SoftBank emerges as new IPO for tech cos

The Japanese internet group's frenetic deal-making pace over the past few months, along with its big secondary purchases in internet companies, have made it the new IPO for many hugely funded tech startups and provided partial cash exits to their early ... ( read original story ...)

Changing tastes brew bitter times for Japan’s beer makers

TOKYO — From beer gardens on the rooftops of department stores to fireworks extravaganzas to quiet, wood-paneled craft breweries, Japanese seem to quaff an awful lot of beer in the summer. But beer consumption has been tanking for five years straight in ... ( read original story ...)

Labor-short Japan more at home with automation than US

Nary a soul is in sight in this picture-perfect image of Japanese automation. The machines do all the heavy lifting at this plant run by Asahi Breweries, Japan's top brewer. The human job is to make sure the machines do the work right, and to check on the ... ( read original story ...)

Will Japan’s haven status hold up amid North Korean tensions?

“At the time of [Japan’s] earthquake [and subsequent tsunami] in 2011, the yen rallied against almost everything else. This kind of repatriation is typical, so there’s a precedent here despite the geographical closeness [to North Korea] and the fact ... ( read original story ...)

Japan taps B.C. alumni networks to strengthen business ties

The popularity of a program recruiting B.C. university graduates to work in Japan as temporary English teachers is rebounding – something officials hope will translate to a larger alumni network that aids Tokyo’s development of business ties with ... ( read original story ...)

U.S. veteran returns dead Japanese soldier’s flag

HIGASHISHIRAKAWA, Japan -- Tatsuya Yasue buried his face into the flag and smelled it. Then he held the 93-year-old hands that brought this treasure home, and kissed them. Marvin Strombo, who had taken the calligraphy-covered Japanese flag from a dead ... ( read original story ...)

Japanese siblings accept WWII soldier’s flag from US veteran

HIGASHISHIRAKAWA, Japan — The former U.S. Marine knew the calligraphy-covered flag he took from a fallen Japanese soldier 73 years ago was more than a keepsake of World War II. When Marvin Strombo finally handed the flag back to Sadao Yasue's younger ... ( read original story ...)

The Latest: US WWII vet says he, Japan family can move on

The Latest on a U.S. veteran returning a fallen Japanese soldier's flag to the man's relatives (all times local): 7 p.m. A U.S. World War II veteran says by returning a flag he took from a fallen Japanese soldier to his siblings, both he and the family can ... ( read original story ...)

Japan honors dead in 72nd anniversary of WWII surrender

Aug. 15 (UPI) --Japan commemorated the 72nd anniversary of its surrender at the end of World War II with a state-sponsored ceremony in Tokyo, attended by relatives of the war dead. Although aging relatives were conspicuously absent, more than 6,000 people ... ( read original story ...)