Japan general election

Japan general election

TOKYO, Japan - Leaders of Japan's major political parties join hands before a debate at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Nov. 30, 2012, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election. From L are Shozaburo Jimi of the People's New Party, Mizuho Fukushima of the Social Democratic Party, Kazuo Shii of the Japanese Communist Party, Natsuo Yamaguchi of the New Komeito party, Shinzo Abe of the Liberal Democratic Party, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of the Democratic Party of Japan, Yukiko Kada of Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), Shintaro Ishihara of the Japan Restoration Party, Yoshimi Watanabe of Your Party, Muneo Suzuki of the New Party Daichi and Yoichi Masuzoe of the New Renaissance Party.

Japan general election

Japan general election

TOKYO, Japan - Leaders of some of Japan's major political parties join hands before a debate at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Nov. 30, 2012, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election. From L are Natsuo Yamaguchi of the New Komeito party, Shinzo Abe of the Liberal Democratic Party, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of the Democratic Party of Japan, Yukiko Kada of Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), Shintaro Ishihara of the Japan Restoration Party and Yoshimi Watanabe of Your Party.

Japan general election

Japan general election

TOKYO, Japan - (From L) Main opposition Liberal Democratic Party head Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister and Democratic Party of Japan President Yoshihiko Noda and Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada, leader of Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), take part in a debate in Tokyo on Nov. 29, 2012, on the Nico Nico Douga webcast site ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

Japan general election

Japan general election

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada answers reporters' questions at the prefectural hall in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 29, 2012. She formed a new party, Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), the previous day ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election, calling for phasing out Japan's reliance on nuclear power within 10 years.

Antinuclear power party

Antinuclear power party

TOKYO, Japan - Tetsunari Iida, acting leader of Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), answers reporters' questions in Tokyo on Nov. 28, 2012, after submitting an application to formally register a group of Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada, which calls for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, as a political party, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

Antinuclear power party

Antinuclear power party

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada speaks with reporters in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 28, 2012. The governor formally launched her new political party, Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), earlier in the day, which calls for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

Antinuclear power party

Antinuclear power party

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada speaks with reporters in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 28, 2012. The governor formally launched her new political party, Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), earlier in the day, which calls for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

Antinuclear power party

Antinuclear power party

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada speaks with reporters in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 28, 2012. The governor formally launched her new political party, Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), earlier in the day, which calls for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

Anti-nuclear power party

Anti-nuclear power party

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada is surrounded by reporters in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 28, 2012. The governor announced the previous day her plan to form a new party, Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), calling for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

Anti-nuclear power party

Anti-nuclear power party

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada is surrounded by reporters in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 28, 2012. The governor announced the previous day her plan to form a new party, Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), calling for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

Anti-nuclear power party

Anti-nuclear power party

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada is surrounded by reporters in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 28, 2012. The governor announced the previous day her plan to form a new party, Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), calling for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

Shiga governor to form new party

Shiga governor to form new party

OTSU, Japan - The governor of Shiga Prefecture, Yukiko Kada, unveils the name of a new party she will establish, called Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), during a press conference in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 27, 2012. Kada has called for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power.

Shiga governor to form new party

Shiga governor to form new party

OTSU, Japan - The governor of Shiga Prefecture, Yukiko Kada, unveils the name of a new party she will establish, called Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), during a press conference in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 27, 2012. Kada has called for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power.

Shiga governor to form new party

Shiga governor to form new party

OTSU, Japan - The governor of Shiga Prefecture, Yukiko Kada (R), announces at a press conference in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 27, 2012, that she will establish a new party, called Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party). To the left is Tetsunari Iida, a well-known renewable energy proponent, who will assume the post of acting president of the party.

Shiga governor to form new party

Shiga governor to form new party

OTSU, Japan - The governor of Shiga Prefecture, Yukiko Kada (R), announces at a press conference in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 27, 2012, that she will establish a new party, called Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party). To the left is Tetsunari Iida, a well-known renewable energy proponent, who will assume the post of acting president of the party.

Shiga governor to form new party

Shiga governor to form new party

OTSU, Japan - The governor of Shiga Prefecture, Yukiko Kada (R), unveils the name of a new party she will establish, called Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), during a press conference in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 27, 2012. To the left is Tetsunari Iida, a well-known renewable energy proponent, who will assume the post of acting president of the party.

Shiga governor to form new party

Shiga governor to form new party

OTSU, Japan - The governor of Shiga Prefecture, Yukiko Kada, announces at a press conference in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 27, 2012, that she will establish a new party, called Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party). Kada has called for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power.

Northern Japan shipbuilder gets Nippon Foundation subsidy

Northern Japan shipbuilder gets Nippon Foundation subsidy

Takeyoshi Kidoura (C), president of Mirai Shipbuilding Co., receives a subsidy of 7 billion yen ($57 million) from the Nippon Foundation in Tokyo on May 26, 2015, on behalf of 18 shipbuilding and related firms in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, hit by the 2011 tsunami, for their restart at a new industrial estate in the northeastern Japan city. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo