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A construction site of residential buildings by Chinese developer Country Garden in Beijing. Some economists now see growth in China’s economy slowing to 3.5% in 2030 and to near 1% by 2050.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 5, 2023

China slowdown means it may never overtake U.S. economy: forecast

Some economists now see growth in China’s economy — the world’s second largest — slowing to 3.5% in 2030 and to near 1% by 2050.
A rendering of the planned Pace Gallery, scheduled to open in the first half of 2024, at the Azabudai Hills complex in central Tokyo
CULTURE / Art
Sep 5, 2023

New York’s Pace Gallery plans Tokyo expansion in 2024

The move comes as Japan looks to more seriously position itself as an art market hub, with officials seeking to capitalize on Tokyo’s cultural cache.
Tohoku University in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
JAPAN / Society
Sep 5, 2023

Why Tohoku University was picked as first beneficiary of new university fund

The fact it was picked as the sole recipient, and over two prestigious universities seen as front-runners, has shocked Japan's academic community.
A Sogo department store in Yokohama. Fortress Investment Group, which has acquired Sogo & Seibu, plans to keep all 10 Sogo and Seibu department stores open for the time being, sources said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 6, 2023

Fortress to maintain all Sogo and Seibu stores for now: sources

The U.S. investment firm now plans to spend a total of ¥60 billion, compared with at least ¥20 billion it initially considered.
Digital transformation minister Taro Kono (right) speaks during a news conference at the Digital Agency in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Sep 6, 2023

Japan to test use of My Number cards for alcohol and ticket sales

The agency will work with private business operators to examining whether use of My Number cards will help improve the efficiency of identity checks.
Hajime Takata, a member of the policy board at the Bank of Japan
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 6, 2023

BOJ policymaker sees signs of change in deflationary mindset

Conditions for phasing out the bank's massive stimulus seem to be falling into place, central bank policymaker Hajime Takata said.
A screenshot of the Nigetore app (left) five minutes after the start of practice evacuation using a 15-minute setting for “preparation time.” On the right, two screenshots show the outcomes of drills and a map indicating an evacuation route with tsunami inundation areas highlighted.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Sep 11, 2023

Tsunami evacuation app offers realistic quake preparation experience

Personal tsunami evacuation drill app Nigetore allows users to choose their own evacuation routes and evaluate their success.
Apple shares slid 3.6% after reports that Chinese government agencies will ban iPhones and other foreign-branded devices in workplaces.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 7, 2023

Apple falls on report that China agencies are barring iPhone use

The company enjoys widespread popularity in China, its largest international market.
An All Nippon Airways employee escorts a group of Chinese tourists through Haneda Airport in Tokyo last month.
BUSINESS
Sep 7, 2023

Fukushima water release won’t deter Chinese tourists: ANA CEO

The number of inbound visitors from China was about 300,000 in July, he said, compared with 30,000 in January, says Koji Shibata.
Wan Gang during the Munich Motor Show on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 7, 2023

China’s EV strategy architect sees future for hydrogen vehicles

Fuel-cell vehicles will be key especially in China’s northwest, where distances between cities are long and electric-car adoption remains low, he said.
Part of the deserted Legend of Sea project developed by Country Garden
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 7, 2023

China’s credit wreck exposes governance failings to the world

"Foreign money managers still have willingness to invest in China, but how much we invest is in flux.”
People make their way through Tokyo's Ameyoko shopping district. In a sign rising inflation is already taking a toll on consumption, Japan's household spending suffered its biggest drop in nearly 2½ years in July.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Sep 7, 2023

China's economic gloom hangs over Japan's long-awaited recovery

If Beijing fails to shore up demand with meaningful stimulus, that could potentially delay an exit from the Bank of Japan's ultraloose monetary policy.
Julie Keiko Fujishima (right), who stepped down as Johnny & Associates president on Tuesday, and new President Noriyuki Higashiyama give a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 7, 2023

Johnny's replaces president as it admits to abuse by late founder

The replacement comes on the heels of a scathing third-party report, which recommended that Julie Keiko Fujishima resign as president.
Kohei Saito, a philosophy professor at the University of Tokyo who appears regularly in Japanese media to discuss his ideas, at home in Tokyo on March 16.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 7, 2023

Can shrinking be good for Japan? A Marxist bestseller makes the case.

Saito has tapped into what he describes as a growing disillusionment in Japan with capitalism’s ability to solve the problems people see around them.
More cooks are pursuing careers in cooking for wealthy clients, but the glitz that makes it into viral TikTok videos isn’t always the whole picture.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 10, 2023

Private chefs toe the line between occupation and isolation

A new chapter in the age of food celebrity is unfolding online as more cooks take up careers as private chefs and go public with the perks of the job.
French President Emmanuel Macron (center) and deposed president Ali Bongo of Gabon (center left) at an African Union-European Union summit in 2017
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 8, 2023

A domino effect in Africa, embarrassment in Paris

A new season of military coups is sweeping over Africa, with grave implications for France and the West as they struggle to maintain influence.
Johnny & Associates President Julie Keiko Fujishima (second from right) acknowledged that company founder Johnny Kitagawa had sexually abused agency employees for decades during a press conference in Tokyo on Sept. 7.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Sep 9, 2023

What’s in a name? A lot of baggage and trauma, unfortunately.

Johnny and Associates' recognition of abuse is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to move forward.
Kazuo Ueda
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 9, 2023

BOJ's Ueda signals chance of ending negative rates, report says

The central bank could have enough data by year-end to determine whether it can end negative rates, Gov. Kazuo Ueda said in an interview.
The average for summer bonuses this year was slightly higher than the ¥845,453 in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and trailed only the ¥870,731 in 2018, the labor ministry said Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 9, 2023

2023 summer bonuses second-highest on record in Japan

Bonuses at major Japanese companies this summer averaged ¥845,557, up 1.59% from a year before, the labor ministry has announced.
The remains of the community of Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui, is seen after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town last month.
WORLD
Sep 9, 2023

A month after deadly Maui fire, 66 people still missing

The official death toll of the Aug. 8 fire that left the historic town of Lahaina in charred ruins stands at 115 people.
Brave Blossoms captain Kazuki Himeno trains away from his teammates ahead of the team's Rugby World Cup opener against Chile in Toulouse, France, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Sep 10, 2023

Leg injury puts Kazuki Himeno in doubt for World Cup opener

Amanaki Saumaki is considered ready to fill in for Japan's captain against Rugby World Cup debutant Chile in Toulouse.
Japan Wind Development's Tohoku headquarters in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 10, 2023

Internal email sheds light on wind-power bribery scandal

Tokyo prosecutors have obtained an email as possible evidence of Akimoto having made statements before lawmakers at the request of Tsukawaki.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet ahead of the Group of 20 leaders' summit in New Delhi on Saturday.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 11, 2023

Will India’s name go the way of Turkey?

If India changes its name to Bharat, it will stumble on the same hurdles that Turkey has faced in getting its new appellation, Turkiye, to stick.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the China-Africa leaders’ roundtable on the closing day of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg on Aug. 24
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 7, 2023

China and doubling of BRICS size challenges the U.S.-led global order

Although China is the world’s second largest economy, it still claims to be a developing country and depicts itself as the champion of the Global South.
Japan's HII-A rocket carrying a lunar lander is prepared for launch at Tanegashima Space Centre on Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture on Aug. 27.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 6, 2023

Yes, we do need another moonshot — or five

This renewed interest in moon landings is stoking fears of increased rivalry and another arms race.
A screen shows an image of Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers in Beijing in August last year. The PLA's newspaper recently explained to its readers how ChatGPT can be used for military purposes.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Sep 12, 2023

Will generative AI hold power in international relations?

The technology has the ability to create influential text and imagery, giving it power to potentially sway public opinion.
U.S. President Joe Biden holds a news conference in Hanoi on Sunday, the first day of a visit in Vietnam.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 11, 2023

U.S. and Vietnam ink historic partnership in Biden visit

U.S. President Joe Biden secured deals with Hanoi on semiconductors and minerals amid Washington's growing rivalry with China.
Japan Exchange Group only has a female board ratio of 13%, a level that’s less than half the average of global peers.
BUSINESS
Sep 11, 2023

Japan stock exchange’s board diversity is among worst in world

Japan Exchange Group’s female board ratio remains far below global peers and its own listing rule goal.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at a government meeting on his concept of "new capitalism" in Tokyo on Aug. 31.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 11, 2023

Economists question the wisdom of Kishida's new minimum wage target

Japan aims to lift the minimum wage to ¥1,500 by the mid-2030s, but macroeconomic factors could undermine that target.
Coco Gauff celebrates with the trophy after winning the U.S. Open to capture her first Grand Slam title on Sunday in New York
TENNIS
Sep 11, 2023

Coco Gauff says she’s ‘ready’ for the headiest levels of fame

Gauff has demonstrated a composed maturity in her time in the public eye, and she declared herself up for the challenge of becoming even more famous.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?