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Second day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud and lawyers takes a break during Joel Le Scouarnec trial on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients at the Criminal Court in Vannes, western France, on February 25, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Second day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud and lawyers takes a break during Joel Le Scouarnec trial on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients at the Criminal Court in Vannes, western France, on February 25, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud speaks to the press at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud leaves the courtroom at the end of the first day of trial at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud during a break at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud during a break at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud during a break at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

E

Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud during a break at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Opening day of Le Scouarnec Trial - Vannes RL

French plaintiffs lawyer Marie Grimaud during a break at the Criminal Court, on the opening day of the trial of retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec on charges of assaulting or raping 299 patients in Vannes, on February 24, 2025. Scouarnec, 74, faces a new four-month trial, charged with raping or sexually assaulting patients, most of them children and some of them unconscious at the time. He is already in jail after being found guilty in 2020 of abusing four children, including two of his nieces. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Fresh suit filed over planned restart of 4 Kansai Electric reactors

FUKUI, Japan - Plaintiffs head to the Fukui District Court on Dec. 5, 2014, to file for an injunction order to suspend the planned restart of four nuclear reactors in Fukui Prefecture operated by Kansai Electric Power Co. They are asking that the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the Takahama plant and Nos. 3 and 4 units at the Oi plant, currently offline for safety screening by the nuclear regulator, not be restarted.

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Court orders Nachi-Fujikoshi to compensate forced laborers

SEOUL, South Korea - A woman, one of the plaintiffs filing a lawsuit against Japan's Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. to seek compensation for their forced labor, speaks to reporters in Seoul on Oct. 30, 2014, after the Seoul Central District Court ordered Fujikoshi to pay compensation ranging from 80 million to 100 million won (about $76,000-$95,000) each. Thirteen victims of forced labor and the relatives of four now-deceased victims have claimed they were deceived into going to study in Japan's Toyama City, where the company is based, and forced to perform hard labor without sufficient food and sleep during the World War II.

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Court orders Nachi-Fujikoshi to compensate forced laborers

SEOUL, South Korea - A woman, one of the plaintiffs filing a lawsuit against Japan's Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. to seek compensation for their forced labor, speaks to reporters in Seoul on Oct. 30, 2014, after the Seoul Central District Court ordered Fujikoshi to pay compensation ranging from 80 million to 100 million won (about $76,000-$95,000) each. Thirteen victims of forced labor and the relatives of four now-deceased victims have claimed they were deceived into going to study in Japan's Toyama City, where the company is based, and forced to perform hard labor without sufficient food and sleep during the World War II.

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Ruling on wartime labor

SEOUL, South Korea - Yeo Woon Taek (L), one of the plaintiffs in a wartime labor lawsuit, answers a reporter's question in front of the Seoul High Court on July 10, 2013. The court ordered the same day Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. to pay compensation to four South Koreans who were forced to work at the company's steel mill in Japan during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

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Ruling on wartime labor

SEOUL, South Korea - Yeo Woon Taek (2nd from R), one of the plaintiffs in a wartime labor lawsuit, raises his fist with supporters outside the Seoul High Court on July 10, 2013. The court ordered later the same day Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. to pay compensation to four South Koreans who were forced to work at the company's steel mill in Japan during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

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Ruling on wartime labor

SEOUL, South Korea - Yeo Woon Taek, one of the plaintiffs in a wartime labor lawsuit, speaks at a press conference on July 10, 2013. The Seoul High Court ordered the same day Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. to pay compensation to four South Koreans who were forced to work at the company's steel mill in Japan during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

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1,704 people seek shutdown of Genkai nuclear plant

SAGA, Japan - Akira Hasegawa, former president of Saga University, holds a press conference in Saga city on Jan. 31, 2012, after a group of 1,704 people he leads sued the government and the operator of the Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture earlier in the day, demanding that all four reactors at the plant be halted. The 1,704 people from across Japan comprise the largest number of plaintiffs in a pending nuclear-related suit.

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JAL ordered to pay damages to flight attendants with children

TOKYO, Japan - Plaintiffs and their supporters hold a press conference after the Tokyo District Court ordered Japan Airlines International Co. on March 26 to pay about 15 million yen in damages to flight attendants with children who sued the airline for illegally reducing their daytime work to one to two days a month and thus their salary. The plaintiffs -- four female cabin crew members aged between 42 and 50 with more than 20 years of employment -- argued that it was illegal for their employer to reduce their daytime duties when they were exempted from working late at night under the childcare law, which regulates work after 10 p.m. for those raising preschoolers.

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Court acknowledges 2 of 4 plaintiffs as suffering A-bomb illness

NAGOYA, Japan - Teruko Nakamura, one of the four plaintiffs who sued the state to seek recognition of their diseases as caused by radiation from the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, sheds tears during a press conference in Nagoya on Jan. 31 after the Nagoya District Court rejected her claim.

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(1)Court awards damages to Chinese in wartime forced-labor case

HIROSHIMA, Japan - A supporter of a group of Chinese plaintiffs holds a banner reading ''suit won'' after the Hiroshima High Court awarded damages in full on July 9 to the group who said they were forced to work in severe conditions at a construction site in Hiroshima Prefecture during World War II. The high court overturned a July 2002 lower court ruling that rejected the lawsuit brought by Shao Yicheng, 78, and four other plaintiffs four years earlier against Nishimatsu Construction Co., a construction firm based in Tokyo.

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(2)Court awards damages to Chinese in wartime forced-labor case

HIROSHIMA, Japan - Plaintiffs, accompanied by their lawyers and supporters, walk into the Hiroshima High Court on July 9 to hear a ruling on their damages suit. The high court awarded damages in full by overturning a July 2002 lower court ruling that rejected the lawsuit brought by Shao Yicheng, 78, and four other plaintiffs four years earlier against Nishimatsu Construction Co., a construction firm based in Tokyo.

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(2)Tokyo barred from expropriating land for highway

TOKYO, Japan - Plaintiffs rejoice after the Tokyo District Court April 22 barred the Tokyo metropolitan government from expropriating land in Akiruno, western Tokyo, for a state project to build a 300-kilometer highway ringing Tokyo and four neighboring prefectures.

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(1)Tokyo barred from expropriating land for highway

TOKYO, Japan - Plaintiffs enter the Tokyo District Court April 22 for a ruling in a land expropriation suit. The court barred the Tokyo metropolitan government from expropriating land in Akiruno, western Tokyo, for a state project to build a 300-kilometer highway ringing Tokyo and four neighboring prefectures.

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'Animals' lose Kagoshima Pref. eco lawsuit

KAGOSHIMA, Japan - Hiroaki Sono, one of the plaintiffs who filed a suit calling for a court order to halt the construction of golf courses on Amami-Ohima Island, holds a press conference in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan, on Jan. 22 after the Kagoshima District Court ruled against them. The suit, filed in 1995, drew public attention because four of the plaintiffs were listed as an Amami rabbit, a jay, a thrush and an Amami woodcock. The animal names on the official documents were followed by ''known as'' and the plaintiffs' names.

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Chinese seek compensation from Japanese companies in U.S.

BEIJING, China - Plaintiffs in a suit filed in a Los Angeles court demanding compensation from the Mitsui and Mitsubishi group companies talk to reporters Aug. 23 at a hotel in Beijing. A total of nine plaintiffs, five Chinese nationals and four Chinese Americans, are seeking compensation on behalf of all Chinese forced to work in Japanese factories and mines during World War II. The suit is the first time Chinese nationals living in China have sued Japanese companies in connection with the alleged forced labor.

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S. Korean court orders Japan firm to pay Korean women for forced labor

Yang Gum Dok (C), 84, who was among the plaintiffs who demanded compensation from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., cries in joy in the southwestern South Korean city of Gwangju on June 24, 2015, after the Gwangju High Court upheld a lower court ruling that ordered the Japanese company to pay compensation to four Korean women who were forcibly conscripted as laborers during World War II, when Japan ruled the Korean Peninsula. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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S. Korean court orders Japan firm to pay Korean women for forced labor

Plaintiffs and their supporters celebrate in the southwestern South Korean city of Gwangju on June 24, 2015, after the Gwangju High Court upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to pay compensation to four Korean women who were forcibly conscripted as laborers during World War II, when Japan ruled the Korean Peninsula. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Court acknowledges 2 of 4 plaintiffs as suffering A-bomb illness

NAGOYA, Japan - Teruko Nakamura, one of the four plaintiffs who sued the state to seek recognition of their diseases as caused by radiation from the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, sheds tears during a press conference in Nagoya on Jan. 31 after the Nagoya District Court rejected her claim. (Kyodo)

E

Fresh suit filed over planned restart of 4 Kansai Electric reactors

FUKUI, Japan - Plaintiffs head to the Fukui District Court on Dec. 5, 2014, to file for an injunction order to suspend the planned restart of four nuclear reactors in Fukui Prefecture operated by Kansai Electric Power Co. They are asking that the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the Takahama plant and Nos. 3 and 4 units at the Oi plant, currently offline for safety screening by the nuclear regulator, not be restarted. (Kyodo)

E

Court orders Nachi-Fujikoshi to compensate forced laborers

SEOUL, South Korea - A woman, one of the plaintiffs filing a lawsuit against Japan's Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. to seek compensation for their forced labor, speaks to reporters in Seoul on Oct. 30, 2014, after the Seoul Central District Court ordered Fujikoshi to pay compensation ranging from 80 million to 100 million won (about $76,000-$95,000) each. Thirteen victims of forced labor and the relatives of four now-deceased victims have claimed they were deceived into going to study in Japan's Toyama City, where the company is based, and forced to perform hard labor without sufficient food and sleep during the World War II. (Kyodo)

E

1,704 people seek shutdown of Genkai nuclear plant

SAGA, Japan - Akira Hasegawa, former president of Saga University, holds a press conference in Saga city on Jan. 31, 2012, after a group of 1,704 people he leads sued the government and the operator of the Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture earlier in the day, demanding that all four reactors at the plant be halted. The 1,704 people from across Japan comprise the largest number of plaintiffs in a pending nuclear-related suit. (Kyodo)

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Japan PM Suga apologizes over workers' asbestos diseases

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (2nd from R, table on right) apologizes to plaintiffs (table on left) in Tokyo on May 18, 2021, a day after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of them in four suits seeking damages from the state over diseases contracted by construction workers following exposure to asbestos.

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Japan PM Suga apologizes over workers' asbestos diseases

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (R, front row) apologizes to plaintiffs in Tokyo on May 18, 2021, a day after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of them in four suits seeking damages from the state over diseases contracted by construction workers following exposure to asbestos.

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Japan's health minister apologizes over workers' asbestos diseases

Japanese Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Norihisa Tamura apologizes to plaintiffs in Tokyo on May 18, 2021, a day after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of them in four suits seeking damages from the state over diseases contracted by construction workers following exposure to asbestos.

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(1)Tokyo barred from expropriating land for highway

TOKYO, Japan - Plaintiffs enter the Tokyo District Court April 22 for a ruling in a land expropriation suit. The court barred the Tokyo metropolitan government from expropriating land in Akiruno, western Tokyo, for a state project to build a 300-kilometer highway ringing Tokyo and four neighboring prefectures. (Kyodo)

E

(2)Tokyo barred from expropriating land for highway

TOKYO, Japan - Plaintiffs rejoice after the Tokyo District Court April 22 barred the Tokyo metropolitan government from expropriating land in Akiruno, western Tokyo, for a state project to build a 300-kilometer highway ringing Tokyo and four neighboring prefectures. (Kyodo)

E

'Animals' lose Kagoshima Pref. eco lawsuit

KAGOSHIMA, Japan - Hiroaki Sono, one of the plaintiffs who filed a suit calling for a court order to halt the construction of golf courses on Amami-Ohima Island, holds a press conference in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan, on Jan. 22 after the Kagoshima District Court ruled against them. The suit, filed in 1995, drew public attention because four of the plaintiffs were listed as an Amami rabbit, a jay, a thrush and an Amami woodcock. The animal names on the official documents were followed by ''known as'' and the plaintiffs' names.

E

(2)Court awards damages to Chinese in wartime forced-labor case

HIROSHIMA, Japan - Plaintiffs, accompanied by their lawyers and supporters, walk into the Hiroshima High Court on July 9 to hear a ruling on their damages suit. The high court awarded damages in full by overturning a July 2002 lower court ruling that rejected the lawsuit brought by Shao Yicheng, 78, and four other plaintiffs four years earlier against Nishimatsu Construction Co., a construction firm based in Tokyo. (Kyodo)

E

(1)Court awards damages to Chinese in wartime forced-labor case

HIROSHIMA, Japan - A supporter of a group of Chinese plaintiffs holds a banner reading ''suit won'' after the Hiroshima High Court awarded damages in full on July 9 to the group who said they were forced to work in severe conditions at a construction site in Hiroshima Prefecture during World War II. The high court overturned a July 2002 lower court ruling that rejected the lawsuit brought by Shao Yicheng, 78, and four other plaintiffs four years earlier against Nishimatsu Construction Co., a construction firm based in Tokyo. (Kyodo)