今週の日本

Princesses preen in a pauper economy

Time

Japan’s Big-Works Stimulus Is Lesson for U.S.

New York Times

In Japan, jobless lack safety net.

New York Times

In the Red, Toyota Sees Loss Tripling

New York Times

Cell broadcasts could help avert catastrophe

CNN

Protest ship hits whaling vessel

Guardian

Lawmaker demands Japan PM apologize over POW labor

Washington Post

World Agenda: Taro Aso's fortunes sink with Japan's economy

Times on Line

Short skirts survive the deep-freeze in Niigata

Asahi

From the Nanjing Massacre to American Global Expansion: Reflections on American and Japanese Amnesia

Japan Focus

Japan Airlines facing annual loss

BBC

Tokyo bid says $4 billion already secured for 2016

Yahoo Sports


Last week's Japan news

Japan Statistics

According to government estimates, the Japanese economy is set to contract by 3.8% from the previous year. That could result in 2.7 million job losses.

Source: Daily Yomiuri

Japan imported 190,000 baby chicks from France in 2007. That accounted for 37% of domestic consumption.

Source: Daily Yomiuri

Japanese police took action (questioned, arrested, or sent papers to prosecutors) 307 times against the country's infamous "bosozoku" motorcycle gangs in 2008. That is 19 times more than in 2007.

There were 651 known gangs in Japan in 2008, with a total membership of 11,516. Membership declined 8.5% from the previous year.

Source: Kyodo News

Passport applications filed with false documentation almost doubled in 2007 from the previous year.

111 passport applications were completed with a fake ID.

Source: Kyodo News