Japan

Hot Dog Contest_Star(2).jpg

ASSOCIATED PRESS Six-time hot dog eating contest champion Takeru Kobayashi, center, of Japan, is taken into custody by New York police officers after he jumped on stage at the end of the hot dog eating contest in New York's Coney Island on Sunday, July 4, 2010.

South Africa Soccer W_Star.jpg

ASSOCIATED PRESS Paraguay's Nelson Haedo Valdez, left, celebrates with a fellow team member following the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Paraguay and Japan at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, June 29, 2010. Paraguay advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time with a 5-3 victory over Japan in penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw.

South Africa Soccer W_Star(10).jpg

ASSOCIATED PRESS Japan's Yasuhito Endo, right, celebrates after scoring the second goal with fellow team members Keisuke Honda, center, and Yoshito Okubo, left, during the World Cup group E soccer match between Denmark and Japan at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa, Thursday, June 24, 2010.

Japan US Military_Lea.jpg

John Roos (left), U.S. ambassador to Japan, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan before their talks at Mr. Kan's office in Tokyo on Tuesday, June 22, 2010. On Monday, Mr. Kan said he will reassure President Obama when they meet at a summit this weekend that Japan-U.S. ties continue to be "the cornerstone" of Japan's diplomacy. (AP Photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno, Pool)

South Africa Soccer W_Wats-1.jpg

A soccer fan blows a vuvuzela prior to the World Cup group E soccer match between Japan and Cameroon at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Monday, June 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

South Africa Soccer W_Wats.jpg

Japan's Keisuke Honda, right, and Japan's Junichi Inamoto, left, celebrate their victory following the World Cup group E soccer match between Japan and Cameroon at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Monday, June 14, 2010. Japan won 1-0. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Japan_Politics_Lea.jpg

**FILE** Yukio Hatoyama (right), the leader of Japan's major opposition Democratic Party of Japan, looks at Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso during a debate among the leaders of six major political parties at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Aug. 17, 2009. (Associated Press)

20080708-210801-pic-322933961.jpg

Members of international relief group Oxfam, dressed as G-8 leaders, hold balloons representing the amount of carbon the countries emit per capita, near the summit in Japan on Tuesday. (Associated Press)