It's over...

I have so many regrets. And I've learned so many things...
Did I make the right decisions? Perhaps not...
But I think I've build a strong relationship with persons concerned... so many of them!
I think the cost of earning the priceless was quite a heavy one for my organization.

But with suffering... I've decided to live with it...

I tore the resignation paper away...
I shall live with the burden as long as I keep doing this job...

The internet was filled with the news...

but they probably won't be at the top pages tomorrow, because the newspapers are proud that they have already written about it... writing their forecast articles days before...

(short article from Kyodo)
◆Tokyo air pollution victims decide to accept court-brokered deal
TOKYO, June 30 KYODO
Hundreds of asthma patients involved in a damages suit over air pollution decided Saturday to accept a court-brokered deal which requires diesel-powered vehicle makers to offer them 1.2 billion yen in a settlement, leaders of the plaintiffs said.
The decision comes as the plaintiffs are preparing to settle the damages suit with the defendants, including the central government and a state-run toll road operator, over air pollution caused by emissions from diesel-powered motor vehicles in Tokyo.

With free time at night, I decided to stand in line at Shinjuku's Burger King. There were about 35 people standing in line at around 8PM and about ten of them were speaking English!

MY CHOICE...

the biggest burger on the menu: Double Whopper with Cheese!

A bad start, already at 3AM...

ah, even the last paper couldn't stop writing before it's over...
is this journalism? or just an excuse?

I've done my best...

As expected, the papers were filled with Mr. Ogata's charges.
But I didn't care. I had something more important to do. Walking in the rain with no assurance of winning what I really need...

I can say this though. I've done the best I can do this ten months. And I will find out if I'd done it right soon!

finishing off the night with this Miso-flavored ramen!

Going cheap!

It's really hard to forecast which news the chief editor will choose for the top news...
Ex-prime minister Miyazawa passing away, four family members killed by the breadwinner killing himself too in the north, Steel Partners losing each and every bid at the stockholders' meetings, gov't investigators releasing a report on the largest train accident at Amagasaki... much more I'd mention as the top news if it weren't today...

In the judicial section, we were bustling...

with the arrest of a VIP!

Still it was a crucial day for me... Did I get the right information? Did I make the right decision? I'll only know its value later on...

(article from Kyodo)
◆Ex-intelligence agency chief Ogata held over Chongryon premises deal
TOKYO, June 28 KYODO
Public prosecutors arrested former intelligence agency chief Shigetake Ogata and two other people Thursday on suspicion of fraud in connection with an aborted purchase of the head office of the pro-Pyongyang Korean residents group in Japan.
The prosecutors suspect that 73-year-old Ogata, a lawyer who formerly headed the government's Public Security Intelligence Agency, and the two others defrauded the General Association of Korean Residents of Japan, known as Chongryon, of the ownership of its headquarters building and associated land in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward.
The two others are Tadao Mitsui, the 73-year-old former president of a real estate company, and Koji Kawae, 42, a former bank official and company executive. Both are believed to have brokered the purported deal between Ogata and Chongryon.
Ogata and Mitsui have denied the allegation, while Kawae admitted to the charge when they were questioned after being arrested by a special squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, investigative sources said.
Asked to comment on the arrest of Ogata by reporters, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, ''It is highly regrettable as he once assumed a post of heavy responsibility as a public intelligence chief.''
The prosecutors moved to arrest the three after determining that they had intended to deceive Chongryon from the outset of the negotiations, while Chongryon was looking for a buyer for the head office to hamper the possible seizure of the property in connection with a lawsuit filed by a state-backed debt collector with the Tokyo District Court.
Investigators believe the three also intended to swindle Chongryon of 480 million yen in funds that were provided by the group's chief vice chairman Ho Jong Man to Mitsui in the form of compensation, the sources said.
The prosecutors had initially alleged that Ogata and Chongryon colluded to falsify the deal with the aim of eluding the possible compulsory seizure, and raided the home of Ogata and other related locations on suspicion the ownership transfer was falsely registered.
However, the prosecutors applied the charge of fraud to the three after learning that Chongryon had really intended to sell the head office.
According to investigations so far, the three are suspected of having lied to a Chongryon representative, claiming they could definitely find people interested in purchasing the head office, and of concluding a contract worth 3.5 billion yen on May 31.
Ogata is then alleged to have registered notary documents stating ownership had been transferred as of June 1 to the Harvest investment advisory company that he headed without any payment to Chongryon being made.
The registration of the ownership transfer was retracted on the morning of June 18 before the court ruling later that day.
Chongryon was represented in the deal by Koken Tsuchiya, former vice chairman of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, and it is believed that Mitsui introduced Ogata to Tsuchiya in mid-April and brought them together to negotiate the deal.
Commenting on the arrest, Tsuchiya said, ''I believed in him (Ogata). It is deplorable if he had not acquired sufficient funds for the deal.''
Tsuchiya at the time was searching for a buyer for the head office, fearing that the property could be seized if Chongryon lost the suit filed by Resolution and Collection Corp.
The RCC filed the lawsuit in November 2005 seeking repayment of the nonperforming loans it had taken over from 16 failed credit associations that had served Korean residents in Japan.
In its ruling on June 18, the court ordered Chongryon to repay around 62.7 billion yen to the RCC and effectively seized the head office Tuesday.
Kawae is said to be an acquaintance of Mitsui and helped found Harvest last September.
After the dubious transfer registration came to light on June 12, Ogata told reporters he had concluded the deal so that he could help maintain the operations of Chongryon to guarantee the protection of its affiliates' rights.
Ogata has denied that the deal was fake and said he intended to secure funds for it. ''I feel there is a political intent to scrap the deal,'' he said after the prosecutors raided his home on June 13.
==Kyodo

It's been a while!

All afternoon, I walked around central Tokyo, hunting for every bit of information I can catch. I went by Ikebukuro twice today and at the second time, I stopped by for a late lunch...

my first Whopper since lunchtime at August 25th of 2004 (PST) somewhere in the Bay Area!! (according to the monthly calendar in my pocket-size binder)
OH, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I HAD MY FAVORITE BURGER!!

I had a tough time negotiating tonight... My prospect is still in the dark...

Deeply regrettable...

After today, I will not return to whoever I was yesterday...
I'm quite shellshocked from all the misery I carry on at this active war with other media rivals.
But today, I completely lost the fight...

regret... remorse... can't go on without drinking beer...

I'm not sure if I can go on... I surely can't smile for a while...

Can't be carried away...

I had too much beer and wine...

this is what I need when I'm soaked with alcohol!

I'll try I won't become an alcoholic, but I can't manage to go through without being drunk... It's easier to be carried away, not thinking about reality...
Like last night, I must check out the web to see what the morning papers have on their top stories... Oh, will I be able to wake up at 3AM!?

A stalling finish...

I couldn't get enough information I needed, and I must go on feeling scared this week.

It was supposed to be a step to legacy in France...

but Vodka stalled in the rain and finished 8th...
the winner was Admire Moon and the runner up was Meisho Samson...
two strong 4 year olds that could win more big races...

Feeling guilty...

I had no choice. It's not my style to ask for a favor imploringly. But I just feel guilty I'm appealing my feelings to whom I shall trust...
If I can't get the information I need, I won't hestitate to quit this job. Because, if I'll won't, I will have no confidence in going on with my career!

P.S.
I was asleep for so many hours I didn't notice it was nearly the end of the day...

the fire trucks woke me up... there was no fire around, but they just came to confirm that... I felt guilty leaving these guys at the scene... but I had no choice... I had to get a haircut before going out to cover the news...

All I could do was grin at the article...

After having some sushi and beer at Yotsuya with my colleague, I stayed overnight at my office to check out the morning papers.
They did not fail to disappoint me... writing a top story article off the top of their heads...

just a "forecast" article... is this journalism? well maybe it is for them!

The end? Or the beginning?

Spending time anxiously at the court.
It felt as if I was waiting in line to see the bulletin board of the exam results...

the plaintiff enters the court to hear the result... (photo by Jiji)

The number was not exactly what they wanted... I had hoped that it would become the end, but now, this could only be the beginning...
The result... The Tokyo High Court recommends that the carmakers should pay 1.2 billion yen to settle the air pollution lawsuit.
A tough number for the plaintiff to accept... but for now on, it will be my mission to hear what they are willing to do with this harsh recommendation by the court.

Only thoughts of tomorrow...

It wasn't my day... Somehow it goes worse and worse as the day went by!

I received a phone call at 5:30AM and left home at 6:30AM. Only a little bit earlier than ordinary, right!?

At court, I had to lend a hand to some of the cases... including...

the Fukushima Governors' bribery case (photo by Jiji)! the former head of a prefecture pleaded not guilty as expected...

But all day, my mind was full with thoughts about tomorrow. It will be one of the most challenging days in my career. How the day will turn out can alter my life as a reporter... if I so choose to stick to the job!

Reaching a settlement...

Today I was just getting ready for Friday, not taking care of other lawsuits...
But, as I viewed the news... oh, I was quite envious....

The tunnel workers were able to settle their case with the state. I had no part in covering the news, but it was an object of envy for me, covering another large lawsuit case.
Oh, when will mine be settled!? Who knows...

the tunnel workers were given relief... (photo by Jiji)

Oh, I want to see this soon with my case too!!

(article from Kyodo)
◆Tokyo tunnel workers, state settle lung disease lawsuit
TOKYO, June 20 KYODO
A group of former tunnel construction workers stricken by lung disease after working on state-ordered projects formally reached a settlement Wednesday with the state at the Tokyo High Court.
They are the first among around 970 people who have filed lawsuits throughout Japan to seek compensation and have settled by giving up their claim on compensation -- 3.3 million yen per person -- in exchange for the state pledging to step up measures for workers against pneumoconiosis.
A representative of the group met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday and signed an agreement to settle the case. Settlements are expected later at other courts where similar lawsuits are pending.
Pneumoconiosis is an occupational disease usually contracted by prolonged exposure to dust, which hardens and eventually kills cells in the lungs. Some people develop the disease 10 years or more after initial exposure.
==Kyodo

Getting pumped-up!

Rather than chattering my teeth from fear, I'd just think of ways of getting pumped-up with adrenaline.
There was a blast in Shibuya this afternoon, killing three, but it had nothing to do with me. Even a blast at my doorstep will not take away my concerns...

Time passes by cruelly, and all I could do is be ready as can be.

drinking energy drinks could help!

Red Bull was our only choice when I was staying in Kuwait year ago... I was quite nervous those days in the Middle East and I somehow overcome my fears!
Just like those days... I gotta get pumped-up! And the caffeine will surely help!

Circus at court...

It was like a circus at the press club. The press conference of two old men were longer than ever.

I did give a hand to covering the news that was featured in each and every piece of medium this past week, but it was nothing more than a helping hand, as I had to concentrate on the critical day coming at the end of this week...

what kind of circus is this!?

(aritcle from Kyodo)
◆Court orders Chongryon to repay RCC debts, OKs seizure of head office
TOKYO, June 18 KYODO
The Tokyo District Court on Monday ordered the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, or Chongryon, to repay 62.7 billion yen as demanded to a governmental debt-collection body, and allowed seizure of the premises of the Chongryon headquarters in lieu of payment.
The Resolution and Collection Corp. is expected to start procedures soon to impound the headquarters of Chongryon, which has functioned as the de facto North Korean embassy in Japan for decades as the two countries have no diplomatic ties.
The Chongryon headquarters has drawn public attention recently as an investment advisory firm headed by former governmental intelligence chief Shigetake Ogata, who had been involved in monitoring the moves of Chongryon, tried unsuccessfully to purchase it for 3.5 billion yen in an effort to avert seizure of the premises.
Rejecting Chongryon's claim that the RCC's demand is politically motivated, Presiding Judge Tsutomu Arai said, ''It cannot be recognized that there was any political purpose to deprive Chongryon of its premises, leading to its dissolution.''
An RCC spokesperson declined to comment on whether it would go ahead with forcible seizure of the headquarters.
Earlier in the day, meanwhile, veteran lawyer Koken Tsuchiya, representing Chongryon, said he had taken procedures to transfer ownership of the property on the official registry back to the association from Ogata's company.
The ownership of the Chongryon premises had been transferred in a deal that was not immediately accompanied by any payment, prompting law-enforcement officials to suspect it was a fake transaction and to search the homes and offices of Tsuchiya and Ogata last week.
Tsuchiya, a former chief of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, told a press conference in Tokyo, ''I apologize for causing a disturbance to the public, owing in part to misunderstanding.''
But Tsuchiya criticized the RCC, saying the purpose of the suit was to try to ''destroy the Chongryon organization and that could lead authorities to deprive innocent Korean residents in Japan of happiness and (affect their) lives.''
During the court hearings, the RCC claimed the 62.7 billion yen represents loans extended by now-defunct ''chogin'' credit unions associated with Chongryon which became bad. The unions were main lenders to pro-Pyongyang Korean residents in Japan.
The RCC, which took over the nonperforming loans from the credit unions, claimed Chongryon is bound to pay the 62.7 billion yen as the money was effectively handed over to Chongryon under arrangements made by the credit associations.
Chongryon acknowledged the existence of the debts but failed to reach an out-of-court settlement with the RCC.
==Kyodo

I've made up my mind...

If I screw it up, I will quit this job.

I learned how to write my resignation papers.

I truly hope I won't have to hand in this...

But I will not hesitate... If I screw up I will quit!

Getting refreshed...

A little bit...
With only about six hours of sleep, I went out to have a pleasant lunch nearby for a change. After returning home, I watched the recording of the first 2 year old races of this year at JRA.

At Hanshin's 5th race...

my No. 1 draft pick POG filly beat the hell out of the other horses finishing strongly in her debut race! Portofino is the daughter of two GI horses, Kurofune and the "brave mare" Air Groove (by Tony Bin)!

After meeting some people fighting for a better environment, I shall head to my office to engage in overnight duty... boo...

After checking out the web that nothing fancy seems to be on the top pages of the papers, I watched the last game of the Finals...

I already knew the young Cavs were eliminated, but I watched it anyways wanting to know how close they were against the invincible Spurs...
Well... they weren't even close though it ended with only a one point gap...

experience exceeded youth this time!

Still alive...

I felt relieved when I checked the web of all the major newspapers, and confirmed that nothing was written on the morning papers.

Start of a long day, and the focus then turned to the evening papers...

many of them jumped to conclusions...

(Kyodo's article below)
◆Tokyo air pollution victims to settle suit with central gov't
TOKYO, June 15 KYODO
Hundreds of asthma patients are certain to settle a damages suit with the central government and a state-run toll road operator over air pollution caused by emissions from diesel-powered motor vehicles in Tokyo, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said Friday.
Lawyer Takao Nishimura told a news conference that the plaintiffs are also highly likely to reach a settlement with the Tokyo metropolitan government which is scheduled to offer its own anti-pollution measures Monday.

In the afternoon the court said they will set forth its proposal to settle the lawsuit on the 22nd. Now I'm given a week to feel some relief... but not much... Hell will begin from Monday anyways with so many things to cover waiting for us!

After drinking shochu...

without having dinner, this 104 yen meal was good enough!

Waiting in the rain...

Oh, I'm doomed... This time it's really going to kill me.

It wasn't that bad in the morning, as only a few drops of rain were falling upon us...

waiting for the raid... it didn't happen...

At night, the rain got worse. The JMA had already announced that the Kanto area had entered the rainy season.
I had trouble getting the information I needed so badly... Oh, I hope it won't be decorated on the top pages of the morning papers...

A cold shiver...

It's getting hotter each day, but this morning, a cold shiver ran down my spine.

Looking at the morning papers... their top news...

the state seems to have decided to settle lawsuits by ex-tunnel workers all over the nation... another large-scale lawsuit in dispute at the Tokyo High Court...

It became a very busy day, and I still have the chills, being afraid as always... I went out with my colleagues to have drinks with people we work together with. I hope it wasn't a foolish decision right in middle of a busy week, as it was a very pleasant night...

Gladly accepting...

Last night I had too much beer at the send-off party of my doukis (colleagues entering the organizaion in the same year). While I was hoping for their success, I had fun myself drinking pleasantly with colleagues I can speak frankly.

This morning, with a headache undoubtedly having a hangover, I had to cover the conclusion of the hearing for the former feudal lord of the fund monarchy.

the sentence will be given out on July 19th... before I'll get transferred...

I went out to see the plaintiffs late at night like I'd done each weekday since last Tuesday. I was offered some Japanese sake and I gladly accepted it. Drinking together to get acquainted... that's how I've covered the news all my years and I'm not going to change that style!

(article from Kyodo News)
◆Lawyers call case against Murakami baseless
TOKYO, June 12 KYODO
Lawyers for Yoshiaki Murakami hit out at prosecutors Tuesday as they presented their closing argument at the Tokyo District Court, saying the investigators' case accusing the former investment fund manager of insider trading is baseless.
The defense team argued there are no records to support the charges that Murakami and his fund engaged in the illegal stock transactions, adding that the evidence relied on is a ''castle in the sand.''
The court held the last of a series of hearings that began last November. A ruling will be handed down July 19.
Murakami, founder of the Murakami Fund, has pleaded not guilty to prosecution charges that the fund made a profit of around 3 billion yen by buying and then selling shares in Nippon Broadcasting System Inc., a radio broadcaster, after Internet and financial services firm Livedoor Co. gave him insider information.
The prosecutors argued Murakami received insider information that Livedoor would purchase a large number of Nippon Broadcasting shares in a meeting with Livedoor's management on Nov. 8, 2004. But the defense countered that on that date Murakami did not believe Livedoor could accumulate the necessary funds to buy the stock.
''At the time of the meeting, there was no possibility that Livedoor could successfully collect Nippon Broadcasting shares,'' the lawyers' statement said.
'There are no internal documents to suggest Mr. Murakami knew of Livedoor's decision to buy a large amount of the shares,'' it added. ''The e-mail messages of Livedoor officials that the prosecutors rely on as evidence are just big talk.''
Last month, prosecutors asked the court to give Murakami, a former trade ministry bureaucrat, a three-year prison term and a fine of 3 million yen, and to order him to pay a record 1.15 billion yen surcharge -- the highest amount ever sought in an insider trading case in Japan.
Murakami, a merger and acquisitions expert once regarded as heralding the arrival of a more free-wheeling style of capitalism in Japan, is alleged to have personally earned at least 155 million yen in the transactions involving the radio broadcaster's shares. His individual assets are said to amount to over 20 billion yen.
Livedoor bought a large number of the broadcaster's shares in February 2005 in a failed attempt to acquire influence over the Fujisankei Communications Group, which encompasses the radio station and Fuji Television Network Inc., one of Japan's biggest private TV broadcasters.
Murakami's trial has focused on when Livedoor decided to buy shares in Nippon Broadcasting and whether it took any action that could be considered as providing insider information to Murakami in violation of the Securities and Exchange Law.
==Kyodo