Japan flooded with refugee filings by tourists and trainees

TOKYO -- A host of tourists and work trainees in Japan sought refugee status in Japan last year, fueling a jump in applications. The applicant count rose about 80% on the year to 19,629 in Ministry of Justice statistics released Friday -- a record high in ... ( read original story ...)

Japan Inc. scrambles to find female executives

Even so, there is a long way to go. Only 20.2% of publicly traded companies in Japan have at least one female board member, according to data compiled by Nikkei and group service QUICK FactSet, placing the country 49th in a ranking of 54. Norway's ... ( read original story ...)

Used Louis Vuitton bags propel pawn-shop startup to IPO

Shares of SOU opened for trading in Tokyo Thursday at 4,100 yen a share, 24 percent higher than the IPO price of 3,300 yen. Japan’s resale market for luxury brand goods is worth almost 200 billion yen, according to a government report. Yahoo Japan Corp ... ( read original story ...)

Used Louis Vuitton Bags Push Japan Pawn-Shop Startup to IPO

Shares of SOU opened for trading in Tokyo Thursday at 4,100 yen a share, 24 percent higher than the IPO price of 3,300 yen. Japan’s resale market for luxury brand goods is worth almost 200 billion yen, according to a government report. Yahoo Japan Corp ... ( read original story ...)

‘Made in Japan’ takes a bruising from recent scandals

Recent scandals have dealt a serious blow to Japan's reputation for quality. Repairing that reputation will take not only cooperation between management and workers, but also a new way of thinking about quality among both companies and customers. ( read original story ...)

Antitrust watchdog investigates Amazon Japan

The regulator intends to clarify the details of the payment procedures. Amazon Japan said it is "fully cooperating" with the investigation. In February, Nikkei reported that Amazon Japan was seeking payments from its suppliers to cover the cost of sales ... ( read original story ...)

Nikkei rises in choppy trade; pension fund buying seen

TOKYO, March 22 (Reuters) - Japan’s Nikkei share average rose on Thursday morning in choppy trade despite the yen’s rise, with traders seeing pension funds and retail investors scooping up recently battered stocks with attractive valuations. ( read original story ...)

Japan gets its way at G20 on warning against recent market rout

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Japan’s calls to add a warning against recent market volatility were reflected in the G20 finance leaders’ communique, its vice finance minister said in a sign of Tokyo’s concern over the risk of another yen spike that could ... ( read original story ...)

WeWork puts in overtime to expand Japanese operations

"We are examining opportunities in other large cities in Japan, including Osaka, Yokohama and Fukuoka," said Takahashi in an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review. Unlike other parts of Asia where the rising numbers of startups and entrepreneurs are ... ( read original story ...)