Shipping of such goods as metals, crude oil and cars will be the main business of the three major Japanese ocean freight companies after the containership spinoff. But the outlook for these areas is dimming. Nippon Yusen and Kawasaki Kisen forecast pretax ... ( read original story ...)
Japan-South Korea frictions may throw wrench into talks
TOKYO -- Some in the Japanese government are concerned that long-standing issues with South Korea will hamper progress at a three-way summit including China later this year. The Tokyo meeting will mark South Korean President Park Geun-hye's first visit to ... ( read original story ...)
Nikkei drops as US election uncertainty sours mood, shippers jump
while Japan’s three major shippers jumped after news that they will merge their container shipping businesses. The Nikkei fell 0.5 percent to 17,353.04 by midmorning, after ending at a six-month high on Friday. US shares fell and the dollar dropped on ... ( read original story ...)
Is Nikkei Ready To Rise Again?
After successful tests of its broken multi-decade downtrend, Japan’s Nikkei 225 has a chance to commence a new up leg... We’ve been pointing out the thinning nature of the stock market rally of late. In fact, as recently as yesterday we noted that just ... ( read original story ...)
Bank of Japan Trims Inflation Forecasts
TOKYO—The Bank of Japan revised down its inflation forecasts Tuesday following a raft of poor data, but held off expanding stimulus in a sign that Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda has set the bar much higher for taking action. At the end of a two-day meeting, the ... ( read original story ...)
Nintendo cuts profit outlook as yen strength offsets Pokemon
said that earnings from affiliates in the most recent financial quarter totaled 12 billion yen, most of which came from Pokemon-related businesses. "Pokemon GO got a bigger reception than we had expected," Kimishima said at a news briefing in Osaka after ... ( read original story ...)
Asia markets set to drop at open; ASX opens down, BOJ, RBA eyed
Nikkei (Nihon Keizai Shinbun: .N225) futures in Chicago traded 0.09 percent lower at 17,405, and Osaka futures slipped 0.29 percent to 17,390. The Japanese benchmark index last finished at 17,425.02. In China, the official and Caixin manufacturing ... ( read original story ...)
Shocking blog post forces debate on the financial drain of dialysis in Japan
Last month Yutaka Hasegawa, the freelance announcer who hosted the TV Osaka program “News Real Friday,” caused a stir with a personal blog post criticizing people who receive dialysis treatments. The regular theme of Hasegawa’s blog is how certain ... ( read original story ...)
MGM Resorts ready to bet up to $10 billion on Japan casino, possibly via REIT
A resort in Tokyo, Osaka or Yokohama could be built by 2022-23, Murren said, speaking to Reuters after a closed-door discussion with Japanese and international businesses on casino resorts. Beverage maker Suntory Holdings Ltd Chief Executive Takeshi ... ( read original story ...)
Japan’s JPX Sees October 2016 Trading Volumes Tick Lower
Japan Exchange Group (JPX), which operates multiple securities exchanges including Tokyo Stock Exchange and Osaka Securities Exchange, has reported its monthly trading volumes for October 2016, which took a step back, ultimately paring the last month ... ( read original story ...)
Nintendo cuts profit forecast as strong yen overwhelms Pokemon
OSAKA, Japan (Reuters) - Japanese videogames maker Nintendo Co cut its annual profit outlook by a third on Wednesday as a strong yen erodes income earned overseas and overwhelms an earnings bounce from its surprise hit smartphone game Pokemon GO. But the ... ( read original story ...)
Sharp Forecasts First Profit in Three Years After Slashing Costs
Operating profit will reach 25.7 billion yen ($245 million) in the 12 months ending March 2017, the Osaka-based company said in a statement on Tuesday. That compares with a 12.9 billion yen average of 10 analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. ( read original story ...)
Japanese Santur Player Returns Home From Iran With a Mission
For this purpose, Iwasaki, 27, is aiming at santur solo performance. He stayed in Iran for four years to expand what he had initially learnt of santur at Osaka College of Music. Before Iwasaki left Iran for Japan, ISNA conducted an interview (published on ... ( read original story ...)
Japan’s Negative Rates Prod Megabanks to Offshore Wind Loans
“Lending for overseas projects will continue so long as there’s no weakening of policies” to support clean energy, said Megumu Murakami, who studies climate change finance for the Japan Research Institute, a unit of Sumitomo Mitsui. “The banks have ... ( read original story ...)
Bank of Japan delays inflation timeline again
Japan's central bank on Tuesday pushed back its timeline for reaching a high-profile inflation target, in the latest acknowledgement that Tokyo's war on deflation is falling way below expectations. After a policy meeting, the Bank of Japan said it now ... ( read original story ...)
Japan factory output, retail sales flat in September
Japan's factory output and retail sales were flat last month, data showed on Monday, painting a bleak picture for the world's number three economy as the central bank kicks off a policy meeting. The lukewarm readings come on the heels of disappointing ... ( read original story ...)