Liberal Japan

Top Ten News stories in Japan as of 11 pm last night (from Kyodo news)

1. Fault nearly under quake stricken nuclear plant? The Geographical Survey Institute (GPS) of Japan has conducted a survey of the earthquake that struck Niigata on July 16. They have determined that the quake was the result of two reverse faults. One of the faults lies mere kilometers from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. If their theory is correct, then this questions the integrity of the previous survey conducted by the Tokyo Electric (TEPCO) prior to building the plants. GPS suggests we need to go back to the surveys taken by the power company and have a fresh look at how they were carried out.
Japanese story: 原発の間近に震源断層か　中越沖地震で国土地理院

2. Hostage woman can’t express how bad it was. In her first interview a Korean woman previously held hostage in Afghanistan by the Taliban said she lacked the words to be able to express how horrible the situation was.
Japanese story: 「苦境表現できない」　人質の女性が初の肉声

3. Coming — firefighters 24 hours a day at nuclear power plants. Eleven power companies have submitted their proposals to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. These proposals explain how they will beef up fire fighting capabilities at nuclear power plants. Professional fire fighters will now be stationed at the facilities 24 hours a day. They will be specialized in how to deal with oil and other chemical fires and provided with the equipment needed. These proposals should go into effect by the end of the year.
Japanese story: 東電が２４時間消防体制へ　電力各社も強化策報告

4. Daiei to sell 31.8% stake in OMC Card to SMFG for over 80 bil. yen. Struggling retailer Daiei Inc. has agreed to sell 31.8 percent of outstanding shares in its credit-card subsidiary OMC Card Inc. to Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. for more than 80 billion yen, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday. The deal will be announced Friday, they said. Daiei, which currently owns a stake of around 52 percent in OMC, will sell 68 million shares to raise funds to facilitate its management rehabilitation. (English link)
Japanese story:ＯＭＣ株８００億円超で売却　ダイエーが三井住友と合意

5. Promise has launched a takeover bid for Sanyo Shinpan.
Japanese story: 三洋信販と経営統合　プロミス、ＴＯＢ実施へ

6. Japanese women have longest span in the world. Japan continues to lead the world in terms of the life span of its women. The average life span for women in Japan for 2006 was 85.81 years, which is number one for the world. The average life span for men in Japan is 79.00 years, which is number 2 in the world.
Japanese story:女性は２２年連続世界一　８５・８１歳、０６年の平均寿命

7. Japan Post scolded by Internal Affairs Ministry. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications gave a negative evaluation to Japan Post, with one of the primary problems being the lack of care given to privacy matters. There will be only one more review, in October, before the process of privatization begins.
Japanese story: 「法令順守」の不備指摘　郵政公社の４年間評価

8. Ex-Shanghai party chief expelled from Communist Party, gov’t. Chen Liangyu, the former Communist Party leader in Shanghai who was sacked amid a corruption scandal, was expelled from the party and dismissed from all government posts Thursday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The move comes amid widespread speculation that Chen will be arrested soon after being stripped of his status as a National People’s Congress deputy. (English link)
Japanese story: 上海前トップ、党籍はく奪　胡指導部、汚職摘発に決意

9. Bereaved husband/father can’t believe murderer’s testimony. A defendant in a murder trial testified that it was feelings of inferiority that drove him to kill a mother and child. The defendant has a powerful group of lawyers who are trying to save him from the death penalty. The bereaved husband and father said he could not believe the testimony.
Japanese story:「信じ難い弁解」と不快感　光母子殺害公判で本村さん

10. Japan rice goes on sale in China!
Japanese story:日本米、好調にスタート　消費者への浸透課題に