Search｜Photos & Images & Videos｜KYODO NEWS IMAGES INC

Japan: JAXA Successfully Launches Next-Generation H3 Rocket Into Space 2

JAXA (The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) launched its new flagship H3 rocket into space in a second attempt on Saturday, February 17, and announced that it confirmed the rocket has reached orbit as planned. The H3 lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima at 9:22 a.m., JST.

E

Japan orders end to peacekeeping mission in Golan Heights

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (C) attends a meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Dec. 21, 2012. The Japanese government ordered the same day the withdrawal of the Self-Defense Forces from the U.N. peacekeeping operation in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights due to worsening security conditions, Morimoto said.

E

N. Korea launches rocket

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto enters the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Dec. 12, 2012, after North Korea launched a rocket. The rocket apparently flew over Okinawa Prefecture in southwestern Japan. Japan, the United States and other countries suspect the launch is a covert test of long-range missile technology in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

E

Japan preps for N. Korea rocket launch

TOKYO, Japan - A meeting is held at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Dec. 7, 2012. Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto ordered the same day the destruction of a projectile should any part of it threaten to fall onto Japanese territory, stepping up preparations for a long-range rocket North Korea has said it will launch sometime during a 13-day period from Dec. 10.

E

Japan preps for N. Korea rocket launch

TOKYO, Japan - Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto speaks during a meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Dec. 7, 2012. Morimoto ordered the same day the destruction of a projectile should any part of it threaten to fall onto Japanese territory, stepping up preparations for a long-range rocket North Korea has said it will launch sometime during a 13-day period from Dec. 10.

E

Japan defense chief

SASEBO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto speaks during a ceremony at a base of the Maritime Self-Defense Force in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Oct. 24, 2012.

E

Japan defense chief

SASEBO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto attends a ceremony at a base of the Maritime Self-Defense Force in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Oct. 24, 2012.

E

Defense Minister Morimoto on Okinawa rape

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto answers reporters' questions after meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos in Tokyo on Oct. 19, 2012, over the alleged rape of a Japanese woman in Okinawa by U.S. sailors.

E

Japan, Okinawa officials meet over Okinawa rape

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (R) and Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima greet each other during their meeting in Tokyo on Oct. 17, 2012. They met following the arrests of two U.S. sailors on suspicion of raping a Japanese woman in her 20s in Okinawa Prefecture.

E

Okinawa calls for Osprey deployment to other areas of Japan

TOKYO, Japan - Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (R) bows to Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima ahead of their talks at the ministry in Tokyo on Oct. 16, 2012. Nakaima called on the central government to make more efforts to transfer the U.S. Marine Corps' Osprey aircraft from a base in the southern prefecture to other parts of Japan.

E

Maritime Self-Defense Force fleet review

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda speaks during a fleet review of the Maritime Self-Defense Force aboard the escort ship Kurama in Sagami Bay off Kanagawa Prefecture on Oct. 14, 2012. Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto is standing nearby (3rd from L).

E

Japan Cabinet reshuffle

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto enters Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's office in Tokyo after Morimoto was retained in Noda's reshuffled Cabinet on Oct. 1, 2012.

E

Japan brands Osprey safe

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (R) and Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba (L) declare in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2012, that U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to be deployed at an air base in Okinawa Prefecture are safe to fly in Japanese skies.

E

U.S. defense chief in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (L) and Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (4th from front in R) meet at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sept. 17, 2012. (Pool photo)

E

Panetta in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (R) and Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto hold a press conference after their talks at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sept. 17, 2012.

E

Panetta in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (R) and Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto shake hands after their press conference at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sept. 17, 2012.

E

Panetta in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta (far L) and Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (2nd from R) hold talks at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sept. 17, 2012. (Pool photo)

E

Panetta in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta (L) and Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto stand together prior to their talks at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sept. 17, 2012. (Pool photo)

E

Japan, Australia meeting

SYDNEY, Australia - (from L) Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith attend a joint press conference after their meeting in Sydney on Sept. 14, 2012.

E

Japan, Australia meeting

SYDNEY, Australia - (from L) Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith meet in Sydney on Sept. 14, 2012.

E

Japan defense chief in Okinawa

NAHA, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (front L) and Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima (R) end a meeting at the Okinawa prefectural government hall in Naha on Sept. 11, 2012. Nakaima urged the central government to stop the U.S. Marines' plan to deploy Osprey aircraft later in 2012, citing growing concerns over safety.

E

Defense chief Morimoto sees nuke plants as deterrent

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto. Before assuming the Cabinet post in June 2012, Morimoto said he viewed the nation's nuclear power plants as a deterrent against foreign attack, apparently because they made neighboring countries believe Japan could produce nuclear weapons quickly if it wanted to, Kyodo News learned Sept. 5, 2012.

E

Defense chief explains Osprey crash findings in Okinawa

NAHA, Japan - Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (L front) briefs Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima (R) on the Japanese government's assessment of a crash in Morocco involving an MV-22 Osprey, at the prefectural office in Naha on Aug. 29, 2012, ahead of the U.S. Marine Corps' deployment of the aircraft at their Futenma Air Station in Ginowan in the prefecture.

E

Defense chief explains Osprey crash findings in Okinawa

GINOWAN, Japan - Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (L) and Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima are pictured before their meeting at the Ginowan city hall in Okinawa Prefecture on Aug. 29, 2012. Morimoto briefed Sakima on the Japanese assessment of a crash in Morocco involving an MV-22 Osprey, ahead of the U.S. Marine Corps' deployment of the aircraft at their Futenma Air Station in the city.

E

Defense chief explains Osprey crash findings in Okinawa

GINOWAN, Japan - Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (L front) briefs Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima (R) on the Japanese assessment of a crash in Morocco involving an MV-22 Osprey, at the Ginowan city hall in Okinawa Prefecture on Aug. 29, 2012, ahead of the U.S. Marine Corps' deployment of the aircraft at their Futenma Air Station in the city.

E

Japan minister join Osprey demonstration flight

WASHINGTON, United States - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto answers a reporter's question at the U.S. Defense Department near Washington on Aug. 3, 2012, after joining a demonstration flight of Osprey military aircraft to gain firsthand experience of the aircraft to better explain to the Japanese public how it operates. (Pool photo)

E

Japan minister joins Osprey demonstration flight

WASHINGTON, United States - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (2nd from R) boards an Osprey military aircraft at the U.S. Defense Department near Washington on Aug. 3, 2012, to join a demonstration flight to gain firsthand experience of the aircraft to better explain to the Japanese public how it operates.

E

Japan minister joins Osprey demonstration flight

WASHINGTON, United States - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto gets off an Osprey military aircraft at the Marine Corps Air Facility in Quantico, Virginia, on Aug. 3, 2012. Morimoto joined a demonstration flight to gain firsthand experience of the aircraft to better explain to the Japanese public how it operates. (Pool photo)

E

Japan minister joins Osprey demonstration flight

WASHINGTON, United States - A U.S. Osprey military aircraft flies over the U.S. Defense Department near Washington on Aug. 3, 2012. Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto joined a demonstration flight of the Osprey the same day to gain firsthand experience of the aircraft to better explain to the Japanese public how it operates.

E

Japan Defense Minister Morimoto at Pentagon

WASHINGTON, United States - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto holds a press conference at the U.S. Defense Department near Washington after holding talks with his counterpart Leon Panetta on Aug. 3, 2012. Panetta said after the meeting that he is hopeful Japan will consent to the deployment in Okinawa of Osprey military aircraft after Tokyo is presented with a report on two Osprey crashes this year.

E

Japan defense chief, U.S. forces top officer meet

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (R) and Lt. Gen. Salvatore Angelella shake hands before their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on July 27, 2012. Angelella took over as commander of U.S. forces in Japan earlier in the month.

E

Governor, mayor lodge protest over Osprey deployment

TOKYO, Japan - Yamaguchi Gov. Sekinari Nii (C) and Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukuda (R) present a written request to Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto at the ministry in Tokyo on July 25, 2012. The governor and mayor lodged strong protests with the central government over the deployment of the U.S. Osprey military aircraft in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, requesting the Ospreys not be stationed for long at the Iwakuni base and calling for the planes to be returned to the United States if their safety is not verified.

E

Iwakuni mayor rejects Osprey deployment

IWAKUNI, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (2nd from L) and Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukuda (R) hold talks at the Iwakuni city office in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on July 1, 2012. Fukuda rejected a U.S. plan to deploy the MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft at the Marines' Iwakuni Air Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture for trial flights ahead of its deployment in Okinawa Prefecture during the talks.

E

Yamaguchi gov. rejects Osprey deployment

YAMAGUCHI, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (R back) and Yamaguchi Gov. Sekinari Nii (L back) hold talks at the prefectural office in the city of Yamaguchi on July 1, 2012. Nii rejected a U.S. plan to deploy the MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft at the Marines' Iwakuni Air Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture for trial flights ahead of its deployment in Okinawa Prefecture during the talks.

E

Okinawa gov. rejects Osprey deployment

NAHA, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto (L) and Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima hold talks at the prefectural office in Naha on July 1, 2012. Nakaima rejected a U.S. plan to deploy the MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft at the Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in the southwestern Japan prefecture during their talks.

E

Protest rally against Osprey deployment plan in Okinawa

NAHA, Japan - People hold a protest rally outside the Okinawa prefectural government building in Naha on July 1, 2012, against a U.S. plan to deploy the MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft at the Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in the southwestern Japan prefecture. Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto and Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima held talks on the issue at the prefectural office the same day.

E

Okinawa governor opposes Osprey deployment

TOKYO, Japan - Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima (C) and Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima (R) present a written request at the parliament building in Tokyo on June 19, 2012, to Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto, to stop the planned deployment of MV-22 Osprey aircraft at the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in the southern island prefecture.

E

Cabinet reshuffle

TOKYO, Japan - New Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto is surrounded by reporters at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on June 5, 2012. Morimoto, an academic who assumed the post the previous day in Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's reshuffled Cabinet, is Japan's first nonparliamentarian defense chief since World War II.

E

Cabinet reshuffle

TOKYO, Japan - New Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto holds a press conference after the first meeting of a reshuffled Cabinet in Tokyo on June 4, 2012. Morimoto, an academic on defense issues, is Japan's first nonparliamentarian defense chief since World War II.

E

Cabinet reshuffle

TOKYO, Japan - Members of Japan's reshuffled Cabinet pose in a group photo session at Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's office in Tokyo on June 4, 2012. Noda replaced five members of the 18-strong Cabinet, newly appointing (from top R to L) Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Yuichiro Hata, (from bottom R to L) Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Akira Gunji, Justice Minister Makoto Taki and Financial Services Minister Tadahiro Matsushita.

E

Cabinet reshuffle

TOKYO, Japan - Japan's New Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto enters the office of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Tokyo on June 4, 2012, with Noda naming him to the post in a Cabinet reshuffle. Morimoto is Japan's first nonparliamentarian defense chief since World War II.

E

Cabinet reshuffle

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Satoshi Morimoto, professor on security issues at Takushoku University Graduate School. Morimoto was appointed defense minister, replacing Naoki Tanaka and becoming Japan's first nonparliamentarian defense chief, as Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda reshuffled his Cabinet on June 4, 2012.