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Ayai Tomisawa
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 25, 2021
Investors clamoring for ESG debt help halve Tokyo funding costs
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government slashed funding costs thanks to rampant global demand for the first social bond offered by a local government in Japan.
JAPAN
May 31, 2021
There may not be enough doctors in Japan to support the Olympics
Organizers had initially planned to have about 10,000 doctors, nurses and medical staff on standby for the games but have had to cut that number down to about 7,000.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 19, 2021
Japan Airlines said to plan yen bond as its yield premiums fall
Japan Airlines Co. is planning a yen bond sale next month, people familiar with the matter said, in what would be its first debt sale since March last year as its yield premiums fall.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
May 12, 2021
U.S. track team cancels Olympics training in Japan over virus
The U.S. team notified the decision last month to authorities in Chiba Prefecture, saying the pandemic would put athletes' safety at risk.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Apr 29, 2021
Tokyo to push Olympic sponsors on gender parity following gaffes
A pledge to advance equality and inclusion is also expected to come next month from the games' organizing committee.
OLYMPICS
Mar 12, 2021
JOC president Yasuhiro Yamashita no stranger to Olympic frustration
The former judo heavyweight, who missed out on the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to an international boycott, is optimistic that the postponed Tokyo Games will go on this summer.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2021
Online funerals and Zen apps keep Japan’s Buddhist temples afloat
As the pandemic forces institutions around the world to change the way they do things, new endeavors are some of the ways that Buddhist groups in Japan are trying to survive.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 28, 2021
Record sales of dollar bonds by Japanese prefectures gather steam
In the latest example, Kyushu's Saga Prefecture sold its first note in the U.S. currency on Tuesday, following last week's issuance of such debt by neighboring Fukuoka Prefecture.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 14, 2021
Buddhist monks are snapping up ESG bonds in Japan
Japanese religious organizations are also under pressure to earn more from investing.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2021
Shadow hangs over Olympics once more with Japan virus surge
Japan is one of several countries where the virus has made a comeback in winter months with Tokyo finding a record 2,447 cases on Jan. 7.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 2, 2020
A 1% bond in Japan is world’s lowest-coupon junk note in 2020
Unprecedented stimulus from central banks amid the pandemic has dragged down rates, and left investors clamoring for debt that may help increase returns.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 26, 2020
Brave new world of ESG bonds can sometimes leave investors cold
A new type of bond that penalizes issuers for failing to meet social and environmental goals is raising concern that buying the debt may not be all that ethical.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 27, 2020
Japan set for blockbuster bonds after NTT revives M&A push
For investors, giant bond sales are attractive because issuers usually need to pay a premium to compensate for the added risk of large repayments.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 9, 2020
Suicide spike in Japan shows mental health toll of COVID-19
The numbers hint at what may be going on around the world as countries grapple with the fallout from mass unemployment and social isolation.
BUSINESS
Jun 25, 2020
Japanese investors favoring firms that let people work from home
Being good employers and business partners may ultimately pay off with sustainable returns in the long term, the investors believe.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 29, 2020
Japan bankruptcies seen rising to seven-year high amid pandemic
A global economic slowdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is causing companies to go out of business around the world.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 19, 2020
Shift to cleaner power sparks landmark green bond sale in Japan
In the gusty northeast, a power company is looking to fund offshore wind projects with a landmark sale of green bonds that seeks to muscle in on the growing pool of money available for environmentally friendly investments.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 27, 2020
A new type of bond could help Japan's utilities cut emissions
Japanese power producers have been emitting more carbon dioxide since the 2011 nuclear disaster led to an increased reliance on fossil fuels, but a new kind of bond could help them reverse that trend.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 18, 2020
Toshiba CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani to be given additional title of president in April
Toshiba Corp. Chief Executive Officer Nobuaki Kurumatani will add the title of president effective April, part of a revamp among top management aimed at speeding up decision-making.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 7, 2020
Increase in environmentally friendly debt may limit slowdown of corporate bond sales in Japan
Japan's record corporate bond issuance will likely slow down, but a boom in environmentally friendly debt could limit the downside.

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