Fixed! 
Feb 3, 2011 6:39 PM CST

Say It Ain't So: Sumo's Fixed!

Wrestlers admit arranging matches in Japan

(Newser) - Three Sumo wrestlers have admitted fixing matches in Japan, and the scandal is only expected to grow, reports the Guardian . "It is certainly the national sport," said Prime Minister Naoto Kan. "If matches have been fixed, it is a serious betrayal of the people." Police found...

Japan Volcano Breaks Windows 5 Miles Away

Biggest blast yet could be heard more than four miles away

(Newser) - Japan’s Shinmoedake peak gave off its biggest explosion yet today, shooting debris 6500 feet into the air and shattering windows five miles away. The eruption was five times larger than the volcano’s initial activity, and Japan widened the danger zone to a two-and-a-half-mile radius around the crater, the...

Japanese Party Honcho Indicted

Divisive decision could push Japan toward new election

(Newser) - The man behind the Japanese ruling party’s historic 2009 victory has been indicted for misreporting political funds. The move could expand divisions among members of the Democratic Party of Japan and help drive the opposition’s push for a new election, the New York Times reports. Ichiro Ozawa may...

Japanese Volcano May Be Headed for Big Bang

Officials urge 1K to evacuate as Shinmoedake spews ash

(Newser) - Japanese officials urged more than 1,000 people to evacuate today, as the Shinmoedake volcano's first eruption in 52 years rages on, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The order is not mandatory, however, and some are opting to stay in their homes. But vulcanologists warn that the eruptions, which have...

Japan Recaptures Rogue Monkey
 Japan Recaptures 
 Rogue Monkey 
Jan 25, 2011 12:43 AM CST

Japan Recaptures Rogue Monkey

'Lucky' bit 120 during rampage last fall

(Newser) - Japan's most notorious monkey is back in custody after a daring zoo breakout. Keepers raised the alarm after Lucky, a macaque that bit around 120 people in resort towns in central Japan last fall, was found missing from her cage, AP reports. Locals feared another biting spree would ensue, but...

Japan Frets Over Sexless Teens
Japan Frets Over
Sexless Teens
Jan 14, 2011 6:30 AM CST

Japan Frets Over Sexless Teens

A third of young men not interested in sex, survey finds

(Newser) - Japanese people just aren't having enough sex, laments the head of the country's family planning association. A full 36% of Japanese men aged 16 to 19 say they're uninterested in or averse to sex, according to a recent survey. That's 19% more than just two years ago, and some 59%...

Japanese Women Sue to Keep Maiden Names

Group is challenging requirement to take husband's name

(Newser) - Reminiscent of the Shogun TV miniseries set in 17th-century Japan, women there still must change their last names to that of their husbands when they marry. So a number of happily married women are suing the government over the requirement, seeking to use their maiden names instead, reports the Guardian...

Aging Japan Gets 'Hotel for the Dead'

Nation's funeral industry is booming

(Newser) - Just how big is the funeral industry in Japan, the world's fastest aging nation? Consider a successful new venture near Tokyo called the Liss Center. It's a "business hotel for the dead," its proprietor tells ABC News . Families check in their dearly departed for $88 a night to...

Slasher Attacks Tokyo Bus Passengers, 13 Injured

Man busted after students stabbed

(Newser) - At least 13 people were injured when a knife-wielding man attacked commuters on a bus in a Tokyo suburb this morning. Police arrested an unemployed 27-year-old man who was subdued by passengers, the Wall Street Journal reports. Most of the injured were high school and junior high students. Four people...

Japanese Retailer Agrees to Pull Nazi Costume

'Heil Hitler' dress up not funny to Jewish group

(Newser) - A Japanese costume store has agreed to remove a faux Nazi uniform after complaints from a major Jewish group, the AP reports. At Don Quijote, which has outlets in several Japanese cities, $60 could get you black jacket with swastika armband, sold in a package that said "Heil Hitler"...

US, Japan Flex Muscles in Korean Waters

China complains about large exercises

(Newser) - Japan and the US began some of their biggest military exercises ever today, conspicuously mobilizing more than 44,000 troops, 400 aircrafts, and a US supercarrier right under North Korea’s nose. These “keen sword” maneuvers are an annual exercise, but this year’s display is especially large, and...

6.9 Quake Sways Tokyo Buildings

No damage reported after strong but deep quake

(Newser) - A 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit islands off the east coast of Japan today, causing buildings to sway in downtown Tokyo. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries caused by the quake, which struck at a depth of 300 miles, AP reports. Japan's meteorological agency says there's no...

Obama Relives Childhood Memories as Asia Trip Ends

Trip offered opportunities for personal moments

(Newser) - President Obama finished off his 10-day Asia trip on a personal note, visiting the Great Buddha statue in Japan that he last saw as a 6-year-old boy. “It is wonderful to return to this great treasure of Japanese culture,” he wrote in the guest book. "Its beauty...

China-Japan Sea 'Collision' Hits YouTube

Video could heighten tension over September incident

(Newser) - Video of a September maritime crash that has made political waves appeared on YouTube today, potentially escalating tensions between China and Japan, AFP reports. The video shows what appears to be the Chinese fishing boat at the heart of the conflict sailing, then changing course and hitting a Japanese vessel....

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