Japan trade surges in July on strong demand in China, US

Japan's exports and imports rose at a fast clip in July, reflecting a recovery in demand in China, Southeast Asia and the U.S., though export prices rose faster than volumes for many products. Exports rose more than 13 percent from a year earlier to 6.5 ... ( read original story ...)

Britain’s May to lead business delegation to Japan

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Japan this month for talks with her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe to discuss Brexit, trade and defense, her office said on Tuesday. May will lead a business delegation drawn from a range of ... ( read original story ...)

Japan July exports rise 13.4 percent year-on-year: MOF

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's exports rose 13.4 percent in July from a year earlier, Ministry of Finance data showed on Thursday, in a sign external demand rebounded from a lull in the previous quarter to underpin a steady economic recovery. The result ... ( read original story ...)

Warning from history: Could Japan-style crash hit China?

Sizzling property prices, a groaning debt load, wealthy tourists and tycoons willing to slap down eye-popping sums for art: China is starting to look like Japan before its economic bubble burst in the early 90s. The similarities are not lost on Beijing ... ( read original story ...)

Nikkei ends flat, NAFTA renegotiations dampen automakers

TOKYO, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average was nearly flat on Wednesday with the previous day's rally running out of steam as the yen's weakening slowed, while Japan Airlines bucked the trend helped by a brokerage's bullish view. The Nikkei ... ( read original story ...)

SoftBank emerges as new IPO for tech cos

The Japanese internet group's frenetic deal-making pace over the past few months, along with its big secondary purchases in internet companies, have made it the new IPO for many hugely funded tech startups and provided partial cash exits to their early ... ( read original story ...)

Changing tastes brew bitter times for Japan’s beer makers

TOKYO — From beer gardens on the rooftops of department stores to fireworks extravaganzas to quiet, wood-paneled craft breweries, Japanese seem to quaff an awful lot of beer in the summer. But beer consumption has been tanking for five years straight in ... ( read original story ...)

Labor-short Japan more at home with automation than US

Nary a soul is in sight in this picture-perfect image of Japanese automation. The machines do all the heavy lifting at this plant run by Asahi Breweries, Japan's top brewer. The human job is to make sure the machines do the work right, and to check on the ... ( read original story ...)

Will Japan’s haven status hold up amid North Korean tensions?

“At the time of [Japan’s] earthquake [and subsequent tsunami] in 2011, the yen rallied against almost everything else. This kind of repatriation is typical, so there’s a precedent here despite the geographical closeness [to North Korea] and the fact ... ( read original story ...)

Japan taps B.C. alumni networks to strengthen business ties

The popularity of a program recruiting B.C. university graduates to work in Japan as temporary English teachers is rebounding – something officials hope will translate to a larger alumni network that aids Tokyo’s development of business ties with ... ( read original story ...)

U.S. veteran returns dead Japanese soldier’s flag

HIGASHISHIRAKAWA, Japan -- Tatsuya Yasue buried his face into the flag and smelled it. Then he held the 93-year-old hands that brought this treasure home, and kissed them. Marvin Strombo, who had taken the calligraphy-covered Japanese flag from a dead ... ( read original story ...)