London Breed, who became San Francisco’s acting mayor, held a news conference Tuesday, but did not touch on how she would deal with the issue. While Yoshimura formally announced his decision to scrap Osaka’s sister city relationship to city leaders ... ( read original story ...)
Japan Investigates Wrongdoing on $79 Billion Maglev Project
Scheduled to open its first leg in 2027, the maglev line will link Japan’s two biggest cities of Tokyo and Osaka upon completion in 2045. As part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push to export infrastructure technology, the government said last year ... ( read original story ...)
Japan Earthquake & Tsunami
Japan was hit by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on March 11, 2011. The magnitude 9.0 quake spawned a deadly tsunami that slammed into the small island nation, leaving a huge swath of devastation in its wake. Thousands of people are dead and ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo police: Suspects in slaying at shrine rented property overlooking crime scene beforehand
TOKYO (TR) – Investigative sources with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police believe that a man who used a sword to fatally stab his sister, the chief priestess at a shrine in Koto Ward, rented a nearby apartment beforehand to track her movements, reports ... ( read original story ...)
This woman ditched Japan’s stodgy salaryman culture for being an entrepreneur in Kochi
Mami and her husband Davis are the force behind the brand new business hotel Nikko at K.P. Vallon Road. Mami is from Kumamoto, the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. The city is 200 kilometers from Nagasaki where America ... ( read original story ...)
Japan’s SG Holdings debuts on Tokyo market in largest IPO of year
TOKYO -- SG Holdings, owner of Japan's second-largest parcel delivery company, Sagawa Express, made its debut on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's first section Wednesday, opening at 1,900 yen, 17% above its offering price of 1,620 yen. The opening price valued ... ( read original story ...)
US helicopter part crashes on Japanese school in Okinawa
These are external links and will open in a new window Part of a US helicopter has crashed on a school in Okinawa, Japan, renewing tensions with the local population. The window dropped on the school grounds, slightly injuring one boy, news agency Kyodo said. ( read original story ...)
Japanese kanji of the year is ‘north’ – thanks to Kim Jong-un
Earlier this year some supermarket shelves were emptied of packets of crisps due to a potato shortage in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. Hokkaido again made the news earlier this month when Shohei Ohtani, who played for the local baseball team ... ( read original story ...)
Japan ending tax tied to ditching of acquired shell companies
TOKYO -- Japan looks to remove the tax liability often faced by businesses that eliminate shell companies inherited in foreign acquisitions, a change that would encourage strong and simple corporate structures while limiting the potential for tax avoidance. ( read original story ...)
Luxury brands lifting prices in Japan amid brisk demand
Tax-free shoppers increased 56% on the year to around 380,000 in October, according to the Japan Department Stores Association. The Nikkei Stock Average has reached its highest in 26 years, fueling hopes for consumption. "People tend to loosen their purse ... ( read original story ...)
Bank of Japan normalisation: too soon to consider?
Most forecasters thought they could dismiss the Bank of Japan from their 2018 lists of central banks to watch. Amid talk of a retreat from quantitative easing, the BoJ looked nailed on to maintain its “yield curve control” policy, putting off the idea ... ( read original story ...)
Two decades after Japan’s financial crisis
Behind the streamlining plans by the major banks is the sector’s difficult business climate. The ultra-low interest rates under the Bank of Japan’s unprecedented monetary easing policy have reduced the lending margin on bank loans, which is not ... ( read original story ...)
Can the Metro do a Tokyo for Hyderabad?
Serving about 7 million passengers per day in the world’s most populous urban conglomeration, Tokyo Metro stands out for a seamless transport network spanning 195 km with nine lines. During a recent visit to Japan, I experienced the top quality ... ( read original story ...)
Japan to offer ride sharing as way to explore far-flung areas
TOKYO -- The government here will let people use personal cars to ferry tourists and other passengers for pay in a strategic special zone in western Japan, aiming to gauge the benefits of ride sharing in hopes that it will help sightseers venture outside ... ( read original story ...)
Japanese Internet exchange provider boosts interconnect service capacity with Coriant Groove solution
The Tokyo and Osaka network deployments include programmable 200G coherent optical transmission between multiple data center sites. The award-winning Coriant Grooveâ„¢ G30 is an innovative 1RU modular open transport solution for cloud, data center ... ( read original story ...)
Japan carmakers make fresh push on hydrogen stations
A consortium of Japanese auto giants on Tuesday announced plans to set up a new company next year to build more hydrogen refuelling stations, in an effort to bring fuel-cell cars into the mainstream. There are currently 2,200 fuel-cell cars in Japan with ... ( read original story ...)