Masaya Nakamura, the "Father of Pac-Man" who founded the Japanese video game company behind the hit creature-gobbling game, has died. He was 91. Nakamura, who died on Jan. 22, founded Namco, part of Bandai Namco, in 1955. It started out as just two ... ( read original story ...)
Bank of Japan upgrades economic outlook
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has upgraded its growth forecasts for the current fiscal year, which ends in March, and the following fiscal year by 0.4 and 0.2 per cent. The BoJ announced the new forecasts on Tuesday at the end of its two-day monthly meeting ... ( read original story ...)
Upbeat Financial Markets May Further Boost Tokyo Office Demand in 2017
Global real estate consultant CBRE expects Tokyo Grade A office rents to peak in Q3 2017 before entering a period of gradual correction. CBRE also reports companies looking to relocate have become more cautious since mid-2016 because of concerns about ... ( read original story ...)
Adult swaddling therapy fad hits Tokyo
TOKYO: Wrapped up from head to toe in a white bag and gently rocking from side to side, five Japanese mothers are hopeful Tokyo's latest health trend can cure their post-pregnancy aches and pains. According to its exponents, Otonamaki, which translates as ... ( read original story ...)
Base fare for Tokyo taxis lowered to ¥410
Hoping to drum up more business, including from overseas visitors and the elderly, base taxi fares were lowered Monday to ¥410 from ¥730 in central Tokyo and two suburban cities. The new base fare is for the first 1.052 km, while the one it replaced ... ( read original story ...)
Nintendo returns to profit on mobile gaming but weak software sales drag down outlook
OSAKA (Reuters) - Nintendo Co Ltd on Tuesday reported its first quarterly profit in a year as its nascent mobile games division started to bring in revenue, though not enough to prevent weak console software sales dragging down its annual earnings forecast ... ( read original story ...)
Sapporo drafts partnership rules for LGBT couples
SAPPORO – The Sapporo Municipal Government has unveiled draft rules for officially recognizing same-sex partnerships between gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender couples. Not only would Sapporo be the country’s first major city to set such rules, it ... ( read original story ...)
Yokohama, Japan-based companies share techno on water supply, solid waste mngt
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, January 31 -- A group of executives from Yokohama, Japan-based private companies offered to share their technological expertise on water supply, wastewater and solid waste management to the city government of Cagayan de Oro on January 31. ( read original story ...)
Nikkei falls as Trump policy worries rattle global markets
TOKYO Jan 31 Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Tuesday as uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump's policies continued to weigh on investor sentiment. The Nikkei fell 1.3 percent to 19,128.38 points in midafternoon. As widely expected, the Bank of ... ( read original story ...)
First flight to Hawaii by end-june
The flight from KL-Osaka-Hawaii would take about 14 hours ... Australia and North Asia over the years. In terms of its financial position, Benyamin said he is confident that AirAsia X would post its first ever profitability for last year after going ... ( read original story ...)
Half of Brazil’s population lack full property rights
An estimated 100 million people lack property rights, a senior Ministry of Cities official told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, highlighting the need for Brazil to bring its housing sector into the formal economy. Title deeds for millions of unregistered ... ( read original story ...)
Nikkei posts biggest daily decline since Nov, hit by Trump worries
TOKYO Jan 31 Japan's Nikkei share average posted the biggest daily decline since November on Tuesday as uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump's policies weighed on investor sentiment. The Nikkei fell 1.7 percent to 19,041.34 points, posting the ... ( read original story ...)
Embracing Winterpeg: City joins global group to promote winter
The association is a network of more than 20 cities, and its mission is to promote winter experiences and technology, says a news release issued by the association ... Rovaniemi, Finland and Sapporo, Japan. ( read original story ...)
China athletes unlikely to stay at controversy-linked Sapporo hotel
The athletes can stay at the Sapporo Prince Hotel, the other hotel within the city designated for athletes' accommodation, or other hotels outside the area, according to the organizing committee. To have fuller access to the Kyodo News website, it is ... ( read original story ...)
Nikkei falls over 1 pct as US rally falters, BOJ decision awaited
TOKYO, Jan 31 Japan's Nikkei share average fell more than 1 percent on Tuesday, tracking Wall Street lower on concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump's policies may prove destabilising for the rest of the world. Traders were also reluctant to stake out ... ( read original story ...)
Japan's central bank keeps policy intact, upgrades outlook
TOKYO - Japan's central bank has ended its first board meeting of the year with a decision to keep its lax monetary policy and negative benchmark interest rate unchanged. The Bank of Japan upgraded its forecasts for growth, though, citing signs the world's ... ( read original story ...)