The nuclear bomb didn’t beat Japan — Stalin did

Aerial view of the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. US Department of Energy The U.S. use of nuclear weapons against Japan during World War II has long been a subject of emotional debate. Initially, few questioned President Truman’s decision to ... ( read original story ...)

Japan’s hotel room crunch might be a glut

And most of the rooms that will be added over the next few years are expected to be in business hotels. Japan's APA Group, for example, plans to open 47 hotels with a combined 14,500 rooms through 2020. In Tokyo, many hotels are suffering stagnant ... ( read original story ...)

Umbilical: Linking friends with fine food and wine

Tokyo is a tough place to open any business, especially your first restaurant. Along with kitchen skills and front-of-house nous, you need the right location, good connections and a strong underlying raison d’etre. A catchy name and some funky background ... ( read original story ...)

Toyota, Mazda plant in U.S. may bring 4,000 jobs

Toyoda denied that Trump’s views influenced his decision. “We have been reviewing the best production strategy for our business,” he told reporters at a Tokyo hotel, after shaking hands with Mazda President Masamichi Kogai. Trump welcomed the announc ... ( read original story ...)

Canon Electronics-led team hopes to develop low-cost rocket

TOKYO -- Canon Electronics is leading a venture that will work ... The three other parties will have stakes of 10%. The business is not expected to get underway until at least the end of fiscal 2017. When it does begin operating, it will try to meet ... ( read original story ...)

Panda-themed Adventure World express debuts in Osaka

OSAKA – A Kuroshio limited express train led by a car with a panda face debuted Saturday in Osaka to lure tourists to Adventure World, the giant wildlife theme park in Wakayama Prefecture where the popular animals are on show. “I’m about to board the ... ( read original story ...)

Japan’s Glico tripling ice cream production in Thailand

OSAKA -- Japanese snack maker Ezaki Glico plans to triple ice cream output in Thailand to between 2 billion yen and 3 billion yen ($18 million and $27 million) worth of the sweet stuff by 2020. The Osaka-based confectioner at its own expense recently ... ( read original story ...)

Toyota, Mazda plan $1.6 billion US plant, to partner in EVs

Toyoda denied that Trump's views influenced his decision. "We have been reviewing the best production strategy for our business," he told reporters at a Tokyo hotel, after shaking hands with Mazda's president. Trump welcomed the announcement in a Tweet ... ( read original story ...)

Toyota, Mazda plan US$1.6 billion plant, to partner in EVs

TOKYO -- Japanese automakers Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. plan to spend $1.6 billion to jointly build auto manufacturing plant in the U.S. -- a move that will create up to 4,000 jobs, both sides said Friday. The plant will have an annual ... ( read original story ...)