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
Japan and China plan global cooperation
Tokyo – Japan and China are considering signing a “fifth political document” during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Japan next spring, sources familiar with the matter. They will become countries that can cooperate on important global issues such … Continue reading Japan and China plan global cooperation
Japan’s attempt at English fluency falls flat
Tokyo – Japan’s all-out effort to improve the English skills has been lost in translation. The government has canceled plans to introduce English exams from six private organizations, including the widely used Eiken proficiency test, into standardized tests for university … Continue reading Japan’s attempt at English fluency falls flat
Japan: Economic stimulus program planned
Tokyo – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will soon call for economic measures to bolster growth after next year’s Tokyo Olympics as well as recent disasters. In the wake of October’s Typhoon Hagibis, which left a trail of destruction across … Continue reading Japan: Economic stimulus program planned