Japan

Japan, Australia seen boosting support for Pacific nations

The aim of the strategy is to check China’s advances in the region through infrastructure and other improvements.

Japanese Robot Annoys People Until They Talk To It

The robot’s small body looks a bit like a stylized version of the Pixar lamp, a pedestal with a bendy column and an oblong face. In the middle of the face sits a single unblinking eye, so that Talking Ally can maintain eye contact with its person. A second, tucked-away camera tracks the human’s face. Servomotors and springs give the robot a surprising range of movement.

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Manu Samoa playing for pride

Last weekend's defeat to Japan ended the Manu's hopes of making the quarter finals.

In a further blow, vice-captain Alesana Tuilagi was banned for five weeks for striking a Japanese defender with his knee.

The suspension has been criticised by a host of ex-players, rugby commentators and fans, for what appeared nothing more than a poorly executed tackle, and the team admits they too were shocked by the decision.

Assistant coach Alama Ieremia said the team owed it to themselves and their supporters to give it everything in their final match.

Samoan Alesana Tuilagi suspended for five weeks

Tuilagi struck Japan's Harumichi Tatekawa with his knee in the second minute of the Pool B match on Sunday.

He denied the act of foul play but was found guilty by the citing commissioner and will miss Samoa's last match against Scotland at St James' Park on Sunday.

Samoa cannot reach the quarter-finals after losses to Japan and South Africa in Pool B.

Japan's batteries recharged for Samoa showdown, says Luke Thompson

The Brave Blossoms face Samoa at Milton Keynes in a match that will make or break their quarter-final chances. After stunning South Africa in their opening game in Pool B, Japan played Scotland just four days later and faded after an hour, slipping to a 45-10 defeat.

Eddie Jones’ men, however, have recuperated over the past six days in the quiet of Warwick, where the team have been able to focus on preparing for the Samoa game.

Centenarian Hidekichi Miyazaki sets sprint record in Japan

Hidekichi Miyazaki, dubbed "Golden Bolt" after the fastest man on the planet, clocked 42.22 seconds in Kyoto to set a 100 metres world record in the over-105 age category — one for which no mark previously existed — a day after reaching the milestone age.

"I'm not happy with the time," the pint-sized Miyazaki told AFP in an interview after recovering his wind on Wednesday (local time).

"I started shedding tears during the race because I was going so slowly. Perhaps I'm getting old."

Japan coach Eddie Jones aims to beat Scotland

Karne Hesketh crossed in the final minute to win the World Cup Pool B encounter in Brighton on Saturday.

The Brave Blossoms face Scotland on Wednesday in their second match.

"We have two objectives: reach the quarter-finals and be team of the tournament," said Jones.

"With that in mind we have made a successful start. We did not come here to be one-hit wonders."

Japan, who were given a guard of honour as they left their Brighton hotel in the wake of their win over the Springboks, have had just four days to prepare for Wednesday's match.

Japan beats South Africa in biggest-ever upset

Japan players and fans shed tears of joy at the end of a thrilling encounter that ebbed and flowed, but victory was fully deserved after a tenacious performance by the underdogs at the Brighton Community Stadium on Sunday morning.

South Africa had sounded a note of caution ahead of the game, but few, if any, would have predicted defeat at the hands of an opponent that had previously won only once in 24 World Cup outings.

Warning over Pacific bluefin tuna stocks

A four-day meeting in Sapporo, northern Japan, of countries that monitor stocks in most of the Pacific Ocean, made no progress towards helping fish populations recover from decades of overfishing, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Faced with the collapse of bluefin stocks, last year members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission decided to halve the catch of tuna under 30kg from its average level in 2002-2004, although conservation groups had called for a moratorium to give stocks time to recover.

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Queen Elizabeth II leads ceremonies in Britain for WWII victory over Japan

The monarch and other members of the royal family commemorated the event at a church service at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, joined by veterans of the conflict and former prisoners of war.

Some in the crowd dabbed their eyes during the solemn ceremony that recalled the pain and the memory of those who had perished.