Tokyo overcomes setbacks in 2020 Games

TOKYO — With just over three years to go, sports administrators from around the world are already visiting Tokyo to check on the city's Olympic preparations for the 2020 Games. While Tokyo has had to overcome some initial setbacks, such as the delay of ... ( read original story ...)

Sapporo USA Names New President

NEW YORK, NY – SAPPORO U.S.A., brewer of premium lagers sold in the United States for more than 50 years, has named Yoshihito Kuzuhara as its President. Kuzuhara will oversee the company’s management and product operations in addition to supporting ... ( read original story ...)

Japan minister resigns over remark about 2011 tsunami

Imamura resigned over his remark that "it was good" that the March 2011 quake and tsunami had hit northern Japan instead of areas closer to Tokyo. Abe accepted Imamura's resignation. (Toshiyuki Matsumoto/Kyodo News via AP) "It was good that (the disaster ... ( read original story ...)

Japanese minister to quit over Fukushima comments

A Japanese cabinet minister is set to resign after saying it was better that the northeast of the country was hit by the 2011 earthquake and Fukushima nuclear disaster, and not Tokyo. Masahiro Imamura leads the reconstruction of the affected Tohoku region. ( read original story ...)

Asia tracks French election rally; weak yen lifts Tokyo

WALL STREET: U.S. shares were buoyed by the news from France and also strong earnings reports. The Standard & Poor's 500 index jumped 1.1 percent to 2,374.15. The Dow Jones industrial average also rose 1.1 percent, to 20,763.89. The Nasdaq composite gained ... ( read original story ...)

Japan's Nikon sues ASML, Zeiss over chip-making technology

Nikon Corp. said Monday it has taken legal action in the Netherlands, Germany and Japan over the use of semiconductor lithography technology in products made by Dutch and German companies. Nikon said it is seeking to stop Dutch company ASML Holding N.V ... ( read original story ...)

Nagoya group looks to spread jump rope ‘culture’ to the world

Japan Jump Rope Project (JJRP), a nonprofit organization based in Nagoya’s Moriyama Ward, has applied to designate July 8 as Rope Day. It has also donated jump ropes to schools overseas and to disaster-hit regions. In mid-March, the organization held the ... ( read original story ...)

Tax cut advocate Kawamura cruises to fourth term as Nagoya mayor

NAGOYA – Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura easily won re-election to a fourth term Sunday on popular support for his tax reduction policies. Kawamura, 68, who leads a local political party called Tax Cut Japan, ran against two other candidates — Masateru ... ( read original story ...)