Japan's milk crisis destined to linger

TOKYO/SAPPORO, Japan -- Japan's dairy industry is in crisis mode as the country's top milk producing area falls behind in raw milk production. Slammed by destructive typhoons last summer and facing fundamental challenges, dairy farms in Japan's large ... ( read original story ...)

L.L. Bean's newest Bootmobile is kicking it in Japan

The four-wheeled tribute to the Maine-based retailer's iconic boot is rolling across land of the rising sun, visiting L.L. Bean's 25 stores in Japan. The first Bootmobile was created to coincide with the retailer's 100th anniversary, and its popularity is ... ( read original story ...)

Japan's Cabinet Moves To Allow Emperor To Abdicate

Imperial law is strict: Succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne must be posthumous and only males are eligible, as Kyodo News reports. The Japanese public overwhelmingly supports allowing emperors to retire, according to Kyodo, but conservative supporters ... ( read original story ...)

Japan coastguard resumes drills as tensions rise

Japan flexed its military muscle on Saturday, as regional tensions multiply. The Japanese coastguard resumed annual drills in Tokyo Bay, after a five year pause. A mock rescue scenario was staged just days after a very real flare-up with regional rival ... ( read original story ...)

Japan scrambles jets after China allegedly flies drone

Tokyo (AFP) - Japan said Friday it scrambled fighter jets after a Chinese vessel sailing in disputed waters launched a drone, the latest bout of tension in a longstanding territorial row. The two countries are at odds over a group of small uninhabited ... ( read original story ...)

Gamba Osaka beats Sagan Tosu 3-0 to take J-League lead

TOKYO - Gamba Osaka beat Sagan Tosu 3-0 Saturday to reclaim first place in the J-League. Shun Nagasawa scored two goals and Shu Kurata added a third as Gamba improved to 25 points, one ahead of Kashiwa Reysol, which beat Jubilo Iwata 2-0. Cristiano scored ... ( read original story ...)

Bringing Japanese-style online trading to Malaysia

The Japanese version of the mobile app has over 1.5 million downloads. The online brokerage business in Japan began in 1999 following the full deregulation of stock brokerage commission rates. Rakuten Securities Inc president Yuji Kusunoki said this was ... ( read original story ...)

Japan Inc. overcomes falling revenue to log record profit

Itochu, for example, showed a 47% jump in net profit, driven largely by its improved food business. Japan's five largest traders saw net results improve by 1.28 trillion yen. Communications companies also performed well, thanks to swelling revenue from ... ( read original story ...)

Japan in longest economic expansion in a decade

But analysts warned that the nation's long battle to conquer deflation was far from over. Japan's economy grew by 0.5 percent quarter on quarter in the first three months of the year, fresh statistical data showed Thursday, marking the fifth straight ... ( read original story ...)

8 things to do in Sapporo for an all-round Japan trip

Sapporo is the largest city of Hokkaido. But due to its accessibility and location, it’s also commonly thought of as simply a stopover city, rather than a destination for the many tourists who fly into New Chitose airport in Sapporo. With the many ... ( read original story ...)

Japan's economy grows faster than expected

Japan's economy grew faster than expected in the first three months of the year, according to official data. The economy grew 0.5% in the quarter, while the annualised rate of growth was 2.2% - the fastest rate for a year. The figures means Japan has now ... ( read original story ...)