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December 24, 2024
 

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Takashi Umekawa
Masato Kanda, former vice finance minister for international affairs, will start his role as Asian Development Bank's president in February.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 6, 2024
Incoming ADB chief Kanda keeping eye on U.S. policy as Trump return looms
Any changes in tariffs, taxes and immigration restrictions in the U.S. could have a major impact on Japan and other Asian economies, he notes.
"No matter who takes the helm, Japan’s fiscal discipline will worsen in a situation like this," said Mana Nakazora, a credit analyst on an economic panel advising Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 3, 2024
Japan needs a wake-up call on debt, government advisor warns
The advisor criticized the government’s decision to resume subsidies for utilities as part of the stimulus package.
The Finance Ministry plans to suspend Nomura from the primary group of Japanese government bond dealers for a month from Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 11, 2024
Japan suspends Nomura from bond auctions after manipulation
The action is another setback for Nomura after the revelations led several companies including Toyota Finance to take their bond underwriting business elsewhere.
Seven & I Holdings, the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores, was designated as a "core" company. The government requires any foreign entity to give prior notification of share purchases in a core company of more than 10%.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2024
Seven & I gets new designation, a potential hurdle for takeover
The new "core" category requires any foreign entity to give prior notification of share purchases in a core company of more than 10%.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. The BOJ was seen as having contributed to the global market meltdown in early August after its 0.25% hike.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 6, 2024
BOJ’s hiking pace may be faster than expected, ex-official says
While almost no economists expect the BOJ to adjust its benchmark rate on Sept. 20, many BOJ watchers expect another rate hike by January.
Japan's new prime minister may want to consider setting a budget surplus-to-gross domestic product target to ensure that the nation stays in the black, government adviser Takero Doi has said.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 3, 2024
Japan’s new prime minister must set fresh fiscal target, adviser says
Setting such a target would help bring down Japan’s public debt-to-GDP ratio, government adviser Takero Doi has said in an interview.
Japan's emissions in fiscal 2023 represents a 23% reduction from 2013 levels, but it’s still a way off from the 46% reduction the government has pledged to make by 2030.
BUSINESS
Apr 12, 2024
Japan’s annual emissions drop as industrial pollution shrinks
Emissions slipped 2.3% in the year ending March 2023 to 1.085 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the environment ministry said.
People feel that Japan may be getting out of deflation and there could be an economic transformation, a top regulatory official says.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 25, 2024
Japan seeing more interest from foreign asset managers, official says
Tokyo has inched up one position higher to 19th place in the Global Financial Centers Index.
The Aozora Bank headquarters in Tokyo. The bank surprised investors with losses tied to U.S. commercial property, sending shares down by the limit and heightening concern over global banks' exposure to souring real estate bets.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 2, 2024
Gamble on U.S. commercial property blows up for Japan’s Aozora
Shares went down by the limit and heightened concern over global banks' exposure to souring real estate bets.
Commuters in Tokyo in March. Japanese women are paid on average around 67% the salaries of men, according to a report based on around 2,000 firms’ financial statements, compiled by advisory firm Willis Towers Watson and others this month.
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2023
Investors see need for more gender pay data in Japan
Some firms have disclosed pay gaps according to different job levels, but most are revealing the minimum amount of information necessary.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 28, 2023
Japan's mega-bank CEOs paid less than global peers despite near-record profits
Japanese companies have traditionally seen compensation as a reward for rising successfully through the ranks, while paychecks elsewhere tend to reflect performance.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 28, 2023
A small Japanese town sets new precedent for women in politics
Among the country’s city councils and assemblies, men held more than 80% of the total seats as of 2021. But in Ebetsu, more than 40% of the city council members are women.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2023
Japan's emissions up for first time in eight years in blow to climate goal
The country's emissions expanded 2% in the year ending March 2022 to 1.12 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the Environment Ministry said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 9, 2023
Funds that inflate green credentials face strict new rules in Japan
Under the FSA’s new guidelines, only funds that consider environmental, social and governance as a 'key factor” when choosing investments can be marketed as such.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 3, 2023
Japan's GPIF, the world's biggest pension fund, posts longest loss in 20 years
The Government Pension Investment Fund lost 1% during the quarter ended December, or ¥1.85 trillion ($14 billion), reducing its total assets to ¥189.9 trillion.
JAPAN
Dec 22, 2022
Japanese panel approves return to nuclear power as disaster memories fade
Japan's move to extend nuclear reactor lifespans reflects a shift in public opinion as the country struggles with the threat of blackouts amid Russia's war in Ukraine and extreme weather.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 9, 2022
Japan to ramp up scrutiny of ESG data providers with new guidelines
With ESG assets set to reach $53 trillion by 2025, concerns are growing over the substantial influence these typically unregulated ESG data providers have over the industry.
BUSINESS
Nov 18, 2022
Investors wary of greenwashing in Japan’s $140 billion bond plan
The ambiguous name and a lack of details over what the proceeds would be used for are sparking concerns among investors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 30, 2022
Maruha Nichiro plans to issue Japan’s first blue bond to help ocean
The firm tapped Mizuho Securities and Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities to manage the u00a55 billion ($35 million) offering of five-year notes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 25, 2022
Japan’s new ‘green economy’ bond may fund nuclear projects
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week proposed a 'green economy transformation bond” to raise as much as u00a520 trillion to help meet climate goals.
Bankruptcies and suicides rise as Japanese struggle with mounting debt
Lawyers estimate that personal bankruptcies in Japan are on track to reach the highest since 2012 this year.
Honda-Nissan megamerger in the works
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida (left), Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe (second from left) and Takao Kato, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, hold a news conference on merger talks on Monday in Tokyo.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?
Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Japan accuses Google of violating antimonopoly law
The Japanese antitrust watchdog said that Google forced smartphone makers to preinstall its search app on their devices, sources say.
Okinawa people stage rally against sexual assaults by U.S. servicemen
Sorane Sakihama, a 22-year-old college student, speaks at a rally in the city of Okinawa on Sunday protesting against sexual assaults by U.S. soldiers.
A brief history of ‘osechi ryōri,' Japan's edible tradition for the new year
Japan's traditional New Year cuisine has a long history, though modern developments have led to slight changes in the way things work.
Japan accuses Google of violating antimonopoly law
The Japanese antitrust watchdog said that Google forced smartphone makers to preinstall its search app on their devices, sources say.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
Is Japan finally ready to tap its abundant geothermal energy potential?
Steam rises from a geothermal plan in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture. Despite its long history and potential, geothermal provided just 0.3% of Japan's overall energy mix in the fiscal year from April 2023
Japanese officials inspect Yokota Air Base over PFAS concerns
The Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in September 2019. An inspection of the base by Japanese government officials on Friday came amid public pressure to investigate suspected links between the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam by the U.S. base and contamination of soil and groundwater in western Tokyo.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?
By Kathryn Wortley

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