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(CBS NEWS) NEW YORK — Japan’s tsunami last year sent an estimated five tons of debris into the Pacific Ocean. Experts say roughly a ton-and-a-half of debris is still afloat, heading toward Western U.S. shores. Some has already washed up in Alaska. The earthquake-spurred tsunami resulted in an emergency at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, [...]
Thu May 17, 2012 9:36pm EDT * Reconstruction after quake helps Japan outlook * Govt more upbeat on consumer spending and exports * Concerns on euro zone crisis and market turmoil remain TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) – Japan’s government took a brighter view of the economy in a report on Friday, thanks to to improvements [...]
BY MEGUMI FUJIKAWA TOKYO—Japan’s benchmark 10-year government bond yield declined to a nine-year low on Friday, confirming the popularity of the country’s debt as a safe haven amid renewed concerns about the U.S. economic outlook and continued fears over Europe’s debt crisis. While some analysts warn of a possible rebound in JGB yields in June [...]
SEOUL – Early Friday, Japan successfully launched a South Korean satellite. The historical accomplishment puts the Japanese in the same arena as European and Russian entities in the lucrative commercial space launch business. The roar of the H-2A launch vehicle shattered the early morning silence On the southern Japanese island of Tanegashima. The space center [...]
— Japan asks households, firms for 15% power saving in area served by Kansai Electric — Usage cuts of 5-10% requested in other parts of western Japan to supply electricity to Kansai Electric — Mandatory order avoided to minimize harm to business activity (Adds reactions from business community in 5th, 8th paragraphs.) TOKYO (Dow Jones)–The [...]
By Ruairidh Villar TOKYO (Reuters) – After Penguin Number 337 made a daring bid for freedom from a Tokyo aquarium and vanished into the waters of Tokyo Bay two months ago, many feared the worst for the adventurous feathered fugitive. But the one-year-old Humboldt penguin has now popped up on video footage in a different [...]
BY CHESTER DAWSON TANEGASHIMA—Japan launched for the first time early Friday a rocket with a non-Japanese payload, fulfilling a spare-no-expense, two-decade quest to compete in the world’s $4.3 billion commercial satellite-launch business. Japan enters an increasingly crowded orbit of newer players and established companies delivering space cargo at relatively low cost, raising questions about whether [...]
BY JAMES SIMMS Japan’s economy kicked off the year generating growth that puts most rest of the industrialized world to shame. Gross domestic product expanded at an annualized rate of 4.1% in the January-March quarter. That’s nothing to sneeze at, marking the third straight period of growth and the largest rise since last summer’s post-earthquake [...]
By YURI KAGEYAMA TOKYO Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda took the helm at Japan’s auto industry group Thursday with a promise to keep production and jobs at home to help along the country’s recovery fromArticle source: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-05/D9UQGBJO1.htm
BY ATSUKO FUKASE TOKYO—Japan’s largest bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, said Thursday it has frozen financial transactions with Iran’s government and central bank, as ordered by a U.S. federal court. The freeze, arising from a long-running court case over the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine barrack in Lebanon, is unrelated to the U.S. government’s [...]
By Taiga Uranaka and Osamu Tsukimori TOKYO | Wed May 16, 2012 3:45am EDT TOKYO (Reuters) – A group of Japanese firms is in talks to pay $4.4 billion for a stake in Australia’s Wheatstone gas field that had been set aside for bailed-out nuclear operator Tepco, as the country looks to shore up long-term [...]
BY JOSEPH STERNBERG Tokyo Perhaps you noticed that Japan is embroiled in a debate over whether to restart some of its 54 nuclear reactors. These power plants have been shut down for routine maintenance but have not been restarted owing to fierce political opposition in the wake of last year’s disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi [...]
By Olivier Fabre TOKYO | Wed May 16, 2012 8:24am EDT TOKYO (Reuters) – Like many Japanese women, Koyuki Higashi adores Tokyo Disneyland. So it was only natural that she would want to hold her wedding there, as many other couples have done. “My partner and I just love going to Disneyland, so when we [...]
BY TAKASHI NAKAMICHI TOKYO—A Japanese ruling-party heavyweight said the government must intervene in the currency markets if the yen’s rise accelerates sharply, adding to the level of jawboning aimed at controlling the currency’s moves and its impact on the economy. “It will be imperative for [the government] to take steps such as intervention,” if the [...]
(“Japan, South Korea, China Join Hands With Shell To Take Canada Gas,” at 0850 GMT, misstated the day of the week in the seventh paragraph. The correct version follows:) — Canadian gas export prospects brighten as Asia rivals team up — Investment decision three years off; other projects gather pace TOKYO (Dow Jones)–Energy companies from [...]
TOKYO | Tue May 15, 2012 1:40am EDT TOKYO (Reuters) – World champions Japan have called up a towering goalkeeper to help them in their bid to win the women’s soccer title at this year’s London Olympics. Erina Yamane, who at 187 centimeters (6 feet, two inches) looks down on Japan’s senior men’s goalkeeper Eiji [...]
PULLMAN — Energy is the lifeblood of modern economies and theres no more amazingly useful form of energy than electricity. Thats why I was initially startled to read the recent news that the last of Japans 54 nuclear power plants has been shut down, a turn of events that makes Japan the first major economy [...]
Japan’s economic growth probably peaked in the first quarter and analysts forecast the pace of expansion will halve by year-end as the boost from earthquake reconstruction fades. Gross domestic product rose an annualized 3.5 percent, compared with a 0.7 percent contraction in the final three months of 2011, according to the median estimate of 27 [...]
— Mitsubishi UFJ’s net profit climbs on lower credit costs, bond trading profits — Sumitomo Mitsui, Mizuho net profits gain on lower credit-cost burdens — Combined net profits close to Y2 trillion, highest since the global economic crisis began in 2008 (Recasts, adds details about banks’ JGB holdings in 6th-9th paragraphs, banks’ comments about JGB [...]
BY YUKA HAYASHI TOKYO—Signs of tension are returning to relations between Japan and China, casting shadows over accelerating efforts between the two East Asian powers to strengthen their economic ties. In the latest sign of renewed strain, China has harshly condemned Japan for allowing a group of exiled Uighur activists to hold a major conference [...]
By Chester Dawson Hummer bicycle KASHIWA, Japan—In a shopping mall outside Tokyo, people kick the tires of showroom models lined up under glossy posters. A Hummer SUV is shown in an alpine setting, a Cadillac stands out against a satiny black background. A Chevrolet Suburban is crossing a river bed. Chevys are parked between olive-green [...]
–JAL reports a stronger net profit for the last fiscal year than it previously forecast –Airline expects net profit to drop this fiscal year as the carrier sees tough year ahead –But the net profit outlook is still stronger than its previous target (Recasts the first paragraph and adds background and comments by JAL executives [...]
By DIDI TANG BEIJING The leaders of China, South Korea and Japan said Sunday that they will work together to try to calm tensions on the Korean peninsula. The three largest East Asian economies also tookArticle source: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-05/D9UNMAPO0.htm
Mon May 14, 2012 3:13am EDT Article source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/14/markets-japan-stocks-idUSL5E8GE0W720120514
Mon May 14, 2012 9:36am EDT * Japanese public wary, split on nuclear power * Government likely to await ruling by authorities in prefecture * Critics say government too hasty in seeking restart of reactors * Govt mulls mandatory power cuts * Kansai Electric consumers may face 20 pct power cut goals (Adds info from [...]
Japan will have no children under the age of 15 in 999 years if current trends continue, according to researchers at Tohoku University Graduate School of Economics in Sendai. Japan’s Child Population Clock, as developed at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Economics A population clock developed by the researchers shows the child population count [...]
Enlarge image Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa Article source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-13/shirakawa-urges-japan-to-cut-deficit-for-yen-stability-asahi.html
In 2000, analyst Takayoshi Koike began covering the media and Internet sectors when he recognized the industries’ growth potential. Since then, his experience in the two sectors has given him a sense of how the industries interconnect and helped propel the analyst at Goldman Sachs Japan Co., a unit of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analyst [...]
BY MARI IWATA TOKYO—Inpex Corp. plans to double its investment in energy exploration to ¥300 billion ($3.75 billion) over the next five years to meet Japan’s rising demand for fossil fuel in the aftermath of last year’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. “Our mission is to own stakes in energy projects, hopefully as an operator,” Inpex [...]
BY AARON BACK, TOKO SEKIGUCHI AND YUKA HAYASHI The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea agreed to begin free-trade negotiations this year, opening the possibility of an agreement that could rival the world’s largest free-trade zones in size, although it is likely to be far less comprehensive or rigorous. “The free-trade agreement will unleash [...]
Johnny Depp is in Tokyo today, where throngs of adoring fans were there to meet him at the Japanese premiere of his latest Tim Burton-directed flick Dark Shadows. What do you think of his, um, interesting ensemble? Yay or nay? … Mad Men star January Jones‘ little son Xander sure is growing up fast. What [...]
By MarketWatch Canadian Solar Inc. /quotes/zigman/103639/quotes/nls/csiq CSIQ Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/canadian-solar-to-make-panels-in-japan-2012-05-12
TOKYO | Sat May 12, 2012 4:24am EDT TOKYO May 12 (Reuters) – Japan will not impose mandatory restrictions on power consumption in parts of the country this summer, relying instead on voluntary saving measures following the shutting down of nuclear power reactors, the Yomiuri newspaper said on Saturday Kansai Electric Power, based in Osaka, [...]
BY GEORGE NISHIYAMA AND YUKA HAYASHI TOKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Saturday didn’t rule out Tokyo taking unilateral action in the future to stem the yen’s rise, but stopped short of saying whether the currency was now overvalued. Mr. Noda singled out the European debt crisis—a factor behind the yen’s strength—as the biggest risk [...]
BY YUKA HAYASHI AND TOKO SEKIGUCHI TOKYO—Japan’s prime minister pledged Saturday to accelerate efforts to form a free-trade agreement with China and South Korea, an ambitious pact that could create an integrated trade zone rivaling in size the North American Free Trade Agreement and the European Union. As Japan increases its reliance on rapidly expanding [...]
Japanese stocks fell for a third day, capping a six-week loss, as China’s inflation and factory output data added to signs of an economic slowdown, dimming the earnings outlook for exporters. Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. (6305), which relies on China for 17 percent of its sales, lost 1.1 percent. Sony Corp. fell to its lowest [...]
IDG News Service – Nearly one in three smartphones sold in Japan last fiscal year was an iPhone, pushing Apple’s sales far ahead of main rival Samsung in the country, according to data published by a local research firm. In the year to March 31, 24.2 million smartphones were shipped in Japan, of which 30% [...]
BY CHESTER DAWSON AND YOSHIO TAKAHASHI YOKOHAMA, Japan—Nissan Motor Co. on Friday reported fiscal year net profit rose 7% to ¥341.43 billion ($4.27 billion), exceeding results at its bigger Japanese rivals as record auto sales blunted the impact of a strong yen against the dollar. Its performance came amid a traumatic period for the Japanese [...]
BY DAISUKE WAKABAYASHI TOKYO—Panasonic Corp. capped a brutal year for Japan’s consumer-electronics industry by posting a $5.49 billion fiscal-fourth-quarter loss, as its troubled television operations dragged the conglomerate to its biggest-ever annual loss. Sony Corp. and Sharp Corp. also have reported record losses as the sluggish U.S. economy and uncertainty in Europe pressured sales of [...]
By TAKASHI NAKAMICHI TOKYO—Japanese authorities may defy market expectations and storm into the currency market if the yen’s rise threatens to foil both the nation’s economic recovery and the government’s top policy agenda: the doubling of the sales tax. Many currency analysts remain doubtful over the possibility of Japanese intervention, as they see little likelihood [...]
Wed May 9, 2012 9:24pm EDT * March current account surplus -8.6 pct yr/yr * Exports recovering but energy imports also rising * Going nuclear free could pressure Japan’s current account By Stanley White TOKYO, May 10 (Reuters) – Japan’s current account surplus fell in March from a year earlier but marked an improvement from [...]
None of the recently leaked Twitter logins and passwords came from within the company, according to a message posted on Twitter’s Japanese blog Thursday. “We have confirmed that no one’s information has been leaked from Twitter,” the blog said, after apologizing to users for their concerns. The comments came after 58,978 login and password combinations [...]
May 10 (Bloomberg) – Japanese stocks fell for a second day, with the Nikkei 225 Stock Average (NKY) dipping below 9,000 for the first time in three months, as concern Greece may be forced to exit the euro outweighed improved earnings outlooks. Toyota Motor Corp. rose after forecasting profit will more than double. Canon Inc. (7751), [...]
Japanese fans of boy wizard Harry Potter will soon be able to explore the magical world of Hogwarts when Universal Studios Japan expands its theme park with a half-billion dollar investment. The company is going to boost the footprint of its park in Osaka, western Japan, by one fifth, with new attraction The Wizarding World [...]
BY MARI IWATA TOKYO—Japan faces potential power shortfalls as high as 18.7% in the important manufacturing region around Osaka, a draft government panel report showed Thursday, presenting figures likely to contribute to the debate over whether to bring any of the nation’s nuclear plants back online. The projections are based on a scenario where none [...]
May 9 (Bloomberg) – Japanese stocks fell, with the Topix Index closing at a three-month low, as Greek political tension fueled concern the debt-stricken nation will be the first to exit the euro, dimming the earnings outlook for exporters. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (7211), an automaker that gets 27 percent of its sales from Europe, dropped 2.3 [...]
Wed May 9, 2012 9:55am EDT * Region a hot spot for oil, gas exploration * NOCK, JOGMEC plan to survey Block 14T in June, 2012 * Ophir Energy also plans to drill well in 2013 on Block L15 * Australia explorer gets stakes in Tanzania blocks (Adds Ophir Energy, Otto Energy paragraphs 5,6 14-18) [...]
TOKYO Prosecuting lawyers on Wednesday appealed a lower court acquittal of Japanese political power broker Ichiro Ozawa in a funding scandal./ppThe appeal prolongs the veteran lawmaker’s status as criminal defendant for months, if not years./ppThe Tokyo District Court last month found 69-year-old Ozawa not guilty of violating political funding law related to a 2004 land [...]
Wed May 9, 2012 6:02am EDT * Gree, DeNA to phase out games with gambling aspects * Firms’ shares tumble ahead of announcement By Mari Saito TOKYO, May 9 (Reuters) – Japan’s leading social gaming companies Gree Inc and DeNA Co Ltd said on Wednesday they would gradually phase out games that contain aspects of [...]
TOKYO — Japan is set to nationalize Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the ravaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, under a ¥1 trillion bailout plan approved Wednesday. The Japanese government has been scrambling to keep the company from collapsing so it can meet the billions of dollars in compensation claims and decommission the meltdown-stricken [...]
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