Japan’s Export Recovery Stretches to 12th Month in November

Shipments to China surge by 25 percent from a year earlier Rise in volume of 5.5 percent confirms strong global demand Japan’s exports grew for a 12th straight month in November, topping economists’ expectations, as external demand continued to fuel ... ( read original story ...)

Work reform spells bigger profits for Japan Inc., survey finds

TOKYO -- Japanese companies that succeed in creating vibrant and diverse work environments also boost their chances of realizing record earnings, with innovation and high productivity likely driving their growth, a Nikkei Inc. study shows. The Nikkei Smart ... ( read original story ...)

Japan Tiptoes Out of Radical Experiment in Monetary Policy

TOKYO—Japan’s central bank has been the world’s poster child for radical monetary easing. Next year, its stance is poised to change. After pumping about $4 trillion into the financial system over Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda’s nearly five years on the job ... ( read original story ...)

Japanese pension fund shouldering costs of BOJ’s negative rate

TOKYO -- Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund has decided to pay the interest on deposits mandated by the Bank of Japan's negative rate policy, taking the weight off an overextended intermediary bank. As the world's biggest pension fund, the GPIF ... ( read original story ...)

Mori Building chief serious about creating a better Tokyo

Making Tokyo a more attractive and competitive metropolis sounds more like a policy than a business strategy. But it makes total sense to Mori Building Co., and it’s something the Tokyo-based urban developer takes seriously. “Competition among global ... ( read original story ...)

At a wartime memorial, a push for China-Japan reconciliation

China is committed to improving ties with Japan by “taking history as a mirror and looking forward to the future,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told NBC News when asked about the significance of the Nanjing event. Others argued ... ( read original story ...)

Why cautious parents help drive Japan’s stock market

On Wednesday, after holding out for 52 years as a private company, the parent of Japan’s second-largest parcel delivery company, Sagawa, took the plunge and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It was the biggest IPO of 2017, the shares began a 33 per ... ( read original story ...)

Japan opens first drive-through funeral service

The Aishoden funeral parlor in the central Japanese city of Ueda will begin offering the novel service to time-pressed and less mobile mourners from Sunday, the Kyodo news agency reported. Grieving relatives can pull up beside the facility's drive-through ... ( read original story ...)

EU sees data transfer deal with Japan early next year

... the EU executive was committed to adopting a decision declaring Japan’s data protection framework “adequate” early next year. “An adequacy decision would be great news for business as it would allow for the transfer of personal data from the ... ( read original story ...)

Baseball star Ohtani hits financial home run for NH Foods

OSAKA -- Japanese meat processor NH Foods expects to add $20 million to its group performance this fiscal year after a Major League Baseball team signed two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani away from the company's ballclub in Sapporo. Ohtani, who played for the ... ( read original story ...)