Yoshio Hachiro

Two Japanese ministers were censured Friday, but seemed to have escaped with their jobs -- for now -- in a day that nevertheless dealt a blow to the three-month old premiership of Yoshihiko Noda.

Two Japanese ministers faced censure motions Friday that could cost them their jobs and deal a major blow to the premier barely three months after he stepped through the revolving door of leadership.

The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has dropped nearly eight points to 55 percent in his first month in office, according to an opinion poll published Sunday.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's new trade minister said he expects nuclear reactors idled for routine maintenance to restart once safety is confirmed and local communities give their approval, reflecting Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's view that nuclear power will play a continued role in the country's energy mix.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda gave a former government spokesman the cabinet post responsible for the Fukushima nuclear crisis on Monday, acting to limit the damage to his new cabinet after the previous minister quit over gaffes.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda chose on Monday former top government spokesman Yukio Edano as the new trade minister, acting to limit the damage to his new cabinet after the previous minister quit over gaffes.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda chose on Monday former top government spokesman Yukio Edano as the new trade minister, acting to limit the damage to his new cabinet after the previous minister quit over gaffes.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda chose on Monday former top government spokesman Yukio Edano as the new trade minister, acting to limit the damage to his new cabinet after the previous minister quit over gaffes.

Japan fell silent in prayer on Sunday, six months after an earthquake and tsunami left 20,000 dead or missing and sparked a nuclear crisis on its Pacific coast.

Black-clad mourners fell silent in a devastated Japanese coastal town on Sunday, six months after an earthquake and tsunami left 20,000 dead or missing and sparked a nuclear crisis.

Japan's new prime minister Yoshihiko Noda visited the northeastern region devastated by the March 11 quake and tsunami on Saturday on the eve of the six-month anniversary of the tragedy.

In an early embarrassment for Japan's eight day-old government, the economy, trade and industry minister resigned Saturday over comments deemed insensitive to evacuees from crisis-hit Fukushima.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's new government suffered a blow on Saturday after just eight days in office when the trade minister resigned over gaffes on the sensitive topic of radiation from the tsunami-hit Fukushima plant.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's new government suffered a blow on Saturday after just eight days in office when the trade minister resigned over gaffes on the sensitive topic of radiation from the tsunami-hit Fukushima plant.

Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visited the northeastern region devastated by the March 11 quake and tsunami on Saturday as the nation prepared to mark six months since tragedy struck.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Economics Minister Motohisa Furukawa said on Sunday he and three other economy-related ministers in Japan agreed that measures to respond to a firmer yen need to be compiled quickly to alleviate the negative effect of the currency's appreciation on the domestic economy.

Japan's new prime minister Yoshihiko Noda on Friday named a youthful cabinet lacking the usual political heavyweights, as he attempts to unite a divided party and safeguard a fragile post-quake recovery.

TOKYO (Reuters) - New Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda picked a relatively lightweight lawmaker as finance minister on Friday, signaling the fiscally conservative leader intends to call the shots on key economic policies himself.

Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda named his first cabinet, as the nation's sixth new leader in five years attempts to unite a divided party and safeguard a fragile post-quake recovery.