Half a world away from the secretive farms that produce Japan's legendary Kobe beef, Jerry Wilson raises the American version of the meat that will become $50 steaks and $13 burgers. The chocolatey brown cattle at Wilson's
Meadows Farm don't technically produce Kobe beef - that term is reserved for the Japanese super high-end cut famous for its
succulent taste and eye-popping prices. Wilson calls his meat "American Style Kobe Beef." Other
ranchers use similar names like "Kobe-style beef" or "wagyu beef," a reference to the breed of cattle. Whatever the name, domestic production of the pricey product has grown from practically nothing a dozen years ago to a flourishing
boutique niche, with recent growth fueled in part by a ban on Japanese beef because of reports of foot-and-mouth disease. While American ranchers might not be able to match the mystique of Japanese Kobe and much of the domestic product is cross-
bred, they say their product compares to the legendarily
luscious stuff. (AP)
Japan's next prime minister Yoshihiko Noda compares himself to a eel-like fish and admits his looks won't get him anywhere in popularity contests, but many say his calm and expertise are exactly what the nation needs at a time of crisis. Noda, until now finance minister in Prime Minister Naoto Kan's cabinet, will take over as Japan's sixth leader in five years as the nation grapples with the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and a meltdown at a nuclear power station. The 54-year-old judo practitioner is considered a safe pair of hands and a stabilising influence after Kan's sometimes erratic and divisive rule. But doubts run deep about whether the advocate of fiscal responsibility and tax increases to contain Japan's bulging debt can overcome a divided parliament and deep rifts in his own party sufficiently to tackle a long list of economic ills. (Reuters)
A boat carrying 23 passengers capsized on Wednesday in central Japan, leaving one tourist dead and three people missing, local media said. The fire department in the city of Hamamatsu in western Shizuoka prefecture said the sightseeing boat capsized while going down the Tenryu River. The boat was carrying 23 people including the boatmen and a tour guide, according to NHK Television.
A woman in her 70s was pronounced dead, while a 2-year-old boy, an 82-year-old man and a boatman are missing. Six other people were hospitalized, including one elderly woman who was unconscious. (channel6newsonline.com)
Japan's former imperial capital of Kyoto apologized Saturday after rejecting wood from the tsunami-
Reports that Japan is considering taking the Dokdo/Takeshima dispute to the ICJ risk further inflaming tensions with South Korea. Neither side seems likely to give in. Questions over their status keep rearing their head. Known as Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan, this 
The world's largest 
Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture -- It's 4:50 in the morning and golden rays of sunshine are already streaming through the glass block windows at the Shizugawa High School Judo Dojo. The sound of