Japan and the recent nodal station

March 23, 2008

Dear friends,

In the 3° 25' Capricorn rising Post-War Constitution chart for Japan, Saturn-Rahu period is operating. Transit Rahu has been stationary exactly on the most effective point of the 2nd house, afflicting also the 6th, 8th and 10th hosues. Moreover, natal 9th lord Mercury is at 3° 45' Aries and 4th house, and it along with the 12th, 2nd and 4th houses has been under the affliction of transit stationary Ketu at 3° 45' in the 8th house for some months now. The nodal station would thus be expected to have built up considerable tension in Japanese society. Moreover, natal Ketu in the 11th house is today exactly afflicting transit 8th lord Sun in the 3rd house. CNN is reporting that one individual went berserk, trying to kill 8 people with a knife in a shopping mall (see below). There have been numerous other problems in Japan in early 2008, but notably concerning the financial market turmoil. The question

is if the nodal station would have suggested more problems for Japan than what the following list describes. In any event, the nodal station has now begun to separate and this is very good news.

Best wishes,

Thor

Economic policy problems

Japan downplays rudderless central bank updated 2 days agoJapan's economy minister on Friday played down any economic damage from the absence of a central bank chief, which is growing into a major political embarrassment ahead of a financial meeting of industrialized nations.

Proposed Bank of Japan chief rejected updated Tue, March 18, 2008Japan's upper house of parliament voted down the nomination of former Finance Ministry bureaucrat Koji Tanami as central bank chief, leaving that seat vacant from Wednesday for the first time since World War II.

Japan parliament in BOJ stalemate updated Thu, March 13, 2008

Japan's lower house of parliament approved Thursday the government's nominee for Bank of Japan chief, setting the stage for a political showdown with less than a week left in the current governor's term.

Stock markets problems

Asian stocks tumble on Bear Stearns updated Mon, March 17, 2008Asian stocks plunged and the dollar sank Monday after JPMorgan Chase said it would buy troubled U.S. investment bank Bear Stearns, signaling to investors the depths of the credit crisis.

Markets tumble on U.S. recession fears updated Mon, March 3, 2008

European and Asian stock markets tumbled Monday as investors reacted nervously to a steep decline on Wall Street Friday after disappointing economic and corporate news rekindled worries about a U.S. recession.

Asian markets sink on U.S. worries updated Mon, March 3, 2008Most Asian markets tumbled Monday, as investors reacted nervously to a steep decline on Wall Street Friday after disappointing economic and corporate news renewed worries about a U.S. recession.

World markets plunge on U.S. fears updated Mon, January 21, 2008

Stock markets around the world plummeted Monday, prompted by pessimism about U.S. President George W. Bush's plans to boost the U.S. economy.

Morality problems

Japan criticized over child porn loopholes updated Tue, March 11, 2008

Japan should ban possession of child pornography and crack down on animated films, comic books and computer games that show children being sexually exploited, UNICEF said Tuesday.

Wildlife problems

Whalers, activists clash in Antarctica updated Fri, March 7, 2008

Japanese whalers and anti-whaling activists clashed in the waters near Antarctica on Friday, with each side offering conflicting accounts of the confrontation -- the second between the two boats in a week.

Japan resumes Antarctic whale hunt updated Fri, February 1, 2008

Japan has resumed whaling in the waters near Antarctica -- only days after groups hoping to stop it left the area, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told CNN on Friday.

Japan halts humpback whale hunt updated Fri, December 21, 2007

Japan has "temporarily halted" its much-criticized plan for a humpback whale hunt in the seas near Antarctica, said the chief Japanese government spokesman on Friday.

Dolphin slaughter brings charges from both sides updated Mon, February 11, 2008

Mention a dolphin to someone in the United States and they'll think about a trip to Sea World or the 1960s-era TV program "Flipper."

US Military problems

U.S. sailor in custody in Japan updated 1 day ago

A U.S. sailor sought for information about a taxi driver's killing near a Navy base has been taken into custody and charged with desertion, according to the U.S. Navy.

U.S. sailor sought for questioning in taxi-driver killing in Japan updated 2 days ago

U.S. and Japanese authorities searched Friday for a U.S. sailor for questioning in the killing of a Japanese taxi driver near an American naval base, a U.S. military official said.

Rice soothes Japan on rape case updated Wed, February 27, 2008

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Japan on Wednesday on a mission to smooth tensions created by rape allegations against two U.S. service members and to try to jump-start stalled North Korean nuclear talks.

Rice tries to soothe Japan outrage updated Wed, February 27, 2008

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed hope Wednesday that the arrest of a U.S. Marine on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old girl on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa would not damage Washington's relations with Tokyo.

Japan probes new allegations of rape linked to U.S. military updated Wed, February 20, 2008

Investigators in Japan are investigating a second reported sexual assault connected to the U.S. military, police said Thursday.

Rape case leads to U.S. troops restriction in Japan updated Wed, February 20, 2008

American troops and their families stationed in Okinawa have been given new restrictions because of a recent accusation that a 38-year-old U.S. Marine raped a 14-year-old Japanese girl, the U.S. military said.

Rape case leads to restrictions on U.S. military in Japan updated Tue, February 19, 2008

The U.S. military imposed tight restrictions on all personnel in Okinawa on Wednesday, limiting troops to bases, places or work or off-base housing, amid a furor over the arrest of a Marine on suspicion of rape.

U.S. working to ease tensions in Japan rape case updated Tue, February 12, 2008

A high-level American delegation may be headed to Okinawa soon to smooth strained relations with Japan after allegations a U.S. Marine raped a Japanese teenager.

U.S. Marine accused of girl's rape updated Mon, February 11, 2008A U.S. Marine based on Okinawa has been detained in connection with the reported rape of a 14-year-old Japanese girl, the island's police force said Monday.

U.S. Marine accused of raping teen in Okinawa updated Sun, February 10, 2008

A U.S. Marine based on Okinawa has been arrested in connection with the reported rape of a 14-year-old Japanese girl, the island's police force said Monday.

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March 23, 2008 -- Updated 1228 GMT (2028 HKT)

Man wanted for murder goes on stabbing spree

Story Highlights

One person stabbed to death and seven others hurt outside shopping mall

Masahiro Kanagawa arrested after going on stabbing spree in eastern Japan

Kanagawa, 24, was already wanted for the murder of a 72-year-old man

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- One person was stabbed to death and at least seven others were hurt by a man who went on a knifing spree outside a shopping mall in eastern Japan on Sunday, police said.

The suspect, who carried two knives, slashed the victims while walking along a short hallway connecting a railway station to the mall in the city of Tsuchiura, about 62 kilometers (38 miles) northeast of Tokyo, a police official said on condition of anonymity.

Chaos broke out after the attacks, with the sirens of several ambulances blasting through the mall compound and frightened shoppers trying to escape the bloody scene, said local police official Takahiro Nakajima.

At least seven people, including shoppers and a police officer, were injured and an eighth -- a 27-year-old man -- died as he was being rushed to a nearby hospital, said Kiyoto Ogata, a police spokesman.

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Japan criticized over child porn loopholes

Police arrested the alleged attacker, Masahiro Kanagawa, 24, who was wanted in the earlier slaying of a 72-year-old man, Ogata said.

The man later told investigators that he "just wanted to kill anyone," Kyodo News agency reported.

"It was extremely regrettable that we could not prevent the attacks that caused casualties, despite our utmost effort to avoid secondary crimes (by the wanted suspect)," Ibaraki prefectural state police official Takashi Ishii said at a news conference.

Violent crimes are relatively rare in Japan, where most shootings and stabbings are committed by the nation's "yakuza" crime syndicates.

However, street violence was up 4.6 percent in the first half of 2007, according to the National Police Agency's latest crime report.

Nearly 55 percent of murder cases during the same period involved swords and knives, while guns accounted for just 2.4 percent of the killings, the police agency reported.

To accommodate growing public concerns, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department plans to launch an e-mail service next month to provide rs with warnings about wanted suspects, their crimes and locations.

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