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Kan appears at Diet inquiry to give his version of nuclear crisis response

Politics › May. 28, 2012 - 03:00PM JST

Former prime minister Naoto Kan began testifying Monday afternoon before a Diet commission probing the Fukushima nuclear disaster, with the focus on early efforts to…
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Police arrest president of bus company over fatal crash

Crime › May. 28, 2012 - 03:40PM JST

Police on Monday arrested the president of a bus operator over a fatal accident in which seven people were killed and 39 others injured when…
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Russian consul in Japan dies in cliff fall

National › May. 28, 2012 - 06:43AM JST

A Russian consul-general in Japan died after falling down a 30-meter cliff during a ball game at a campsite in Niigata Prefecture, police said Sunday.…
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3rd crested ibis chick leaves its nest

National › May. 28, 2012 - 06:25AM JST

Wildlife experts were celebrating Sunday after video footage confirmed that the third chick of one of eight mating pairs of Japanese crested ibises on Sado…
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4 workers confirmed dead in Niigata tunnel explosion

National › May. 27, 2012 - 05:00PM JST

Four construction workers were confirmed dead Sunday after being recovered from inside a mountain tunnel where they had been trapped since an explosion on Thursday,…
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Hosono visits Fukushima No. 4 reactor amid concern over fuel pool

National › May. 27, 2012 - 04:43PM JST

Japan's environment and nuclear minister visited the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Saturday to inspect a spent fuel pool at the center of…
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Oceanographer says beachcombers on West Coast may find bones in tsunami debris

National › May. 27, 2012 - 06:49AM JST

Shoes containing human bones from people killed by the 2011 Japanese tsunami are likely to begin washing up on the U.S. West Coast later this…
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Man attempts suicide after apparently hanging disabled daughter in public restroom

Crime › May. 28, 2012 - 03:30PM JST

Police said Monday that a man was found bleeding from his abdomen and his daughter hanged in a public restroom in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture. According…
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Woodford's Olympus court clash looms in London

Crime › May. 28, 2012 - 06:36AM JST

Michael Woodford, the ousted Olympus CEO, on Monday will bring his lawsuit for unfair dismissal for whistleblowing and discrimination against his former Japanese employer, in…
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Cybercrooks cranking out new weapons, experts warn

Crime › May. 28, 2012 - 06:34AM JST

Cybercriminals are cranking out new weapons at a brisk pace, tailoring malicious software for a spectrum of gadgets including smartphones, tablets, and Macintosh computers, a…
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Tokyo police inspect six stores selling herbs

Crime › May. 27, 2012 - 03:31PM JST

Officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department have inspected six herb stores in Shibuya. Police said Saturday there have been a string of reports of…
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Gov't turns to AKB48 to sell bonds

Entertainment › May. 28, 2012 - 12:59PM JST

Japan's cash-strapped government is turning to wildly popular music group AKB48 to help it sell government bonds, as interest in the low-yield paper wanes. The…
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Satomi Ishihara is 2012 Zespri kiwifruit image character

Entertainment › May. 28, 2012 - 07:01AM JST

Actress Satomi Ishihara, 25, has been chosen as the 2012 Zespri kiwifruit image character. Ishihara takes over from past image characters Norika Fujiwara, Moe Oshikiri,…
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'Love' conquers all in Cannes

Entertainment › May. 28, 2012 - 03:44AM JST

"Love", the wrenching tale of an elderly Parisian caring for his dying wife, scooped top prize in Cannes on Sunday, handing a second Palme d'Or…
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'Men in Black 3' takes down 'Avengers' with $55 mil

Entertainment › May. 28, 2012 - 03:11AM JST

The suits have knocked off the superheroes at the box office. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones' sequel "Men in Black 3" debuted as the…
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Lady Gaga's Indonesia concert canceled after threats

Entertainment › May. 27, 2012 - 06:04PM JST

Pop diva Lady Gaga on Sunday canceled her Indonesian concert with promoters saying the security threat was too serious after Islamic hardliners promised "chaos" if…
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Japan declined U.S. offer to station nuclear experts in Kan's office: Edano

Politics › May. 28, 2012 - 02:55PM JST

A "frustrated" U.S. wanted to place nuclear experts in the prime minister's office in Tokyo after the Fukushima disaster last year but Japan refused citing…
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Edano says he didn't deliberately mislead public about extent of nuclear crisis

Politics › May. 28, 2012 - 01:15PM JST

The chief government spokesman during Japan's nuclear crisis testified Sunday that he did not deliberately mislead the public about the extent of the accident. Trade…
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LDP urges Noda to part ways with Ozawa

Politics › May. 28, 2012 - 07:00AM JST

The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Sunday urged Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to sever ties with former Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leader…
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EU says China, U.S., Japan also have economic work to do

Politics › May. 28, 2012 - 03:37AM JST

The United States and Japan must tackle their tax issues and China must relax restrictions on the yuan, as they share responsibility with Europe for…
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Tokyo stocks close mixed

Business › May. 28, 2012 - 03:25PM JST

Tokyo stocks were mixed on Monday in subdued trade as the market won a measure of support from news that Greece's pro-austerity conservative party had…
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Turbulence ahead for airlines despite oil price drop

Business › May. 28, 2012 - 06:30AM JST

Airlines are still in for financial turbulence despite a recent fall in oil prices, with many at risk of posting major losses as the cost…
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UNIQLO to open store in New Jersey shopping mall

Business › May. 28, 2012 - 05:38AM JST

Recently after announcing plans to open its first West Coast store, UNIQLO will open a new store in Garden State Plaza, New Jersey, one of…
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Bandai to launch new lifestyle product line based on Tamagotchi brand in U.S.

Business › May. 28, 2012 - 05:04AM JST

Bandai Co Ltd, one of the world’s largest toy companies, has named Los Angeles-based Sync Beatz Entertainment Inc as the exclusive United States licensing agent…
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Yen-yuan direct trading to start in June

Business › May. 27, 2012 - 12:51PM JST

Japan and China are expected to start direct trading of their currencies as early as June as part of efforts to boost bilateral trade and…
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Bridgestone announces future sustainable tire technologies

Technology › May. 28, 2012 - 06:00AM JST

Bridgestone has announced the development of new tire technologies that will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society. These technologies, announced at the World…
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Fujitsu, Nissin Healthcare Food Service build cloud-based system for home food delivery service

Technology › May. 27, 2012 - 06:40AM JST

Fujitsu said it has worked with Nissin Healthcare Food Service Co Ltd to build a cloud-based food delivery system for the company's Shokutakubin service, which…
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Rakuten to launch e-commerce service in Malaysia

Technology › May. 27, 2012 - 06:24AM JST

Rakuten Inc, Japan’s top e-commerce company, has announced plans to launch an Internet shopping mall in Malaysia, Rakuten Online Shopping. The service will introduce consumers…
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Microchip maker Renesas may cut 14,000 jobs, reports say

Technology › May. 26, 2012 - 02:14PM JST

Japanese semiconductor maker Renesas Electronics Corp is considering cutting up to 14,000 jobs or 30% of its workforce as part of a major restructuring plan,…
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Facebook makes mobile move after IPO flop

Technology › May. 25, 2012 - 06:36AM JST

Facebook has released a "camera" application that lets people take Instagram-style pictures that can be shared with iPhones. The stand-alone application synchs to the leading…
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Rangers' offense gives Darvish win over Blue Jays

Sports › May. 28, 2012 - 02:45PM JST

The Texas offense made it an easy day for starting pitcher Yu Darvish as the Rangers crushed the Toronto Blue Jays 12-6 on Sunday. The…
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Rays turn table on Red Sox for 4-3 win

Sports › May. 28, 2012 - 01:32PM JST

Sean Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Boston closer Alfredo Aceves as the Tampa Bay Rays rallied for a 4-3 victory…
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Spurs strike first in West finals, win 19th in row

Sports › May. 28, 2012 - 01:11PM JST

Manu Ginobili scored a playoff-high 26 points as the San Antonio Spurs won their 19th game in a row to equal the NBA record for…
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Halladay leaves with sore shoulder as Phillies lose

Sports › May. 28, 2012 - 12:49PM JST

Roy Halladay gave up a grand slam to Yadier Molina in an abbreviated two-inning start before leaving with shoulder soreness as the St. Louis Cardinals…
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Serbia, Japan, South Korea secure Olympic volleyball berths

Sports › May. 28, 2012 - 06:27AM JST

Serbia, Japan and South Korea secured berths for the London Games at a women's volleyball Olympic qualifying tournament on Sunday. Serbia beat Japan 18-25, 25-21,…
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27 wedding guests killed in Indian highway crash

World › May. 28, 2012 - 04:36PM JST

At least 27 guests returning from a wedding died in India on Monday when a speeding van lost control and rammed into their stationary minibus…
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British woman held for smuggling cocaine into Bali

World › May. 28, 2012 - 03:20PM JST

A British woman was arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine into the Indonesian island of Bali, an official said Monday, and may face the death penalty…
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Millions in global aid for Iraq remain unspent

World › May. 28, 2012 - 02:22PM JST

Outside the crumbling elementary school, goats feed on trash strewn across the front yard. Inside, the ceiling is rotting, toilets don't work and students scrunch…
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U.N. Security Council blames Syrian gov't for Houla killings

World › May. 28, 2012 - 08:21AM JST

Syria on Sunday strongly denied allegations that its forces killed scores of people -- including women and children -- in one of the deadliest days…
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U.S. drones kill 5 militants in Pakistan

World › May. 28, 2012 - 07:15AM JST

A U.S. drone attack early Monday killed at least five militants in a volatile northwestern Pakistan tribal region near the Afghan border, security officials said.…
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Lame applicant pool plagues Don Quijote

Lifestyle › May. 28, 2012 - 06:45AM JST

Part of the fun of visiting Don Quijote discount superstores is the vastly diverse clientele swarming the narrow aisles. People from all walks of life…
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Dating websites get inventive with games, apps

Lifestyle › May. 26, 2012 - 02:00AM JST

Nearly two decades since the start of online dating, the match-making sites that launched millions of relationships are spicing things up with online games and…
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How Internet detectives, and others, find out where you live

Lifestyle › May. 24, 2012 - 07:26AM JST

An explosion of people checking into social networks is being exploited by mobile application makers and private detectives, who say they can use people's online…
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Canine cloud-based health monitoring system refuses to let your sleeping dog lie

Lifestyle › May. 22, 2012 - 07:17AM JST

Have you ever seen an overweight dog? Many of us probably aren’t sure as, unlike with people, we don’t quite know what the ideal dog…
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Cloak and dagger world of spies exposed in New York exhibition

Lifestyle › May. 20, 2012 - 05:55AM JST

The mysterious cloak and dagger world of international espionage and its real-life heros and villains are exposed in a new exhibition, the first to be…
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Aning Samuel: From Ghana to the glitter of Tokyo

Arts & Culture › May. 27, 2012 - 12:03PM JST

Aning Samuel, who is better known as Samy Pop, is always amused when Japanese people find out he is from Ghana. “They immediately say ‘Ghana…
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Michael Jackson is still 'Bad,' 25 years after album

Arts & Culture › May. 26, 2012 - 05:59AM JST

Michael Jackson's "Bad" returns this September with new music and never-before-seen concert video in the first re-release of a full album from the King of…
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Iran's Kiarostami goes to Japan for latest film

Arts & Culture › May. 24, 2012 - 06:37AM JST

Abbas Kiarostami has found inspiration far from home. The Iranian director's films are routinely banned in his home country, whose Islamist government has arrested or…
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Contestants? It's TV talent judges basking in fame, cash

Arts & Culture › May. 22, 2012 - 06:29AM JST

Time was when TV talent shows set out to turn wannabes into stars. These days? Not so much. It's the celebrity judges who are raking…
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Hollywood builds tales on famous brands

Arts & Culture › May. 20, 2012 - 06:42AM JST

Hollywood is known for snatching up best-selling books and turning them into big-screen blockbusters: "Twilight," `'Harry Potter," `'The Hunger Games," `'The Help" and countless others.…
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Killer or not? The dilemma over Etan Patz confessor

Commentary › May. 28, 2012 - 06:54AM JST

The man who last week confessed to killing six-year-old Etan Patz, who disappeared in New York 33 years ago, has left U.S. justice with a…
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Facebook IPO debacle raises investor dander

Commentary › May. 27, 2012 - 12:37PM JST

The spate of complaints and investigations over the Facebook stock offering suggests big institutions had an edge over small investors, raising questions about the process.…
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Many now see eurozone in Japan-like 'Lost Decade'

Commentary › May. 25, 2012 - 06:00AM JST

Four years of economic crisis and market turmoil that have sent German bund yields to record lows now have half of the top bond strategists…
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Social media's impact on kids 'merits big debate'

Commentary › May. 23, 2012 - 06:52AM JST

Facebook's big stock offering on Wall Street must be followed by an intensive debate on Main Street about social media's powerful impact on children, an…
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Online sharing: How much is too much?

Commentary › May. 20, 2012 - 02:05AM JST

Whether it is photos, personal status or unwanted comments, most Americans think people "overshare" personal information online and a third admit not everything they post…
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Tabloid blasts growing numbers of foreign welfare chiselers

Kuchikomi › May. 28, 2012 - 06:22AM JST

"Malicious Foreign Welfare Recipients Increasing Rapidly" screams the yellow and red headline emblazoned across the front page of Yukan Fuji (May 25). The accompanying banner,…
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Internet videos empowering right-wing activist group

Kuchikomi › May. 24, 2012 - 07:00AM JST

Last autumn, South Korean actress Kim Tae Hee, 32, starred in her first Japanese drama, a light romantic comedy on Fuji TV and affiliates, titled…
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Eels slipping away from consumers' budgets

Kuchikomi › May. 21, 2012 - 06:29AM JST

"This summer you might not be able to eat 'unagi' (eel), warns Nikkan Gendai (May 18). It seems that for the third consecutive year catches…
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Housewives seeking part-time work squeezed out by surge in jobless

Kuchikomi › May. 15, 2012 - 06:31AM JST

Sawako Yoshimura (a pseudonym, like all the names in this story) is a 37-year-old housewife in Okayama Prefecture who, last year, decided to take a…
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Pet hoarding at the local cat house a growing problem

Kuchikomi › May. 11, 2012 - 06:44PM JST

In a neighborhood somewhere in Kanagawa Prefecture, the reporter steps into a house, and is staggered by a blast of ammonia-tinged pong. Its source is…
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Philips Electronics Japan Ltd

Executive Impact › May. 28, 2012 - 06:44AM JST

One of the best known names in the healthcare, consumer products and lighting business is Philips Electronics, which has had a presence in the Japanese…
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New iPhone app 'reads' people's thoughts

Executive Impact › May. 21, 2012 - 07:09AM JST

Echoer is a groundbreaking app that makes it easy to see what other people are thinking and experiencing in the places around you. It solves…
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J-Seed Ventures, Inc

Executive Impact › May. 14, 2012 - 06:46AM JST

Jeffrey Char is happiest when he is empowering young entrepreneurs to create start-ups. As president and representative director of J-Seed Ventures, Inc, Char has helped…
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South African Tourism

Executive Impact › May. 07, 2012 - 06:00AM JST

South Africa has launched a new tourism campaign this year, with the slogan Inspiring New Ways. The republic got a big boost during the 2010…
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Servcorp Japan

Executive Impact › Apr. 23, 2012 - 06:13AM JST

For many companies looking to enter the Japanese market, it is usually not worth the investment early on to rent an office. Serviced offices present…
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Lens kits for iPhone 4S/4

New Products › May. 28, 2012 - 06:25AM JST

Elecom has three new lens kits for the iPhone 4S/4 that can be attached easily to your iPhone 4S/4, allowing you to take slightly unusual…
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Noiseless KaraOK

New Products › May. 26, 2012 - 06:20AM JST

Everyone likes to sing, at least a little bit. What most of us don’t realize though is that about 0.01% of the population can actually…
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Your face on a Y10,000 bill

New Products › May. 25, 2012 - 06:12AM JST

Whether you’re needing to boost your self-esteem, or you’re just awesome thank you and want some more proof of the fact, you can now get…
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Used wine bottles transformed into beautiful glassware

New Products › May. 23, 2012 - 06:01AM JST

Okay, we have good news for wine lovers who feel guilty about creating lots of trash by opening all of those wine bottles. See the…
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65-inch interactive plasma display

New Products › May. 21, 2012 - 06:02AM JST

Panasonic Corp will start selling a new 65-inch Interactive Plasma Display (TH-65PB1), incorporated with electronic pen functions, in Japan, the U.S. and Europe at the…
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TripAdvisor ranks Top 20 Japanese travel destinations for foreign visitors

Travel › May. 28, 2012 - 06:23AM JST

The Japanese arm of tourism website TripAdvisor gathered user comments and evaluations from the past year and used them to rank the Top 20 travel…
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DoubleTree by Hilton opens in Okinawa

Travel › May. 26, 2012 - 06:49AM JST

Hilton Worldwide has opened the DoubleTree by Hilton in Naha, Okinawa – the 10th Hilton Worldwide hotel in Japan and the first in the fast-growing,…
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Peach Aviation prepares for Osaka-Hong Kong service

Travel › May. 25, 2012 - 05:59AM JST

Peach Aviation, a low cost airline based in Japan, has appointed Pacific Aviation Marketing (HK) Limited as its General Sales Agent (GSA) in Hong Kong.…
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United to fly 787 from Denver to Tokyo

Travel › May. 23, 2012 - 05:42AM JST

United Airlines started selling tickets for its first 787 flights on Tuesday, saying it plans to start service between Denver and Tokyo. As of Tuesday…
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American Airlines celebrates 25 years of service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Japan

Travel › May. 22, 2012 - 06:34AM JST

Twenty-five years ago on May 21, 1987, American Airlines launched its first ever service to Asia when it started flights between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport…
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