Japan seeks info from Russia on nuclear sub accident Nov 10, 2008
TOKYO: The Japanese government is seeking information from Russia on an accident on Saturday involving a nuclear-powered submarine from Russia's Pacific Fleet in the Sea of Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said on Monday. "As there is no formal announcement on this accident such as the place" where the accident occurred, "we need to continue collecting information" on the matter, Kawamura told a news conference. (Times of India)
20 people killed in Russian nuclear sub mishap Nov 10, 2008
MOSCOW The fire-safety system on a new Russian nuclear submarine accidentally turned on as the sub was being tested in the Sea of Japan, spewing a gas that suffocated 20 people and sent 21 others to the hospital. The Russian navy said the submarine itself was not damaged in Saturday's accident and returned to its base on Russia's Pacific coast under its own power Sunday. (Globe and Mail)
Russian sub accident points to Navy's shortcomings Nov 10, 2008
Patchwork construction: A Russian submarine, believed to be The Nerpa, on which an accident Saturday killed at least 20 and injured 22 during diving trials in the Sea of Japan ... The malfunction of the firefighting system, which spewed deadly freon gas through the forward compartments of K-152 Nerpa, an Akula-II class attack sub undergoing diving trials in the Sea of Japan, has a little-known international twist. (Christian Science Monitor)
More Than 20 Suffocate In Nuclear Submarine Accident Nov 10, 2008
O 00004000 fficials say the nuclear-powered sub's fire safety system malfunctioned during the test in the Sea of Japan, releasing Freon gas, which pushed out the oxygen. It was Russia's worst naval accident since torpedo explosions sank another nuclear-powered submarine, the Kursk, in the Barents Sea in 2000, killing all 118 seamen aboard. (KWTX.com, TX)
Russia launches probe into submarine accident Nov 10, 2008
As the brand-new nuclear submarine was being tested in the Sea of Japan, its fire safety system was accidentally turned on. The system released freon gas causing asphyxiation among the crew. (Xinhuanet, China)
Russia: 20 Suffocate in Nuclear Sub Accident Nov 10, 2008
MOSCOW -- A new Russian submarine's fire safety system malfunctioned as the nuclear-powered vessel took a test run in the Sea of Japan, suffocating 20 people and sending 21 others to the hospital, officials said Sunday. It was Russia's worst naval accident since torpedo explosions sank another nuclear-powered submarine, the Kursk, in the Barents Sea in 2000, killing all 118 seamen aboard. (Newsmax)
Twenty die on Russian submarine Nov 9, 2008
The vessel, which had been undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan, has been ordered to return to port in the far eastern Primorskiy territory, Capt Dygalo said. "I declare with full responsibility that the reactor compartment on the nuclear-powered submarine is working normally and the radiation background is normal," he said, quoted by Itar-Tass news agency. (BBC News)
Twenty die in Russian nuclear sub accident Nov 9, 2008
Russia's navy said the accident occurred in the Sea of Japan on Saturday while the submarine was having its final trials by a group of navy sailors and staff from the construction company. The submarine was supposed to enter full service with the navy at the end of this year. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Hope tribute Nov 7, 2008
By Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY With a crooked grin, scooped snoot and rapid-fire delivery, Bob Hope lightened the load for millions, whether in a theater on Broadway, a studio in Hollywood, an aircraft carrier in the Sea of Japan or a foxhole in Korea. Among his favorite playhouses, however, were golf courses, where he honed his handicap, teed off with biting one-liners, and raised millions for charity and the military. (USA Today -- Sports)
Aso, Obama Pledge Close Cooperation on Financial Crisis in Telephone Call Nov 7, 2008
Obama mentioned that hes aware of the support he received from the citizens of Obama City in Fukui Prefecture, near the Sea of Japan, the statement said. Ive never met Mr. Obama, but I feel so familiar with him because he shares the same name with our city, Koji Matsuzaki, 50, the citys mayor, said in a telephone interview ahead of the election. (Bloomberg -- Japan)
* US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: World leaders congratulate Obama on historic victory Nov 6, 2008
In Obama, an ancient fishing town on the Sea of Japan X Obama means small shore in Japanese X residents dressed in Hawaiian skirts did a hula dance in celebration, embracing Hawaiian-born Obama as one of their own. Im so excited because Obama shares our towns name. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
World hails Obama's 'brilliant' victory Nov 5, 2008
In Obama, an ancient fishing town on the Sea of Japan -- Obama means small shore in Japanese -- residents dressed in Hawaiian skirts did a hula dance in celebration, embracing Hawaiian-born Obama as one of their own. "I'm so excited because Obama shares our town's name. But even if the town was called McCain I would still support Barack Obama," said 44-year-old dancer Masayo Ishibashi. (Yahoo News -- Politics)
Namesake barracking for Obama Nov 1, 2008
Obama City, a torpid fishing village in Fukui prefecture on the Sea of Japan, is too far east to figure in Tuesday's tally, but that hasn't deterred residents from plastering street corners, car parks and shopfronts with the senator's visage - invariably alongside the slogan "I [love-heart] Obama" - in anticipation of victory. "We want to do our part to help him win," said Seiji Fujihara, the secretary-general of the Obama for Obama Support Group. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Ocean Watch: Save bluefins by ordering something else Oct 18, 2008
These tunas spawn in the Sea of Japan, swim up to 6,000 miles across the Pacific to North America and return to their birthplace to reproduce ... These tunas spawn in the Sea of Japan, swim up to 6,000 miles across the Pacific to North America and return to their birthplace to reproduce. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Slump stirs Japan suicide fears Oct 11, 2008
Many of those who choose to kill themselves go to Tojimbo Cliffs whose stone columns rise 25 metres (82ft) above the Sea of Japan. Each evening, a retired policeman, Yukio Shige, patrols the cliffs looking for those he thinks might be planning to jump. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Test Operatin of Nigata-Troitsa Ferry Set for Oct. 23 Oct 6, 2008
Tokyo, Oct 4, 2008 (Jiji Press) - A test operation a large ferry between Japan's Niigata and Troitsa of Russian Far East will be conducted on Oct. 23 as part of an initiative to open a physical distribution route via the Sea of Japan connecting Japan, Russia, South Korea and China. The test operation, to be carried out by a joint firm to be set up within October by firms from the four countries, is designed to study feasibility of the Northeast Asian ferry project, which has been under... (JCN Network, Japan)
Docs in 1950s Korea were just what the doctor ordered Sep 24, 2008
Lt. Col. Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. It spun in. (Forest City Summit, IO)
Lure of catching a salmon shark dwindles Sep 7, 2008
" A Fish and Game tracking study from 1998-2004 established an average salmon shark length of 7 1/2 feet with an average weight of 290 pounds for males, 325 for females. The oldest male found was 17 and the oldest female was 20. "There's no immediate concern (about the salmon shark population), but there's always a background concern because they're pretty long-lived," Meyer said. The tiger of the North Pacific, salmon sharks reach 12 feet in length and can weigh more than 800 pounds. Of the 10... (Anchorage Daily News)
40 years after capture, USS Pueblo crew reunites Sep 7, 2008
When McClintock boarded the USS Pueblo in early January 1968, he was planning for a three-week mission collecting electronic intelligence off the coast of North Korea in the Sea of Japan. Instead, the 24-year-old communications technician from Milton, Mass. (Muscatine Journal, IO)
Timeline: N Korea stand-off Sep 5, 2008
1 May: North Korea fires a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan, on the eve of a meeting of members of the international Non-Proliferation Treaty. 11 May: North Korea says it has completed extraction of spent fuel rods from Yongbyon, as part of plans to "increase its nuclear arsenal". (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Japan May Repeat Claim Over Islands Disputed With Korea, Chosun Ilbo Says Sep 1, 2008
The disputed islands, located in the Sea of Japan, have been under South Korean control for more than 50 years. The two countries narrowly avoided a military clash in April 2006 after South Korea's navy went on alert to block a Japanese Coast Guard survey of the area. (Bloomberg -- Japan)
* From Europe to Asia in slow motion Aug 28, 2008
In the harbor a rank of Russian navy ships brooded under a blanket of gray mist and, in the near distance, I saw the MV Rus, the ferry that would take me across the Sea of Japan. After a day and night in Vladivostok, I made my way to the ferry passenger terminal. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* Academics discuss political significance of Taiwans future Aug 24, 2008
Japan is an oceanic country that relies heavily on the use of sea lanes, especially the East Sea [Sea of Japan], for foreign exported natural resources such as oil. For the Japanese, security on the sea lane is a matter of life and death, he said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
South Korea Undecided Whether to Attend Japan, China Summit, Official Says Aug 21, 2008
The rocky islets, under South Korean control for more than 50 years and located in the Sea of Japan, are known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese. The Korean official declined to comment whether the dispute had caused Lee to change his summit plans. (Bloomberg -- Japan)
Japan Plans to Start Trial Frozen Gas Drilling in Pacific Ocean in 2012 Aug 19, 2008
Japan probably has several more undersea deposits of methane hydrate, such as the one near Sado Island in the Sea of Japan, according to a study conducted by the trade ministry's methane hydrate research committee. Before it can consider commercial production, Japan has to tackle the environmental hazards posed by methane hydrate. (Bloomberg -- Japan)
Japan PM voices remorse for WWII on surrender date Aug 15, 2008
President Lee Myung-Bak, involved in a territorial dispute with Tokyo over islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), urged Tokyo to "face up to history and refrain from making the foolish mistake of repeating the unfortunate past again today.". Fukuda has placed a priority on mending ties with China and South Korea, although he did not stop three of his cabinet ministers from visiting the Yasukuni shrine. (Yahoo! Asia News)
Georgia: No War, No Peace Aug 14, 2008
"Lavrov wrote that Russia was committed to following through on the EU plan in the effort to forge a durable peace. "Over the next few days, on the condition that Georgia refrains from military activity and keeps its forces out of the region, Russia will continue to take the diplomatic steps required to consolidate this temporary cessation to hostilities," Lavrov wrote.With Russian armor continuing to menace Tbilisi, however, it remained unclear what Russia s peace terms were. Lavrov and other... (EurasiaNet.org)
* US cancels exercise with Russia Aug 14, 2008
The exercises were to involve warships from Russia, France, Britain and the US in the Sea of Japan as well as an onshore component in the Russian port of Vladivostok. It was to have been the latest in a series of joint war games that began in 1988. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Georgia and Russia agree on truce Aug 13, 2008
The US has meanwhile said it is cancelling an annual joint naval exercise with Russia, scheduled for the end of this week in the Sea of Japan. A US official told news agencies there was no way Washington could "proceed with this joint exercise at this time". (BBC News)
Peace plan for Georgia Aug 13, 2008
Plans for the 15 to 23 August Frukus naval exercise in the Sea of Japan "have been scrapped," a senion defence official said. "In the wake of this conflict, there is no way that we can proceed with this joint exercise at this time," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. (iAfrica.com)
Georgian villages looted as conflict ceasefire threatened Aug 13, 2008
A senior US defense official said the August 15-23 exercises involving Russian, French, British and US warships in the Sea of Japan "have been scrapped.". "In the wake of this conflict, there is no way that we can proceed with this joint exercise at this time," the official said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
US cancels naval exercise with Russia Aug 13, 2008
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, on Tuesday said plans for the August 15-23 FRUKUS naval exercise in the Sea of Japan "have been scrapped." ... The exercise was to involve warships from Russia, France, Britain and the United States in the Sea of Japan as well as an onshore component in the Russian port of Vladivostok. (India Times, India)
DPRK, S Korean ships collide in Sea of Japan Aug 12, 2008
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A ship collision between a fishing boat of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and a South Korean sand excavator early Tuesday appeared to be an accident, said South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. Tuesday's collision, leaving at least two DPRK sailors missing, appeared to be a simple accident, but it is expected to worsen the strained ties between the Pyongyang and Seoul, Yonhap said. (Xinhuanet, China)
U.S., S. Korea relations strong despite tension Aug 4, 2008
Bush moved quickly to resolve the kerfuffle over the Dokdo islets in the Sea of Japan. South Korea has controlled the islets, covering 56 acres, for the past half-century. (USA Today)
Jellyfish invasions hint at oceans' decline Aug 3, 2008
"Human-caused stresses, including global warming and overfishing, are encouraging jellyfish surpluses in many tourist destinations and productive fisheries," according to the National Science Foundation, which is issuing a report on the phenomenon this fall and lists as problem areas Australia, the Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, the Black Sea, Namibia, Britain, the Mediterranean, the Sea of Japan, and the Yangtze estuary. In Barcelona, one of Spain's most vibrant tourist destinations, city officials... (Boston Globe)
Icebreaker Xuelong sails into Arctic Aug 3, 2008
The icebreaker set off on July 11 from Shanghai and reached the Arctic Circle after a three-week journey through the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea and the Bering strait. Members of China's third scientific Arctic expedition celebrate their entrance into the Arctic region August 2, 2008. (Xinhuanet, China)
O'Brien's blog Aug 2, 2008
True story: back in 88 I was living on a tiny island in the sea of Japan, and asked my dad to send me a vidoetape of a Braves game (even watching commercials was like an exciting trip home. . (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
* Seoul lauds US relisting of disputed isles Aug 1, 2008
This picture taken on July 14 shows the group of disputed islets controlled by South Korea but also claimed by Japan in the Sea of Japan. PHOTO: AFP. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* S Korea stages exercises near disputed islets Jul 31, 2008
The navy said the drill in the Sea of Japan included a 3,000-tonne destroyer, anti-submarine helicopters and the countrys latest fighter jets. Annual maneuver It said the annual event aims to block imaginary forces from entering the islets and drive them away. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Korea Welcomes U.S. Reversal of Map Change to Islands Claimed By Japan Jul 31, 2008
The islands, under South Korean control for more than 50 years, are located in the Sea of Japan. The U.S. Defense Department will change the listing on a Web site back to South Korean territory, after the reported it had switched the labeling last week to ``undesignated sovereignty. (Bloomberg -- Japan)
S Korean PM visits disputed islets of Dokdo Jul 30, 2008
Han Seung-soo visited the disputed islets of Dokdo, which Japan also claims territorial sovereignty and calls Takeshima, in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) on Tuesday, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported ... SEOUL, July 29 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo visited the disputed islets of Dokdo, which Japan also claims sovereignty and calls Takeshima, in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) on Tuesday, drawing more attentions to the territorial dispute between Seoul and Tokyo ...... (Xinhuanet, China)
Seoul has desert island dreams Jul 26, 2008
WASHINGTON - It began with word that a librarian at the US Library of Congress wanted to list a group of rocky islets in the East Sea, aka the Sea of Japan, as Liancourt Rocks rather than the Korean name, Dokdo, Tok Island ... How could anyone at such an august and influential institution as the Library of Congress imagine calling those Korean-owned rocks out there in the East Sea - and please don't even think about calling it the Sea of Japan - by anything other than Dokdo. (Asia Times Online)
Thai-Cambodia conflict may haunt ASEAN meeting Jul 21, 2008
trying to encourage early resolution and maximum restraint in order to avoid any repercussions on the image of the organization," Surin said Saturday. But the ASEAN foreign ministers will also hear good news that will help to boost its international stature: North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun is scheduled to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC). Pyongyang will add to the list of signatory countries, which includes China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Russia, Pakistan and... (Jakarta Post, Indonesia)
Seoul bars Japanese condom ad Jul 20, 2008
This week, South Korea recalled its ambassador from Tokyo in protest at guidelines for high school teachers in Japan reportedly saying that two islands in the Sea of Japan belong to Japan, while noting that South Korea also claims sovereignty. The mere mention of the territory - known as the Takeshima islands in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea - was enough to inflame nationalists in Seoul, who pelted the Japanese embassy with rotten eggs and tomatoes yesterday. (guardian.co.uk)
Islands row deflates Japanese condom sales drive in SKorea Jul 19, 2008
South Korea and Japan are again in dispute over islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in Korea. The latest row was sparked by Japanese educational guidelines reaffirming Tokyo's claim to the Seoul-controlled islands. (ABS CBN News)
Japan-S Korea island row escalates Jul 18, 2008
South Korea has rejected a Japanese proposal to hold bilateral talks on the status of a disputed group of islets in the Sea of Japan, roughly halfway between the two countries. Japanese officials had suggested talks could be held on the sidelines of a regional security meeting scheduled for next week. (Aljazeera.net)
Japan defends claim over ownership of islands disputed with South ... Jul 15, 2008
Japan reignited the controversy Monday by announcing its intention to recommend in a government-approved teaching manual that students learn about Tokyo's claims to the tiny islands in the Sea of Japan. "It's been decided between myself, the chief Cabinet secretary and involved ministers that this is the best solution," Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said. (International Herald Tribune)
* Japan reaffirms claim to disputed Dokdo islands Jul 15, 2008
South Korea on Sunday renewed its own claim to the islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) known as Takeshima in Japan. They have long been an irritant in relations despite efforts by new South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to improve ties with Seouls former colonial master. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
South Korean-Japanese dispute over islets fares up Jul 15, 2008
The on-and-off territorial dispute over the largely uninhabitable islets - which lie about halfway between the two countries in what Japan calls the Sea of Japan and South Korea calls the East Sea - has troubled relations between the countries for years. Their ownership has implications for fishing rights, and recent studies found the seabeds around them hold a large reservoir of methane hydrate, a potential energy resource. (International Herald Tribune)
Security up at Japanese embassy in Seoul Jul 15, 2008
The islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) have been a source of sporadic tension for decades. Small groups of activists staged protests outside the Japanese embassy on Monday and more were expected on Tuesday, prompting police to deploy hundreds of riot officers. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
In Japan, Buddhism, long the religion of funerals, may itself be dying out Jul 14, 2008
Here in Oga, on a peninsula of the same name that faces the Sea of Japan in Akita Prefecture, Buddhist priests are looking at the cold math of a population and local fishing industry in decline. "It's not an exaggeration to say that the population is about half of what it was at its peak and that all businesses have also been reduced by half," said Giju Sakamoto, 74, the 91st head priest of Akita's oldest temple, Chorakuji, which was founded around the year 860. (International Herald Tribune)
Japan reaffirms islands claim Jul 14, 2008
Seoul sent an extra patrol ship to the area after Tokyo reaffirmed its claim South Korean-controlled islands in the Sea of Japan. The row comes less than three months after leaders of the two countries agreed to focus on the future rather than on Japan's brutal 20th century colonisation of Korea. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
In election dispute, a challenge for Mongolia's democracy Jul 8, 2008
With a population of three million scattered across a country the size of Alaska, it is, as one Mongolian leader put it last week, the only democracy between the Sea of Japan and Eastern Europe. Mongolia has supplied troops for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the former secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, was given a horse when he visited in 2005 (he left it behind). (International Herald Tribune)
Bush celebrates 62nd birthday on the fly Jul 6, 2008
They will be sipping from a special edition of lacquerware from the Sea of Japan coastal town of Wajima cups that go for $1,000 a piece. The vermillion, 3-inch-tall sake cup made of wood is shaped like a small chalice. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
Mongolia enforces martial law in capital amid political unrest Jul 3, 2008
"From the Sea of Japan to the eastern border of Europe, we are the only functioning democracy, and we have a duty to save it," the Democratic Party leader, Tsakhiagyn Elbegdorj, told Reuters. . (International Herald Tribune)
Five dead in Mongolia post-election violence Jul 3, 2008
"From the Sea of Japan to the eastern border of Europe, we are the only functioning democracy and we have a duty to save it," Democratic Party leader Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj told Reuters. Parliament was to convene an extraordinary session late on Wednesday to formally approve the president's state of emergency. (Globe and Mail -- International)
Why Pyongyang May Test Its Bomb Jul 2, 2008
China had insisted that Kim not test new missiles, but he went ahead anyway and fired off seven across the Sea of Japan in a macabre July 4 celebration. Shen Dingli, a senior Chinese foreign-policy analyst, has concluded it's too late to deter Kim from exploding a nuclear bomb. (Newsweek)
Campaign 2008 Movie of the Week Project Jun 6, 2008
Panic ensues as the super-delegates dump interns, fax machines, walking around money, and of course the hybrid helicopters into the Sea of Japan. See actors playing Harold Ickes, and Terry McAuliffe being summarily executed by remaining CC (Clinton 00004000 Cong) as they try to run for the helipad. (Human Events Online)
Stinging Truths About Jellyfish Blooms May 30, 2008
These jellyfish-rich locations include Australia, the Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, the Black Sea, Namibia, the United Kingdom, the Mediterranean, the Sea of Japan and the Yangtze Estuary. Study Implications. (Science Daily)
PAUL PAINE: Sudden death - but the task proceeds May 27, 2008
We were conducting routine flight operations in the Sea of Japan. Around 2 a.m. one day, two Russian Bear bombers (Tu-95) were detected on radar flying toward our ship. (Fresno Bee -- Opinion)
* S Korea summons ambassador over dispute with Japan May 20, 2008
The two tiny islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) X known as Takeshima by Japanese and Dokdo by Koreans X have long been an irritant in ties between South Korea and its former colonial master. South Korea stations a small unit of maritime police on the islands but Japan has long claimed sovereignty. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Ochone! Japanese whisky is voted the best in May 2, 2008
Yoichi 20 years old, distilled on the shores of the Sea of Japan, has become the first variety produced outside Scotland to win the coveted single malt award in an international competition run by Whisky Magazine, the main industry publication. The whisky, distilled near the city of Sapporo on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, beat dozens of other varieties, including last year s winner, Talisker 18 years old, produced on the Isle of Skye. (Times Online)
Kevorkian to be released from prison in June Apr 16, 2008
Melody Baetens: "Black Out the Stars," the new album by Ferndale-based pop group Sea of Japan, came out today on Suburban Sprawl Music. The new disc is available only online. (Yahoo News -- Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia)
* Chinese pollution quietly takes its toll on Japan Apr 5, 2008
Mount Zao is whipped every year by wet winds from across the Sea of Japan that form layers of ice and snow that shine like crystals. The Japanese call them juhyo, or ice trees. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Obituaries for Friday, March 28, 2008 Mar 28, 2008
He served as EM 3rd Class on the destroyer USS South Dakota (Japan, 1945) and the aircraft carrier USS Hancock (China Sea of Japan). He was also aboard the USS South Dakota when Japan surrendered on the nearby USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
