U.S. hospital provided liver transplants to 4 Japanese gang figures, including gang boss

A Los Angeles hospital provided liver transplants to four Japanese gang figures, including one of Japan’s most powerful gang bosses, over a period when several hundred area patients died while awaiting transplants, according to a published report.

The surgeries were performed at UCLA Medical Center by world-renowned liver surgeon Dr. Ronald W Busuttil, executive chairman of UCLA’s surgery department, the Los Angeles Times reported in a story posted on its website. The Times cited a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The surgeries were performed between 2000 and 2004, and in each of those years more than 100 patients died awaiting liver transplants in the greater Los Angeles region, according to the Times.

There is no indication UCLA or Busuttil knew any of the patients had ties to Japanese gangs, known as yakuza, the Times reported. The school and Busuttil said in statements they don’t make moral judgments about patients, but treat them according to medical need.

U.S. transplant rules do not prohibit hospitals from performing transplants on foreign patients or those with criminal histories.

Tadamasa Goto, who had been barred from entering the United States because of his criminal history, was the most prominent transplant recipient. He leads a gang called the Goto-gumi, according to the Times.

With help from the FBI, Goto obtained a visa to enter America in 2001 in exchange for leads on potentially illegal activity in this country by Japanese criminal gangs, Jim Stern, retired chief of the FBI’s Asian criminal enterprise unit in Washington, told the Times. The FBI did not help Goto arrange his surgery with UCLA.

The FBI didn’t get much out of Goto, Stern said.

“I don’t think Goto gave the bureau anything of significance,” Stern said. Goto “came to the States and got a liver and was laughing back to where he came from. ... It defies logic.”

Stern said he was not involved with the deal, and learned of it when he became unit chief in 2004. He said he continues to be troubled by it.

After the transplant, Goto was again barred from re-entering the U.S., the Times said, citing a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity.

Busuttil performed liver transplants at UCLA on three other men now barred from entering the U.S. because of their criminal records or suspected affiliation with Japanese organized crime groups, the Times said, citing a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Times said it was not naming those three transplant recipients because neither they nor their lawyers could be reached.

Goto underwent a successful transplant in July 2001. He received the liver of a young man who died in a traffic accident, said Goto’s Tokyo-based lawyer, Yoshiyuki Maki.

“Goto is over 60 now, but his liver is young,” Maki said.

Goto continued to receive medical care from Busuttil in Japan. Busuttil traveled there and examined Goto more than once, Maki said. Busuttil also evaluated Goto while he was in custody in 2006, Maki said.

In May 2006, Goto was arrested in Japan on suspicion of real estate fraud. He was acquitted of the charges in March of this year.

It is unclear when Goto joined UCLA’s waiting list, but he had been in the U.S. two months when he received a new liver, the Times reported. Overall, 34 percent of the patients added to UCLA’s liver waiting list between January 1999 and December 2001 received a new liver within three years of being listed, the Times reported, citing national transplant statistics.

In a statement, the UCLA Health System said privacy laws prevented it from commenting on specific cases.

Busuttil, a former president of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons who has testified before Congress on who should receive priority for transplants, released a statement this week.

“As a surgeon, it is not my role to pass moral judgment on the patients who seek my care,” read the statement, which didn’t directly address the Japanese patients. “If one of my patients, domestic or international, were in a situation that could be life-threatening, of course I would do everything in my power to assure that they would receive proper care.”

It could not be determined how much UCLA and Busuttil were paid for the Japanese transplants, the Times reported.

Amnesty Int'l discouraged by increased executions in Japan

Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan expressed disappointment Tuesday that Japan not only continues to use the death penalty but that executions have actually increased, totaling seven since this January alone. At the launch of the human rights organization’s annual report in central London, an Amnesty Asia spokesperson expanded on Khan’s disappointment, saying, ‘‘We have been very discouraged by the increase in the number of executions in Japan over the past six months.’’

‘‘We will continue, both through our membership in Japan itself and internationally, to press the Japanese government to backtrack on this very alarming trend,’’ the spokesperson said, confirming there had been no response from the Japanese government to an open letter Amnesty sent it in April urging a cessation of executions.

The extensive 150-country report also raised ‘‘serious concern’’ that the daiyo-kangoku system of pre-trial detention does not comply with international standards and held Japan to account for its lack of action to resolve the justice issue surrounding the survivors of Japan’s World War II military sexual slavery system despite international pressure.

Japan was far from the only country to come under fire, with Khan remarking there has been 60 years of human rights failure around the world since the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Khan challenged world leaders to recommit themselves to delivering concrete improvements to the global human rights situation.

‘‘2008 presents an unprecedented opportunity for new leaders coming to power and countries emerging on the world stage to set a new direction and reject the myopic policies and practices that in recent years have made the world a more dangerous and divided place,’’ Khan said, referencing the United States in particular as a country where ‘‘the most powerful must lead by example.’’

Liu Xiang eases to men’s 110m hurdles top podium in Osaka

World record holder and Athens Olympic champion Liu Xiang breezed to win the 110 meters hurdles in 13.19 seconds in the wet and cold weather at the Japan Grand Prix here on Saturday.
It was the sixth time for the Chinese athletics legend to win in Osaka. It is the second leg of the 14-round Grand Prix series.
Liu's compatriot Shi Dongpeng finished the distant second in 13.63 and Maurice Wignall from Jamaica took the bronze in 13.84.
"I'm very happy with 13.19 in this weather and more importantly to have avoided injury," Liu told reporters. "When it's rainy and cold there is always a risk.
"I've always started my season strongly in Osaka so I hope this will be a good omen."




from: robladin.com

Ambassador: Olympic torch relay to strengthen China-Japan friendship

The upcoming Olympic torch relay in the Japanese city of Nagano will further expand the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people, Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai said on Tuesday.

In an interview with Xinhua and other Chinese media, Cui said the torch relay would provide a fresh opportunity to further enhance the amicable sentiment between the two peoples.

Describing Japan as one of the most important neighbors of China and a country sharing long-lasting, extensive and profound cultural and historical links with China, Cui said the torch relay is to exhibit Chinese people's expectation and passion for the Olympic Games.

People in Nagano and throughout Japan are standing with the Olympic spirits as Japan is the first Asian country to host the Olympic Games and Nagano was the host of the 1998 Winter Olympics, Cui said, adding that local Japanese people's ardor and fervor for the torch has been witnessed.

"As the Olympic torch embodies the Olympic spirits and is a symbol of peace, friendship and progress, we will be pleased to see the union of people around the globe under the light of the flame, transcending differences between states, races and ideologies, for gorgeous pictures and harmonious melodies of the earth," Cui added.

Concerning the preparation for the torch relay, Cui spoke highly of the tangible and fruitful efforts made by the Japanese Olympic Committee and the Nagano municipal government.

The ambassador especially thanked Japanese high-level government officials, including Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, for their repeated pledges for safety and support for the torch relay, as well as the Japanese parliament for establishing a union, headed by Lower House Speaker Yohei Kono, to provide material and spiritual support for the event.

A lot of Japanese celebrities from all circles, including athletes, singers and comedians, have actively applied to be torch bearers, Cui said, adding that the Chinese people were inspired by their enthusiasm.

The ambassador also expressed his extraordinary honor and proud of being one of the three Chinese torch bearers in the Japanese stop.

"I fully understand the significance of the torch and will take every step wholeheartedly. I am to properly fulfill my mission and contribute to the success of the entire torch relay," Cui said.

from: RobLadin.com

Chinese students in Japan collect signatures supporting Beijing Olympics

Hundreds of Chinese students in Japan signed their names on three flags on Saturday to extend their support for the Beijing Olympic Games.
The campaign, initiated by the Chinese Students in Japan Friendship Association, plans to collect over 10,000 signatures of Chinese students and scholars in Japan.
At the opening ceremony of the campaign held in the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, the Chinese students set up banners promoting Olympic spirits and the Beijing Olympics slogans such as "One World, One Dream."
"Through the campaign, we want to spread the Olympic spirits and the notion of peace, and to call on the people who support the Beijing Olympics to join together," said Zhang Bi, secretary general of the Chinese Students Association in Japan.
"We also want to tell Japanese students that the Olympic Games is not only for China, but the whole world and the entire humankind," Zhang told Xinhua.
During the Olympic torch relay in Japan's Nagano city on April 26, the three flags, with the color of red, yellow and blue respectively, will be extended to spectators for their signatures.
The flags will then be presented to the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Olympic Games, said Li Guangzhe, chairman of the association.

from: RobLadin.com

China hopes Japan understands importance of aiding Olympic torch escort’s work

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Thursday China hoped “relevant country” would understand and aid the work of the Beijing Olympic torch escort.
Jiang made the remarks when asked to comment on Japan’s refusal of the torch escort from China in the relay in Nagano, on April 26.
She told a press conference that the convention of arranging the escort in the relay has been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
She said the escorts, all volunteers, protected the torch with their bodies from the seizure by “Tibetan independence” supporters.
“This kind of spirit should be praised and understood, while the mob which disrupts should receive universal condemnation,” she said, adding China hoped “relevant country” would have a clear understanding of the task and provide active coordination and assistance for the relay.
Jiang praised the torch relay in Pakistan, saying China noticed that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have both attended the ceremonies of the torch relay which was a great success in Islamabad.
“Through the relay, we have seen the colorful culture of Pakistan and the great enthusiasm of the Pakistani people toward the Olympics,” said Jiang.
On the torch relay in India, scheduled for Thursday, Jiang said the Indian people hoped to use the opportunity to show India’s ancient culture and modern development achievements, and China believed the Indian government would take effective measures to ensure a smooth and safe torch relay in New Delhi.

from: robladin.com

Germany book Beijing hockey spot with Japan win

TOKYO - World champions Germany secured the final spot in this year's Beijing Olympics men's hockey tournament after overpowering hosts Japan 4-0 on Sunday.
The world's top-ranked side won all six of their matches in the final Olympic qualifying tournament in Gifu, scoring 34 goals without conceding one.
Christopher Zeller scored twice for the Germans, who had defeated Japan by the same scoreline in midweek. They also racked up an 8-0 win over Italy and pummelled Switzerland 10-0.
Japan, bidding to reach their first Olympic tournament since the 1968 Mexico Games, had their chances but were guilty of poor finishing, in contrast to the clinical Germans.
Florian Keller smashed in Germany's opening goal after 15 minutes before Zeller doubled their lead moments into the second half.
Zeller added another goal in the 47th minute and Sebastian Draguhn completed a comfortable victory for Germany with a smart finish two minutes from time.

from: robladin.com

Japan’s ’silver shadow’ defies age barrier

Rising at the crack of dawn and crunching 50 sit-ups before breakfast, record-breaking Japanese Olympian Hiroshi Hoketsu bristles when asked about his age.
But the equestrian rider, who at the age of 67 will become Japan's oldest Olympic representative at the Beijing Games in August, has grudgingly begun to accept his new-found fame.
"Initially I was a little reluctant about having my age splashed across the news," Hoketsu told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
"I didn't see why my age should be such a big thing. It wasn't relevant. I wasn't selected for the Olympics because I'm 67."
Hoketsu last took part in an Olympics 44 years ago at the 1964 Tokyo Games, finishing 40th in the show jumping competition.
He switched to the less physically demanding dressage in his mid-30s and was selected for Japan's team for the Seoul Olympics 20 years ago.
"I didn't take part in Seoul because there were quarantine problems with my horse," said the German-based Hoketsu. "It's not like I disappeared for 44 years.
"At the Tokyo Olympics I was still a kid -- I was 22 years old and in a dream world. Just being selected was my biggest goal then. Taking part was a bit of a fluke."
Hoketsu is set to eclipse the previous record age for a Japanese Olympian set by fellow equestrian Kikuko Inoue, who was 63 when she rode at the Seoul Games in 1988.
The oldest Olympian was Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn, who bagged his sixth Olympic medal at the 1920 Antwerp Games at the grand age of 72 years and 280 days.

MEDIA STORM
"I was back in Germany when the Japanese media started kicking up a fuss about me so I hadn't experienced the storm first hand until now," said Hoketsu.
"It's not as if I'm going to win a medal at the Olympics so obviously the reason for the interest is my age. I'm beginning to feel my age with all the fuss but I want to show that I'm actually getting better as I get older."
Hoketsu insists he has no secret formula for appearing to have defied the ageing process, beyond waking up before sunrise and riding his horse across dew-wet fields.
"I haven't smoked for 30 years but I used to smoke and drink so it's not like I'm that stoic," he smiled. "I always woke up at 5 a.m. and go for a ride before going to the office.
"After I retired, my wife let me go to Germany. Before the Athens Olympics in 2004 I went over to look for a horse and began thinking about trying to make an Olympic comeback."
Hoketsu found his current horse 'Whisper' in Germany and settled in the city of Aachen, along the country's border with Belgium and the Netherlands.
"I thought about quitting and coming back to Japan many times," he said. "But I'm stubborn. I have improved technically, not just experience-wise, and feel I can get even better."

MAJOR TEST
Hoketsu admitted the stifling humidity forecast for the Olympic period, as well as fears over equine influenza and bird flu, will prove a major test for both horse and rider.
"Hong Kong will more than likely be more humid than a Japanese summer -- maybe 80 percent humidity and over 30 degrees celsius, which is stressful for the horse," he said.
"We've been told the stables will be air-conditioned but we'll have to take care not to over-work the horse in practice, in order to keep her fresh."
Hoketsu is adamant he will not ride off into the sunset post-Beijing.
"In dressage my age is a plus," he said. "I have experience but I'm also in the best form of my life. I don't know if this is my big chance or my last chance.
"But I started riding when I was 12 and if anything I'm more passionate about it than ever."

from: robladin.com

21 cinemas to screen documentary 'Yasukuni'

Twenty-one movie theaters across Japan including Tokyo plan to screen a documentary film on the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in May or later, a company distributing the film said Friday. However, an official of Argo Pictures said it is not able to announce a detailed schedule or the names of cinemas that have decided to hold screenings because the cinemas do not want to suffer further harassment or pressure from groups opposed to the film.

Ten theaters including Cinema Taurus in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Kyoto Cinema in Kyoto, Cinewind in Niigata and Salon Cinema in Hiroshima have already declared that they will screen the documentary. A theater in Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture, has joined the list of cinemas willing to screen the controversial documentary. Each of the movie theaters has received inquiries about screening dates for the film, ‘‘Yasukuni,’’ by Chinese director Li Ying.

Yokohama to hold 'Relieve Africa's Hunger' event

The city of Yokohama will hold a "Relieve Africa's Hunger" campaign to enable residents to make a direct contribution in their local communities. The campaign will run mainly in May, 2008. As the host city of the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV, May 28-30, 2008) and in the context of a rising interest in Africa within Yokohama, the city will provide opportunities that will enable citizens and corporations to make a direct contribution in their immediate communities to achieve support for Africa.
The campaign will feature African dishes that use ingredients from Africa, along with goods that are labeled as providing support to Africa, in food outlets such as restaurants and convenience stores. Those corporations that endorse the appeal will donate a proportion of the proceeds to Africa utilizing the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) school meal program.
Yokohama will also implement "Walk the World for Africa," a walking event aimed at eradicating hunger, "Hamakko-Doshi for Africa," in which a proportion of the receipts from the goods sold by the Yokohama Waterworks Bureau will be donated, "Deliver to Africa! Fund-Raising for a Green Environment," which appeals for donations from residents, and other initiatives.
The funds collected through these events and campaigns will be donated through WFP and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) for school meals and other support for Africa, providing an opportunity for residents to support Africa.

University student, girlfriend face charges over false groping claim on subway

Police on Wednesday arrested a student at Konan University and his girlfriend on suspicion of setting up a male passenger with a false groping claim on the subway in February. Police allege that Fumiyuki Makita, 24, and his 31-year-old girlfriend conspired to frame a passenger on the Midosuji subway line in Osaka about 8:30 p.m. on Feb 1.


According to police, the woman yelled at a 58-year-old company employee, accusing him of touching her. Makita then approached the man to "help" the woman. The company employee was taken into custody by station staff and handed over to police. Makita told police he had never met the woman before and said that he had seen the man touching her hips. The man told police he could not have touched her because his hands were in his pocket.

Earlier this week, police said the woman had decided to drop the charges if the man was willing to pay compensation. Upon further questioning, she admitted that the charge was a fabrication and that the man who came to her aid was her boyfriend. She said he had conspired with her to set soneone up on the train so they could get money.

Police are continuing their investigation to see if the couple have done the same thing before to other passengers.

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Hospitals rejected emergency patients in 24,089 cases in 2007

Medical facilities in Japan rejected individual emergency patients in 24,089 cases nationwide last year, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday. Of these, 8,618 cases involved patients younger than 15, and 1,084 cases involved pregnant women, according to the agency's first-ever such survey. Rejections of seriously ill patients, meanwhile, accounted for 14,387 cases, the agency said.


According to the survey, children were rejected mostly because no pediatricians worked at the facilities, while treatment difficulties were cited in the rejection of pregnant women and other patients in serious condition. As for patients under 15, 220 emergency transfer cases were rejected more than 10 times in 15 prefectures including Tokyo, Osaka and Saitama, with one case in Tokyo rejected 34 times.

In 16 child transfer cases, patients had to wait more than two hours before finally being hospitalized, according to the agency. In five of the cases, the patients had to wait more than two and a half hours.

In 53 emergency transfer cases involving pregnant women, the patients were rejected more than 10 times, with one patient in Chiba Prefecture rejected 42 times, the agency said.

Other patients in serious condition were rejected more than 10 times in 1,074 cases, it said.

The rejections were seen mainly in large metropolitan areas, such as Tokyo and Osaka.

"Medical facility staff probably think other facilities will accept the emergency patients as there are many institutions there," said one agency official.

School principal arrested for sending threatening emails to former student

Saitama police on Sunday searched the office of a high school principal and confiscated two computers after he was arrested for allegedly sending threatening messages by email to a former student. The suspect, Kazuo Ichikawa, 56, was arrested during Saturday's graduation ceremony.
Ichikawa began an acquaintance with her around January 2002, when he served as the assistant principal of another high school. She was a student there, according to police.
In March last year, she proposed to end the relationship, and he is suspected of sending more than 10 threatening emails to her between late November and mid-December in order to persuade her to continue their relationship, they said.
He noted in them, "I don't care about what will happen to you. I can kill somebody in cold blood," and in another one stating, "I will expose your private life," according to the police.
He has denied the charges, telling investigators, "I didn't intend to threaten her," according to police.
Police launched an investigation into the case after receiving reports from the woman's family.

Ken Terauchi to take plunge in record fourth Games

Japan's Ken Terauchi will represent his country for a record fourth Olympic Games in Beijing this year, Japanese officials said on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old will become the first Japanese to appear in four consecutive Olympics in aquatic competition when he steps on to the three-metre springboard in August.
Terauchi, whose best Olympic performance to date was fifth place in the platform diving at the 2000 Sydney Games, qualified for the springboard event in Beijing after finishing fourth at last year's world championships.
Mai Nakagawa was selected for the women's platform diving, securing the 20-year-old her first Olympic appearance.

Japan owes London more than 1 mil pounds in fines, road charges

The Japanese Embassy in London has racked up more than 1 million pounds worth of unpaid road charges and penalty fines in a diplomatic dispute with city chiefs. Transport for London, the body which controls the capital's public transportation network, revealed recently that the embassy owes it a total of 1,003,300 pounds (approximately $2 million).
The embassy is refusing to pay the central London "charge" because it believes that it is, in fact, a tax which diplomats are immune from paying under the 1961 Vienna Convention which governs diplomatic relations. Several other missions have also stopped paying the 8 pounds daily congestion charge when they enter and drive in central London.
The biggest debtor is the United States which owes over 2 million pounds and Japan is currently in second place. More than 10 million pounds is owed by 20 embassies, according to Transport for London. A spokesman for the Japanese Embassy in London said the Japanese government had assessed the relevant laws in August 2006 and came to the conclusion its diplomatic staff should not pay. This is because they could not see that a specific service was being provided by the charge and that it is merely another tax, to which diplomats and their families are exempt.

Today is Hina Matsuri

The Hina Matsuri or Doll Festival or Girl's Festival is celebrated on March 3. On this day, families with girls wish their daughters a successful and happy life. Dolls are displayed in the house together with peach blossoms. The doll festival has its origin in a Chinese custom in which bad fortune is transferred to dolls and then removed by abandoning the doll on a river. On Hina Matsuri, sweet sake is drunken and chirashi sushi is eaten.

Osaki out to earn ticket to Beijing

Satoshi Osaki certainly sympathizes with Arata Fujiwara. But when it comes to making the Olympic team, all's fair in love and marathons.
Four years after being passed over for an Olympic spot, Osaki will attempt to earn a place on Japan's team to Beijing with a strong showing at today's Lake Biwa Marathon.

"Getting a ticket to Beijing is the main objective," Osaki said a press conference here Saturday for the last of the three domestic qualifiers for Japanese runners. "To get that, I'm not thinking about the time. I'm looking to win, or at worst be the top Japanese."
Among those expected to press Osaki, the 2006 Asian Games bronze medalist, for the top spot among the Japanese will be Tomoyuki Sato and Kensuke Takahashi, along with general-entry runners Kenji Noguchi, Takashi Horiguchi, Masakazu Fujiwara and Ryoji Matsushita.
While winning the race would all but clinch an Olympic berth, that might be too tall a task for this group.
One of the strongest foreign contingents in years includes Kenyan-born Qatari Mubarak Hassan Shami and Eritrea's Yared Asmeron, the silver medalist and fourth-place finishers from last summer's IAAF world championships in Osaka, respectively.
The Osaka race has been Shami's lone loss in six career marathons that includes the 2006 Asiad. He ran a career-best 2 hours 7 minutes 19 seconds in winning Paris last year and said he was aiming for a time in the 2:06s "if the weather conditions are good."
Spain's Jose Rios, a former two-time Lake Biwa winner, and 2005 Fukuoka Marathon champion Dmytro Baranovsky of Ukraine add to the luster of the race around the southern tip of Japan's largest lake.
Rios and Baranovsky also have personal bests under 2:08, while Osaki has the top time among the Japanese with the 2:08:46 he ran in 2004.
That was when he came from nowhere to finish second in Tokyo and throw a wrench into the selection process for the Athens Olympics. Citing a lack of experience, Osaki was left off the Japan squad.
Now Fujiwara finds himself in almost the exact same boat at Osaki.
Unheralded going into last month's Tokyo Marathon, Fujiwara placed second as the top Japanese with a near-identical time--2:08:40--which has become the standard that today's field will be trying to top.
With three spots available, Atsushi Sato all but clinched one by clocking 2:07:13 in finishing third last December in Fukuoka. Another berth is expected to go to 2005 world bronze medalist Tsuyoshi Ogata, the highest-finishing Japanese at the Osaka worlds in fifth.
Osaki, who finished one place back in sixth, acknowledged a sense of relief when Fujiwara emerged as the top Japanese in Tokyo.
"Four years ago I ran in Tokyo and I wasn't picked," Osaki said. "Now I have four years of experience under my belt and I don't want to lose out to Fujiwara."
Rios, who finished a disappointing 16th at the Osaka worlds, said the race will be serving his qualifier for the Spanish team to Beijing.
"As the field is very strong, that means that times will be fast and that's what I want," said Rios, who set his career-best of 2:07:42 in winning in 2004. "First is to win, and second is a personal best."


more about the Beijing Olympics at RobLadin.com

Ishiba admits false account of destroyer crew interrogation

Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba admitted Wednesday that his ministry gave a false explanation regarding its interrogation of the chief navigator of the Aegis destroyer Atago shortly after it collided with a fishing boat on Feb 19, describing the fiasco as "inappropriate." Ishiba told a subcommittee meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee that his ministry had not gained approval from the Japan Coast Guard, which is investigating the collision, when it questioned the chief navigator, correcting a statement from Maritime Staff Office chief Adm. Eiji Yoshikawa on Tuesday that the ministry had gained prior approval.
"It was not appropriate," Ishiba told the parliamentary meeting. He added, however, that the ministry did so "in order to secure information about the accident as soon as possible and to explain it externally."
Vice Defense Minister Kohei Masuda also admitted that the ministry has yet to confirm there was a phone call from the MSO to the coast guard notifying it of the MSO's plan to question the Atago navigator, telling a press conference Wednesday night, "The MSO chief should have made a confirmation more carefully."

Masuda also said the ministry did not record what the chief navigator said during its interrogation.
Meanwhile, the 3rd Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Yokohama said late Wednesday it was told by the Defense Ministry on the afternoon of Feb 19 that the chief navigator had already got off the destroyer when it requested that the Atago's crew not get on or off the vessel.
Ishiba's remarks fueled criticism from opposition party lawmakers, with main opposition Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama saying the ministry deserves to be criticized for engaging in a "coverup." He also said, "It is inevitable that such action will make the public suspicious."

From the ruling side, Kazuo Kitagawa, secretary general of the New Komeito party, the junior partner of the Liberal Democratic Party in the ruling coalition, also criticized the ministry for questioning the Atago navigator without consulting the coast guard, telling a press conference, "I must say there was a problem."
In an apparent effort to play down such criticism, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told reporters that it is normal for "the minister in charge to examine by himself what has happened and it is within the scope of the minister's responsibilities."
"Considering the situation, there may have been things that cannot be helped," Fukuda said. But he also added that "it would have been better" if the ministry had contacted the Japan Coast Guard.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura also said that the ministry should have conducted the questioning after consulting the coast guard, but denied that a coverup had occurred.

The 7,750-ton Atago collided with the 7.3-ton Seitoku Maru, from a fisheries cooperative in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, on Feb 19, leaving the fishing vessel's two crew members — Haruo Kichisei, 58, and his 23-year-old son Tetsuhiro — missing.

U.S. Marine held on counterfeiting charge in Okinawa

Another U.S. Marine is suspected of committing a crime in Okinawa Prefecture as Japan is stepping up calls for the United States to toughen discipline on its military personnel stationed there, Japanese investigative sources said Tuesday.
U.S. military authorities have detained the Marine in his 20s who is suspected of counterfeiting dozens of $20 notes and passing some of them in Okinawa, the sources said.
Under the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces agreement, Japanese authorities will take over custody of the Marine after Japanese prosecutors file an indictment against him. Local police plan to soon send papers on him to prosecutors.
The suspect allegedly used a personal computer and a printer to copy the dollar notes and passed some of the counterfeit ones in Uruma, southern Okinawa Island.
Meanwhile, the municipal assembly in Nago in the central part of the main Okinawa island, where the Marine Corps' Camp Schwab is located, will adopt two resolutions protesting the alleged rape of a Japanese junior high school girl by a 38-year-old Marine staff sergeant and the alleged trespassing into a private residence by another Marine.
In the alleged rape case, Japanese police arrested the Marine based at Camp Courtney on Feb 11 on suspicion of raping the girl in Chatan, southern Okinawa Island. The suspect has denied the allegation.
On Monday, another Marine, aged 21, was arrested on suspicion of trespassing after he was found passed out on a sofa at a private residence in Nago, central Okinawa Island.
Local police also arrested another Marine, 22, on Sunday for drunken driving in the city of Okinawa.
The Nago municipal assembly is expected to unanimously adopt the protest documents that will call on the Japanese and U.S. governments as well as U.S. forces to strengthen discipline of U.S. military personnel, and to consolidate and reduce the presence of the U.S. forces in Okinawa, assembly members said.
On Tuesday, five municipal assemblies in Okinawa Prefecture adopted resolutions of protest against U.S. forces.
Of the 41 municipalities in Okinawa, 28 assemblies will have passed such resolutions of protests, including Nago, which is scheduled to hold a vote Wednesday.
Meanwhile in Tokyo, State Minister Shinya Izumi, who overseas Japanese police forces as chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, urged the United States to assume responsibilities for its troops in Japan.
"I can't understand why a series of such incidents has taken place. I feel it's unpardonable," Izumi said.
At a separate news conference, Fumio Kishida, state minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs, expressed displeasure with the United States, saying he does not think U.S. forces have taken full measures to toughen discipline and prevent a recurrence of misconduct by troops.




recensioni

Poor atmosphere for Olympics

The Olympic Games are the arena for the world's athletes to give all that is in them for sport and their nations. The 29th Olympiad that is coming up next August in Beijing makes it extremely challenging if not impossible for them to do so.
The reason is the astonishing air pollution that remains the dominating ambience of China's capital, after years striving to reduce it, including more than $16 billion spent in preparation for the 2008 Games. Many observers credit this effort with notable results, but Beijing air is four or five times more contaminated than the level prescribed by the World Health Organization, and 40 times worse than Los Angeles, America's most polluted city.
Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, is confident that by the opening ceremonies, Beijing's air quality will be suitable for the competition.
However, he hedges his bet, saying some endurance events might have to be rescheduled. Athletes in the marathon and triathlon as well as cyclists, take in about 10 times more air with every breath, making them particularly susceptible to Beijing's fouled air.
Face masks, which are sure to forestall peak performances, are nevertheless being tried out.
Many participating nations don't share Rogge's optimism. Contrary to custom, they are training their contingents not in the host country, but in Japan or South Korea, or in Chinese cities distant from Beijing.
One may well ask why such a venue was selected in the first place when the choice was made in 2001. The answer is that it was as a gesture to a nation growing in stature and influence, with the pious hope that it would encourage China to improve its dismal human rights record. Indeed, the Chinese promised to do so and also committed themselves to cleaning up Beijing's air.
China has failed on both counts, although it did make enormous efforts to relocate polluting industrial plants, planted 300 million trees, rerouted an ever increasing volume of automobile traffic and expanded subway lines and constructed a light railway system.
As for human rights, Communist Chinese authorities are still locking up dissidents at home. Internationally, their continued reluctance to use their large trade ties with Sudan to mitigate the atrocities in Darfur last week resulted in Steven Spielberg, the American filmmaker, withdrawing from his advisory role for the Games.
The Chinese point to some minor steps they have taken with Sudan and stress that politics should not afflict the games. Indeed, the Olympic Charter commands "no kind of demonstration of political, religious or racial propaganda" by participants is permitted.
But Tibet is still an issue with legs and among the anticipated 550,000 visitors from abroad there are sure to be some determined to demonstrate. Some 20,000 foreign journalists will be present to report on how the authorities cope with any demonstrations.
Other problems bedevil the Beijing Games, but these are generally easier to deal with, though at some expense.
China does not have a good reputation when it comes to the quality of its food supply despite the global popularity enjoyed by its cuisine. Reports have revealed candy laced with carcinogens, fish contaminated by insecticides, unreliable grains and -- with particular relevance to athletes -- meat and fowl pumped up with steroids.

Olympic athletes are responsible for what they ingest, and if steroids show up in tests, they would suffer consequences.
The U.S., for one, has set up a secure food supply chain, and will ship adequate supplies of beef, chicken and pork as well as grains to feed its athletes and officials. Seafood and fruit are coming in from other countries.
The date set for the opening of the Olympics is the eighth day of the eighth month of the year 2008. In the Chinese view, all those eights will bring good luck. The Games certainly will require an unusually heavy dose of it.

source: timesunion.com