With her No. 1 ranking at risk, Halep routs Osaka in Rome

ROME: Needing a couple of wins this week to hold on to her No. 1 ranking, Simona Halep routed Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-0 Wednesday in the second round of the Italian Open. It was a sharp turnaround from when Osaka lost only three games against Halep in the ... ( read original story ...)

Tokyo shares end down after Japan GDP shrinks

Tokyo stocks ended down on Wednesday, after falls on Wall Street and official data that showed Japan's economy contracted for the first time in two years. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.44 percent, or 100.79 points, to 22,717.23 while the broader ... ( read original story ...)

Japan’s growth streak ends as consumer appetite cools

TOKYO -- Japan's economy contracted by an annualized rate of 0.6% in the January-March quarter, marking an end to the longest streak of growth since the late 1980s, as consumer spending and capital expenditure slowed. While most economists expect to see a ... ( read original story ...)

Japanese mold makers break into new businesses

KTX, in central Japan's Aichi Prefecture, has won fans among automakers ... According to the 16th mold survey conducted by Nikkei at the end of fiscal 2017, 41 companies, or 33.1% of the total, said they planned to raise their capital spending this ... ( read original story ...)

Nikkei drops in choppy trade; Toshiba up on chip unit sale

TOKYO, May 15 (Reuters) - Japanese stocks pulled back from a recent 3-1/2 month high on Tuesday, hit by profit-taking, though bank shares staged a rally on hopes of strong earnings for the sector. The Nikkei share average ended 0.2 percent lower to 22,818 ... ( read original story ...)

Japanese banks trying to hold on to savings of dead clients

In an attempt to keep billions in funds left by deceased customers, Japanese regional banks are using special trusts to enter into banking relationships with the heirs of the departed. The step comes as the country’s local lenders have been losing 60 ... ( read original story ...)

Japan Post Bank plans $1.5bn in-house hedge fund

Japan Post Bank is to launch a $1.5bn in-house hedge fund, according to people familiar with the plan, as an institution that once symbolised the nation’s financial conservatism embraces a new level of risk in a quest for greater returns. The shift ... ( read original story ...)

Bank of Hawaii partners with Japan bank

Bank of Hawaii and Japan-based SMBC Trust Bank recently signed a unique collaboration agreement to provide access to select private banking services for certain Hawaii clients. Bank of Hawaii and SMBC Trust Bank will offer its Japanese clientele enhanced ... ( read original story ...)

Japan economy shrinks after two years of growth

But despite the broad-based slowdown, Minami said the economy would remain solid. "If you look at the Bank of Japan's 'Tankan' survey released in April, business confidence was unshaken, with corporate investment plans remaining solid," he said. ( read original story ...)

TOKYO | Japan’s economy shrinks in January-March quarter

TOKYO — Japan’s economy shrank at an annualized rate of 0.6 percent in the quarter through March, as private investment and public spending declined, according to Cabinet Office data released Wednesday. Japan’s gross domestic product — the value of ... ( read original story ...)

Japan’s economy shrinks in January-March quarter

Japan's economy shrank at an annualized rate of 0.6 percent in the quarter through March, as private investment and public spending declined, according to Cabinet Office data released Wednesday. Japan's gross domestic product — the value of a nation's go ... ( read original story ...)