Top Tokyo, Osaka hotels see occupancy rates slip

Osaka hotels tend to rely more on holiday guests than their Tokyo counterparts. Though these overall occupancy rates remained high at more than 80%, the hotels faced a challenge from the sharp increase in the supply of rooms as business hotel construction ... ( read original story ...)

Japan's thoroughly modern MBA monk

TOKYO -- Japan's striking combination of the ancient and modern may be an obvious cliche to old hands. But, to the visitor, its essential truth is undeniable. As one walks around Tokyo, the two most ubiquitous structures are convenience stores and shrines. ( read original story ...)

Chinese delegation arrives in Sapporo for Asian Winter Games

SAPPORO, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese delegation to the Asian Winter Games, spearheaded by the short track speed-skating team, arrived in Sapporo on Friday at the New Chitose Airport. China sent a 236-strong delegation to the 8th Asian Winter Games ... ( read original story ...)

Canada Goose: Maker of $1,000 parkas files for IPO

Up next: Selling investors on an IPO. The family-run firm announced on Wednesday that ... It sells in 35 other countries and has gained a strong following in the U.K., France, Japan and Korea. It's planning further expansion in markets including Germany ... ( read original story ...)

Billion-dollar bear aids Japan quake zone

A chubby black bear is helping reconstruction efforts in an earthquake-affected region of Japan by earning a record amount through the sales of associated products. Items featuring Kumamon, the red-cheeked mascot of southern Kumamoto Prefecture ... ( read original story ...)

Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals to be made of garbage

TOKYO’S started collecting electronic waste to help produce the gold, silver and bronze medals needed for the 2020 Olympics. Tokyo authorities are accepting nine types of small digital devices, including smartphones, digital cameras and portable music ... ( read original story ...)

Tokyo launches mobiles-to-medals recycling campaign

TOKYO: Members of the Japanese public lined up to donate unwanted mobile phones that will be recycled into medals for the 2020 Olympic Games, as a project aimed at promoting sustainability was launched on Thursday. The campaign kicked off at Tokyo's ... ( read original story ...)

Olympics – Tokyo launches mobiles-to-medals recycling campaign

The campaign kicked off at Tokyo's Metropolitan Government building where more than 100 people dropped the used handsets into a box that displayed the number of donations. "I came today because I thought it's great that my old mobile phones will become ... ( read original story ...)

Tokyo stocks turn lower on yen’s rise

Stocks fell back on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Thursday ... Airline ANA met with selling after announcing a plan to hold a news conference later on Thursday over an important management issue, which later turned out to be a change of its president. ( read original story ...)

Japan dreams

MANILA/TOKYO Beside a table with a teapot, teacups and chopsticks, Rovie Ebanculla vacuums a tatami mat while another female colleague cleans a high-tech toilet, the kind that can be found in many Japanese homes. The women are in the Philippines ... ( read original story ...)