Nissan only delivers 60 of 6,000 orders for electric vehicle

Nissan only delivers 60 of 6,000 orders for electric vehicle

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Nissan Motor Co.'s Leaf electric vehicle. Nissan officials said Jan. 17, 2011, the company has only delivered about 60 units of the vehicle in Japan as of Jan. 14 even though it has already taken 6,000 orders due to be sold by March 31. Nissan attributed the slow pace to the need for careful work in the manufacturing process but denied any delay of the delivery of the pre-ordered cars.

Fuji Heavy receives hefty orders for new Legacy models

Fuji Heavy receives hefty orders for new Legacy models

TOKYO, Japan - Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. said June 3 it has received more than 7,000 orders for its new Legacy models in the first 10 days, already topping its monthly target of 6,000. Orders for the Legacy Touring Wagon (in handout photo), which went on sale May 23, accounted for 81.4% of the total and those for the B4 sedan, due to be launched June 23, made up the rest, the automaker said.

Sugihara's widow speaks ahead of tree planting in Lithuania

Sugihara's widow speaks ahead of tree planting in Lithuania

TOKYO, Japan - Yukiko Sugihara (L), widow of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, speaks to reporters Sept. 24 at Tokyo's Waseda University ahead of the planting of 250 cherry trees in Lithuania beginning next month in memory of her husband. The late Chiune Sugihara served in World War II and saved more than 6,000 Jews by issuing them transit visas to Japan against orders from Tokyo. His widow expressed concern over Japan's potential involvement in military retaliations for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, saying, ''I'm very worried about Japan being drawn into war.''

Memorial plaque to Sugihara to go up at Foreign Ministry

Memorial plaque to Sugihara to go up at Foreign Ministry

TOKYO, Japan - A plaque commemorating Chiune Sugihara (shown in this file photo), a Japanese diplomat who saved about 6,000 Jews from Nazi Germany during World War II, will go up at the Foreign Ministry. While working as vice consul at the Japanese mission in Kovno, Lithuania, Sugihara ignored orders from Tokyo and issued thousands of Japanese transit visas in 1940 to Jews fleeing Nazi Germany. In 1947, he retired and returned to the country, but reportedly faced punitive action for disobeying orders. He died in 1986.