2003.09.20

Kennedy Assassin Conspiracy-Japanese (Cryptome)   Do you know this man? A Japanese researcher is seeking help trying to identify a mysterious Japanese reporter who just happened to be in Dallas when Kennedy was assassinated. One can only guess what the tabloids here will make of this.   2003.09.20

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DPRK-Bank Robbery (BBC)   It has been revealed that the first-ever bank robbery has taken place in North Korea. Well, at least it is the first one ever reported. And, yes, you can be most certain that if the bandits are apprehended they will be executed. 2003.09.20

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Japan PM Wins Party Poll, Eyes Cabinet, Election (Reuters). Reformist Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was re-elected by a landslide as head of Japan's ruling party on Saturday, enabling him to keep the premiership and lead his coalition into a general election as early as November. [Yahoo! News - World] 2003.09.20

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Koizumi Wins Party Leadership Re-Election (AP).   Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was re-elected president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday, soundly defeating three challengers with a promise to stand by his efforts to revive this country's sputtering economy. 2003.09.20

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Strong Quake Rocks Tokyo, Some Injuries (Reuters). Reuters - An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale jolted Tokyo and nearby areas on Saturday, injuring several people, but there were no reports of major damage. [Yahoo! News - World]   NGG update: Seven injured, some minor damage.  The epicenter was 80km deep. Anyway, it was far below the maginitude 7 prediction made by independent earthquake forecaster Yoshio Koshida for the Kanto area prior to Sept. 21st. 2003.09.20

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Bush Phones Koizumi to Ask for Japanese Troops for Iraq. Bush Panhandles for Japanese Troops for Iraq President Bush telephoned Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Friday to personally stump for Tokyo's support in reconstructing Iraq and Afghanistan. [The Agonist] 2003.09.20

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Japan-Tropical Cyclone UPDATE A powerful tropical cyclone Choi-wan (it is not a typhoon officially until the winds are clocked in excess of 64kt) is now on target for Tokyo -- likely to strike the Kanto region late Sunday. 2003.09.20

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Japan's Wild Side (IPS)   Another wonderful little gem from "Drini" Kakuchi, a longtime Tokyo-based reporter, originally from Sri Lanka who oftens digs up behind-the-scenes feature stories that the mainstream foreign correspondents do not cover. 2003.09.20

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LDP election contenders struggle on despite forecasts of Koizumi victory [The Japan Times] Koizumi's victory vs. three losers should be officially announced about 1500 JST (0600 UTC). Some believe the election spells the end of factional power in the LDP. Don't believe it. 2003.09.20

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Tokyo Revival (Reuters)   NGG comment: This is a trend that has been going on for, at least, five years. (That's about the usual length of time before the international wire services pick up on trends here if they do not involve teenage girls in Roppongi.) The bottom line is that  suburban homes in Chiba and Saitama prefecture are now very cheap as demand plummets. In some cases, developers are going bankrupt in the outlying areas because there is no demand for such starter homes as urbanites now prefer to have less space for more money in the city. With Japan's population decline and deflation, land prices will continue to fall. 2003.09.20

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Yen-Dollar (Reuters)   Some insight into the shenanigans going on with yen-dollar trading and most timely in light of the greenback falling to a 32-month low. 2003.09.20

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Japan-DPRK (Kyodo)   As this story indicates-- and it's no surprise -- secret bilat talks between Tokyo and Pyongyang have been continuing for some time. Again, we sense the scent of Deptuy Foreign Minister Hitoshi Tanaka all over this story. 2003.09.20

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HSBC set to expand consumer finance business. The world's second-biggest bank by market value has said that it may expand its Household International consumer finance business into Japan, India and Russia. [Guardian Unlimited] 2003.09.20

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