In the Kachidoki area facing Tokyo Bay, home to the city’s hottest market given its proximity to venues for the 2020 Olympic Games, real estate broker Hayato Jo has a wall full of notices of apartments for sale, with a 20 percent increase in the number ... ( read original story ...)
Japan Unleashes Its Inner Slacker: Leave Work Early (Once a Month)
TOKYO—Friday was a strange day for the head of Japan’s most important business group. Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, left the office at two in the afternoon, donned a plum-colored sport jacket and headed out to a ... ( read original story ...)
Workers in Japan encouraged to leave work at 3pm every last Friday of the month
Japan’s government is urging employees to leave the office early every last Friday of the month, hoping to crackdown on a culture of workaholics while providing a shot in the arm for the economy. The Premium Friday campaign, which launched this week ... ( read original story ...)
Jury still out on 'Premium Friday' catching on in Japan
Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of Keidanran (Japan Business Federation), went shopping for a necktie with his wife. The only killjoy on the horizon was an estimate by SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. that threw cold water on government plans to have Premium ... ( read original story ...)
Japan's coffee shop leader heads to China
TOKYO -- Japan's leading coffee shop operator will take its low-price ... Doutor Nichires Holdings will partner with restaurant group Xiao Nan Guo, whose business includes high-end Chinese dining. Xiao Nan Guo had flourished on lavish official meals ... ( read original story ...)
Engel’s food gauge hit 29-year high in 2016, signalling drop in Japanese wealth
Engel’s coefficient, or the portion of household income spent on food, hit a 29-year high in Japan last year, partly reflecting changes in the nation’s social structure, an internal affairs ministry survey revealed. Before setting the record ... ( read original story ...)
Japan in bid to fight scourge of overtime – but it's hard work
Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the Japan Business Federation corporate lobby, said he was in principle in favour of setting limits on work hours but the global competitiveness of Japanese companies could be at risk if limits were too strict. However ... ( read original story ...)
China, US and Japan top borrowers as global official debt hits new record high
S&P projects a rise to US$44.3 trillion at projected market exchange rates. The United States at US$2.2 trillion and Japan at over US$1.8 trillion, will again be the most prolific borrowers this year, accounting for 60 per cent of the total, followed by ... ( read original story ...)
Japan's trade mission: Get through to Trump
TOKYO -- Japan's automakers and their pro-business government are flustered by the trade policies of President Donald Trump, but they're apparently hopeful the tension can be defused with something as simple as a conversation on the golf course. ( read original story ...)
Sapporo bid for Winter Olympics worths a shot
SAPPORO, Japan, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- With the Asian Winter Games winding down without a glitch in Sapporo, it is time for the three-time host of the continental event to seriously consider a bid for the Winter Olympics. Sapporo was the first Asian city to ... ( read original story ...)
Sapporo Asiad sets off alarm bells for China
SAPPORO, Japan, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Taken aback by the rapid progress made by the two East Asian neighbors, China is vowing to bounce back from a disappointing finish in the Asian Winter Games and to eventually shine when Beijing will host the Winter ... ( read original story ...)
Sapporo High Court criticized for speedy decisions
SAPPORO – Over the past three years, more than 90 percent of the rulings by the Sapporo High Court have been handed down on the first day of a trial, triggering criticism from lawyers who say the judges aren’t looking into the cases carefully enough ... ( read original story ...)
Japan's 'King Kazu' extends record on 50th birthday
Miura, who scored 55 goals in 89 appearances for Japan prior to his international retirement in 2000, lasted 65 minutes at Yokohama's Mitsuzawa Stadium before being replaced by Tomohiro Tsuda, Kyodo news agency reported. Yokohama won the match 1-0 via ... ( read original story ...)
The 50-year-old footballer: Kazu Miura still going strong at Yokohama FC
One man who embodies the veteran moniker, though, is Kazuyoshi 'Kazu' Miura. There is no debate to be had here, with the Yokohama FC striker still going strong at the age of 50. He celebrates that landmark birthday today, and is showing no sign of slowing ... ( read original story ...)
Japan's 'King Kazu' turns 50 with J-League start
Yokohama (Japan) (AFP) - Twinkle-toed former Japan striker Kazuyoshi Miura celebrated his 50th birthday by starting a J-League game for Yokohama FC on Sunday, marking yet another landmark in a storied career. Miura, the oldest Japanese to play professional ... ( read original story ...)
More questions about Osaka land sale to education group
The Finance Ministry said it had already destroyed records of negotiations over a questionable land sale to an educational group in Osaka that had links to the wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The disclosure, made Feb. 24, is expected to seriously hamper ... ( read original story ...)