Okinawa marks 62nd anniversary of WWⅡbattle

Article title: Okinawa marks 62nd anniversary of WWⅡ battle
Journal: The Japan Times ONLINE
Published: Sunday June 24 2007
Downloaded from: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070624a1.html on Sunday at June 24th, 10:07am


Itoman, Okinawa prefecture marked on Saturday the 62nd anniversary of the end of WWⅡ battle in which more than 200,000 people died, including civilians in mass suicides. The anniversary came a day after the Okinawa Prefectual Assembly urged the central government to cut its instruction to publishers to play down in historical textbooks Japanese military's responsibility to the mass suicides. As Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima said in a message, people in Okinawa, which was the only inhabited part of Japan to see ground fighting during the war, feel the strong responsibility to foster peace-wishing mind and to try to create lasting peace in the world. More than a quater of the 450,000 inhabitants of Okinawa died in the battle: Some civilians killed themselves. The survivors say that they were forced to do so, and at that time, being a prisoner of war was considered shameful in Japan. In March, the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister told publishers of high school history textbooks to reword the expressions which indicate the responsibility of the military to the mass suicides of civilians.

Japan jumps on the bioethanol bandwagon

Article title: Japan jumps on the ethanol bandwagon
Journal: The Japan Times ONLINE
Published: Friday June 15 2007
Downloaded from: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070615a1.html on Saturday at June 16th 8:23am


Japan is looking to bioethanol as a way not to depend on imported energy, at the same time, cut emissions as required under the Kyoto Protocol. Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermenting organic matter, typically corn, sugar cane, wheat rice, in a process similar to brewing beer. This attractive new source for energy-hungry Japan cut greenhouse gas emissions to 6 percent below 1990 levels under the Kyoto protocol. The rapidly growing demand causes driving up the market price of the sugar cane and corn for food in Brazil and America, the two biggest bioethanol producers, because of the shortage of those products. And more, there are still many problems on bioethanol. Japan try to improve them and is needed to find a new technology for a new energy to reduce gas emissions and solve the problem of substitute for fuel.

Hakuho reaches sumo's summit

Article title: Hakuho reaches sumo's summit
Sub title: Mongolian-born wrestler becomes 69th grand champion
Journal: The Japantimes ONLINE
Published: Thursday, 31st May, 2007
Downloaded from: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ss20070531a1.html at 21:40 pm on 10th June


Hakuho, a native Ulan Bator, officially became the 69th grand champion in sumo history on Wednesday after Japan Somo Association gave the nod unanimously to his promotion at its executive committee meeting. At the ceremony, he speeched that he will continue to devote himself and pursue the spirit of sumo　by quoting part of a passage from Japanese ideom. Hakuho, 22 years old, is the third-youngest wrestler to reach sumo's summit. At the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament in July, two Mongolians, Hakuho and Asashouryu, will occupy both the east and the west at the same time.

Bird flu spreads to 13th Vietnam province

Article title: Bird flu spreads to 13th Vietnam province
Source: Hanoi, Vietnam (AP)
Journal: Online The China Post
Published: Friday, 1st June 2007
Downloaded from: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/front/111212.html at 20:58 pm on 1st June

Bird flu has spread to 13 Vietnam provinces, a government official said Friday. It killed about 300 unvaccinated ducks on a farm in Quang Nam province, and tests confirmed they were infected with the deadly H5N1 virus stain. Quang Nam Department of Animal Health have destroyed remaining 400 ducks and disinfected there. Poultry outbreaks were not reported in 2006, but the virus flared again early this year. People are difficult to catch the H5N1 virus but it can mutate into a form to spread easily among people.