With golf and gifts, Japan's Abe cuts own path with Trump

TOKYO (AP) — Japan is charting its own course to deal with a radically different U.S. president, an approach that will be tested at the end of this week when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets Donald Trump in the White House and on the golf course in Florida. ( read original story ...)

Samurai martyr beatified in Japan

Tokyo, Japan, Feb 8, 2017 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A 17th century Catholic Samurai and martyr was beatified during a Mass in ‎Osaka, Japan on Tuesday. Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Vatican’s ‎Congregation for the Causes of Saints ... ( read original story ...)

Osaka pushes Yumeshima for casino and resort, 2025 World Expo

OSAKA – Osaka’s political and business leaders are moving forward with plans to develop Yumeshima, a man-made island in Osaka Bay, into what they hope will be the site of an integrated resort with casino gambling by 2024 and the World Exposition in 2025. ( read original story ...)

Japan logs biggest current account surplus since 2007

TOKYO Japan attained its second-biggest current account surplus on record in 2016, Ministry of Finance data showed on Wednesday, just days before the U.S. and Japanese leaders meet for talks with trade surpluses and currency valuations expected to be high ... ( read original story ...)

Japan cool to inviting China into TPP

Japan is cool to the notion of inviting China to join a pan-Pacific trade pact abandoned by US President Donald Trump, fearing such a step would boost Beijing's clout and water down what was meant to be the 'gold standard' for rules of trade. Nor are ... ( read original story ...)

US beef, pork producers push for trade deal with Japan

Business groups representing the beef and pork industries on Tuesday urged the Trump administration to start trade negotiations with Japan. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Pork Producers Council sent a letter to President Trump ... ( read original story ...)

Japan chief questioned over Tokyo bid payment: report

TOKYO Tokyo prosecutors have questioned the president of the Japan Olympic Committee over controversial payments made to a Singaporean consulting firm during the bidding for the 2020 Summer Games, Kyodo News agency reported on Wednesday. The questioning of ... ( read original story ...)

Nikkei edges down in choppy trade; glass sector outperforms

TOKYO, Feb 8 Japan's Nikkei share average edged down in choppy trade on Wednesday morning as stocks tracked the volatile currency market, while the glass manufacturing sector outperformed on brisk earnings results. The Nikkei dropped 0.1 percent to 18,892 ... ( read original story ...)

Furniture billionaire weighs buying his way into apparel

Tokyo/Osaka: Nitori Holdings Co is considering buying an apparel ... "It's hard to imagine Nitori entering the apparel business with fashion or street wear," said Masafumi Shoda, a Tokyo-based analyst at Nomura Securities Co. "Casual home wear and ... ( read original story ...)

Japan secures Tillerson's assurance on Senkaku Islands

TOKYO -- In an early morning phone call with the top diplomat of the Donald Trump administration on Tuesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida secured an assurance that there has been no change in the U.S. commitment to defend the Senkaku Islands ... ( read original story ...)

Singapore is one of the top ten most visited cities in 2016

Five cities were also cited as Asia Pacific’s fastest growing destination cities from 2009 to 2016– Osaka, Chengdu, Colombo, Tokyo and Taipei. Osaka had the highest compound annual growth rate of 24.2%, while the rest of the cities followed at 20.1% ... ( read original story ...)