CORRECTED: Retrial of man over 1966 quadruple murder

CORRECTED: Retrial of man over 1966 quadruple murder

Supporters of Iwao Hakamata, who was sentenced to death for a 1966 quadruple murder but released in 2014 under a district court ruling after 48 years in detention, hold a rally in Shizuoka, central Japan, on Sept. 26, 2024, ahead of the ruling in the former professional boxer's retrial at the Shizuoka District Court.

CORRECTED: Retrial of man over 1966 quadruple murder

CORRECTED: Retrial of man over 1966 quadruple murder

Supporters of Iwao Hakamata, who was sentenced to death for a 1966 quadruple murder but released in 2014 under a district court ruling after 48 years in detention, hold a rally in Shizuoka, central Japan, on Sept. 26, 2024, ahead of the ruling in the former professional boxer's retrial at the Shizuoka District Court.

Fukushima brewer dreams of returning to evacuated hometown

Fukushima brewer dreams of returning to evacuated hometown

TOKYO, Japan - Ichio Suzuki, a Japanese sake brewer, visits on Sept. 26, 2014, the deserted grave of his father in the Ukedo district of Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, where tombstones are knocked down and a fishing boat remains stranded (background) due to the March 2011 tsunami. Suzuki and his family moved to Nagai, Yamagata Prefecture, after the accident at the nearby Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant triggered by the disaster, and restarted their brewery business there.

China's savior from famine misses Nobel Peace Prize

China's savior from famine misses Nobel Peace Prize

BEIJING, China - Yuan Longping, known as the "father of hybrid rice" for trebling the rice crop per hectare in some 40 years, checks wet-field rice to be harvested in a test paddy in Changsha, Hunan Province, south-central China, on Sept. 26, 2014. He was one of Nobel Peace Prize candidates for 2014 for his fight against famine over 50 years ago due to China's rapid industrialization policy then.

'Father of hybrid rice' still going strong

'Father of hybrid rice' still going strong

EIJING, China - Yuan Longping, the 84-year-old "father of hybrid rice," speaks in an interview in Changsha, Hunan Province, south-central China, on Sept. 26, 2014. He is so called for trebling the rice crop per hectare in some 40 years.

Music duo sings to promote local delicacy in western Japan

Music duo sings to promote local delicacy in western Japan

OITA, Japan - Music duo "Hitomiriry" sings in front of Taiko, a "karaage" fried chicken store, in Usa, Oita Prefecture, in this file photo taken on Sept. 26, 2014, to promote the local delicacy reportedly originating in the southwestern Japan city.

Turkish border with Syria

Turkish border with Syria

KILIS, Turkey - The Turkish border with Syria in Kilis, southern Turkey, is photographed on Sept. 26, 2014. In the center is a lookout post set up by the Turkish authorities.

Turkish checkpoint on border with Syria

Turkish checkpoint on border with Syria

KILIS, Turkey - People come and go through a checkpoint in Kilis, southern Turkey, along the border with Syria as seen in this photo taken on Sept. 26, 2014.

Fukushima Pref. students sing in San Diego

Fukushima Pref. students sing in San Diego

SAN DIEGO, United States - Junior high school students from Fukushima Prefecture's Hirono town sing at a high school in San Diego, California, during the 2014 Japan-America Grassroots Summit on Sept. 26, 2014.

Annual Japan-America Grassroots Summit held in SoCal

Annual Japan-America Grassroots Summit held in SoCal

SAN DIEGO, United States - Junior high school students from Iwate Prefecture's Fudai village, northeastern Japan, perform a traditional dance at a high school in San Diego, California, during the 2014 Japan-America Grassroots Summit on Sept. 26, 2014.

Ex-Hawks catcher Kagawa dies at 52

Ex-Hawks catcher Kagawa dies at 52

TOKYO, Japan - File photo taken in August 1987 shows Nankai Hawks catcher Nobuyuki Kagawa. Known by the nickname "Dokaben," Kagawa died of a heart attack aged 52 on Sept. 26, 2014.

Ex-Hawks catcher Kagawa dies at 52

Ex-Hawks catcher Kagawa dies at 52

TOKYO, Japan - Photo taken in February 2002 shows Nobuyuki Kagawa, a former catcher for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks professional baseball team. Known by the nickname "Dokaben," Kagawa died of a heart attack aged 52 on Sept. 26, 2014.

Rest station in town hit by nuke disaster luring visitors

Rest station in town hit by nuke disaster luring visitors

TOMIOKA, Japan - A rest station in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, photographed on Sept. 26, 2014, is attracting an increasing number of visitors following the recent removal of local road traffic curbs imposed after the 2011 nuclear disaster. Opened in late August by a major construction company tasked with decontaminating the northeastern Japan town, the facility exhibits photos to help people understand cleanup work and has a bathroom and a lounge.

Giants clinch 3rd straight CL pennant

Giants clinch 3rd straight CL pennant

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Fans of the Yomiuri Giants cheer its players after the team's 6-3 win over the DeNA BayStars at Yokohama Stadium on Sept. 26, 2014, to clinch their 45th league title. The victory also marked the Giants' third straight Central League pennant.

Giants clinch 3rd straight CL pennant

Giants clinch 3rd straight CL pennant

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Players of the Yomiuri Giants celebrate after defeating the DeNA BayStars 6-3 at Yokohama Stadium on Sept. 26, 2014, to clinch their 45th league title. The victory also marked the Giants' third straight Central League pennant.

Sharp to log losses over business reforms in Europe

Sharp to log losses over business reforms in Europe

OSAKA, Japan - Tetsuo Onishi, executive vice president of Sharp Corp., answers reporters' questions after a press conference in Osaka on Sept. 26, 2014. The company said it will post at least 6.4 billion yen in charges during the current business year to reorganize its business operations in Europe.

Asahi Breweries' 500,000 yen whisky

Asahi Breweries' 500,000 yen whisky

TOKYO, Japan - Asahi Breweries Ltd. announced Sept. 26, 2014, that it will release 700 bottles of "The Nikka 40 Years Old" whisky, priced for 500,000 yen each, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of Nikka Whisky Distilling Co.

New iPhones sell well in Japan

New iPhones sell well in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - Shoppers flock to the sales floor for new iPhones of Apple Inc. at the Bic Camera Yurakucho store in Tokyo on Sept. 26, 2014.

Chinese weightlifter Zhou sets world record

Chinese weightlifter Zhou sets world record

INCHEON, South Korea - Chinese weightlifter Zhou Lulu acknowledges spectators after lifting 192 kilograms to set a world record in the women's over-75kg class at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, on Sept. 26, 2014.

Ichinojo beats grand champion Kakuryu

Ichinojo beats grand champion Kakuryu

TOKYO, Japan - Ichinojo (C), a 10th-ranked maegashira, smiles as fans ask for his autograph after he beat grand champion Kakuryu in the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Sept. 26, 2014. The victory leaves the 21-year-old Ichinojo, the first makuuchi debutant to beat a yokozuna since 1973, tied at 12-1 with grand champion Hakuho.

New iPhones shoppers at Bic Camera store

New iPhones shoppers at Bic Camera store

TOKYO, Japan - New iPhones of Apple Inc. sell well in Japan. Photo shows the new iPhones sales floor at the Bic Camera Yurakucho store in Tokyo on Sept. 26, 2014.

China consul general in Niigata calls for bilateral cooperation

China consul general in Niigata calls for bilateral cooperation

NIIGATA, Japan - He Ping, China's consul general in the city of Niigata, Japan, stresses the importance of cooperation between Japan and China during a ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China held in the Japanese city on Sept. 26, 2014.

High school students join boycott in H.K.

High school students join boycott in H.K.

HONG KONG, China - About 1,200 students from Hong Kong secondary schools boycott classes on Sept. 26, 2014, to participate in sit-in protests against Beijing's restrictive political reform blueprint for the territory's leadership election.

Ichinojo beats grand champion Kakuryu

Ichinojo beats grand champion Kakuryu

TOKYO, Japan - Ichinojo (L), a 10th-ranked maegashira, beats grand champion Kakuryu in the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Sept. 26, 2014. The victory leaves the 21-year-old Ichinojo, the first makuuchi debutant to beat a yokozuna since 1973, tied at 12-1 with grand champion Hakuho.

Iwata new manager Nanami meets press

Iwata new manager Nanami meets press

NAGOYA, Japan - Hiroshi Nanami meets the press as the new manager of J-League second-division side Jubilo Iwata at Yamaha Stadium in Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on Sept. 26, 2014.

Myanmar commander-in-chief visits Japan

Myanmar commander-in-chief visits Japan

HAMAMATSU, Japan - Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Defense Services, pays a floral tribute at a monument in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Sept. 26, 2014. The monument was erected to commemorate the stay of General Aung San in the Japanese city 74 years ago.

Ichinojo beats grand champion Kakuryu

Ichinojo beats grand champion Kakuryu

TOKYO, Japan - Ichinojo (R), a 10th-ranked maegashira, beats grand champion Kakuryu in the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Sept. 26, 2014. The victory leaves the 21-year-old Ichinojo, the first makuuchi debutant to beat a yokozuna since 1973, tied at 12-1 with grand champion Hakuho.

Palestine's booth for tourism fair in Tokyo

Palestine's booth for tourism fair in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - A woman promotes honey, a specialty in Palestine, at the booth set up by the Palestinian authority during a press preview of JATA Tourism EXPO Japan at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo on Sept. 26, 2014.

Launch ceremony for electric boat for tours off Sasebo

Launch ceremony for electric boat for tours off Sasebo

SASEBO, Japan - A launch ceremony is held for a new electric excursion boat, the Mirai, in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Sept. 26, 2014. The boat will be used to carry tourists around the Kujukushima Islands off the Japanese city, starting on April 1, 2015.

Russians check out soy sauce at fair in Vladivostok

Russians check out soy sauce at fair in Vladivostok

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - Visitors look at soy sauce bottles at a booth at a fair held in Vladivostok, Russia, to introduce local specialties and products from the Japanese prefectures of Tottori and Shimane on Sept. 26, 2014. The fair was held by companies and local governments in the prefectures.

Fair to introduce Tottori, Shimane specialties in Russia

Fair to introduce Tottori, Shimane specialties in Russia

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - Visitors listen to explanations about peonies at a fair held in Vladivostok, Russia, to introduce local specialties and products from the Japanese prefectures of Tottori and Shimane on Sept. 26, 2014. The fair was held by companies and local governments in the prefectures.

Japanese tea maker explains products at fair in Vladivostok

Japanese tea maker explains products at fair in Vladivostok

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - Masaya Oshima (2nd from L), president of a Japanese tea maker in Matsue, Shimane prefecture, explains the firm's products to a woman at a fair in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sept. 26, 2014, held by companies and local governments in the Japanese prefectures of Shimane and Tottori prefectures to introduce their local specialties.

Japan claims silver in equestrian eventing team jumping

Japan claims silver in equestrian eventing team jumping

INCHEON, South Korea - Japanese equestrians celebrate after winning the silver medal in the equestrian eventing team jumping at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, on Sept. 26, 2014.

Japan claims silver in equestrian eventing team jumping

Japan claims silver in equestrian eventing team jumping

INCHEON, South Korea - Japanese equestrians smile as they show off their silver medals in the equestrian eventing team jumping at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, on Sept. 26, 2014.

Building R&D center toward Fukushima plant decommission

Building R&D center toward Fukushima plant decommission

NARAHA, Japan - Japan Atomic Energy Agency holds a groundbreaking ceremony in Naraha town, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Sept. 26, 2014, for a research and development center toward decommissioning Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

Nirayama reverberatory furnace visited by ICOMOS

Nirayama reverberatory furnace visited by ICOMOS

TOKYO, Japan - Experts of International Council on Monuments and Sites, the advisory body of the World Heritage Committee for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention of UNESCO, inspect the Nirayama reverberatory furnace in Izunokuni, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on Sept. 26, 2014.

Japan, Britain to expand exchanges toward Tokyo Olympics

Japan, Britain to expand exchanges toward Tokyo Olympics

TOKYO, Japan - Japan National Tourism Organization President Ryoichi Matsuyama (L) and Christopher Rodrigues, chairman of VisitBritain, Britain's national tourism agency, shake hands at a hotel in Tokyo on Sept. 26, 2014, at a ceremony to sign a memorandum of understanding on expanding bilateral exchanges toward the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.

23 Myanmar refugees arrive in Japan on resettlement program

23 Myanmar refugees arrive in Japan on resettlement program

BANGKOK, Thailand - Twenty-three refugees from Myanmar are pictured at Bangkok's international airport on Sept. 26, 2014, before their departure for Japan. The refugees who had fled to Thailand arrived in Tokyo later in the day as the last group under a Japanese pilot resettlement program begun in fiscal 2010.

JR West unveils 227 series train

JR West unveils 227 series train

OSAKA, Japan - West Japan Railway Co. unveils to the media its new 227 series train to be operated in the Hiroshima area from the spring of 2015, at Kinki Sharyo Co. in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 26, 2014. The front car has parts on both sides to prevent passengers from falling when it is connected with another train.

JR station near Fukushima nuke plant on way to recovery

JR station near Fukushima nuke plant on way to recovery

SENDAI, Japan - The weed-covered Tatsuta Station in the town of Naraha on the JR Joban railway line is seen in the upper photo taken on Sept. 26, 2012, while the photograph below taken on Sept. 4, 2014, shows the station looking normal as train runs between Tatsuta and Hirono Station, south of Naraha, resumed in June this year.

Naraha town serves as storage site for nuclear waste

Naraha town serves as storage site for nuclear waste

SENDAI, Japan - An aerial view of the Maehara district in the town of Naraha in Fukushima Prefecture is seen in two contrasting photos, with the upper image taken on Feb. 26, 2012, and the lower one taken on Sept. 3, 2014. The lower photo shows part of farmland serving as a temporary storage site for nuclear waste generated in decontamination efforts following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident.

King Jim to release sleeping bag for emergency use

King Jim to release sleeping bag for emergency use

TOKYO, Japan - A man uses sleeping gear, including a wearable blanket and air mat, developed by King Jim Co. for use in times of disaster. The item will go on sale on Sept. 26, 2014.

Baby food seasoned with 'dashi' broth to go on sale

Baby food seasoned with 'dashi' broth to go on sale

TOKYO, Japan - Meiji Co. releases chicken porridge as part of its new high-end baby food series seasoned with "dashi" broth essential to Japanese cuisine in Tokyo on Aug. 26, 2014. The product, designed to develop a sense of taste for Japanese cuisine from a young age, will go on sale on Sept. 19.

Baby food seasoned with 'dashi' broth to go on sale

Baby food seasoned with 'dashi' broth to go on sale

TOKYO, Japan - Meiji Co. unveils "udon" noodle stewed with chicken and vegetables as part of its new high-end baby food series seasoned with "dashi" broth essential to Japanese cuisine in Tokyo on Aug. 26, 2014. The product, designed to develop a sense of taste for Japanese cuisine from a young age, will go on sale on Sept. 19.

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

INCHEON, South Korea - Photo taken Aug. 26, 2014, shows the athletes' village of the upcoming Asian Games in South Korea's western city of Incheon. The organizers of the games, running from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, opened the athletes' village to the press the same day.

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

INCHEON, South Korea - Photo taken Aug. 26, 2014, shows the International Zone, where medical and other services are available, in the athletes' village of the upcoming Asian Games in South Korea's western city of Incheon. The organizers of the games, running from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, opened the athletes' village to the press the same day.

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

INCHEON, South Korea - Photo taken Aug. 26, 2014, shows the athletes' village of the upcoming Asian Games in South Korea's western city of Incheon. The organizers of the games, running from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, opened the athletes' village to the press the same day.

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

INCHEON, South Korea - Photo taken Aug. 26, 2014, shows the athletes' village of the upcoming Asian Games in South Korea's western city of Incheon. The organizers of the games, running from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, opened the athletes' village to the press the same day.

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

INCHEON, South Korea - Photo taken Aug. 26, 2014, shows the International Zone, where medical and other services are available, in the athletes' village of the upcoming Asian Games in South Korea's western city of Incheon. The organizers of the games, running from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, opened the athletes' village to the press the same day.

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

Incheon Asian Games athletes' village

INCHEON, South Korea - Photo taken Aug. 26, 2014, shows a restaurant accommodating 3,500 people in the athletes' village of the upcoming Asian Games in South Korea's western city of Incheon. The organizers of the games, running from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, opened the athletes' village to the press the same day.