Japan has held off Korea 4-1 for its first Olympic victory in women's hockey, with Hanae Kubo and Shoko Ono each scoring in the first period. Japan came into its third Olympics winless, but it has the ninth-ranked team in the world and is tops in Asia ... ( read original story ...)
Japan policymakers bolster expectations BOJ’s Kuroda will be reappointed
Formerly head of the Asian Development Bank and top Japanese currency diplomat in a career with Japan's Finance Ministry, Kuroda speaks fluent English and is known to have cultivated deep contacts with global policymakers. Media reports, confirmed by a ... ( read original story ...)
Japan posts longest growth streak since 1980s bubble economy
A rising yen, which tends to push down Japan’s import prices and depress exporters’ earnings, took the gloss off an otherwise respectable report on the world’s third-largest economy. The GDP data comes after news that Abe’s government has decided ... ( read original story ...)
Japan Display reports fourth straight quarterly loss
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan Display Inc reported on Wednesday a fourth consecutive quarterly net loss, as its slow adoption of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology resulted in fewer orders from its largest client, Apple Inc. The liquid crystal ... ( read original story ...)
Osaka takoyaki shop attracts more tourists after being featured in Michelin Guide
(ASIA NEWS NETWORK/THE JAPAN NEWS) - More foreign tourists have been visting Umaiya, a long-established shop selling takoyaki octopus balls in Kita Ward, Osaka, since it was featured in the 2016 Kyoto and Osaka Michelin Guide. It was the first time ... ( read original story ...)
Widodo woos Japan as infrastructure ambitions stall
"Japan is slow at planning but always makes things happen." A growing number of voices in the government say it has no choice but to rely on Tokyo. In a December interview with The Nikkei, Widodo said he was closest with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ... ( read original story ...)
Japan GDP grows for 8th straight quarter in longest streak for 28 years
Japan's real gross domestic product expanded 0.1% in the October-December period from the previous quarter, or at an annualized rate of 0.5%. The figures were below the median estimate of private-sector economists compiled by Nikkei Quick News, which ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo stocks lead most Asia markets down ahead of US inflation
Tokyo led most Asian markets lower on Wednesday, extending the previous day's losses while nervous investors await the release of key US inflation data later in the day fearing a renewal of recent volatility. While Hong Kong and Seoul clocked up healthy ... ( read original story ...)
Japan posts longest growth streak since bubble economy
TOKYO (Reuters) - Robust consumer spending drove Japan’s economy to eight straight quarters of growth in October-December, its longest continuous expansion since the 1980s bubble economy, and evidence that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s campaign to ... ( read original story ...)
Japan’s economy grows at 0.5 per cent annual pace in Oct-Dec
TOKYO — Japan’s economy grew at a slower than expected 0.5 per cent annual pace in the October-December quarter, as strong exports failed to fully compensate for relatively weak domestic demand. The preliminary data released Wednesday show Japan has ... ( read original story ...)
Japan keeps airtight lid on refugees as applications soar
TOKYO -- Japan approved only 20 out of a record 19,628 applicants for refugee status last year as authorities reject appeals they suspect come from job-seekers. Last year saw an increase of 8,727 people applying for refugee status from 2016 levels ... ( read original story ...)
10 years on, Osaka fiscal reform started by Toru Hashimoto remains unfinished
OSAKA – Since Toru Hashimoto was elected Osaka governor in January 2008 and subsequently launched a reform drive, the prefecture has turned its debt-heavy public finances around to achieve budget surpluses. Some experts, however, downplay the recovery as ... ( read original story ...)
Vote of confidence? This Japanese bank just signed for a huge new office in the City
A Japanese banking giant has given a vote of confidence to the capital by signing for a vast new office space at the redeveloped Broadgate scheme on Liverpool Street. The European arm of Sumitomo Mitsui will take 161,000 sq ft at 100 Liverpool Street, part ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo Hostel Guide: The Best Hostels in Tokyo
There are 97 beds total with a variety of room configurations that will suit families, friends, couples, business travellers, and solo travellers. If you’re looking for cheap hostels in Tokyo, then the Retrometro Backpackers will likely appeal to you ... ( read original story ...)
Olympics: Tokyo 2020 Games budget to benefit from fresh reforms
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (Reuters) - The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will benefit from a fresh batch of International Olympic Committee (IOC) reforms, despite having already slashed their initial budget by roughly $2.5 billion, the IOC said on Tuesday. The Games ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo fish market move on track, governor says
After years of delays, the process of moving Tokyo's world-famous Tsukiji fish market is on track, the city's governor said Tuesday, pledging the site's spirit would not be lost. The grey utilitarian complex at Toyosu is a far cry from the gritty ... ( read original story ...)