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Whither Japan Stocks: Annus Horribilis 2011 But How About 2012?
During many years, and 2011 has been one such year, the Tokyo stock market seems like a geriatric ward whose residents grow weaker, frailer, and more infirm by the day, and where at yearend the...
View ArticleJapan spent over 14 tril. yen on forex interventions in 2011
Japanese monetary authorities spent a total of 14.30 trillion yen (about $184.5 billion) on currency interventions in 2011, the third-biggest amount on record, according to Finance Ministry data...
View ArticleJapan in need of boosting regional ties amid North Korean uncertainty
Japan's diplomacy somewhat stabilized since Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's government was formed in September, but the real challenge -- whether it can play a pivotal role in reshaping the regional...
View ArticleJapan records 505 earthquake-related bankruptcies
Bankruptcies associated with the March earthquake reached 505 as of Dec. 21, according to Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd., roughly four times as many as in the first 10 months following the 1995 temblor in...
View ArticleJapan's case of flawed priority
Tokyo's decision to ease arms exports ban is fraught with danger, for it could start a new arms race in Asia and worsen Mideast security Japan's decision to effectively lift the long-standing ban on...
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Japan's Defense Industry Lifeline
The Japanese government's decision to relax rules on defense exports has the potential to give the country a much-needed national security boost. By deciding this week to relax its rules prohibiting...
View ArticleIn Japan, silent camera apps open door for unsavory photos
Cases of smartphone users secretly photographing unsuspecting targets have been on the rise, thanks to applications that silence the camera shutter sound. But there is no legal impediment to creating...
View ArticleJapan's troubled royals put up a brave front
Bungei Shunju ("literary spring and autumn") is arguably Japan's most prestigious monthly magazine. Emblazoned in celebratory red across the cover of its New Year's edition is the rather ominous...
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Yakushima seeks environment-tourism balance
Yakushima Island off Kagoshima Prefecture in 1993 became the country's first natural site to be entered on UNESCO's World Heritage list, together with the Shirakami Mountain Range in northeastern...
View ArticleBusiness booms in Sendai on quake recovery
With reconstruction proceeding slowly in the Tohoku region's coastal areas, businesses in the city of Sendai, the economic hub of the area, have seen booming sales since the Great East Japan...
View ArticleJapan cult member nabbed after 17 years on the run
A member of the doomsday cult behind a deadly Tokyo subway gas attack and other crimes turned himself in to police after 17 years on the run, an official said Sunday. A Tokyo metropolitan police...
View ArticleRecord amount of cash kept at home, in offices in Japan
A record 84 trillion yen has been left undeposited at year-end in Japan, as people choose instead to keep cash at home or in office safes, according to the Bank of Japan. The amount is up 2 percent...
View ArticleA magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits eastern Japan, no danger of a tsunami
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 earthquake hit off the shores of Japan's southern Pacific island. The Meteorological Agency says the offshore quake Sunday struck about 370...
View ArticleJapan developing cyber weapon
Japan has been developing a virus that could track down the source of a cyber attack and neutralise its program, the daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Sunday. The weapon is the culmination of a Y179...
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Skis, goggles, hats - and radiation monitors: thousands crowd the slopes...
It seemed to be a typical festive winter scene, with crowds of smiling skiers of all ages dressed in colourful hats and goggles making their way down snow-covered slopes. But the setting is perhaps...
View ArticleEmperor expresses hopes for united rebuilding effort
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko on Sunday received New Year's greetings at the start of 2012 from other imperial family members and foreign ambassadors, while expressing hope in his New Year's...
View ArticleNoda vows to revive economy through social security, tax reforms
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda expressed his resolve in a New Year address Sunday to implement reforms in Japan's social security and tax systems in a bid to help revive its economy. His address comes...
View ArticlePanasonic reorganizes business fields, places more focus on energy-related biz
Japan's major electronics maker Panasonic Corp. launched its new group structure Sunday, reorganizing its business fields and two wholly owned units into three main groups as it places greater emphasis...
View ArticleObama axes budget for Okinawa-to-Guam Marines transfer
U.S. President Barack Obama signed a defense bill for fiscal 2012 on Saturday that includes cutting the entire $150 million funding for transferring Marines to Guam from Japan's Okinawa. The axing of...
View ArticleTwitter meltdown as over 16,000 Tweets a second are made in Japan as people...
Social network Twitter ground to a halt as it was overloaded with New Year messages. In Australia the site crashed at about 4am and was out of action for more than an hour. The crash coincided with...
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