Straits Trading to acquire Japan property for S$11.6m

Aerial view of Osaka, Japan. The Straits Trading Company on Wednesday (18 January) unveiled plans to acquire the rights to a freehold rental residential property in Osaka, Japan for 925 million yen (S$11.6 million). This comes as the investment firm agreed ... ( read original story ...)

Konta Passes Osaka Test In Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Australia - No.9 seed and Apia International Sydney champion Johanna Konta kept up her hopes of another deep run in Melbourne with a decisive 6-4, 6-2 win over Japan's Naomi Osaka to reach the third round of the Australian Open. Konta opened Day ... ( read original story ...)

2016 Yokohama Hot-Rod and Custom Show

Each December at the annual Yokohama Hot Rod & Custom Show. That it’s in Yokohama not Yorba Linda perhaps should not be surprising. For when Japanese wax nostalgic their imaginations often head out on a desert highway, into a mythical land they first ... ( read original story ...)

Japan hotel deals hit US$3 billion

US$2.3 billion. The ANA deal was at the height of the pre-GFC property investment boom. Despite this, 2016 was a very strong year for hotel sales activity. In 2017, I expect Japan will witness another year of strong capital inflows. But unlike 2007 ... ( read original story ...)

Amazing images of Tokyo before it was a city

Plantation workers pick tea leaves in Tokyo, circa 1910s. Before Tokyo matured into the gleaming, dense city it is today, it was a small fishing village called Edo. Now home to over 13 million people, the Japanese capital has changed dramatically since ... ( read original story ...)

Japan's hi-tech toilets to get standardised symbols

Japanese toilets are set to become easier to use, after manufacturers agreed to standardise the symbols on the control panels. Japan's hi-tech toilets famously include features such as lid and seat controls, flush strength, front and back bidets, and air ... ( read original story ...)

Snow-anime pop up around Japan after winter snowfalls

Extraordinary snow creations of famous anime characters have been appearing all over Japan after recent snowfalls. Less than a month before Sapporo's famous snow festival, amateur snow sculptors have been posting pictures of their creations on social media. ( read original story ...)

Caroline Kennedy Leaves Japan After 3 Years as US Ambassador

Caroline Kennedy is stepping down Wednesday after three years as U.S. ambassador to Japan, where she was welcomed like a celebrity and worked to deepen the U.S.-Japan relationship despite regular flare-ups over American military bases on the southern ... ( read original story ...)

Toshiba mulls chip business stake sale to Western Digital: Nikkei

TOKYO Toshiba Corp is looking to spin off its semiconductor business assets and sell a roughly 20 percent stake in the unit to Western Digital Corp for up to $2.7 billion, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday. Some U.S. investment funds are also ... ( read original story ...)

BRIEF-Claire's Inc files to withdraw IPO plans

TOKYO, Jan 18 Toshiba Corp is in talks to sell a minority stake in its flash memory business to U.S. chips business partner Western Digital Corp in a bid to boost its capital base, a source briefed on the discussions said on Wednesday. ( read original story ...)

Luksika loses in three to fiery Osaka

Melbourne: Thailand's Luksika Kumkhum was edged out by Japanese Naomi Osaka in three thrilling sets in the first round of the Australian Open yesterday. The nineteen-year-old Japanese overcame losing the first-set to beat Luksika 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-5. ( read original story ...)

Tokyo 2020 to study golf club's membership policies

Tokyo 2020 organizers say they will review membership practices at the golf course selected for the Olympic Games following criticism that it does not allow women as full members. Founded in 1929, the Kasumigaseki Country Club is one of the oldest private ... ( read original story ...)