S. Korea refuses entry to 3 Japanese lawmakers

S. Korea refuses entry to 3 Japanese lawmakers

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R, front) Tomomi Inada, Yoshitaka Shindo and Masahisa Sato, lawmakers of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, speak with reporters at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Aug. 1, 2011, after returning to Japan from Seoul's Gimpo International Airport, where they were refused entry by South Korea earlier in the day due to their plan to visit a South Korean island near a pair of disputed islets.

LDP lawmakers depart for Seoul despite entry ban

LDP lawmakers depart for Seoul despite entry ban

TOKYO, Japan - (from L) Masahisa Sato, Yoshitaka Shindo and Tomomi Inada, lawmakers of Japan's main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, are surrounded by reporters at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Aug. 1, 2011. They left for Seoul despite South Korea's decision to ban their entry for planning to visit a South Korean island near a pair of disputed islets.

Magazine on 'rakugo' comic storytelling marks 35th anniversary

Magazine on 'rakugo' comic storytelling marks 35th anniversary

TOKYO, Japan - Tomomi Sato (L), editor-in-chief of a monthly magazine devoted to ''rakugo,'' ''kodan'' and ''naniwabushi,'' and Kazuaki Inoue, Tokyo Kawaraban's first editor-in-chief and now publisher, are pictured in this photo taken Jan. 28 in their office in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward.

S. Korea refuses entry to 3 Japanese lawmakers

S. Korea refuses entry to 3 Japanese lawmakers

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R, front) Tomomi Inada, Yoshitaka Shindo and Masahisa Sato, lawmakers of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, speak with reporters at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Aug. 1, 2011, after returning to Japan from Seoul's Gimpo International Airport, where they were refused entry by South Korea earlier in the day due to their plan to visit a South Korean island near a pair of disputed islets. (Kyodo)

LDP lawmakers depart for Seoul despite entry ban

LDP lawmakers depart for Seoul despite entry ban

TOKYO, Japan - (from L) Masahisa Sato, Yoshitaka Shindo and Tomomi Inada, lawmakers of Japan's main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, are surrounded by reporters at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Aug. 1, 2011. They left for Seoul despite South Korea's decision to ban their entry for planning to visit a South Korean island near a pair of disputed islets. (Kyodo)