February 26, 2008

North Koreans Reportedly Love 'Layla'

The Financial Times is reporting that the North Korean government has invited Eric Clapton to perform. The invitation comes on the heels of a historic visit by the New York Philharmonic to the Hermit Kingdom.

Judging by the New York Times' account of the intensely emotional concert, we can't even begin to imagine how "Slowhand" will be received. That is, by those North Koreans who have actually been permitted to listen to the British guitar icon's music.

FT reports that Clapton agreed to a concert "in principle," although his reps have yet to confirm it. Rock and pop are banned in North Korea. Some will have fun imagining Kim Jong Il rocking out to "Cocaine" -- but AP reports that his son, Kim Jong Chol, is the family's Clapton fan.

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Posted at 3:31 PM
Posted to: Asia, Japan, North Korea, Nuclear Weapons, South Korea
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February 11, 2008

AP: U.S. Navy Intercepted Russian Jets

AP is reporting that two U.S. fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers flying too close to the USS Nimitz over the weekend.

According to a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity, a Russian Tupolev 95 swooped to a low altitude close to the Nimitz, while another "circled about 50 nautical miles out."

The incident coincides with another confrontation involving Japanese naval vessels. Japan lodged a protest against Moscow, claiming a Russian bomber violated the island nation's airspace. According to AFP, Japanese officials said a Tupolev 95 flew over "Sofugan, 650 kilometres (406 miles) south of Tokyo, for about three minutes" early Saturday morning.

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Posted at 5:25 PM
Posted to: Asia, Japan, Military, Russia
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October 22, 2007

GM Back On Top... For Now

New quarterly earnings reports show that GM remains the world's No. 1 automaker, following a scare earlier this year when Japanese automaker Toyota briefly overtook the American stalwart in sales.

According to its third-quarter filings, Toyota sold 2.34 million vehicles, slightly fewer than the 2.38 million units moved by GM in the same period. GM also beat out its Japanese rival in sales for the year by about 10,000 vehicles.

GM has reason to celebrate after a bruising year that included a strike by the United Auto Workers, but long-term concerns remain. As the American market as a whole grapples with rising manufacturing and labor costs, analysts believe that Japanese automakers will eventually overtake GM if conditions in the U.S. don't improve.

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Posted at 11:28 AM
Posted to: Asia, Economy, Japan
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September 25, 2007

Fukuda Becomes New Japanese PM

After the abrupt resignation of Shinzo Abe earlier this month, Japan's Parliament yesterday confirmed the new leader of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, Yasuo Fukuda, as the country's prime minister.

At 71, Fukuda is Japan's oldest prime minister in over a decade -- in contrast to Abe, who at 52 was the youngest ever to hold the office. Fukuda is also part of a dynasty: His father, Takeo Fukuda, served as prime minister from 1976 to 1978.

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Posted at 8:50 AM
Posted to: Asia, Japan
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September 12, 2007

Abe Steps Down As Japanese PM

After only a year in office, Shinzo Abe abruptly announced his resignation as Japan's prime minister yesterday.

"Senior officials said health was a factor in the decision but Abe said a new prime minister would be better placed to resolve a deadlock over extending a controversial mission to support U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan," Reuters reports.

At 52, Abe was the youngest prime minister in Japan's recent history-- and the first one born after World War II. His year in office was beset by political scandals and turmoil; his party is set to choose a new prime minister next week.

The Wall Street Journal has a timeline of Abe's year in office, and the Economist and the Japan Times have more on the story.

(Photo: Josie Duckett/State Department)

Posted at 10:31 AM
Posted to: Asia, Japan
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July 19, 2007

Nuclear Inspectors Find New Leak At Japanese Plant

Twelve hours after a deadly earthquake shook northwestern Japan Monday, authorities confirmed that a nuclear power plant, now suspected to be sitting on a major fault line, had sustained significant damage. A fire blazed at the plant for two hours after a transformer was damaged, and a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Company revealed that some radioactive water leaked out of the plant. A few days later, TEPCO revised the radioactivity level upwards and confirmed that radiation particles had been detected in a plant water filter.

Today, the Kyodo News agency reported that officials from the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency discovered radioactive iodine leaking from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant. The new leak, separate from the one revealed Tuesday, is coming from an exhaust pipe.

Japanese officials insist there is no health risk to the public, however, and nuclear inspectors are continuing to examine the plant. It could be shut down for over a year -- triggering fears about power shortages during the summer months.

Posted at 7:39 AM
Posted to: Asia, Japan
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July 16, 2007

Possible Nuke Contamination After Japan Quake

Water containing nuclear material has leaked out into the Sea of Japan following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Niigata, BBC News is reporting. Reactors at the Kashiwazaki nuclear plant automatically shut down following the temblor, and officials say the damage to the plant is not enough to cause nuclear contamination.

BBC, Bloomberg News and Japan's Asahi Shimbun have updates.

Posted at 10:36 AM
Posted to: Japan
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June 21, 2007

Iwo Jima Becomes Iwo To

Before the historic World War II battle, the tiny Pacific Island south of the Japanese mainland was known as Iwo To. On nautical maps, however, it was listed as Iwo Jima -- "jima" and "to" both mean "sulfur" and are represented by the same character, but they sound different.

The name became recognizable to Americans because of an Associated Press photographer's work in capturing soldiers raising a flag on the island's mountaintop. The emblematic photo cemented "Iwo Jima" in the minds of English speakers.

But the tiny population of the island (only about a thousand people lived there before the war) never accepted the name change. They recently requested that the Japanese government change it back, and the government agreed. A new map with "Iwo To" -- pronounced "ee-woh-toh" -- will be published this fall.

AP has reaction from U.S. and Japanese soldiers, many of whom aren't pleased with the change.

Posted at 11:34 AM
Posted to: Asia, Japan
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June 19, 2007

North Korea Test-Fires Missile

North Korea took half a step back today, after its one step forward this past weekend.

A Saturday announcement from North Korean officials that the International Atomic Energy Agency would be invited to supervise the shutdown of a nuclear reactor prompted hope in the international community that quick progress could be made. The United States jumped on the announcement, urging U.N. inspectors to shut the reactor down as part of their first visit next week.

But new reports came in today of North Korea firing a short-range missile toward waters near Japan. It's the second launch of its kind in two weeks.

Posted at 9:26 AM
Posted to: Asia, Japan, North Korea
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April 27, 2007

Embattled Bush, Abe Present United Front

It's a little odd that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe waited eight months after assuming office to pay a visit to the United States, Japan's staunchest ally and military guardian. But this week's meeting between Abe and George W. Bush underscores a truth that might be easy to forget, particularly after last night: Bush hasn't left office yet.

Speaking to reporters today after a series of meetings, the two leaders, both deeply unpopular at home, reaffirmed their commitment to working out the North Korean nuclear crisis and seeing Iraq through to stability.

"We feel proud as an ally of the United States," Abe said, speaking in Japanese.

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Posted at 11:10 AM
Posted to: Asia, Japan, North Korea, President Bush
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March 08, 2007

Abe Plans WWII Slavery Probe Amid Furor

Japan's nationalist prime minister, Shinzo Abe, announced today that lawmakers from the ruling party would conduct an investigation into the Japanese military's use of sex camps in World War II, AP reports. Japan has been taking heat from its neighbors and other nations, including several American lawmakers, over remarks in which Abe denied what is considered by most historians as fact: the mass kidnapping, enslavement and rape of foreign girls and women during the war.

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Posted at 2:41 PM
Posted to: Asia, Japan
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