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Actress Sakai returns to stage

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese actress Noriko Sakai answers reporters' questions before making a comeback on stage in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2012. Sakai suspended her career following her conviction on drug charges in 2009. A rehearsal of a period play, in which Sakai plays the role of feudal warlord Oda Nobunaga's sister Ichi, was performed for the press in a hall in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.

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Cambodian school adopting Japanese method enjoys popularity

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Principal Yasuo Anzai (C) in the background) is surrounded by students of his ''Bamboo and Wind School'' in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on Dec. 15, 2009.

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Ozawa's ex-aide Ishikawa arrested over funds scandal

TOKYO, Japan - Tomohiro Ishikawa, a Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker and one-time secretary to DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, speaks to reporters in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on Dec. 28, 2009. Prosecutors arrested Ishikawa on Jan. 15, 2010, in connection with a political funds scandal involving Ozawa's fund management body.

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Japan's Kokura fabrics promoted overseas

KITAKYUSHU, Japan - A woman arranges machine-woven Kokura-ori fabrics at a Kokura Creation Inc. shop in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Dec. 15, 2009. The Kitakyushu Chamber of Commerce and Industry has boosted its promotion of the products overseas after seeing the fabrics draw attention in Europe.

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Japan comedian Hazama visits school Istanbul

ISTANBUL, Japan - Japanese comedian Kempei Hazama (C) poses for a photograph with students at a Japanese school in Istanbul on Dec. 15, 2009. The 60-year-old comedian was on a run-and-sail eastbound trip around the world.

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New York newspapers bid farewell to Matsui

New York, United States - Photo shows former New York Yankees slugger and this year's World Series MVP Hideki Matsui in headlines in local newspapers in New York on Dec. 15, 2009, after it was reported the previous day that he had agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Papers bid farewell to Matsui who decided to end his seven-year career in New York, rather than wait for an offer by the Yankees.

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Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes off for test flight

SEATTLE, United States - More than 3,000 spectators watch, as a Boeing 787 Dreamliner prepares for its first take off at Paine Field Airport outside Seattle on Dec. 15, 2009, marking the start of its long-awaited flight test program. The U.S. aircraft giant's mid-sized jet, scheduled for its first delivery to All Nippon Airways by the end of next year, is more light-weight and fuel-efficient than comparable planes.

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Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes off for test flight

SEATTLE, United States - A Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes off for the first time, along with a chase plane, at Paine Field Airport outside Seattle on Dec. 15, 2009, marking the start of its long-awaited flight test program. The U.S. aircraft giant's mid-sized jet, scheduled for its first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways by the end of next year, is more light-weight and fuel-efficient than comparable planes.

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Penguins dive into Antarctic sea

ANTARCTICA, Antarctica - Adelie penguins dive into water near the Japanese icebreaker Shirase in Antarctica on Dec. 15, 2009. The appearance of around 50 penguins excited those aboard, including members of a research expedition team, as they arrived in the waters, 70 kilometers from Japan's Showa Station, after a 17-day voyage from a port in Australia. (Pool photo)

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Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes off for test flight

SEATTLE, United States - A Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes off for the first time at Paine Field Airport outside Seattle on Dec. 15, 2009, marking the start of its long-awaited flight test program. The U.S. aircraft giant's mid-sized jet, scheduled for its first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways by the end of next year, is more light-weight and fuel-efficient than comparable planes.

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March of penguins in Antarctica

ANTARCTICA, Antarctica - Adelie penguins slide on sea ice near the Japanese icebreaker Shirase in Antarctica on Dec. 15, 2009. The appearance of around 50 penguins excited those aboard, including members of a research expedition team, as they arrived in the waters, 70 kilometers from Japan's Showa Station, after a 17-day voyage from a port in Australia. (Pool photo by Kyodo)

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Penguins cozy up in Antarctica

ANTARCTICA, Antarctica - An emperor penguin and an Adelie penguin cozy up on sea ice 70 kilometers from Japan's Showa Station in Antarctica on Dec. 15, 2009. The appearance of the bigger penguin among around 50 Adelie penguins excited members of a research expedition team and others aboard the Japanese icebreaker Shirase, which left a port in Australia on Nov. 29. (Pool photo by Kyodo)

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Thai authorities study arms cache from North Korea

BANGKOK, Thailand - Photo shows a part of a weapon shipped from North Korea seized by Thai authorities and transferred to the Royal Thai Air Force base in Nakhon Sawan Province in central Thailand on Dec. 15, 2009. The authorities confiscated 35 tons of weapons in a cargo plane which made a fueling stopover at Bangkok's Don Muang airport on Dec. 11, 2009.

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Thai authorities study arms cache from North Korea

BANGKOK, Thailand - Photo shows one of the items shipped from North Korea, believed to be a weapon part, that were seized by Thai authorities and transferred to the Royal Thai Air Force base in Nakhon Sawan Province in central Thailand on Dec. 15, 2009. The authorities confiscated 35 tons of weapons in a cargo plane which made a fueling stopover at Bangkok's Don Muang airport on Dec. 11, 2009.

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Thai authorities study arms cache from North Korea

BANGKOK, Thailand - Specialists examine weapons from North Korea seized by Thai authorities and transferred to the Royal Thai Air Force base in Nakhon Sawan Province in central Thailand on Dec. 15, 2009. The authorities confiscated 35 tons of weapons in a cargo plane which made a fueling stopover at Bangkok's Don Muang airport on Dec. 11, 2009.

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Japanese lower house members meet with China's chief legislator

BEIJING, China - Takeaki Matsumoto (L), chairman of the Steering Committee of Japan's House of Representatives who heads a group of Japanese ruling and opposition lower house members, shakes hands with Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec. 15, 2009.

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Yokomine named JLPGA Player of the Year

TOKYO, Japan - Sakura Yokomine (file photo), the top earner on the Japanese women's circuit this season, was named Japan LPGA Player of the Year for the first time on Dec. 15, 2009.

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Japanese lower house members meet with China's chief legislator

BEIJING, China - Takeaki Matsumoto (L), chairman of the Steering Committee of Japan's House of Representatives who heads a group of Japanese ruling and opposition lower house members, talks with Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec. 15, 2009.

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Japanese and Australian prime ministers hold talks in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (L) talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama at the premier's office in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009.

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Japanese and Australian prime ministers hold talks in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama shake hands at the premier's office in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009, before their talks.

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Emperor Akihito meets with Chinese Vice President Xi

TOKYO, Japan - Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L) is greeted by Japanese Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009. (Pool photo)

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Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping talks with Japanese leaders

TOKYO, Japan - Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) and Sadakazu Tanigaki, president of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, shake hands at a hotel in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009, before their talks. (Pool photo)

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Female knuckleballer Yoshida to pursue new challenge overseas

OSAKA, Japan - Female professional knuckleballer Eri Yoshida (file photo), who played this season in the independent league with the Kobe 9 Cruise, said on her blog on Dec. 15, 2009, she will participate in the Arizona Winter League starting in January.

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Panel calls for drastic cut in nuclear weapons by 2025

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R) Yoriko Kawaguchi and Gareth Evans, former foreign ministers of Japan and Australia, respectively, who co-chair the International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd pose for photos at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009, after the former foreign ministers presented the panel's report to the prime ministers.

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Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping talks with Japanese leaders

TOKYO, Japan - Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) talks with Sadakazu Tanigaki, president of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, at a hotel in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009. (Pool photo)

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Top court upholds retrial petition over 1967 murder-robbery

TOKYO, Japan - Shoji Sakurai (L) and Takao Sugiyama smile during a press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009, after the Supreme Court upheld a retrial petition over their conviction for a 1967 murder-robbery in Ibaraki Prefecture. The top court upheld a lower court decision that said there are doubts about their confessions.

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Panel calls for drastic cut in nuclear weapons by 2025

TOKYO, Japan - Former Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi (R), co-chair of the International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, speaks about the panel's report at a news conference in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009, with fellow chair former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans.

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Top court upholds retrial petition over 1967 murder-robbery

TOKYO, Japan - Shoji Sakurai (L) and Takao Sugiyama shake hands during a press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009, after the Supreme Court upheld a retrial petition over their conviction for a 1967 murder-robbery in Ibaraki Prefecture. The top court upheld a lower court decision that said there are doubts about their confessions.

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Taiwan opposition leader Tsai speaks in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Tsai Ing-wen, leader of Taiwan's main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, speaks at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009.

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Nakamura re-signs with Seibu Lions

TOKOROZAWA, Japan - Seibu Lions slugger Takeya Nakamura celebrates at Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Dec. 15, 2009, after re-signing with the Pacific League baseball club for a salary of 150 million yen, up 80 million yen from 2009.

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Top court upholds retrial petition over 1967 murder-robbery

TOKYO, Japan - Takao Sugiyama (R) and Shoji Sakurai receive flowers from supporters during a press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009, after the Supreme Court upheld a retrial petition over their conviction for a 1967 murder-robbery in Ibaraki Prefecture. The top court upheld a lower court decision that said there are doubts about their confessions.

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Wakui holds off from re-signing with Seibu Lions

TOKOROZAWA, Japan - Seibu Lions right-hander Hideaki Wakui speaks at a news conference at Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on Dec. 15, 2009, after turning down the Pacific League baseball club's offer of an 80 million yen pay raise that would bring his earnings to 200 million yen in 2010.

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Airbus demonstrates latest business jet at Haneda airport

TOKYO, Japan - Photo shows the inside of Airbus Industrie's latest business jet, the A318 Elite. The European aircraft consortium demonstrated the jet at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Dec. 15, 2009, in a bid to sell it to major Japanese companies.

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Airbus demonstrates latest business jet at Haneda airport

TOKYO, Japan - Airbus Industrie demonstrates its latest business jet, the A318 Elite, at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Dec. 15, 2009. The European aircraft consortium demonstrated the jet in a bid to sell it to major Japanese companies.

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Nakaima urges gov't to set date for conclusion on Futemma issue

NAHA, Japan - Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima speaks to reporters at the Okinawa prefectural office on Dec. 15, 2009, after the central government put off a decision on where to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in the prefecture. Nakaima urged the central government to clearly set a target date for concluding talks with the United States on the issue.

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China vice president meets with Japan lower house chief

TOKYO, Japan - Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L) speaks with House of Representatives Speaker Takahiro Yokomichi at the speaker's residence in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009. Xi said he hopes to enhance bilateral exchanges in diverse areas including the private sector.

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Emperor meets with China's Vice President Xi

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Emperor Akihito (L) meets with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Dec. 15, 2009. The meeting came amid controversy over the Japanese government's decision to accept China's request for an exceptional imperial audience, which goes against protocol requiring such a request a month in advance. (Pool photo)

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Monks dust Buddhist statues at Toshodaiji

NARA, Japan - Monks carefully dust Buddhist statues using 5-meter-long sticks topped with thin strips of Japanese paper in the main hall of Toshodaiji, a Buddhist temple in Nara, on Dec. 15, 2009. Due to restoration work in the main hall, the annual cleaning of the Buddhist statues took place for the first time in 10 years.

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Okada, Fukushima after U.S. base meeting

TOKYO, Japan - Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada (L) and Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Social Democratic Party, come out of a meeting at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009. Okada, Fukushima, who serves as consumer affairs minister, and other participants in the ministerial meeting agreed to put off a decision to pick a possible site for relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture until next year.

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Emperor meets with China's Vice President Xi

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Emperor Akihito (R) and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping shake hands at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Dec. 15, 2009. The meeting came amid controversy over the Japanese government's decision to accept China's request for an exceptional imperial audience, which goes against protocol requiring such a request a month in advance. (Pool photo)

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Post offices start acceptance of New Year's greeting cards

TOKYO, Japan - Actor Shun Oguri poses for photographers as he drops a New Year's greetings card in a purpose-built mail box at a kickoff event at Kyobashi Post Office in Tokyo, on Dec. 15, 2009. The same day, post offices nationwide began accepting New Year's greetings cards, or ''nengajo,'' for delivery on Jan. 1, with the deadline for timely delivery set on Dec. 25.

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Japan business leader, China vice president meet

TOKYO, Japan - Fujio Mitarai (R), chairman of the Japan Business Federation, and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping shake hands at Keidanren Kaikan hall in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2009, ahead of their meeting. Mitarai and other leaders of Japan's largest business lobby, also known as Nippon Keidanren, met with Xi to discuss the economic outlook and new areas of cooperation in energy and the environment.