Japan Herald news

Japan promotes eco-friendly transportation

A safe and efficient transportation system is one of the highlights of Singapore's Changi Airport. Its credit goes to Japanese signal maker Kyosan, which introduced the signal system automated electric sky train. The electric sky trains, equipped with rubber tyres, are eco-friendly and help passengers move from one terminal to another. Kyosan has provided the technology for eco-friendly ...
Squeaky clean Tokyo favourite host for 2020 Olympics say IOC sources

Tokyo is reportedly leading in the race for the host city for the 2020 Summer Olympics, according to members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Japanese capital's emphasis on safety and security appears to be influencing the race for the 2020 Games by pitting its squeaky clean image against the turmoil and instability being witnessed in Istanbul and Madrid, The Japan Times ...
United 787 heading to Tokyo diverted to Seattle

SEATTLE -; United Airlines says an oil filter issue has prompted the crew of a Boeing 787 flying from Denver to Tokyo to divert to Seattle-Tacoma International ...
Japan Has Y993.9 Billion Deficit In May

Japan saw a merchandise trade deficit of 993.916 billion yen in May, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.That beat forecasts for a shortfall of 1.22 trillion yen following the downwardly revised deficit of 881.9 billion yen (originally 879.9 trillion yen).Exports surged 10.1 percent on year, topping forecasts for a gain of 6.4 percent after adding 3.8 percent in April.Imports climbed an ...
Japans trade deficit climbs to $10.5B in May

TOKYO -- Japan's trade deficit rose nearly 10 percent in May to 993.9 billion yen (nearly $10.5 billion) as rising costs for imports due to the cheaper yen matched a rebound in exports.The Ministry of Finance reported Wednesday that exports rose 10.1 percent in May over a year earlier to 5.77 trillion yen ($60.7 billion) while imports also surged 10 percent, to 6.76 trillion yen ($71.1 ...

Movie Review

Shaun of the Dead

George A. Romero has given the British zombie parody Shaun of the Dead a ringing endorsement and even invited cowriter and star Simon Pegg to play a cameo role in his upcoming Land of the Dead (the third sequel to 1968's Night of the Living Dead). In a way, I' ... ...

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Abe the first serving Japanese PM to visit Ireland since independence

The prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, having a meeting with British prime minister David Cameron at the G8 summit in the North. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA ...
G-8 leaders condemn any use of chemical weapons in Syria

Leaders of the Group of Eight nations on Tuesday condemned "in the strongest terms" any use of chemical weapons in Syria and called on all sides to allow U.N. investigators to look into their alleged use, as they wrapped up their two-day summit in Northern ...
No. of suicides drops below 30000 for first time in 15 years

The number of people who committed suicide in Japan in 2012 was 27,858, dropping below 30,000 for the first time in 15 years, the Cabinet Office said in a white paper on Tuesday. The figure was 2,800 fewer than in ...
Police arrest ex-managers of failed Agura Bokujo

Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department arrested on Tuesday former managers of Agura Bokujo K.K., which went bust in 2011 with debts of 420 billion yen with some 70,000 investors across ...
Pitching Abenomics to G-8 colleagues finds Japan PM in bind

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, pitching his economic policies to his fellow leaders at the just-ended summit of the Group of Eight nations in Northern Ireland, has put himself in a bind with the need to show a blueprint for achieving both growth and fiscal ...

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On the record

Our nuclear programmes are completely transparent. But we are ready to show greater transparency and make clear for the whole world that the steps of the Islamic Republic of Iran are completely within international frameworks. The sanctions are unfair, the Iranian people are suffering, and our (nuclear) activities are legal. These sanctions are illegal and only benefit Israel.

Hassan Rouhani

Iran's president-elect was speaking after his historic election victory.

Hotel Review

Wyndham New Orleans at Canal Place

On arrival at this hotel the thing that struck us most was the location. It was just meters from the ...

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News Survey

Should tax havens be forced to lift their shroud of secrecy?

Japan Herald

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Japan Boosts Financial Support for African Development

WASHINGTON,DCInJun,Japanmadafiv-yarcommitmntof$32billiondollarsinpublicandprivatfundingtoAfrica ItwillbusdinarasprioritizdasncssaryforgrowthbythFifthTokyoIntrnationalConfrnconAfricanDvlopmnt(orTICAD)

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Thplanofactionisambitious

Japansfundswillhlpinanumbrofaras,includingtrad,infrastructur,privatsctordvlopmnt,halthandducation,goodgovrnancandfoodproduction

TICADwantsAfricanagriculturtogrowbyfivprcntayaranddoublthoutputofoncropthat'salsoamainfoodsourcandculturalsymbolforJapan:ric

Tokyohasyarsofxprincworkingtoimprovricproduction,notonlyinAsiabutinAfricaaswll

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ShihokoGotoisthnorthwstAsiaassociatatthWilsonCntrinWashington

"Growingric[outsidofJapan]thatissnasdsirabltothJapansconsumrisalwaysawayforJapantomovforwardinmtingitsricconsumptionndsonthonhandandmtingdmandsforalvlplayingfildinthagriculturalmarktonthothr,' shsaid

Emphasisonthagriculturalsctordosnotmanjustproducingmorfood,butpromotingthmpowrmntandparticipationofyouthandwomnindvlopmnt

ShigkiKomatsubaraisthUNDP'sprogramadvisorforTICAD

HsaysJapanandthUNDPworkdtogthrwithlocalwomninnorthrnGhanatoxtractthoilfromshanutsforusincosmticproductssuchassoapsandcrams Thwomnwrtraindtoimprovprocssing,andmarktingmanagingrvnusinanfforttocratdmandandwidnthircustomrbasToday,thwomn'sgroupsarstandingonthirown

"Thybcamfullyautonomous,"hsaid"NowthyarnotrcivingUNDPorJapanssupportThirproductsarbingsoldinAccra; thirpackaghasbngratlyimprovd,andthynowhavrgularcustomrswillingtoimportthosproductstoJapantoslltothJapansconsumr,xplainingthsmadbywomn'sassociationinnorthrnGhanaand[thproducts]arcomingfromthr"

Japanhasalsoworkdonprogramstoinvolvcommunitisinprparingfornaturaldisastrs,whichisimportantinEastAsia Thryarsago,Japanwashitbyadvastatingarthquak,tsunamiandsubsquntcripplingofanuclarpowrplant

InAfrica,thraragrowingnumbrofmrgncisattributdtoclimatchang

WorkingwiththUNDP'sAfricaAdaptationProgram,Japanhlpd20Africancountrisbttrcopwithwathr-rlatdcrissbysttingupwathrstationsacrossBurkinaFaso,strngthningarlywarningsystmsinGhanaandstablishingaclimatchangdpartmntinthgovrnmntofMauritius TokyoandthUNDParalsoworkingtoimprovpolicisandstrngthninstitutionsthatdalwithclimatandfoodproduction

ShigkiKomatsubaraofthUNDPsaysmanymasursarsimplandinxpnsivtoimplmnt

"InnorthrnGhana,itdosn'tcostmuch,"hsaid,"andwithlittlinvstmntyoucan[cratstoragsilos]withraisdfloorsSoifwknow[floods]argoingtohitsoon,poplcanprotctthsdsandagriculturalproductsbymovingthminadvancrathrthanwaitingtillthlastminut

KomatsubarasaysJapan'sffortstoimprovinfrastructur,businssandconomicgrowtharpartofaphilosophytaknfromthmanufacturingsctorIt'scalldkaizn,andrfrstosmallbutstadyimprovmntsfromthbottomupthroughthntirworkforc

"Thida,"hsaid,"istobuildonsmallimprovmntstomakthproductionsystmoranyothrsystmvryfficintItcallsforparticipationofallstakholdrsintharaofmanufacturing,fromproductionfloortotopmanagmnt,alwayslookingforarasofvnsmallimprovmnts,whichadduptobigfficincygainsinthnd"

Japansdvlopmntxprtssayaswastiscutandqualityincrass,productivityndash;andmarktsharsndash;xpandOnxamplofkaizncomsfromZambia,whrthJapansIntrnationalCooprationAgncy(JICA)hlpdimplmntaplantoimprovtaxcollctionwithsimplmasurs,suchascratingafrindlyatmosphrinthofficwhrthpublicgostopayfs

Ethiopia'sMinistryofIndustryandTradhascratdaInstituttohlpintroducthidastobusinsss,includingashofactorinAddisthatimprovdwaystocutlathrandamillingcompanythatrducdflourwastbyhalfOthrcountriswhrkaiznprojctsarundrwayarKnya,Ghana,ZambiaandTanzania

Japansfundingisalsousdtobuildroadsandothrinfrastructur

ThcountryhasalsohlpdrhabilitatthcityandsuburbsofSouthSudan'scapital,Juba,includingitsrivrport Japan'sIntrnationalCooprationAgncysaysitalsohlpdfunda200-mtrxtnsionofapirinJubaharborThsandothrffortsarxpctdtohlppromottradbtwnSouthSudanandSudanoncrlationsimprov

JapanhlpstrainAfricanpackprsandalsonationalpolicforcs,asshownhrinIturi,DRC(TICAD)xJapanhlpstrainAfricanpackprsandalsonationalpolicforcs,asshownhrinIturi,DRC(TICAD)JapanisalsoinvolvdinnhancingscurityinAfrica,whichxprtssayisncssaryforsustainablconomicdvlopmnt

ThJapansgovrnmnthasworkdforyarstosupporttrainingofnationalpolicforcs,includingthosofthDRC,andUNpackpingoprationsinAfricancountris

SomarcallingforJapantousitsownmilitaryinpackpingButanalystShihokoGotosaysitwon'tbhappningsoon Undritspost-WorldWarTwoconstitution,Japanhasanationaldfnsforc,butnotraditionalmilitary

"JapanndstogothroughconstitutionalrformbforitcanrallyxpanditsmilitaryprsncovrsasThatsaid,ithasbnamajorprovidrofpackpingoprationsonamorsupportivlvlinthUnitdNations," shsaid

"Now,IthinkpartandparclofthislatstcommitmnttoAfricaisthwholidaofbingabltotrainpoploncountr-trrorismactivitisandprovidsomkindofscurityBut,it'sgoingtonotbinthformofanobviousJapansblubrtprsncbutinmorofasupportiv-administrativ"w'rthr,butwdon'tactuallycarrygunsrdquo;kindofsupport"

Japan's$32billionpldgtoAfricacomsamidincrasdcomptitionamongEastAsia'sindustrializdnationsforoil,gas,minralsandvnfoodfromAfricaForxampl,BloombrgNwsrportsthatJapanislookingtoimportrararthminralsfromthcontinntforhigh-tchmanufacturing

Twoyarsago,Chins-Africantradwasnarly$140,aboutfivtimsasmuchasJapan'sButJapansaysworkingthroughthTICADcoalitionofAfricaandAsiannationswillprmitAfricatostrngthnitsconomicbasandcratlong-trmbusinsspartnrships

AnddvlopmntxprtsnotthatTICAD'sapproachismuchmortransparntthanChina'sThysaypublicovrsightshouldhlpnsurthatanyconomicgrowthrsultingfromimprovdtradwillbnfitthlargstnumbrofpoplpossibl. ...