Japan 2011 current account surplus smallest in 15 years
Japan's current account surplus shrank sharply last year to its smallest in 15 years as weak exports and surging fuel imports resulted in a rare trade deficit, raising worries about the country's...
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Architect's 'sky villages' to protect Japan from tsunamis.
It's been nearly a year after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan. Now a Japanese architect is proposing a novel solution to the ongoing problem of how and where...
View ArticleJapan to slash use of a heavy rare earth as China tightens grip
Japan aims to cut domestic consumption of a heavy rare earth used widely in hybrid cars and electronics by 30 percent over the next two years as China keeps a tight grip on exports of the material,...
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Japanese vending machines to offer free WiFi
Asahi Soft Drinks is setting up 1,000 new vending machines in five regions around Japan this month, with a goal of expanding the number to 10,000 within five years. The vending machines are fitted with...
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Japan continues reaching out to tourists
Almost a year after the March 11 disasters struck Japan and hit its tourism sector, authorities are still finding ways to draw tourists back. Koreans and Singaporeans have consistently ranked among the...
View ArticleJapan the new front in Jetstar, AirAsia battle
Qantas's budget offshoot, Jetstar, has brought forward the launch of its Japanese subsidiary by several months, in an attempt to pip its Malaysian rival, AirAsia, in setting up domestic services there....
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Japan's older generation turns gamers
Close your eyes, and you know where you are: The unmistakable sound of anime voices and the jingle of a completed lap around the electronic track ring through the hall. This is a classic video game...
View ArticleNikkei Closes Above 9,000 After Toyota Raises Forecast
Japanese shares rose, with the Nikkei 225 Stock Average closing above 9,000 for the first time since October, as Toyota Motor Corp. raised its earnings forecast and a drop in the yen boosted the...
View ArticleJapanese brands hesitant on Twitter
Some 40% of Japan's biggest brands are still not active on Twitter, just one indication of the extent to which they lag behind their US counterparts in exploiting the microblog's potential. Adam Acar,...
View ArticleSeoul axes intel agent for spilling beans in Tokyo
A South Korean intelligence officer posted to Seoul's embassy in Tokyo was fired for allegedly leaking "secret" information to the Japan Coast Guard and Japanese reporters, according to South Korean...
View ArticleBiomass plants to burn quake debris
The Forestry Agency will provide financial support for the construction of four biomass power plants to burn wood debris from the March 11 disasters, officials said. The plants to be built in Iwate and...
View ArticleForeign visitor target set at 18 million by 2016
Japan hopes to boost the annual number of foreign visitors to 18 million by 2016 by repairing the country's damaged reputation as a safe travel destination in its next five-year tourism plan. The...
View ArticleU.S. Marines to move; base row will drag on
Tokyo and Washington said Wednesday they have agreed to revise a 2006 bilateral accord aimed at transferring U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam, effectively no longer making the redeployment contingent...
View ArticleJapan tells U.S. it will keep nothing off the table in TPP negotiations
Japan on Tuesday explained to the United States its basic stance regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, saying it will put all items on the table once it joins the multilateral trade...
View ArticleTsunami was up to 21 meters in Fukushima
The tsunami that hit Fukushima Prefecture on March 11 was particularly high--possibly up to 21 meters--along the coast in the center of the prefecture where the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is...
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Japan testing traffic lights for colour-blind drivers
The signals have been developed by Taro Ochiai, a professor at Kyushu Sangyo University, with the first set of traffic lights installed in the southern city of Fukuoka. A second month-long test is to...
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Jetstar Japan to start domestic flights in July
Budget airline Jetstar Japan, part-owned by Australia's Qantas, said Wednesday it will launch domestic flights serving five major destinations as Japan's aviation industry enters a period of change....
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Japan's amazing snow monsters on the prowl
When Hilary Wendel, a Tokyo-based photographer and good friend, asked me to tag along as she photographed "Japan's scariest monsters," I was apprehensive at first. Fortunately for us both, the Snow...
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Maid to measure in Tokyo
"Welcome home, Master," is the greeting at the door. But this is as far from home as it gets. It's not clear why the small, tackily decorated room is stiflingly hot. Or why the overpriced menu...
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Getting married in Japan
Some couples are content to tie the knot at the courthouse down the road. But for those who are more adventurous, a destination wedding -- and an international marriage -- are a must. Nonresidents of...
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