Japan maglev project marred by bid-rigging arrests

TOKYO -- Japan's big four contractors are accused of bid-rigging for a planned magnetic levitation train line in an apparent effort to protect earnings amid pressure to cut costs. The companies are accused of agreeing in advance on their price estimates ... ( read original story ...)

India Inc eyes long Samurai loans from yield-hungry Japan banks

“Only the large Japanese banks may have an appetite for these longer-tenor loans,” said Manmohan Singh, head of banking at the Indian unit of Bank of Nova Scotia. The market also isn’t open to everybody, according to Singh. “Japanese lenders are ... ( read original story ...)

Japan to ready AI translation assistance for Olympic visitors

TOKYO -- Japan hopes to see foreign visitors navigating the capital seamlessly during the 2020 Olympics with the help of small translation devices shaped like a nametag or earphone. To make that vision a reality, a tech institute under the communications ... ( read original story ...)

Airbnb CEO says ‘home sharing is here to stay’ in Japan

and this is basically saying home sharing is here to stay," the co-founder of the world's biggest home-sharing marketplace told The Nikkei in a recent interview. "I think this is going to be incredibly important for the Japanese economy," he added ... ( read original story ...)

Enjoy Japan’s IPO boom while it lasts as glut looms for March

QB House is a bargain-basement coiffeur that has made its fortune cutting (mostly) salarymen’s hair in under 10 minutes. Whether that business model thrills or not, there is a decent chance that when it lists on the Tokyo Exchange next month the humble ... ( read original story ...)

Japanese megabanks team up on mobile payments

TOKYO -- Japan's three megabanks are working together to standardize a smartphone payment system using QR codes, aiming to promote cashless transactions already widespread in China and elsewhere. Development costs are estimated to reach into the billions ... ( read original story ...)

Japan’s Finance Watchdog Eyeing ICO Regulation, Says Report

Japan's financial regulator is mulling the creation of a regulatory framework for companies raising funds through initial coin offerings, a report indicates. According to Sankei Shimbun, the Financial Service Agency is considering the revision of relevant ... ( read original story ...)