TOKYO (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan’s decision to drop a timeframe for hitting its inflation target shows it is losing confidence in its price outlook and could mean it puts off exiting easy policy for years to come, a former central bank executive said. ( read original story ...)
Tokyo stocks end flat in midst of corporate results season
Tokyo stocks closed flat Monday in sluggish trading as investors ... SoftBank Group was down 0.34 percent at 8,461 yen after the Financial Times reported that negotiations for the Japanese group to obtain an equity share in reinsurance firm Swiss Re ... ( read original story ...)
Passengers riding for free during bus strike in Japan
So they're showing up, ready to drive. They're just not not doing the part of the job that requires them to accept payment during certain terms, Japan Today reported. According to the news outlet, readers were somewhat divided over the strike, wondering if ... ( read original story ...)
Nikkei drops on firmer yen; financials slip on falling U.S. yields
TOKYO, May 7 (Reuters) - Japan’s Nikkei share average dropped on Monday morning in choppy trade as investors returning from Golden Week holidays worried that the stronger yen could impact companies earnings estimates, while financials weakened on falling ... ( read original story ...)
Japan bus drivers: Strikes with a difference
But Japan News website says the free rides are helping the company preserve its relationship with the passengers in the face of competition. Here we look at some more unusual strikes through the ages. The withholding of sexual favours has often been ... ( read original story ...)
Light earthquake: M4.2 quake has struck near Ushiku in Japan
A light earthquake with magnitude 4.2 (ml/mb) was reported 4 kilometers (2 miles) from Ushiku in Japan on Saturday. The epicenter of the earthquake was roughly 74.78 km (46 miles) below the earth’s surface. Unique identifier: us1000dz7l. Ids that are ... ( read original story ...)
Review: JAL Sakura Lounge, Tokyo NRT
There's also a business center, which was quite empty ... Drinks included beer, juice, spirits and wine. The JAL Sakura Lounge in Tokyo Narita's Main Terminal is large, with many different seating areas. That's a good thing, since even with all the ... ( read original story ...)
Cryptocurrency exchanges step away from Japan and Hong Kong
Kraken, a San Francisco-based exchange, in April announced that it will stop offering its services to residents of Japan. The exchange will cease accepting deposits from the country, one of the biggest markets for digital coin trading, around the middle of ... ( read original story ...)
Japan juices efforts for new electric-vehicle battery
TOKYO -- Leading Japanese manufacturers have teamed up with the government in a program to develop solid-state batteries, which are expected to power the electric vehicles of the future. Kicking off in May, the program teams the Consortium for Lithium Ion ... ( read original story ...)
Why the Bank of Japan could still shock markets
As a political noose tightens around Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s premiership in Tokyo, investors are buzzing about something else tightening – Japanese monetary policy. No, not because the Bank of Japan is getting closer to 2 per cent ... ( read original story ...)
Hawaiians on Big Island under threat of lava, earthquakes and ‘lethal’ gas
Earthquakes Hawaii has been rattled by more than 1,000 earthquakes ... Officials are continuing to monitor the situation, hoping to avoid a repeat of the 2011 tsunami, which devastated Japan before striking Hawaii and reaching California. ( read original story ...)
Japan fleshes out crypto market rules to prevent Coincheck 2.0
TOKYO -- Japan's Financial Services Agency is imposing stricter review ... aiming to forestall another digital currency heist like the Coincheck scandal that grabbed headlines in January, Nikkei has learned. "We need to introduce a new perspective in ... ( read original story ...)
Palais de Tokyo: Paris gallery opens its doors to nudists
The Palais de Tokyo, a contemporary art museum in the exclusive 16th arrondissement ... the director of communications for the Paris Nudist Association, told Reuters news agency. "Nudists are overcoming barriers, taboos, or mentalities that were obstructive." ( read original story ...)
Place your bets: Local governments in Japan weigh the benefits of applying for a casino license
The mood at the first ever Kansai integrated resort showcase was one of relief and hope as hundreds of attendees, including international casino operators, the Osaka governor and mayor, and senior business leaders in industries ranging from construction ... ( read original story ...)
Japan bullfighting: Women allowed into ‘pure’ ring after ban lifted
A woman has been allowed to enter a Japanese traditional bullfighting ring for the first time after a ban was lifted in a bid to modernise the sport. Yuki Araki accompanied her animal on the opening day of the season in Hokkaido island's Yamakoshi district. ( read original story ...)
Japan, China, South Korea to urge complete denuclearization of North Korea
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The leaders of Japan, China and South Korea plan to issue a joint document next week focused on trilateral cooperation for the denuclearization of North Korea in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" way, Japanese government sources ... ( read original story ...)