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Sapporo Beer President Hiroyuki Nose (left) and actor Yuki Yamada at Yebisu Brewery Tokyo in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Tuesday, prior to its opening the following day.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 3, 2024

Sapporo Beer opens first brewery in Tokyo's Ebisu in 35 years

With no entrance fee, the new brewery will be located in the Yebisu Garden Place complex in Shibuya Ward.
Former president of the Spanish football federation Luis Rubiales in Madrid on Sept. 15
SOCCER
Apr 4, 2024

Rubiales arrested at airport over alleged federation graft scandal

His arrest came two weeks after investigators searched 11 locations as part of a probe.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction in Tokyo on Feb. 19.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 4, 2024

Japan committed to long-term public-private aid to Ukraine

By bolstering assistance to Ukraine, Japan also aims to send a message to China, cautioning against unilateral attempts to change the status quo.
The yen remains around the three-decade low in the ¥151 range against the dollar even after the Bank of Japan's interest rate hike.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 4, 2024

Why even the BOJ's historic rate hike has failed to revive the yen

Japan’s first interest rate hike in 17 years has failed to deliver the boost to the yen that policymakers had hoped for.
The Bank of Japan's steady policy normalization process will probably start next year, with potentially a 25-basis-point rate increase every six months, a former policy board member says.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 4, 2024

BOJ will wait until October before hiking rates again, says ex-board member

Makoto Sakurai believes a steady policy normalization process may start next year, with potentially a 25-basis-point rate increase every six months.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's Tokyo office. An investigation into the cause of the health issues is underway, with partner companies attempting to recall products that could include the batch of beni kōji said to have caused kidney problems.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 4, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma's wide supply chain complicates search for tainted products

Looking at the overall market, one study showed that around 33,000 companies have sold and distributed products using the firm's red yeast rice.
Police officers conduct a special inspection of Shinjuku Ward's Kabukicho in Tokyo in December.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 4, 2024

Japan's police crack down on host clubs

More than 200 administrative penalties have been issued against such establishments nationwide for various violations, National Police Agency says.
Former Canada soccer player Diana Matheson (left, in June 2013) is one of the driving forces behind a proposed new professional women's soccer league in the country.
SOCCER
Apr 5, 2024

Six teams apply to join proposed Canadian women's soccer league

Player signings and ticket sales are slated to begin around mid-2024.
If it's too hot to do much (and the costs for air conditioning continue to surge) during the day, it might be time to consider shifting the bulk of our activities to cooler nighttime hours.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 6, 2024

A solution for scorching days: Do everything at night.

Working night shifts, however, comes with a host of health problems, increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.
Japanese household spending fell 0.5% in February from a year earlier, down for a 12th straight month, indicating the impact of persistent price increases on spending patterns.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 5, 2024

Japan’s households continue to cut outlays as inflation hits

Outlays decreased 0.5% in February from a year ago, sliding for a 12th consecutive month.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 5, 2024

BOJ downgrades biggest number of regional economies in two years

The central bank kept its appraisals of just two areas unchanged, according to a quarterly regional economic report Thursday.
Drivers in California’s Marin County rely on a single hydrogen fueling station.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Apr 6, 2024

Few stations and $200 to fill up: Life on California’s ‘hydrogen highway’

Fuel shortages and soaring prices have stalled the adoption of hydrogen cars — but proponents aren’t throwing in the towel.
Nissan’s name has been removed from a list of around 44,000 companies eligible for the tax incentive on the economy ministry’s website.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 6, 2024

Nissan ineligible for tax break after underpaying firms: report

Nissan’s name has been removed from a list of companies eligible for the tax incentive on the economy ministry’s website, the Yomiuri Shimbum said.
U.S. Osprey aircraft hover above an Australian landing helicopter dock ship during a joint exercise between Australian and Philippine troops at a naval base in San Antonio town, Zambales province, on Aug. 25.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 6, 2024

Philippines, U.S., Australia and Japan to hold joint drills in disputed sea

The exercise will take place in the South China Sea — which Beijing claims — days before U.S. President Joe Biden is due to hold a trilateral summit.
Uber Japan demonstrates its ride-hailing app in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 7, 2024

Uber to launch ride-hailing services in Japan

The move is designed to cope with a shortage of taxi drivers in urban areas and tourist spots in the country.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen meets Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 7, 2024

Yellen and Li express hope for U.S.-China cooperation

The U.S.-China relationship can only move forward with direct and open communication, Treasury chief Janet Yellen told Premier Li Qiang.
A U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission sign is pictured at the headquarters building in Rockville, Maryland.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Apr 7, 2024

U.S. nuclear industry upbeat on small reactors, despite setback

While China and Russia already have operational small reactors, the United States is ahead of Europe in this area of nuclear power.
Jera's thermal power station in Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, recently started co-firing coal with 20% of ammonia, a technology supported by the government's "green transformation," or GX, policy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 7, 2024

Is Japan’s green transformation investing in the past or future?

Japan issued its first green transformation bonds, but the policy breathes new life into fossil fuel-based projects rather than pulling the plug on them.
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Victorville, California, in 2019
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2024

Loss of engine cover on Southwest Boeing 737-800 prompts FAA investigation

No one was injured and Southwest Flight 3695 returned safely to Denver International Airport.
A lone Tesla charges in the basement of a commercial property in Tokyo. One of Japan’s biggest obstacles to electric vehicles is subpar charging infrastructure.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2024

How three high-tech countries became laggards in electric vehicles

Japan's slow adoption traces back to a decade-old bet on hydrogen fuel-cell technology, while U.S. and South Korea have hit bottlenecks.
Real cash earnings for Japanese workers in February dropped 1.3% from a year earlier, government data has shown.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 8, 2024

Japan’s decline in real wages likely to keep BOJ on hold for now

The latest decline in real wages comes as growth in consumer prices accelerated to 2.8% in February, the quickest pace since November.
In one of the biggest changes to the alliance in decades, U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are expected to agree on revamping the U.S. military’s command in Japan to help strengthen operational planning with the Self-Defense Forces.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 8, 2024

At Biden-Kishida summit, tech tie-ups are as important as defense deals

The two leaders are also expected to announce boosted cooperation on supply chains and cutting-edge technologies, all with an eye on China.
Elon Musk, chief executive officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, at the Viva Technology conference in Paris on June 16, 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2024

Brazil judge opens inquiry into Musk over blocked accounts on X

Musk has challenged a decision by a Supreme Court judge ordering the blocking of certain accounts.
The financial center of Panama City, Panama, in 2019. Starting Monday, 27 people will be tried over charges connected to the "Panama Papers" case.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Apr 8, 2024

'Panama Papers' trial to begin eight years after tax scandal

Twenty-seven people have been charged with money laundering in connection with the tax evasion scandal.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda listens to a question during a news conference after a two-day monetary policy meeting at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo on March 19.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Apr 8, 2024

Ueda's first year as BOJ chief marked by smooth handling of policy shift

But the central bank governor now has to balance various factors, including how further rate hikes might affect not just the yen but also households.
Digital minister Taro Kono rides in a car driven by a private driver using a personal vehicle in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward on Monday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 8, 2024

Tokyo starts ride-hailing service — but it may not be what you expect

The apps Go, Uber, S.Ride and Didi can all be used to hail private drivers alongside taxis during specific times of the day.
Seth Fischer, founder and chief investment officer of Oasis Management, says the fund has been investing in Kao for over four years and engaging with it for nine months.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2024

Activist Oasis reveals 3% Kao stake in battle for change at Japan cosmetics firm

Kao is the world's second-largest cosmetics and sixth-largest personal care product firm by revenue.
The American and Japanese flags are posted on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House in Washington in preparation for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's state visit to the United States this week.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 8, 2024

More investment is needed to strengthen U.S.-Japan collaboration

Despite the countries' shared challenges, investment in U.S.-Japan intellectual exchange programs and expertise building is at a historic low.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps speak during a news conference following an AUKUS defense ministerial meeting in Mountain View, California, last December.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 9, 2024

U.S., U.K. and Australia consider working with Japan on AUKUS security pact

The three countries said they were weighing inviting Tokyo to join the pact’s second stage, with talks with Japan and others set to begin this year.
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sunday.
BASKETBALL
Apr 9, 2024

'Caitlin Clark Effect' set to transform WNBA

"No one has been able to capture the kind of magic or lightning in a bottle like Caitlin Clark has done," said one academic.

Longform

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