TRAVEL

Three Filipino men have been arrested in the city of Fukuoka for entering Japan on passports with women's names after undergoing sex change operations, police said. Although it is not legally possible in the Philippines to change one's registered gender, the three, aged 30, 43 and 44, have formally married Japanese men, according to local immigration authorities. After falling in love with the Japanese men while working at night clubs, they reentered Japan on different persons' passports to submit marriage registrations and have obtained residential status as spouses of Japanese nationals, the police said. (AP)

The lower half of a woman's torso was found on a beach on an island in Fukuoka on Monday, sparking a police investigation. Police said a local resident digging for clams found the unclothed lower body part on a beach on Nokonoshima Island at about 3:15 p.m. on Monday. The body appeared to have been severed with a sharp blade and police suspect the corpse may have been chopped up into pieces. They are trying to identify the victim. (Mainichi)

An American man running an English school in Fukuoka Prefecture has been indicted for allegedly shooting pornographic images of a girl who was his student, investigative sources said Monday. The 69-year-old resident of Fukuoka City was indicted in early March after police seized from his home more than 600 videotapes and photographs comprising images of dozens of his students, mostly elementary school-aged girls, they said. The man was initially arrested in January on suspicion of conducting lewd acts on his students but released later without being indicted, according to the sources. (AP)

A seven-car shinkansen line inspection train runs about once every 10 days between Tokyo and Hakata in Fukuoka Prefecture, and rail buffs who spot it claim it brings good luck. The train has been nicknamed "Dr. Yellow" because of its color but it is officially called a comprehensive shinkansen test train. The test train that travels the 1,174-km distance between Tokyo and Hakata is popular with rail fans. An urban legend has it happiness comes to those who spot it. Its timetable is not published. Nevertheless, a Web site details the places and times it passes so those interested may figure out when they can see it. A cheering crowd with cameras was on hand when Dr. Yellow pulled into Shin-Osaka Station en route to Hakata in December. All of the coaches' windows are blocked out. Carriages six and seven house large equipment to gauge signals and electricity. A dome in coach five lets inspectors view pantograph connections. (Japan Times)

In a trend that could undermine smaller bourses in Japan, more companies are concentrating their shares solely on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). According to TSE records, the number of companies whose shares were listed on the TSE as well as one of Japan's four other stock markets in Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo has slid from 1,042 in 1999 to 773 in 2009. Many companies have pulled out of the smaller bourses to save on the annual commissions paid to those stock exchanges, which range from hundreds of thousand yen to millions of yen, and to reduce paperwork. (Asahi)

The city of Kitakyushu is seeking to boost international exchange for "otaku" enthusiasts of Japanese subculture by creating an arts-business complex including a "manga" comic museum and a variety of shops by around 2012. The city will try to set up the museum in the spring of that year in order that the envisioned complex near Fukuoka, a major gateway to other parts of Asia, can attract foreign otaku (geek fans) of manga and "anime" animation, especially those in China and South Korea, officials said. (Japan Times)

Electric appliance retail chain Best Denki Co. plans to cut about 1,000 jobs, or nearly 20 percent of its workforce, by soliciting early retirements and curbing new hiring to aid its restructuring efforts, sources said. The Fukuoka-based retailer has around 5,500 employees nationwide. The plan could be announced as early as Monday. (Japan Times)

Influential musician and producer Tetsuya Komuro made a comeback Thursday when he gave a concert in western Japan, marking his first solo gig since being given a suspended jail term over a copyright fraud case. Komuro performed songs including his signature work "My Revolution." He plans to give similar concerts in Fukuoka on March 18 and Kagoshima the following day, according to the promoter. (AP)

A man already on trial for home invasion and theft has admitted to involvement in some 1,000 thefts in three prefectures, according to police. According to Yamaguchi Prefectural Police, 40-year-old Katsuyoshi Yamada has admitted to thefts in Yamaguchi, Fukuoka and Oita prefectures. Yamada apparently entered the homes in his socks so as not to leave footprints, and made his getaways in his victims' cars. Yamada reportedly began thieving more than 10 years ago, with the goal of stealing 50,000 yen per day. (Mainichi)

Last year was an important one for child custody issues in Japan, with growing international pressure on Japan to sign the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, and the dramatic arrest of Christopher Savoie in September for supposedly "kidnapping" his own kids in Fukuoka. The Japanese Civil is silent on post-divorce child support, visitation and alimony (as distinct from division of marital property). Such relief as is awarded in these areas has effectively been manufactured by the courts according to their own unofficial rules and standards. (Japan Times)

Malaysia's fast-growing long-haul budget airline AirAsia X plans to extend its low-cost service to Japan, possibly by the second half of this year. Apart from Tokyo, AirAsia X has plans to fly to two other Japanese destinations -- either Fukuoka or Osaka in western Japan, and Sapporo in the north. In serving the Tokyo market, Azran said the airline hopes to fly to Haneda airport instead of Narita airport, but the decision lies with the Malaysian government. (Kyodo)

South Korean budget airline Air Busan will begin operating flights between Busan on South Korea's southeast coast and Fukuoka in March, airline officials said. The airline, an affiliate of Asiana Airlines, will also start flights linking Busan and Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture in April, the officials said. (Asahi)

The New Year's return rush peaked Sunday with trains, airports and roads all packed with travelers coming back from hometowns or resorts in the early morning. According to Japan Railway companies, reserved seats on Tokyo-bound bullet trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line were almost fully booked throughout the day, while all nonreserved seats were occupied on some of the Nozomi bullet trains from Fukuoka to Tokyo. (Japan Times)

A website featuring music, comics, fashion and other pop culture of Japan and other parts of Asia run by the Fukuoka prefectural government is growing popular as it goes multilingual and expands its scope. The site -- http://asianbeat.com -- is currently available in Japanese and four other languages. It is a rarely seen attempt by a Japanese local government and has logged access from at least 150 countries, according to officials of the southern Japan prefecture. (AP)

Yokozuna Hakuho reached a couple of milestones Saturday--including clinching a 12th Emperor's Cup--but the Mongolian grand champion wasn't ready to celebrate until after today's final bout of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center. "There's still a bout to go so I'm not thinking about anything else," Hakuho replied when asked about clinching his third tournament of the year. (Yomiuri)

With a 12th championship title already in the bag, Hakuho exacted swift revenge over Asashoryu on Sunday to wrap up the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament with a perfect 15-0 record. Seeking to snap a three-bout losing streak, Asashoryu gave as good as he got in an epic battle at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, but Hakuho stood his ground and secured yokozuna bragging rights with a textbook overarm throw. (Kyodo)

Hakuho capitalized on a slip-up by fellow grand champion Asashoryu on Thursday to move into sole possession of the lead with three days remaining at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. Hakuho watched from the sidelines as Asashoryu was mugged by ozeki Harumafuji and took full advantage in the day's finale with a textbook victory over local favorite Kaio at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. (Kyodo)

Asashoryu sent big man Baruto crashing down to move a step closer in his quest for back-to-back titles at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday. Fellow Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho also came blazing out of the blocks against sputtering ozeki Chiyotaikai to make it 9-0 to retain his share of the lead with Asashoryu as the 15-day meet enters the final stretch at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. (Japan Times)

A manufacturer of agricultural machinery based in Ukiha, Fukuoka Prefecture, has been reaping sales through an innovative marketing strategy of using wordplay involving names of famous people and manga characters in its product names. (Yomiuri)

The Democratic Party of Japan's oldest lawmaker recently had a few bitter words for his old friend, DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa. Speaking in Fukuoka earlier this month, Kozo Watabe criticized what he considered the monopolization of party authority in Ozawa's hands. (Japan Times)

Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu rocked Kisenosato in a lopsided affair to maintain his spotless record at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Thursday. Sumo's bad boy improved to 5-0 for a share of the lead with yokozuna Hakuho and rank-and-filer Yoshikaze. Putting the komusubi on his heels with a wallop to the head at the face-off, Asashoryu knocked his opponent upright with another whack before swatting him forward by the head at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Kisenosato slipped to 2-3. (AP)

Asashoryu made mincemeat out of Aminishiki while rival yokozuna Hakuho also won his second straight in a demolition of Takekaze at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday. Asashoryu got inside to hem up Aminishiki immediately after the face-off before slamming his opponent into the ringside seats when the No. 1 maegashira tried a counter maneuver for a force out at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Aminishiki slipped to 0-2. (Japan Times)

It wasn't sexy but grand champion Asashoryu stayed on course in his bid for consecutive titles with a bread-and-butter win over Takekaze on the third day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday. The feisty yokozuna from Ulan Bator was pulled slightly off-balance by Takekaze after the face-off and almost went tumbling before recovering quickly to charge the winless No. 1 maegashira over the edge at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center. (AP)

Eight of the 10 people killed by a fire at an indoor shooting range in Busan, South Korea, were likely Japanese, local fire officials said Sunday. Eleven Japanese were using the shooting range Saturday when the fire occurred - nine from a group from Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture, that was touring Busan as part of a school reunion, and two men from Fukuoka and Miyazaki prefectures who were in a different tour group. (Japan Times)

Yokozuna Asashoryu got his bid for a second consecutive title under way with a disposal of Goeido on the first day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday. Rival yokozuna Hakuho, meanwhile, overpowered Kisenosato in a marathon bout to also notch a first-day win at the 15-day meet at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. (Japan Times)