Vertical telescopic breakwater under development

Vertical telescopic breakwater under development

OSAKA, Japan - The vertical telescopic breakwater, a buoyancy-driven vertical piling breakwater system under development in defense against tsunami, is seen in Kainan, Wakayama Prefecture, in March 2013. It was learned on June 19, 2014, that the breakwater, expected to be implemented as the world's first such system by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Kinki Regional Development Bureau, may not function properly due to a lack of strength.

Korean residents seek protection for failed union customers

Korean residents seek protection for failed union customers

OSAKA, Japan - South Korean residents in Japan march to the Finance Ministry's Kinki Bureau in Osaka on Dec. 19 seeking financial protection for customers of the defunct Kansai Kogin. The credit union, whose customers are mainly resident South Koreans, was declared insolvent on Dec. 16.

Regulators question head of lender suspected of gouging

Regulators question head of lender suspected of gouging

KYOTO, Japan - The photo shows the head office of Nichiei Co., Japan's biggest finance company specializing in collateral-free, guaranteed loans to small companies. The Financial Supervisory Agency and the Finance Ministry's Kinki Regional Finance Bureau on Nov. 2 question Nichiei President Kazuo Matsuda over allegations the company has strong-arm tactics to recover bad loans. Matsuda denied the allegations, sources close to the case said.

Korean residents seek protection for failed union customers

Korean residents seek protection for failed union customers

OSAKA, Japan - South Korean residents in Japan march to the Finance Ministry's Kinki Bureau in Osaka on Dec. 19 seeking financial protection for customers of the defunct Kansai Kogin. The credit union, whose customers are mainly resident South Koreans, was declared insolvent on Dec. 16.

State, road corp. ordered to cut car exhaust emissions

State, road corp. ordered to cut car exhaust emissions

OSAKA, Japan - A group of plaintiffs visit the Construction Ministry's Kinki bureau in Osaka on Jan. 31 after they won a lawsuit over the reduction of vehicle exhaust emissions in the western Japan city of Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture. The Kobe District Court ordered the central government and Hanshin Expressway Public Corp. to reduce vehicle exhaust emissions in the city and pay 330 million yen in compensation to 50 residents of the city suffering from various respiratory illnesses caused by air pollution.

Moneylender Nichiei ordered to halt operations

Moneylender Nichiei ordered to halt operations

OSAKA, Japan - Yasuto Omori, chief of the Finance Department at the Ministry of Finance's (MOF) Kinki Local Finance Bureau in Osaka, speaks at a press conference Jan. 27 on a decision ordering nonbank moneylender Nichiei Co. to suspend its operations for one week from Feb. 7. Kyoto-based Nichiei has been involved in a scandal over coercive loan collecting.

Regulators question head of lender suspected of gouging

Regulators question head of lender suspected of gouging

KYOTO, Japan - The photo shows the head office of Nichiei Co., Japan's biggest finance company specializing in collateral-free, guaranteed loans to small companies. The Financial Supervisory Agency and the Finance Ministry's Kinki Regional Finance Bureau on Nov. 2 question Nichiei President Kazuo Matsuda over allegations the company has strong-arm tactics to recover bad loans. Matsuda denied the allegations, sources close to the case said.