BRIEF-Hanatour Japan announces IPO on TSE Mothers on Dec. 15

* Says its stock will begin trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) Mothers on Dec. 15, 2017, under the symbol “6561” * In its initial public offering, the company will offer a total of 2,550,000 common shares, comprised of newly issued 1,000,000 ... ( read original story ...)

Japan’s GDP growth seen speeding to 1.6% for fiscal 2017

The Nikkei Stock Average leapt into the 23,000 range at one point last Thursday. Profit-taking set in thereafter, but the index still sits about 8% above its score of 20,356 at September's end. The five mainstay Japanese department stores each reported ... ( read original story ...)

Is Japan’s stock market rally for real?

But for the last quarter century, the legendary French investor has wisely avoided making a bold call on Japan, choosing instead to sit out each of the five short-lived rallies that the Nikkei 225 index has staged since the investment bubble burst in the ... ( read original story ...)

Tokyo’s Biggest Taxi Firm Takes on Uber

Nov.14 -- Tokyo's biggest taxi service is revamping its business as it looks to prevent Uber from gaining ground in Japan. Bloomberg's Reed Stevenson reports on "Bloomberg Markets: Asia." ( read original story ...)

Japan Inc. headed for first sales growth in 3 years

TOKYO -- Japanese companies expect to achieve an annual sales increase ... to rise 6% for 1,580 companies that announced interim fiscal 2017 results by Tuesday, a Nikkei compilation found. Manufacturers are selling more products amid global economic ... ( read original story ...)

Al Gore faults Japan for subsidizing coal

"Japan should consider reassessing its role as the No. 1 contributor ... of carbon-based fuels [and] to encourage speedier adoptions of the new technologies." Nikkei staff writer Mitsuru Obe contributed to this story. ( read original story ...)

Japan’s banks look southeast

Japan's manufacturing industries have been enjoying record profits thanks to a combination of stringent cost controls, growth in global trade and a weakening yen. Yet, the banking industry remains under a cloud, with the latest round of interim results ... ( read original story ...)

Japanese caviar — $105 for 20 grams

TOKYO -- A new batch of Japanese farmers wants to make the country famous for caviar. These farmers are raising sturgeons -- one of the oldest families of fish on the planet and among the world's most threatened group of animals. Sturgeons native to the ... ( read original story ...)

Uber hails multibillion investment from Softbank, eyes IPO

Uber Technologies is hailing a multibillion-dollar investment from Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank and eyeing its next step: an IPO before 2019. Uber Technologies Inc. confirmed the investment in a statement Sunday without giving details. ( read original story ...)