Japan, Japan

Japan's Economy Grew More Than Forecast 3.5% in First Quarter Bloomberg Japan's economy expanded the most in a year last quarter as consumer spending and export gains outweighed the weakest business investment since the wake of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Gross domestic product rose an annualized 3.5 ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's politicians have a problem with 'comfort women' The Guardian Toru Hashimoto, the mayor of Osaka in Japan and the co-leader of the nationalist Japan Restoration party, has always been a politician of controversies. However, his comment that the system of "comfort women" during the second world war was necessary ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan Jolts Bond Market in the Wrong Direction Wall Street Journal TOKYO—The Bank of Japan's monetary-easing campaign has hit a snag: Rising bond yields have emerged as a potential barrier to growth. Contrary to the central bank's intentions, interest rates in the $10 trillion market in government bonds have climbed ... See all stories on this topic »

Opinion: Japanese politicians still struggle with wartime past CNN International Tokyo (CNN) -- It's been a bad month for Japanese conservative politicians who can't seem to resist the temptation to rewrite history and make provocative gestures while shifting and minimizing war responsibility. Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister Shinzo ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan PM Abe says may meet with North Korea leader AFP TOKYO — Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday he may meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un if it could help resolve the longstanding issue of Pyongyang's kidnapping of Japanese citizens. "If a summit meeting is deemed as an important ... See all stories on this topic »

Hey Japan, Gordon Gekko Is In the House Forbes It's been interesting watching investors seize control of companies when their CEOs are vulnerable. Here Russell Raath comments on how this very American phenomenon is expanding beyond our shores, and impacting one of Japan's biggest companies. See all stories on this topic »

China lays claim to Okinawa as territory dispute with Japan escalates The Guardian China is attempting to open a new front in its territorial dispute with Japan by questioning Tokyo's sovereignty over the island of Okinawa, home to 25,000 US troops. The two countries are already pushing rival claims to the Senkakus, a chain of ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan mayor says his lack of sensitivity about US image of prostitution caused ... Washington Post Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said Thursday that his lack of sensitivity to America's perception of prostitution might have caused outrage to his suggestion that U.S. troops based in southern Japan should patronize legal adult entertainment establishments ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan GDP trumps expectations under Abenomics CNN Japan's economy had been in a shallow recession as recently as last year, and the positive data should bolster hopes that the country's economic outlook is brightening. The growth should also provide a boost to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's reform ... See all stories on this topic »

Japanese Web users debate whether politician was right to call wartime sex ... Washington Post (blog) During World War II, Japanese troops forced tens of thousands of women in China and Korea into sexual servitude as “comfort women.” That phrase still provokes outrage across Asia, in part because Japanese politicians have wavered in taking ... See all stories on this topic »

Japanese Aide Makes Rare Trip to North Korea New York Times Both Kyodo and N.H.K., Japan's national television broadcaster, carried images from North Korean television showing Mr. Iijima arriving at the airport and being greeted by a group of North Koreans. Japan has taken a hard line against North Korea ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's nuke watchdog to stop troubled plutonium-burning test reactor over ... Washington Post The Nuclear Regulation Authority's decision is the latest blow to the Monju fast-breeder reactor and Japan's nuclear fuel cycle program. The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is hoping that Monju will be a key part of Japan's plans for disposing ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Electronics Under Siege Wall Street Journal TOKYO—Hedge-fund billionaire Daniel Loeb's campaign to pressure Sony Corp. into spinning off its entertainment arm is the latest tremor to ripple through Japan's electronics industry, already reeling from unprecedented losses stemming from its lost ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan Post Exec: Continuing Low Yields, Volatility Make Asset Management ... Wall Street Journal TOKYO--An executive officer at Japan Post Holdings Co., one of the world's largest financial groups, said Wednesday that Japanese government yield declines in recent months and recent fluctuations in rates were making its asset management difficult. See all stories on this topic »

Japan's electronics giants still bleeding Hindu Business Line Japan's electronics giants suffered another dreadful earnings season with Panasonic and Sharp saying they lost a combined USD 12.8 billion last year as they scramble to staunch the bleeding. Rival Sony emerged as a bright spot, saying it had turned a ... See all stories on this topic »

China Questions Japan Rule Over Okinawa ABC News China is trying to strengthen its claim on tiny, uninhabited, Japanese-controlled islands by raising questions about the much larger Okinawa chain that is home to more than a million Japanese along with major U.S. military installations. The tactic ... See all stories on this topic »

Corporate Governance in Japan Inc. – It's Not All Bad Wall Street Journal (blog) An attempt by hedge fund Third Point LLC's founder Dan Loeb to shake things up at Sony Corp. is shining the spotlight once again on corporate governance in Japan. Long-time observers may remember past battles such as U.S.-based fund Steel Partners ... See all stories on this topic »

For Japan lenders, Abenomics' pain comes first, gain later Reuters TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's top three banks forecast weaker annual earnings as aggressive monetary easing squeezes them out of a profitable government bond trade and forces them to rely more on bread-and-butter lending where margins remain razor-thin ... See all stories on this topic »

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Japanese mayor: Wartime sex slaves were necessary - USA Today USA TODAY TOKYO (AP) — An outspoken nationalist mayor said the Japanese military's forced prostitution of Asian women before and during World War II was necessary to "maintain discipline" in the ranks and provide rest for soldiers who risked their lives in battle. See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Nikkei rises as G-7 approves stimulus plan Boston.com LONDON (AP) — Japan's stock market once again outperformed on Monday after officials from the world's leading industrial economies refused to criticize the Bank of Japan's super-easy monetary policy and the massive depreciation in the value of the yen ... See all stories on this topic »

Gordon Gekko Comes To Japan Forbes But in recent months the winds of change have started to blow in Japan as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promoted new fiscal policies and Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda introduced dramatic monetary measures. Global investors stampeded into ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan Bonds Slide 3rd Day as Stock Gains, U.S. Rates Trim Demand Bloomberg Japanese government bonds fell, pushing five-year rates to an almost two-year high, as an advance in shares and U.S. bond yields sapped demand for debt with yields still among the lowest in the world. Ten-year yields extended the biggest two-day surge ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan on Alert Over Unidentified Submarines Wall Street Journal TOKYO—Japan patrol craft spotted unidentified submarines just outside the country's territorial waters, prompting Tokyo to issue a rare warning that it may order security action if submersible craft enter its waters, developments that could further ... See all stories on this topic »

Nissan chief welcomes yen fall as a plus for exporting luxury Infiniti brand ... Washington Post KAMINOKAWA-MACHI, Japan — Nissan Motor Co. President Carlos Ghosn welcomed the yen's recent decline to what he called “neutral” levels for the Japanese automaker's profitability, but said Tuesday it must drop further to be “normal.” “The abnormal ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Sharp posts record annual loss AFP TOKYO — Japanese electronics giant Sharp on Tuesday posted a record annual loss for the second year in a row, and announced plans to replace its current chief after just one year on the job. The maker of Aquos-brand electronics reported a net loss of ... See all stories on this topic » AFP

Bank of Japan in contact with Bloomberg on data access AFP TOKYO — Japan's central bank on Tuesday became the latest organisation to express concerns over the access journalists at Bloomberg News have had to potentially sensitive data. The Bank of Japan's comment comes as a scandal grows for the financial ... See all stories on this topic » AFP

Japan PM adviser Iijima arrives in North Korea Reuters TOKYO (Reuters) - An adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in North Korea on Tuesday in a rare surprise visit to a country with which Japan has no diplomatic ties, but the purpose of the visit was not immediately known. North Korean ... See all stories on this topic »

US, Japan Kick Off Cyber Talks Wall Street Journal (blog) As in other countries, cyberattacks in Japan have recently raised questions about the adequacy of the nation's defenses. For one, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry experienced a data breach in 2012, and was not aware of the breach until ... See all stories on this topic » Wall Street Journal (blog)