The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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3-meter tsunami reached nuclear plant after powerful Japan quake
TOKYO - A tsunami measuring about 3 meters high reached the Shika nuclear power plant in Ishikawa Prefecture following a powerful earthquake that shook central Japan last week but caused no major safety problems, its operator said Tuesday.
According to Hokuriku Electric Power Co., the tsunami reached the facility at about 5:45 p.m., approximately 90 minutes after a 7.6-magnitude quake hit the region on New Year's Day.
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Central Japan quake death toll tops 200, over 100 unaccounted for
KANAZAWA, Japan - The death toll from a powerful New Year's Day earthquake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture and surrounding areas in central Japan has surpassed 200 with over 100 still missing, as a large-scale search operation started at a severely hit area, local authorities said Tuesday.
Local police carried out the operation for several days, with around 100 personnel stationed around a gutted market in Wajima, where a major blaze broke out following the magnitude-7.6 quake.
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Nikkei ends at highest level since March 1990 on tech buying
TOKYO - Japan's benchmark Nikkei index closed at its highest level in around 34 years on Tuesday, as investors bought up technology stocks tracking gains among their U.S. counterparts.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 385.76 points, or 1.16 percent, from Friday at 33,763.18, its highest close since March 9, 1990, when Japan was experiencing an asset price bubble. Japanese financial markets were closed Monday due to a public holiday.
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Japan announces emergency safety steps after Tokyo airport collision
TOKYO - The transport ministry announced emergency safety steps on Tuesday following a deadly plane collision at Tokyo's Haneda airport, clarifying the information that air traffic controllers can provide to planes to prevent any miscommunication.
In the accident, which occurred a week ago and involved a Japan Airlines jetliner and a coast guard aircraft, the tower traffic controller told the coast guard plane it would be "No. 1" to take off, possibly leading the captain to wrongly assume he was cleared to enter the runway where the collision happened.
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Nihon Univ. American football player convicted of illegal drug possession
TOKYO - A Japanese court on Tuesday convicted a 21-year-old member of Nihon University's American football team for illegal drug possession, in a case that has rocked the school as it contends with multiple scandals among team members.
The Tokyo District Court sentenced Noriyasu Kitabatake to a 16-month jail term, suspended for three years, saying that the defendant had expressed remorse for his actions and was likely to face punishment from the university. Prosecutors had sought an 18-month prison sentence.
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Taiwan presidential hopeful Lai vows to keep cross-strait status quo
TAIPEI - Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate of the island's ruling party, vowed Tuesday he would maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait if elected and remain open for engagement with Beijing on the basis of equality and dignity.
Voters of the self-ruled democracy will go to the polls on Saturday to pick the successor of the incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen. Beijing, which aims to bring the territory into its fold by force if necessary, has slammed Lai as an advocate of "Taiwan independence" and a "troublemaker" who seeks to drive the island to war.
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South Korean parliament passes bill banning sale of dog meat
SEOUL - South Korea's parliament passed a bill banning the butchering and selling of dog meat on Tuesday in a bid to end the long-continued practice in the country.
Dog meat was once consumed as it was thought to have stamina-boosting properties but it has become less popular in recent years, with a rising amount of South Koreans considering dogs as pets.
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Football: Longest-serving Japan international Yasuhito Endo retires
IWATA, Japan - Midfielder Yasuhito Endo, who was capped a record 152 times for Japan and played in a record 672 J-League first-division games, has retired, his J1 club, Jubilo Iwata, announced Tuesday.
The 43-year-old Endo turned pro in 1998 straight out of high school with the now-disbanded Yokohama Flugels. He won J-League championships with Gamba Osaka in 2005 and 2014 and an Asian Champions League title in 2008.
Video: Coming of Age ceremony at Tokyo DisneySea
