ID :
96697
Thu, 12/24/2009 - 21:23
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/96697
The shortlink copeid
Change of government in Japan voted top Japan story in 2009
+
TOKYO, Dec. 24 Kyodo -
The Democratic Party of Japan's sweeping victory in August and the subsequent
launch of a new government by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama ranked first in the
list of 10 major domestic news stories of 2009, according to a Kyodo News poll
released Thursday.
The poll covered senior editors at Kyodo News, its member newspapers and other
subscriber organizations who were asked to select what they considered to be
the major domestic news events this year.
The following are the top 10 domestic news stories of 2009:
(1) DPJ sweeps to power, Hatoyama becomes premier
The Democratic Party of Japan scored a landslide victory in the Aug. 30 general
election, ending more than half a century of virtually uninterrupted rule by
the Liberal Democratic Party.
DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama took office as prime minister in September and
formed a coalition government with two minor parties -- the Social Democratic
Party and the People's New Party. The phrase ''change of government'' became
one of the top buzzwords of 2009.
(2) Japan's first lay judge system launched
A new judicial system that enables ordinary citizens to try criminal cases
began in May with an eye to making the trial process more accessible to the
general public. In the first lay judge trial in August, a 72-year-old man
charged with murder was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a relatively harsh
sentence compared with those in similar cases.
(3) New H1N1 influenza virus hits Japan
The new H1N1 influenza virus triggered an outbreak in Japan and has claimed the
lives of more than 100 people. The first cases of the disease in Japan were
detected in May from among a group of travelers who returned from Canada to
Narita airport on a school trip. The outbreak has forced schools across the
country to shut down partially or entirely.
(4) Japanese economy, businesses struggle
The Japanese economy struggled all year in the shadow of the U.S.-born
financial crisis. A spate of major businesses reported dismal earnings results
while Japan Airlines Corp. sought government support for survival. The
government admitted on Nov. 20 that the nation's economy has been in mild
deflation, days before the yen hit a 14-year high against the dollar.
(5) New government measures catch public eyes
The new government launched a series of new measures aimed at making the use of
taxpayer money more transparent and reducing wasteful spending. Open debate on
a budget review drew widespread public attention and a decades-long dam
construction project was suspended in a landmark government decision.
(6) Tent village emerges as jobless fears mount
Hundreds of laid-off temporary workers gathered at Tokyo's Hibiya Park, where
antipoverty groups offered them free food and drink in a tent village on the
year-end and New Year holidays. The scene marked the beginning of a year
haunted by jobless fears. The employment rate climbed to a record 5.7 percent
in July.
(7) Wrongly convicted man freed after 17 yrs in prison
A man who received a life sentence and spent 17 years in prison in the
high-profile 1990 murder of a 4-year-old girl was released in June following
fresh DNA tests. A retrial for Toshikazu Sugaya, 63, started in October.
(8) Japan wins 2nd straight WBC crown
Japan claimed its second straight World Baseball Classic title after beating
South Korea in the final in Los Angeles in March. It was also a memorable year
for two star Japanese major leaguers as Ichiro Suzuki had a record ninth
consecutive 200-hit season and Hideki Matsui won the World Series MVP honor.
(9) Light shed on Japan-U.S. nuke pact enigma
A post-World War II diplomatic enigma began coming to light after former
bureaucrats spoke about the existence of secret deals allowing U.S. military
vessels with nuclear weapons to stop over in Japan. The new government launched
a probe into whether such pacts exist after repeated denials by past
administrations.
(10) Expressway tolls cut on weekends, holidays
Traffic was busy on regional expressways after tolls were cut to 1,000 yen in
March for drives for unlimited distances on weekends and holidays under an
economy-boosting program. The Hatoyama government pledged to make expressway
tolls free, but the plan's future is uncertain due to budget constraints.
==Kyodo
TOKYO, Dec. 24 Kyodo -
The Democratic Party of Japan's sweeping victory in August and the subsequent
launch of a new government by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama ranked first in the
list of 10 major domestic news stories of 2009, according to a Kyodo News poll
released Thursday.
The poll covered senior editors at Kyodo News, its member newspapers and other
subscriber organizations who were asked to select what they considered to be
the major domestic news events this year.
The following are the top 10 domestic news stories of 2009:
(1) DPJ sweeps to power, Hatoyama becomes premier
The Democratic Party of Japan scored a landslide victory in the Aug. 30 general
election, ending more than half a century of virtually uninterrupted rule by
the Liberal Democratic Party.
DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama took office as prime minister in September and
formed a coalition government with two minor parties -- the Social Democratic
Party and the People's New Party. The phrase ''change of government'' became
one of the top buzzwords of 2009.
(2) Japan's first lay judge system launched
A new judicial system that enables ordinary citizens to try criminal cases
began in May with an eye to making the trial process more accessible to the
general public. In the first lay judge trial in August, a 72-year-old man
charged with murder was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a relatively harsh
sentence compared with those in similar cases.
(3) New H1N1 influenza virus hits Japan
The new H1N1 influenza virus triggered an outbreak in Japan and has claimed the
lives of more than 100 people. The first cases of the disease in Japan were
detected in May from among a group of travelers who returned from Canada to
Narita airport on a school trip. The outbreak has forced schools across the
country to shut down partially or entirely.
(4) Japanese economy, businesses struggle
The Japanese economy struggled all year in the shadow of the U.S.-born
financial crisis. A spate of major businesses reported dismal earnings results
while Japan Airlines Corp. sought government support for survival. The
government admitted on Nov. 20 that the nation's economy has been in mild
deflation, days before the yen hit a 14-year high against the dollar.
(5) New government measures catch public eyes
The new government launched a series of new measures aimed at making the use of
taxpayer money more transparent and reducing wasteful spending. Open debate on
a budget review drew widespread public attention and a decades-long dam
construction project was suspended in a landmark government decision.
(6) Tent village emerges as jobless fears mount
Hundreds of laid-off temporary workers gathered at Tokyo's Hibiya Park, where
antipoverty groups offered them free food and drink in a tent village on the
year-end and New Year holidays. The scene marked the beginning of a year
haunted by jobless fears. The employment rate climbed to a record 5.7 percent
in July.
(7) Wrongly convicted man freed after 17 yrs in prison
A man who received a life sentence and spent 17 years in prison in the
high-profile 1990 murder of a 4-year-old girl was released in June following
fresh DNA tests. A retrial for Toshikazu Sugaya, 63, started in October.
(8) Japan wins 2nd straight WBC crown
Japan claimed its second straight World Baseball Classic title after beating
South Korea in the final in Los Angeles in March. It was also a memorable year
for two star Japanese major leaguers as Ichiro Suzuki had a record ninth
consecutive 200-hit season and Hideki Matsui won the World Series MVP honor.
(9) Light shed on Japan-U.S. nuke pact enigma
A post-World War II diplomatic enigma began coming to light after former
bureaucrats spoke about the existence of secret deals allowing U.S. military
vessels with nuclear weapons to stop over in Japan. The new government launched
a probe into whether such pacts exist after repeated denials by past
administrations.
(10) Expressway tolls cut on weekends, holidays
Traffic was busy on regional expressways after tolls were cut to 1,000 yen in
March for drives for unlimited distances on weekends and holidays under an
economy-boosting program. The Hatoyama government pledged to make expressway
tolls free, but the plan's future is uncertain due to budget constraints.
==Kyodo
