Japan: Corona virus cruise ship passengers head home
TOKYO/BEIJING – Hundreds of passengers trundled off a cruise ship in Japan on Wednesday after being held on board in quarantine for more than two weeks, as criticism mounted of Japan’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Even as passengers rolled … Continue reading Japan: Corona virus cruise ship passengers head home
Japan: Gross domestic product shrank 6.3%
TOKYO — Japan’s economy suffered its biggest contraction in five years in the final quarter of 2019, slowed by a sales-tax hike and a destructive typhoon. Gross domestic product for the world’s third-biggest economy shrank an annualized 6.3% from a … Continue reading Japan: Gross domestic product shrank 6.3%
Automakers concerned about parts shortage
Tokyo – The global auto industry has begun feeling the impact of the coronavirus outbreak as factory shutdowns in China threaten a vital source of parts. As product quality improved in China, Toyota, Honda and Nissan have increased their use of … Continue reading Automakers concerned about parts shortage
China: Outbound Travel Ban effects Asian Destinations
Bangkok/Tokyo – A huge dependence on Chinese tourists sees many Asian countries reeling from China’s move to cancel outbound group trips indefinitely, as part of measures to control the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Among them are Thailand and Japan. The … Continue reading China: Outbound Travel Ban effects Asian Destinations
Abe and Xi start new era of cooperation
Beijing – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Monday to step up cooperation for a “new era” of bilateral relations, showcasing a thaw contrasting sharply with Beijing’s fraught ties with the U.S. Xi greeted Abe … Continue reading Abe and Xi start new era of cooperation
Japan has world’s best passport
TOKYO — The Japanese passport was again named as the “world’s most powerful” by a British consultancy this year, but the Japanese themselves seem little interested in taking advantage, with only 23 percent holding passports — a sign that the … Continue reading Japan has world’s best passport
Panasonic selling chip-making biz to Taiwan
Osaka/Taipei — Panasonic is selling its loss-making semiconductor business to Taiwan’s Nuvoton Technology, leaving an industry that it first entered almost 70 years ago. The sale will close a chapter in Japan’s transition from a chipmaking powerhouse with a nearly 50% … Continue reading Panasonic selling chip-making biz to Taiwan
India: SoftBank’s next big crisis ?
New Delhi — In India, tech startups have been caught in SoftBank’s cycle of overfunding, bloated valuations and vague paths to profit. Some, sensing danger, have corrected course. Others may hold the seeds of the investment giant’s next crisis. (Nikkei)
Japan: Lowest birth rate in 30 years
Tokyo – Japanese births are on pace for the steepest drop in three decades despite earlier hopes that couples would ring in the new Imperial era with an addition to the family. The number of Japanese babies born in the … Continue reading Japan: Lowest birth rate in 30 years
Japan: Crack-down on illegial fishing
Tokyo – Seafood sold in Japan will need official proof of origin under measures planned for the early 2020s as one of the world’s leading marine product importers takes aim at poaching that has decimated fish populations. Tokyo’s crackdown on … Continue reading Japan: Crack-down on illegial fishing