Bank of Japan Tapers (Quietly), QE Party Over

No flashy announcement, to avoid alarming the markets. After years of blistering asset purchases, the Bank of Japan disclosed today that it held a total of ¥521.6 trillion in assets as of November 30, including Japanese Government Bonds (JGBs), gold ... ( read original story ...)

Tokyo Financial Exchange Takes First Step Toward Bitcoin Futures

One of Japan’s leading financial exchanges is starting preparations to launch bitcoin derivatives, echoing U.S. rivals that plan to list contracts tracking the cryptocurrency as soon as this month. Tokyo Financial Exchange Inc., which counts JPMorgan ... ( read original story ...)

Sagawa Express parent to be Japan’s largest IPO this year

TOKYO -- SG Holdings announced an offering price of 1,620 yen ... The offering will not be used to raise capital through newly issued shares. "The IPO is meant to help acquire first-class talent as we look toward expanding Asian operations," said Tadashi ... ( read original story ...)

Japan boosting missile defense to face North Korean threat

TOKYO -- Japan will overhaul its missile intercept command system starting in fiscal 2018 to cope with advancements in North Korea's weapons technology, such as faster-descending missiles launched at a steeper trajectory. The Japan Aerospace Defense Ground ... ( read original story ...)

Japan oil majors on track to beat profit forecasts

Japan's largest oil major, JXTG Holdings ... Idemitsu advanced as high as 3,965 yen, nearing its year-to-date high set in March. The Nikkei subindex for oil also reached its highest level in roughly 10 years. Analyst projections are also increasingly ... ( read original story ...)

Nikkei edges lower after weakness in large cap stocks weigh

Japan's Nikkei share average edged lower on Monday morning with weakness in large-cap stocks such as Fanuc and SoftBank taking a toll, offsetting gains in retail stocks which rose on strong monthly sales. The Nikkei dropped 0.2 per cent, or 49.39 points ... ( read original story ...)

Japan bank sets up ecozones in Marawi to help small biz

THE Department of Finance (DOF) said the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC) has expressed its willingness to support the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City by setting up economic zones (ecozones) that will help support small businesses in the area. ( read original story ...)

Japan Investors Shy Away From Aussie as Yield Spread Shrinks

according to the Investment Trust Funds Association of Japan. The Aussie has weakened against all except one of its Group-of-10 counterparts in the past month as slowing growth pushes back expectations for when the Reserve Bank of Australia will raise ... ( read original story ...)

Japan may cut corporate tax rate to 20% through incentives

TOKYO -- The Japanese government is considering rewarding businesses that increase wages and invest in productivity growth by offering tax breaks that could lower their effective tax rates to as low as 20% or so. A draft proposal for the tax breaks states ... ( read original story ...)

Kuroda Gives Japan’s Long-Suffering Bond Traders 2018 Hope

That’s why a couple of throwaway lines from Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda in a Zurich speech last month has brought some cheer to Japanese government bond market players keen to close the books on 2017. It’s poised to become the first full ... ( read original story ...)

Japan’s corporate cash hoarders crack open the safe

Cosmetics brand Shiseido in October unveiled plans to construct a new factory in Japan, the first time the company is building such a facility on its own turf in 36 years. According to a survey conducted by The Nikkei, total capital spending by Japanese ... ( read original story ...)