Osaka, Japan News

OSAKA a ' Three months after the Democratic Party of Japana TMs landslide general-election victory, the new administrationa TMs foreign and security policy appears to be increasingly at odds with that of the United States.

Japanese police are having difficulty cracking down on the smuggling of illegal stimulants amid an increase in their use among celebrities as well as ordinary citizens, including students and teachers.

Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Seiji Maehara said Sunday it is important to maintain Osaka airport although its functions should be downscaled and integrated with those of Kansai International Airport.

Sixteen more new evidence items were donated to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre as proof of the Japanese invaders' atrocity during World War II, said local sources on Saturday.

NAHA, Okinawa Pref. The commander of U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture indicated Wednesday that the United States could consider shifting air training drills to Osaka in the future, calling it an "option." Brig.

For staff at Osaka's Kansai Airport, getting around just gets easier and a lot more eco-friendly -- thanks to a bicycle that uses hydrogen power.

China's Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday that Japanese authorities have detained a Chinese fishing boat for alleged illegal fishing.

TOKYO: Japan's investment in Malaysia between January and September alone surged to US$1.87 billion involving 45 approved projects as compared with US$1.6 billion total investment in 2008 with 60 approved projects.

A sports stadium with a seating capacity of 80,000 might be built in Osaka for use in the 2019 Rugby World Cup and other major sporting events, although financial constraints could yet scuttle the plan, according to sources.

Panasonic Corp. is in talks with about 10 automakers to supply lithium-ion batteries as demand for energy-efficient vehicles grows, following its planned purchase of rechargeable-battery maker Sanyo Electric Co.

From M. Saraswathi TOKYO, Dec 6 -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is leading a trade and investment mission to Japan, will have separate discussions with presidents and chairmen of several Japanese companies in efforts to attract increased investments to Malaysia.

Australia's low-fare Jetstar airline will further consolidate its market leadership on the important Japan route by unveiling a future direct Cairns-Osaka service to operate four times weekly, starting on April 1. The reintroduction by Jetstar of a direct, two-class A330-200 service between Cairns and western Japan meets a prior commitment to ...

All good things must come to an end. And so, as Alex Hoban returns from Japan to open Europe's first Osaka-inspired cat cafe, he reflects on the last year of eastern revelations a Pussy galore ... Tokyo's cat cafes Japanese music fans love being spat at.

Sanyo Electric Co. , the worlda s biggest maker of rechargeable batteries, has won at least two customers for its lithium-ion batteries for plug-in hybrid vehicles, an executive said.

The suspect in the killing of a British language teacher in Japan faces new charges of rape and murder.

A JAPANESE court has sentenced to death an arsonist who killed 16 people when he set fire to an all-night adult video parlour, one of Japan's deadliest crimes in years.

A panel looking into the operation of the Kansai region's three airports has decided that the management of the Kansai, Osaka and Kobe airports should be integrated.

The yen's surge to a 14-year high may encourage Japanese manufacturers including auto-parts makers and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate acquisitions overseas, said bankers and analysts.

Huge sheets of glass are guided by robotic arms, sliding and turning in a towering germ-free plant, the world's first making giant "10th generation" panels for flat screen TVs.

Osaka Sangyo University in Daito, Osaka Prefecture, has filed a 1.3 billion yen damages suit against Nomura Securities Co., demanding the firm refund large fees paid to cancel transactions relating to the university's assets.