Air drops bring aid to typhoon-isolated Japanese (AP)

TOKYO – Helicopters ferried supplies Tuesday to thousands of people still cut off by Japan's worst storm in 28 years. Typhoon Talas left at least 46 dead and 54 missing in a nation still struggling to recover from its devastating tsunami just six months ago.

Aid-laden helicopters descended on towns in the hardest-hit areas as police, firefighters and soldiers mobilized to clear roads so they could distribute food, medicine and other assistance to communities fending for themselves since the typhoon made landfall on Saturday.

Dozens of hamlets with thousands of people in central Japan were still cut off, primarily because of flooding, landslides or other damage to access roads, Kyodo News service reported.

Nearly 3,000 people remained in evacuation centers.

As Talas approached Japan, nearly a half million people were advised to evacuate. It then dumped record amounts of rain on central and western Japan and lashed wide swaths of the country with destructive winds before being downgraded to a tropical storm.

In worst-hit Wakayama, rescuers recovered nine more bodies Tuesday afternoon, with 34 others still missing, according to prefectural police. That brought the nationwide death toll to 46. Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 54 people were missing Tuesday, including those in Wakayama.

The 100 dead or missing is the highest toll since heavy rains in 1983 left 117 people dead or unaccounted for, according to government records.

The path of the typhoon did not take it over the tsunami-devastated northeast coast, where nearly 21,000 people were killed or are missing after the March 11 disaster.

But as the eye of the slow-moving storm hovered offshore in the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, heavy rains began to fall anew on the northern island of Hokkaido, prompting evacuation advisories for hundreds of households as rivers began to swell.

Talas is a word from the Philippines that means "sharpness."

___

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.

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Air Drops Bring Aid to Typhoon-Isolated Japanese - Fox News

Published September 06, 2011

| Associated Press

TOKYO -- Helicopters ferried supplies Tuesday to thousands of people still cut off by Japan's worst storm in 28 years. Typhoon Talas left at least 46 dead and 54 missing in a nation still struggling to recover from its devastating tsunami just six months ago.

Aid-laden helicopters descended on towns in the hardest-hit areas as police, firefighters and soldiers mobilized to clear roads so they could distribute food, medicine and other assistance to communities fending for themselves since the typhoon made landfall on Saturday.

Dozens of hamlets with thousands of people in central Japan were still cut off, primarily because of flooding, landslides or other damage to access roads, Kyodo News service reported.

Nearly 3,000 people remained in evacuation centers.

As Talas approached Japan, nearly a half million people were advised to evacuate. It then dumped record amounts of rain on central and western Japan and lashed wide swaths of the country with destructive winds before being downgraded to a tropical storm.

In worst-hit Wakayama, rescuers recovered nine more bodies Tuesday afternoon, with 34 others still missing, according to prefectural police. That brought the nationwide death toll to 46. Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 54 people were missing Tuesday, including those in Wakayama.

The 100 dead or missing is the highest toll since heavy rains in 1983 left 117 people dead or unaccounted for, according to government records.

The path of the typhoon did not take it over the tsunami-devastated northeast coast, where nearly 21,000 people were killed or are missing after the March 11 disaster.

But as the eye of the slow-moving storm hovered offshore in the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, heavy rains began to fall anew on the northern island of Hokkaido, prompting evacuation advisories for hundreds of households as rivers began to swell.

Talas is a word from the Philippines that means "sharpness."

View the original article here

Nikkei Drops 2.2%, Toshiba to Add 20% to Westinghouse Stake - 123Jump.com

6:00 PM Tokyo ? The benchmark index in Japan declined 2.2% as investors feared weak prospects of global economic recovery and exports growth. Toshiba dropped more than 5% after the company is expected to increase its stake in the Westinghouse Electric by 20%.

Stocks in Japan declined for the second day this week on the worries that world economy may struggle.

The euro-zone debt talks showed more stress as Greece failed to convince lenders about its deficit target and Finland demanded collateral for the loans.

The European markets were on the defensive after German Chancellor Angela Merkel controlled CDU party lost its fifth regional election in a row and German people showed a strong reluctance to fund bailout of the weaker nations in the region.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 2.2% or 193.89 to 8,590.57 and the broader Topix index declined 1.9% or 14.62 to 741.20.

Trading volume on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange increased to 2.1 billion and 1,248 shares declined and 307 stocks rose.

The yen edged higher to 76.97 from 76.80.

Stock Movers

Toshiba dropped 5.1% to 297 yen and the diversified conglomerate planned to increase its stake in the nuclear power plant maker Westinghouse Electric through the purchase of 20% stake from Shaw Group.

The stock declined on the fear that the company may need to issue more stocks in a public offering to fund its $1.7 billion purchase.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group fell 2.7% to 325 yen and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group decreased 3.4% to 2,098 yen. Mizuho Financial Group fell 2 yen to 110 yen.

Inpex Corp decreased 3.4% to 464,000 yen and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co fell 91 yen to 2,924 yen.

Nippon Steel decreased 1.3% to 222 yen and JFE Holdings, Inc fell 12.4% to 1,687 yen. Kobe Steel fell 2.2% to 136 yen.

Toyota Motor decreased 1.3% to 2,605 yen and Honda Motor Co. dropped 5.5% to 2,339 yen and Nissan Motor fell 3.2% 655 yen.

Sony Corp dropped 2.4% to 1,522 yen and robotics maker Fanuc decreased 3.3% 11,750.

Construction equipment makers liked to China closed higher. Komatsu declined 3.9% to 1,896 yen and Hitachi Construction Machinery Co fell 4.7% to 1,330 yen.

FamilyMart Co increased 1.5% to 2,855 yen after the Nikkei newspaper reported that the six month to August operating profit may increase 10% from a year ago.

Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings declined 0.8% to 745 yen and Takashimaya Co decreased 1.2% to 506 yen.

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Court drops 'Kimigayo' damages suit

Yokohama — The Yokohama District Court on Wednesday dismissed a damages suit filed by schoolteachers against the prefectural board of education for collecting the names of those who refused to stand during the national anthem at school ceremonies.

A total of 27 plaintiffs, including teachers at public high schools in Kanagawa Prefecture, demanded ¥1 million each in damages for mental suffering, arguing that the information collection ran counter to a prefectural personal information protection regulation that principally bans authorities' handling of information on personal thoughts and beliefs.

But presiding Judge Hiroyuki Samura ruled that it is not illegal for the board to collect and keep information on teachers who refuse to stand when "Kimigayo" is sung at school entrance and graduation ceremonies.

Although "Kimigayo" was made Japan's national anthem by law in 1999, some oppose the song's status because of its association with past Japanese militarism.

The Kanagawa prefectural board of education has since 2006 instructed school principals to report the names of teachers refusing to stand for the anthem.

In response to the plaintiffs' complaint, prefectural councils on personal information concluded on several occasions that collecting the information was inappropriate.

The board of education disposed of such information collected up until 2007, but has since continued to gather it.

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Japan PM drops plan to visit US for summit talks - Sacramento Bee

FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2011 file photo, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan delivers a speech during a ceremony to mark the 66th anniversary of the atomic bombing in Nagasaki, southern Japan. Kan, under pressure to resign within weeks, has declined Washington's invitation for a visit to hold talks with President Barack Obama next month, chief cabinet secretary announced Friday. Aug. 19, 2011. (AP Photo/Kyodo News, File) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

TOKYO -- Japan's prime minister, under pressure to resign within weeks, has declined Washington's invitation for a visit to hold talks with President Barack Obama next month.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano announced the decision Friday, citing "Japan's political situation," suggesting uncertainty over Prime Minister Naoto Kan's leadership.

Kan has faced a strong challenge from party rivals who have demanded his resignation. Kan has said he will step down when a pair of key bills are approved in parliament, which is likely next week. That would set the stage for a leadership election within Kan's ruling party, expected by the end of the month.

"It is extremely regrettable that we have to rearrange a visit at the invitation of President Obama," Edano said. "We will reschedule a visit at an appropriate time as we continue our effort to achieve unshakable Japan-U.S. relations."

Obama invited Kan to the U.S. for talks in early September when the two leaders met in France during May's Group of Eight summit. The March disaster had forced Kan to postpone his earlier plan to visit the U.S. in the first half of this year.

Kan and his Cabinet have faced criticism over their handling of the March 11 disasters due to a perceived lack of leadership as the disaster survivors grew frustrated by slow-paced relief and reconstruction efforts.

The earthquake and tsunami wiped out large parts of Japan's northeast coastline and left just over 20,000 people died or disappeared. Another 100,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes due to radiation threats from the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, whose reactors have melted down in the first few days of the crisis.

As Kan's days are numbered, Japanese media have shifted their focus to candidates to be his successor. Among several reported frontrunners are Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and trade and industry minister Banri Kaieda.

Kaieda, who has several policy disputes with Kan over the nuclear crisis management over the past weeks, has vowed to resign from his current post.

Suggesting a possibility of having a new prime minister within weeks, Edano said he believed "a prime minister at that point" would attend the United Nation's General Assembly in September.

Edano said Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto recently informed U.S. Ambassador John Roos of Kan's cancellation of his U.S. trip and obtained Washington's understanding.

Kan's successor would be the sixth prime minister in five years.

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Japan PM drops plan to visit US for summit talks (AP)

TOKYO – Japan's prime minister, under pressure to resign within weeks, has declined Washington's invitation for a visit to hold talks with President Barack Obama next month.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano announced the decision Friday, citing "Japan's political situation," suggesting uncertainty suggesting Prime Minister Naoto Kan's leadership.

Kan has faced a strong challenge from party rivals who have demanded his resignation. Kan has said he will step down when a pair of key bills are approved in parliament, which is likely next week. That would set the stage for a leadership election within Kan's ruling party, expected by the end of the month.

"It is extremely regrettable that we have to rearrange a visit at the invitation of President Obama," Edano said. "We will reschedule a visit at an appropriate time as we continue our effort to achieve an unshakable Japan-U.S. relations."

Obama invited Kan to the U.S. for talks in early September when the two leaders met in France during May's Group of Eight summit.

Kan and his Cabinet have faced criticism over their handling of the March 11 disasters due to a perceived lack of leadership as the disaster survivors grew frustrated by slow-paced relief and reconstruction efforts.

The earthquake and tsunami wiped out large parts of Japan's northeast coastline and left just over 20,000 people died or disappeared. Another 100,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes due to radiation threats from the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, whose reactors have melted down in the first few days of the crisis.

As Kan's days are numbered, Japanese media have shifted their focus to candidates to be his successor. Among several reported frontrunners are Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and trade and industry minister Banri Kaieda.

Kaieda, who has several policy disputes with Kan over the nuclear crisis management over the past weeks, has vowed to resign from his current post.

Suggesting a possibility of having a new prime minister within weeks, Edano said he believed "a prime minister at that point" would attend the United Nation's General Assembly in September.

Edano said Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto recently informed U.S. Ambassador John Roos of Kan's cancellation of his U.S. trip and obtained Washington's understanding.

Kan's successor would be the sixth prime minister in five years.

View the original article here