Politics Japan

Japan’s customs-cleared crude imports from Iran fell 6.3 percent in March from a year ago, ahead of a sharp drop expected in April and May due to difficulty in doing business with the Islamic Republic amid tighter Western sanctions.

The drop last month comes even after the United States exempted Japan and 10 EU nations from financial sanctions as they had significantly cut purchases of Iranian oil. Soon after receiving the exemption, Finance Minister Jun Azumi said Japan would continue to cut imports of Iranian oil.

European Union’s restrictions on Iran, due to take effect in July, are already cutting deliveries as Japanese buyers largely rely on European insurers and reinsurers to cover their ships.

Japan will slash its crude purchases from Iran by almost 80 percent in April from the earlier months of the year, as buyers comply with sanctions that make it tough to pay, ship and insure the oil.

The ships loading in April will arrive in Japan in May or after that.

March imports from Iran totalled 355,400 barrels per day, down from 379,200 bpd in the same month a year earlier, marking a continued year-on-year decline since April 2011, government data showed on Thursday.

But the March decline in Iranian imports was significantly smaller than a 27.3 percent year-on-year drop in February and a 12.2 percent fall in January. This was partly because overall shipments in March 2011 were hit by an earthquake and tsunami that damaged several refineries and port facilities in the country’s northeast.

Total March crude imports rose 6 percent on demand for reconstruction and as utilities ramped up oil and gas use to offset the drop in nuclear output following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Read more: Reuters.com

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The governor of Hokkaido prefecture approved Wednesday the first reopening of commercial operations at an atomic reactor since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March, NHK World reported.

The governor, Harumi Takahashi, approved Hokkaido Electric Power Co.’s request to resume operations at its No. 3 reactor in the northern Japanese prefecture.

The reactor resumed full commercial operations at 3:00am ET, after receiving the go-ahead from Takahashi.

Almost three quarters of Japan’s 54 reactors are currently offline, mainly for safety checks. Many communities are reluctant to approve the reopening of the reactors in the wake of Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The Hokkaido reactor was shut down for regular maintenance in January. It was due to reopen in April, however the reopening was interrupted by the March disaster, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

Operators then had to comply with new safety measures ordered by the government, meaning the reactor has been kept in test mode for five months.
More information on reuters.com

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People’s New Party , Masahiko Kōmura , Taro Aso , LDP (Japan) , New Komeito Party , Shinzō Abe , Social Democratic Party (Japan) , Naoto Kan , Tsutomu Hata , Yasuo Fukuda , Tomiichi Murayama , Junichiro Koizumi , DPJ , Fumio Kyuma , Hirohito , Yoshirō Mori , Popularity Japan , New Party Nippon , Kiichi Miyazawa , Takako Doi , Yuriko Koike , Empress Michiko , Political situation in Japan , Heizō Takenaka , Japanese Communist Party , Crown Prince Naruhito

Tension between China and Japan bumped back up a notch Monday when Tokyo asked Beijing to pay for damages to patrol boats hit by a Chinese fishing vessel in disputed waters, countering China’s demand for an apology over the incident.

The diplomatic back-and-forth shows that nationalistic sentiments stirred up by the incident — and the territorial dispute behind it — are not fading even after Tokyo released the ship’s captain Friday amid intense pressure from China.

Welcoming the skipper home as a hero, China stunned Japan over the weekend by demanding an apology and compensation over his arrest, a move that reflects Beijing’s growing self-confidence and its attempts to test the resolve of key neighbors like Japan, Washington’s closest ally in the region.

Criticized at home for caving in to Chinese pressure, Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s government responded by issuing its own demand for compensation and calling on Beijing to decide whether it wanted to repair frayed ties.

More information on foxnews.
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TOKYO (Reuters) – Support for the government of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who faces key decisions on next year’s budget and relocating a U.S. airbase, have sunk as low as 48 percent in surveys issued on Monday and at the weekend.

Barack Obama | Japan

Many voters said Hatoyama had failed to show leadership since sweeping to power in a landslide August election victory.

About a third of respondents in the three surveys said they did not back Hatoyama’s Democratic Party-led government as politicians gear up for an upper house election in mid-2010.

More information on reuters.com

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Junichiro Koizumi 小泉 純一郎 (Koizumi Jun’ichirō) Served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006.
Masahiko Kōmura 高村正彦 (Kōmura Masahiko) Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2008.
Taro Aso 麻生太郎 The current Prime Minister of Japan, having taken office on September 24, 2008.
Naoto Kan 菅 直人 The former leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).
Empress Michiko 皇后美智子, 正田 美智子 (Kōgō, Michiko Shōda) The Crown Princess of Japan.
Shinzō Abe 安倍 晋三 Was the 90th Prime Minister of Japan.
Tomiichi Murayama 村山 富市 Japanese politician and was the 81st Prime Minister of Japan.
Tsutomu Hata 羽田 孜 Japanese politician and was the 80th Prime Minister of Japan for several weeks in 1994.
Yasuo Fukuda 福田 康夫 Was the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008.
Fumio Kyuma 久間章生 (Kyūma Fumio) Japanese politician who has served in the Diet of Japan since 1980.

DPJ 世論調査で – 世論オンライン 民主党 Minshutō Democratic Party of Japan
Japanese Communist Party 世論調査で – 世論オンライン 日本共産党 Nihon Kyōsan-tō Japanese Communist Party
LDP (Japan) 世論調査で – 世論オンライン 自由民主党, 自民党 (Jiyū-Minshutō, Jimintō) Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
New Komeito Party 世論調査で – 世論オンライン 公明党 (Kōmeitō) New Komeito Party
New Party Nippon 世論調査で – 世論オンライン 新党日本 (Shintō Nippon) New Party Nippon
People’s New Party 世論調査で – 世論オンライン People’s New Party 国民新党 Kokumin Shintō
Social Democratic Party (Japan) 世論調査で – 世論オンライン 社会民主党 , 社民党 (Shakai Minshu-tō, Shamin-tō) Social Democratic Party (Japan)

The politics of Japan are conducted in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy, where the Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament; the Diet with the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. In academic studies, Japan is generally considered a constitutional monarchy, based largely upon the British system with strong influences from European continental civil law countries such as the German Bundestag. For example, in 1896 the Japanese government established Minpo, the Civil Code, on the French model. With post-World War II modifications, the code remains in effect in present-day Japan.

Akihito 明仁, 今上天皇 (The Reigning Emperor) The current Emperor of Japan. Akihito あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Crown Prince Naruhito 徳仁皇太子 (Naruhito Kōtaishi) Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan Crown Prince Naruhito あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Crown Princess Masako 雅子皇太子妃殿下 (Masako kōtaishihi denka) Masako, Crown Princess of Japan Crown Princess Masako あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Empress Michiko 皇后美智子, 正田 美智子 (Kōgō, Michiko Shōda) The Crown Princess of Japan. Empress Michiko あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Fumio Kyuma 久間章生 (Kyūma Fumio) Japanese politician who has served in the Diet of Japan since 1980. Fumio Kyuma あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Heizō Takenaka 竹中 平蔵 (Takenaka Heizō) Japanese economist and retired politician, former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. Heizō Takenaka あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Hirohito 裕仁, 昭和天皇 – Emperor Shōwa Was the 124th Emperor of Japan. Hirohito あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Junichiro Koizumi 小泉 純一郎 (Koizumi Jun’ichirō) Served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. Junichiro Koizumi あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Kiichi Miyazawa 宮澤 喜 The 78th Prime Minister from November 5, 1991 to August 9, 1993. Kiichi Miyazawa あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Masahiko Kōmura 高村正彦 (Kōmura Masahiko) Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2008. Masahiko Kōmura あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Naoto Kan 菅 直人 The former leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Naoto Kan あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Shinzō Abe 安倍 晋三 Was the 90th Prime Minister of Japan. Shinzō Abe あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Takako Doi 土井 たか子 Was a prominent Japanese politician until her retirement in 2005. Takako Doi あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Taro Aso 麻生太郎 The current Prime Minister of Japan, having taken office on September 24, 2008. Taro Aso あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Tomiichi Murayama 村山 富市 Japanese politician and was the 81st Prime Minister of Japan. Tomiichi Murayama あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Tsutomu Hata 羽田 孜 Japanese politician and was the 80th Prime Minister of Japan for several weeks in 1994. Tsutomu Hata あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Yasuo Fukuda 福田 康夫 Was the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. Yasuo Fukuda あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Yoshirō Mori 森 喜朗 (Mori Yoshirō) Japanese politician and the former 85th and 86th Prime Minister of Japan. Yoshirō Mori あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！
Yuriko Koike 小池 百合子 Was the Minister of Defense in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Yuriko Koike あなたの意見は、サポートと投票できる状態になります。オンライン投票する！

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