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Ex-Finance Minister Fujii to retire from politics

TOKYO, Japan - File photo taken in June 2010 shows former Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan. Fujii will retire from politics without running in the Dec. 16 general election, sources close to the legislator said Nov. 29, 2012.

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Matsui returns home

NARITA, Japan - Baseball slugger Hideki Matsui, who has signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics, speaks to reporters after arriving at Narita airport, east of Tokyo, on Dec. 29, 2010, for a holiday-period return home.

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Matsui returns home

NARITA, Japan - Baseball slugger Hideki Matsui, who has signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics, arrives at Narita airport, east of Tokyo, on Dec. 29, 2010, for a holiday-period return home.

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Singer Wada taken to hospital after car accident

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Japanese singer Akiko Wada. Wada was taken to a hospital on Dec. 29, 2010, after being slightly injured when her car was rear-ended at an intersection in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, police said.

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Kashima to take on Shimizu in Emperor's Cup final

TOKYO, Japan - Kashima Antlers players celebrate after defeating 10-man FC Tokyo 2-1 after extra time on Dec. 29, 2010, setting up a New Year's Day date with Shimizu S-Pulse in the Emperor's Cup final.

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Kashima to take on Shimizu in Emperor's Cup final

TOKYO, Japan - Kashima Antlers' Yuya Osako (L) scores the equalizer in the second half of the Emperor's Cup semifinal against FC Tokyo at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Dec. 29, 2010. Antlers' 2-1 victory over FC Tokyo set them up to face Shimizu S-Pulse in the Emperor's Cup final on New Year's Day.

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S-Pulse's Okazaki

FUKUROI, Japan - Shimizu S-Pulse striker Shinji Okazaki (R) competes for the ball with Gamba Osaka defender Kazumichi Takagi during the second half of the Emperor's Cup semifinal at Shizuoka Ecopa Stadium in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Dec. 29, 2010, as S-Pulse went on to win 3-0. Okazaki is expected to join German Bundesliga side Stuttgart, according to German sports magazine Kicker.

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Travelers flock to JR Tokyo Station

TOKYO, Japan - The Tokaido bullet train platform at JR Tokyo Station is filled with people returning home for the year-end and New Year holidays and other travelers on Dec. 29, 2010.

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Kodaira wins women's overall title

MORIOKA, Japan - Nao Kodaira skates during the 500-meter race of the national sprint championships at Iwate Prefectural Skate Rink in Iwate Prefecture on Dec. 29, 2010. Kodaira went on to capture the women's overall title.

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New Year holidaymakers

NARITA, Japan - The departure rush of travelers planning to spend the year-end and New Year holidays abroad peaks on Dec. 29, 2010, at Narita international airport in Chiba Prefecture, with around 38,000 people estimated to fly from the airport that serves Tokyo.

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Osaka mayor visits shelter for day workers

OSAKA, Japan - Osaka Mayor Kunio Hiramatsu visits a shelter mainly aimed at accommodating day workers during the year-end and New Year holidays in Osaka's Suminoe Ward on Dec. 29, 2010. About 390 people have checked in to the shelter so far that opened the same day.

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Haga wins men's overall title

MORIOKA, Japan - Ryohei Haga skates during the 1,000-meter race of the national sprint championships at Iwate Prefectural Skate Rink in Iwate Prefecture on Dec. 29, 2010. Haga went on to win his first overall title.

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New Year holidaymakers

NARITA, Japan - Travelers planning to spend the year-end and New Year holidays abroad write New Year's greeting cards ahead of their departure at Narita international airport in Chiba Prefecture east of Tokyo on Dec. 29, 2010. The departure rush of holidaymakers peaked at the airport on the day.

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New Year holidaymakers

NARITA, Japan - The departure rush of travelers planning to spend the year-end and New Year holidays abroad peaks on Dec. 29, 2010, at Narita international airport in Chiba Prefecture, with around 38,000 people estimated to fly from the airport that serves Tokyo.

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Kobe 'Luminarie' test illumination

KOBE, Japan - People admire the Luminarie town illumination during a test lighting in Kobe on Nov. 29, 2010, ahead of its start Dec. 2. The annual event started in memory of victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.

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Kobe 'Luminarie' test illumination

KOBE, Japan - People admire the Luminarie town illumination during a test lighting in Kobe on Nov. 29, 2010, ahead of its start Dec. 2. The annual event started in memory of victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.

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Shinkansen firefighting drill

AOMORI, Japan - A firefighting drill is held at Shin-Aomori Station in Aomori on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line on Nov. 29, 2010, ahead of the station's opening on Dec. 4.

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Shinkansen firefighting drill

AOMORI, Japan - A firefighting drill is held at Shin-Aomori Station in Aomori on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line on Nov. 29, 2010, ahead of the station's opening on Dec. 4.

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Sharp's Galapagos multifunction tablets

OSAKA, Japan - Models show off Sharp Corp.'s Galapagos tablet computers in Osaka on Nov. 29, 2010, ahead of the Dec. 10 launch of the products. The new devices -- a 10.8-inch screen model for 54,800 yen and a 5.5-inch screen model for 39,800 yen -- will let users read e-books as well as major newspapers and popular magazines.

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Canadians warm up for Vancouver Olympics

VANCOUVER, Canada - A girl wearing a hat featuring the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics mascot Quatchi shows off her red mittens bearing the Olympic logo and the Canadian maple leaf in Vancouver on Dec. 29, 2009. More than 1 million pairs of the mittens had been sold by mid-December, with the proceeds going toward supporting Canadian athletes at the Games.