Japan manufacturing PMI down to 52.4 in March

TOKYO -- The Nikkei Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, or PMI, dropped to 52.4 in March from 53.3 in February. A reading above 50 signals an improvement, while one below 50 points to a contraction in activity. March's PMI recorded the above-50 ... ( read original story ...)

Yokohama Finds Creative Way to Show Tire Superiority

You could spend a lot of time trying to figure out what a surfboard, a rodeo saddle and a pair of running shoes have in common, but we’ll spare you the trouble and fill you in right now: the three objects represent Yokohama Canada’s opportunity to ... ( read original story ...)

Geisha taps Sapporo businesses to keep tradition alive

SAPPORO – Sapporo’s Susukino entertainment district used to host one of the nation’s biggest red-light districts with more than 300 geisha in the 1950s. But with the burst of the bubble economy in the late 1980s dealing a heavy blow to the local ... ( read original story ...)

Japan business outlook brightens, though improvement modest

TOKYO — Encouraged by stronger export orders, Japanese manufacturers are feeling a bit more upbeat than they were late last year, according to a quarterly survey by the Bank of Japan released Monday. The central bank's "tankan" report put sentiment among ... ( read original story ...)

Japan to urge businesses to share big data

TOKYO -- Japan will encourage companies to share big data they collect, so that businesses can better cooperate on developing new products and services in the age of the "internet of things" instead of keeping all the information to themselves. An advisory ... ( read original story ...)

Asian stocks gain on Japan data, awaiting U.S.-China meeting

TOKYO -- Asian markets were mostly higher Monday, cheered by a positive report on the Japanese economy, as players awaited a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart later in the week. KEEPING SCORE: Japan's benchmark Nikkei ... ( read original story ...)

Caterpillar Recognizes Yokohama

Yokohama Tire Corporation earns Platinum Supplier Award from Caterpillar. For the fifth year in a row, Yokohama has earned Caterpillar’s premier supplier award: the Platinum Level Recertification in its Supplier Quality Excellence Process. The award went ... ( read original story ...)

Japan scientist eyes energy burst from 'typhoon turbine'

TOKYO: Most people look for a place to hide when a typhoon is on the horizon, but Atsushi Shimizu hopes that the fury of nature may one day help resource-poor Japan tackle its energy woes. As thousands of Australians seek shelter from a "monster" cyclone ... ( read original story ...)

Japan business confidence rises again

Confidence among Japan's biggest manufacturers has risen for the second straight quarter, a key central bank survey showed Monday, a welcome boost for the world's third-largest economy. The report comes after a batch of government data on Friday showed ... ( read original story ...)

Bank of Japan survey shows uptick in business outlook

TOKYO — A quarterly survey by the Bank of Japan shows business sentiment among large manufacturers has brightened since late last year. The "tankan" report released Monday put sentiment among big manufacturers at 12, up from 10 in December. The outlook ... ( read original story ...)

Black Back For More In Osaka Hai

Newly promoted to Grade I status, Hanshin’s Osaka Hai was rewarded with a first-class winner in the 2016 Horse of the Year Black Kitasan (JPN) (Black Tide {JPN}), whose long-term aim this season is a trip to Chantilly to take on Europe’s finest in the ... ( read original story ...)