News On Japan

Capital investment by Japanese companies inched up between April and June, after shrinking for 2 quarters in a row. (NHK)

Japanese banks are offering new services to attract housing loan borrowers. They're trying to capitalize on rising demand for housing ahead of a planned consumption tax hike next April. (NHK)

Companies in Japan and overseas are accelerating their development of "wearable technology"-items such as wristwatches and eyeglasses with data processing capabilities. (Yomiuri)

Japanese cosmetics maker Kanebo says more than 8,600 customers developed skin problems after using its whitening products. (NHK)

High radiation levels are spreading at the ruined Fukushima nuclear plant, its operator said on Monday, and the Japanese government prepared to offer more funding and oversight to try to contain the crisis. (Reuters)

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum was in a remote Japanese fishing village Monday to protest against its annual dolphin hunt. (Epoch Times)

Police have identified skeletal remains found in Chiba Prefecture last week as those of a Japanese man on a list of missing people who were possibly abducted by North Korean officials. (Yomiuri)

The Mie prefectural police opened a special section on its website Monday to gather information from citizens on the murder of a 15-year-old girl. (Yomiuri)

Japan will help Brazil develop an offshore oil field as part of an agreement to strengthen economic ties. Foreign ministers from both countries say they will cooperate in energy, infrastructure and various other fields. (NHK)

Three residents of Fukushima Prefecture have filed a criminal complaint against Tokyo Electric Power Company over the leakage of radioactive water from the company's damaged nuclear power plant. (NHK)

Japan's nuclear regulator has begun the 2nd round of an on-site survey at the Higashidori nuclear power plant in northern Japan. The purpose is to determine whether earthquake faults under the compound are still active. (NHK)

Police in Kasuya, Fukuoka Prefecture, said Tuesday they have taken into custody a 14-year-old girl and her 12-year-old accomplice on a charge of arson after the pair allegedly broke into their school and started a fire. (Japan Today)

Japan's Meteorological Agency says a likely tornado near Tokyo at 2PM local time was due to atmospheric instability caused by warm, humid air developing under a cold front. (NHK)

Tokyo stocks surged 2.99 percent Tuesday afternoon, with the index ending at its highest level since Aug. 14 on weaker yen and upbeat world economic outlook. (Global Times)

After two decades of economic stagnation, once-mighty Japan is beginning to revive - under policies that some experts say could offer lessons to the still-struggling economies of the United States and Europe. (latimes.com)

Just one Japanese nuclear power reactor is left in operation following the shut down today of unit 3 of the Ohi plant for maintenance and inspections. Its sister unit, Ohi 4, is scheduled to begin an outage in two weeks. (world-nuclear-news.org)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed cooperation between their countries over the Syria conflict during telephone talks Tuesday as Obama continued efforts to secure congressional support for a military strike against the Syrian government over its alleged use of chemical weapons. (Kyodo)

The government plans to use 47 billion yen to tackle a massive buildup of radioactive water at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the chief government spokesman said Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Japanese analysts expect the government to raise its estimated Gross Domestic Product for the April to June quarter. (NHK)

Microsoft Corp. is buying Nokia Corp.'s lineup of smartphones and a portfolio of patents and services in an attempt to mount a more formidable challenge to Apple Inc. and Google Inc. as more technological tasks get done on mobile devices instead of personal computers. (Japan Times)

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