Fukuda's abrupt resignation voted top Japan story in 2008+

TOKYO, Dec. 23 Kyodo - Former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's abrupt resignation was voted the top domestic news story of 2008, according to a Kyodo News poll released Tuesday.

The poll covered senior editors at Kyodo News, its member newspapers and other
subscriber organizations, who were asked to select what they considered to be
the major domestic events this year.
The following are the top 10 domestic news stories of 2008:
(1) Resignation of Prime Minister Fukuda
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda abruptly announced his resignation on Sept. 1,
following the resignation of his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, in similar fashion a
year earlier. Fukuda was hit by the passage in June of a nonbinding censure
motion against him in the opposition-controlled House of Councillors, the first
such move in the upper chamber in the post-war period.
(2) Economy falls into recession
The U.S.-led financial crisis sent Japan's economy into a tailspin, driving
down share prices on Oct. 27 to their lowest level since the early 1990s after
the burst of the asset-inflated bubble. The yen surged against the U.S. dollar
and other major currencies.
(3) Fatal, indiscriminate attacks in Akihabara and Osaka
A former part-time worker in his 20s stabbed pedestrians one after another in
Tokyo's Akihabara district on June 8, killing seven people and injuring 10
others. In a separate case, an unemployed man in his 40s started a fire at a
video-viewing establishment in Osaka on Oct. 1, leaving 15 customers dead.
(4) Public concern grows over food made in China
The Japanese public grew anxious about Chinese-made food in January after 10
people were found to have suffered from food poisoning after eating frozen
dumplings from China that were tainted with pesticide. A high concentration of
insecticide was also detected in frozen green beans imported from China.
(5) Japan scientists win Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry
Japanese scientists Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Masukawa won the Nobel Prize
in physics along with Yoichiro Nambu, a Tokyo-born U.S. scientist. Osamu
Shimomura won the Nobel Prize in chemistry.
(6) Gov't launches medical insurance program for elderly
The government launched a healthcare insurance program for people aged 75 and
older in April. The program, which covers 1.3 million senior citizens, is
intended as an answer to increases in medical outlays.
(7) Gov't reinstates provisional gasoline tax
The provisional tax rates on gasoline and other road-related items expired
April 1, resulting in falls in gasoline prices by about 25 yen per liter. But
the ruling coalition rammed through a bill to reinstate the tax from May 1
despite resistance from the opposition camp.
(8) Ex-vice health minister, wife stabbed to death
Former vice health minister Takehiko Yamaguchi and his wife Michiko were
stabbed to death Nov. 17 at their home in Saitama city. The wife of another
former health minister was stabbed and seriously injured Nov. 18 at her home in
Tokyo's Nakano Ward. The suspect admitted to charges in connection with the
attacks.
(9) Insurance body falsifies pension records of company employees
The Social Insurance Agency was found systematically falsifying pension records
of company employees. The agency instructed companies that were falling behind
in paying premiums for a state-run pension scheme for corporate employees to
manipulate their employees' monthly income -- used as a benchmark to calculate
premiums -- to lower than their actual amounts.
(10) Ratio of non-regular workers logs highest level on record
Non-regular employees accounted for 34.0 percent of the total workforce in
Japan in the January-March period, marking the highest level on record. The
rate rose a further 0.5 point in the July-September quarter.
==Kyodo
2008-12-23 21:39:48