Google Alert-- Japan

Japan becomes 1st team to qualify for 2014 World Cup, tying Australia 1-1 Washington Post Japan (4-1-2) has 14 points and leads Group B in the final round of Asian qualifying. Oman (2-2-3) is second with nine points after beating visiting Iraq 1-0 on Ismail al-Ajmi's header in first-half stoppage time, and Australia (1-1-4) is third with ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan PM outlines reform strategy for economy Boston.com TOKYO (AP) — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe outlined Wednesday a sweeping blueprint for rejuvenating Japan's ailing economy, calling for reforms to bring more women into the workforce, promote industrial innovation and coax cash-hoarding corporations into ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan, Australian Stock Futures Decline on Fed Stimulus Concerns Businessweek American Depositary Receipts of Nomura Holdings Inc., Japan's largest brokerage, declined 1.1 percent. Shares of Fast Retailing Co. (9983), Asia's biggest clothing retailer, may be active after store sales in May at Uniqlo Japan outlets climbed 11 percent. See all stories on this topic »

Japan Government to Push For More Stock Investment by Public Pensions- Govt ... Wall Street Journal TOKYO--The Japanese government will prod the nation's mammoth public pension funds to increase their targeted holdings of equities as part of a growth strategy to be unveiled Wednesday, according to a government official involved in the plan, a move ... See all stories on this topic »

Funds to help Japan tsunami victims find work spent in unaffected areas The Guardian More than ¥100bn (£650m) of a special budget set up to help victims of Japan's March 2011 triple disaster find work has been spent on projects that have no connection to the tragedy, including cheese and wine promotions. Tens of billions of yen ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Shinzo Abe hails Africa as 'growth centre' AngolaPress Japan pledged $32bn (£21bn) in aid to Africa, including money to tackle militant Islamists. Japan appears to be worried that its rival China has built a strong presence in Africa, correspondents say. "Africa will be a growth centre over the next couple ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan looks to calm domestic concerns over wheat supply after US GMO find Reuters TOKYO, June 5 (Reuters) - Japan's farm minister has tried to calm concerns about possible shortfalls in the country's main source of flour for cake and other sweets after genetically modified wheat was discovered in the United States, saying the ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan unveils 500 kmph bullet train Economic Times It was in 1964 that Japan was propelled to the forefront of transport technology after it unveiled its first bullet train - known as "shinkansen" - to coincide with its hosting of the Olympic Games. India is set to benefit from the famed Japanese ... See all stories on this topic »

Socceroos can exploit Japan pressure, says Lucas Neill The Guardian The pressure for Japan going into a clash in front of a sellout 60,000 crowd in Saitama has been suffocating – the Blue Samurai expected to do nothing less than secure qualification at home with victory over an Australian team now ranked well below ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan Wages Gain in Boost for Abe's Drive to Reflate Economy Bloomberg Japan's wages rose by the most in a year in April, a gain that supports Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's campaign to reflate the world's third-biggest economy after 15 years of falling prices. Monthly wages including overtime and bonuses rose 0.3 percent ... See all stories on this topic »

Report: Forgotten tape blamed for Japan Air 'problem' USA TODAY Reuters picked up on that theme, writing that "the incident, although minor, comes just after Japan Airlines and its local rival ANA, which together operate half of the world's 787s, returned the jet to service and may hamper efforts by them to allay ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Market Has Bulls Reeling Wall Street Journal At a hedge-fund conference in Las Vegas last month, Michael Novogratz, a principal at New York's Fortress Investment Group, called Japan “the most exciting place to invest in the world.” Now, following four stock-market routs in the span of less than ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Shinzo Abe hails Africa as 'growth centre' BBC News Africa will be an engine for world growth in the coming decades and Japan has to invest more on the continent, Japan's prime minister has said. Shinzo Abe was speaking at the end of a three-day conference on African development in Yokohama. Japan ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan to confine US wheat shipments on GMO fears MarketWatch SINGAPORE--Japan will hold back shipments of previously contracted Western White wheat from processors as a precautionary measure due to the recent discovery of an unapproved genetically modified strain of wheat at an Oregon farm, a Japanese ... See all stories on this topic »

US-Japan Yield Gap Widens on Speculation Policies Will Diverge Businessweek Investors demanded the highest yield in two months to hold 10-year government debt in the U.S. instead of Japan as traders speculate when the Federal Reserve will reduce its bond-buying program. The spread was 1.28 percentage points, after reaching ... See all stories on this topic »

In Japan, new policy spurs solar power boom Washington Post TOKYO — Across Japan, technology firms and private investors are racing to install devices that until recently they had little interest in: solar panels. Massive solar parks are popping up by the dozen, and companies are mounting panels atop warehouse ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan admits $1bn in tsunami recovery funds spent on projects like turtle ... ABC Online Japan's government has admitted that $1 billion set aside to help people affected by the 2011 tsunami was spent on projects such as turtle observation and promoting cheese and wine events. While there is no suggestion of corruption, the admissions are ... See all stories on this topic »

India can get close to Japan at its own peril: Chinese Daily Hindu Business Line Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's just concluded Japan visit continues to rile China, with a state-run daily warning that India could get close to Tokyo “at its own peril” and ties with it “can only bring trouble” to New Delhi. After attacking Japan ... See all stories on this topic »

An Icon and a Symbol of Two Nations' Anger New York Times (blog) TSUSHIMA, Japan — Over the centuries, this mountainous island in the strait separating Japan and Korea has seen some of the most violent episodes between those ancient Asian rivals, serving as a hide-out for pirates, a forward base for invaders and a ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan Capital Spending Falls in Challenge for Abe's Campaign Bloomberg Japanese companies' capital spending fell 5.2 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, underscoring the challenge the government faces in sustaining momentum in the world's third-biggest economy. The decline in spending excluding software ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan earmarks $1 billion development, humanitarian aid for boosting northern ... Washington Post YOKOHAMA, Japan — Japan on Sunday announced a plan to provide 100 billion yen ($1 billion) in aid over the next five years to northern Africa for economic development and humanitarian efforts, including help with security and counter-terrorism ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan Carriers Resume Dreamliner Flights as 747 Era Ends (3) Businessweek ANA Holdings Inc. (9202) and Japan Airlines Co. (9201), the world's two largest operators of Boeing Co. (BA) 787s, are counting on the Dreamliner to boost profits as the carriers dump their fleets of 747s that they relied on for decades. ANA and JAL ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Nikkei falls to six-week low BBC News Japanese shares fell further in Monday, hurt by weak manufacturing data from China and fears over the US scaling back a key stimulus measure. The worries are that a slowdown in the US bond buying programme and weakness in China, two of Japan's ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan star Keisuke Honda says he's fit and ready to face Socceroos Herald Sun JAPAN star Keisuke Honda has declared himself fit for tomorrow's World Cup qualifier against the Socceroos after he got through the Russian Cup final unscathed. Initial reports suggested the energetic attacking midfielder succumbed to thigh injury ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan, France to start talks to jointly develop military equipment Asahi Shimbun SINGAPORE--Despite Japanese objections to France's military equipment sales to China and Russia, Japan has agreed to hold official talks on joint weapons development with France. Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera on June 2 met with his French ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan embraces more cordial approach to investor relations Financial Times At Japan Tobacco's annual shareholder meeting this month in a Tokyo hotel, four proposals from The Children's Investment Fund will be put to a majority vote – and each will almost certainly be rejected, as they were last year. Not that this will bother ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Bonds Rise as Shares Plunge, BOJ Begins June Purchases Businessweek Japanese government bonds rose, climbing from their steepest loss in May in five years, as domestic shares plunged and the central bank announced its first debt purchases for this month. Sovereign debt gained the most in almost two months as the Topix ... See all stories on this topic »

'Japan attempting to 'encircle' China' Hindu Business Line Fuming over Japan's efforts to forge maritime security cooperation with India during the just-concluded visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a state-run Chinese daily today accused Tokyo of attempting to “encircle” China by building strategic ... See all stories on this topic »

Nishikori: Japan's 1st man in French 4th since '38 Philly.com Benoit Paire of France, right, argues with umpire Enric Molina of Spain, left, in his third round match against Japan's Kei Nishikori at the French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 1, 2013. Paire was given a ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan aiming for Brazil ticket in WCup qualifier San Francisco Chronicle TOKYO (AP) — Japan will be aiming to secure a ticket to Brazil while Australia will be desperate for points when the two teams square off in a crucial World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. Japan leads Group B of Asian qualifying with 13 points and can ... See all stories on this topic »

Report says problem found in Japan Airlines Boeing 787 jet but no risk to safety Washington Post TOKYO — A sensor problem was found Sunday in one of the exchanged batteries for a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 jet but did not pose a safety risk, a Japanese broadcaster reported. The Boeing Co. jets had been grounded for four months until their safety ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's wheat-import suspension worries state growers The Seattle Times Genetically modified wheat found on an Oregon farm caused Japan to suspend imports from the United States. The biggest worry for Washington state wheat growers is that the type involved — soft white wheat — is the most commonly grown in the Pacific ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan and South Korea suspended US Wheat Imports Jagran Josh Japan and South Korea in the last week of May 2013 have suspended some imports of US Wheat as rogue wheat was discovered by the regulators that were genetically engineered to resist Monsanto herbicide in an Oregon field. It was insisted by the US ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan Foreshadows Next Global Crisis Forbes Japan is the only game in town right now and for good reason. First, it was the yen's +20% move in less than six months and now there's the extraordinary volatility in Japanese stock and bond markets. What's behind the recent action? Nobel laureate ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's post-Fukushima solar boom Sydney Morning Herald Domestic shipments of solar cells and modules in Japan leapt by their most in at least 30 years last fiscal year as government efforts to spur clean energy after the 2011 Fukushima disaster began to pay off. Local shipments rose to 3,809 megawatts in ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan pledges $32 billion aid to Africa, emerging as appealing market ... Washington Post Japan's conference for Africa, held every five years, began in 1993, and the latest is the fifth such gathering. Japanese companies have set up booths, to showcase their efforts to win business in Africa, such as Nissin Foods, the maker of Cup Noodles. See all stories on this topic »

Japan and South Korea Bar Imports of US Wheat New York Times (blog) Japan and South Korea suspended some imports of American wheat, and the European Union urged its 27 nations to increase testing, after the United States government disclosed this week that a strain of genetically engineered wheat that was never ... See all stories on this topic »

Correction: Japan-Wartime Apology story Washington Post TOKYO — In a story May 8 about the use of sex slaves during World War II, The Associated Press reported erroneously that then-Prime Minister Yohei Kono issued a 1993 statement expressing remorse for suffering caused to sexual slaves of Japanese troops ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan says seeks to play a responsible and cooperative role in regional ... Washington Post The islands are the focus of a decades-long dispute that reignited last September when the Japanese government purchased three of the islands from their private owners. Japan aimed to prevent the islands from being bought by Tokyo's former nationalist ... See all stories on this topic »

Manmohan Singh arrives in Japan to strengthen strategic ties Hindu Business Line Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived here today on a three-day visit to Japan to invigorate bilateral strategic ties and push for a civil nuclear energy cooperation deal. Singh will hold exhaustive talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on ... See all stories on this topic »

The Identity Crisis That Lurks Behind Japan's Right-Wing Rhetoric TIME South Korean hold placards carrying the images of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto during a rally on May 23, 2013 in Seoul, South Korea. Recent remarks by the mayor of Osaka on the historic perception of 'comfort ... See all stories on this topic »

Visit to Japan, Thailand successful: PM New York Daily News On Board PM's Special Aircraft, May 31 — Describing his visits to Japan and Thailand as "highly successful", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said India's "Look East" policy could benefit the northeastern states to a great extent. "I have had two ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's sex slave legacy remains open wound South China Morning Post OSAKA, Japan (AP) — More than 70 years ago, at age 14, Kim Bok-dong was ordered to work by Korea's Japanese occupiers. She was told she was going to a military uniform factory, but ended up at a Japanese military-run brothel in southern China. See all stories on this topic »

Japan's problems could make the eurozone's look like a garden party Telegraph.co.uk Indeed, after a recent rise in Japan's 10-year bonds to 1pc, the new Bank of Japan governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, argued that if Japanese growth returns to normal, then their economy and system can cope with yields at 3pc. He also pointed out that if ... See all stories on this topic »

Nikkei bounces, but recent tumult puts end to 9-month winning streak Reuters Nikkei down 0.6 pct this month * Volatility expected to persist for while longer * Market now in correction-phase - analysts * Fast Retailing rebounds after Thursday's 11 pct slide By Dominic Lau TOKYO, May 31 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's sex slave legacy remains open wound, bedevils ties with neighbors Washington Post Tens of thousands of women had similar stories to tell, or to hide, from Japan's occupation of much of Asia before and during World War II. Many are no longer living, and those who remain are still waiting for Japan to offer reparations and a more ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan is an indispensable partner in India's quest for stability in Asia: PM The Hindu India and Japan are among the major actors in the India-Pacific region and it is the responsibility of both countries to foster a climate of peace, stability and cooperation and to lay an enduring foundation for security and prosperity. Both nations ... See all stories on this topic »

Improving US, rebounding Japan can't stop OECD cutting world growth forecast Reuters PARIS (Reuters) - The recession-hit euro zone will fall further behind a generally improving United States and a rebounding Japan this year, the OECD said on Wednesday, cutting its global growth forecasts. In its twice-yearly Economic Outlook, the ... See all stories on this topic »

Chinese ambassador refuses Japan's question on Premier Li's remark Xinhua TOKYO, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua on Tuesday refused Japan's question on Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's remark about the Potsdam Proclamation and urged Japan to face up to the past to improve ties with ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Bond Market Wants BOJ to Purchase More Short-Term Notes Businessweek Traders of Japanese government bonds want the central bank to buy more short-term notes and to conduct purchases more frequently, according to Bank of Japan officials after a meeting with market participants. The attendees said the BOJ should increase ... See all stories on this topic »

Canadian Solar turns to Japan to drive shipment growth Reuters O) reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss and said it was ramping up exposure to high-margin Japan as it reduces dependence on China, where intense competition has driven down panel prices. Shares of Canadian Solar, which has most of its ... See all stories on this topic »

Abenomics Skews Japan-Korea Tourism Wall Street Journal (blog) Data from the Korea Tourism Organization shows that South Korean tourist numbers heading for Japan were up over 30% in each of the first three months of the year. Since November, the yen has weakened more than 20% against the Korean won following ... See all stories on this topic »

Suntory to List Shares of Beverage & Food Unit in Tokyo July 3 Bloomberg Nomura, Japan's biggest brokerage, said in January that it expects IPOs will climb to a six-year high. About 60 Japanese companies will announce debut share sales this year, a 25 percent increase from last year and the most since 121 in 2007, according ... See all stories on this topic »

Japanese mayor apologizes to US for saying American troops should visit adult ... New York Daily News TOKYO — An outspoken Japanese politician apologized Monday for saying U.S. troops should patronize adult entertainment businesses as a way to reduce sex crimes, but defended another inflammatory remark about Japan's use of sex slaves before and ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan vows tighter nuclear safety after accident at research facility doses 33 ... Washington Post Japan's nuclear industry has been in crisis since the March 2011 accident at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, the worst since Chernobyl in 1986. The government has revamped its regulatory regime and is drafting stricter safety ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan: US Pilot Rescued Off Okinawa New York Times Japanese rescuers saved an American fighter pilot from the waters off southern Japan after his F-15 fighter crashed into the ocean early Tuesday, Japanese officials said. The F-15, which flew out of Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, crashed in the Pacific ... See all stories on this topic »

Passage To Japan: Stronger ties with Asia's technology leader can ... Times of India The Indian prime minister's visit to Japan comes at a time when his Japanese counterpart has been gathering praise for efforts to uplift an economy 'lost' for two decades. Experts suggest that something finally shifted in Japan when China overtook it ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan Becoming Major Economic Force in Burma Voice of America BANGKOK, THAILAND — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has forgiven billions of dollars of Burmese debt and promised new aid. Analysts said despite China being its largest investor, Burma is increasingly looking to Japan as the dominant economic ... See all stories on this topic »

Nikkei - Stable Now but for How Long? CNBC.com Japan's stock market was much calmer on Tuesday after three days of extreme volatility. Still, strategists advised caution after the sharp sell-off. The Nikkei was up just over 1 percent in mid-day trade in Tokyo, off a two-week low hit earlier in the ... See all stories on this topic »

Bank of Japan's Ryuzo Miyao says JGB stability vital, offers no new steps Economic Times TOKYO: Bank of Japan board member Ryuzo Miyao said on Tuesday it was vital to keep long- and short-term interest rates stable but offered no new prescriptions to contain the recent bond market turmoil that has threatened to undercut the central bank's ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Bonds Set for Biggest Drop in 2 Weeks on Auction Results Businessweek Japan's government bonds fell, heading for their biggest decline in two weeks, as the nation's stocks rallied and a sale of 20-year securities met the weakest demand in nine months. Benchmark 10-year yields were set for the highest close since April ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan rising star Matsuyama books US Open ticket The Star Online TOKYO: Japan's up-and-coming Hideki Matsuyama, twice the Asian amateur champion, booked a ticket to next month's US Open by winning the region's 36-hole qualifying round by four strokes on Monday. The 21-year-old Japan Tour leader, who turned pro ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan gives Myanmar $504M loan, forgives remaining debt, as Tokyo looks to ... Washington Post The low-interest loan was signed between Japan's ambassador to Myanmar, Mikio Numata, and Myanmar's deputy minister for finance and revenue, Dr. Lin Aung, Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Japan also canceled the remaining 176.1 billion ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's Nikkei dives as yen rebound discourages investors, other Asian stock ... Washington Post BANGKOK — Japan's stock market dived Monday after the yen reversed some of its recent fall against the U.S. dollar. Stocks elsewhere in Asia were mixed as investors tried to sort out conflicting indicators about the health of the global economy. The ... See all stories on this topic »

Japan's ANA resumes Dreamliner flights AFP TOKYO — Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA), the single biggest operator of Boeing's flagship 787, said it put its Dreamliner fleet back into service Sunday following a four-month suspension due to battery problems. One of ANA's high-tech planes arrived ... See all stories on this topic »

Choppy bond markets put Japan banks on edge Moneycontrol.com Japanese government bond yield's spike to 1 percent on Thursday after Bank of Japan unveiled its radical monetary stimulus on April 4 has worried about the potential paper losses for banks which resulted in heavy selling in banking stocks listed on Nikkei. See all stories on this topic »

Kuroda Backs Japan Bulls as Stock Slump Jolts Abenomics: Economy Bloomberg Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda backed “bullish” views on asset markets and said the nation could cope with rising interest rates, failing to ease volatility in stocks as the Topix Index tumbled. There are no signs investors have “excessively ... See all stories on this topic »

China's Li Calls to Uphold Postwar Peace Amid Japan Island Spat Bloomberg A top Japanese official said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang “ignored history” by interpreting a 1945 allied agreement to mean Japan should hand over disputed islands to China. In a speech yesterday in Potsdam, Germany, site of the conference where terms of ... See all stories on this topic »

The Japan Syndrome: Rising Rates and Risky Exposures Wall Street Journal But the plunge in Japan, triggered partly by fears that interest rates might rise, is a wake-up call for U.S. investors. It is worth peering inside your portfolio to evaluate which assets could be most vulnerable once the Federal Reserve finally stops ... See all stories on this topic »

After Kenny Perry collapses again, Japan's Kohki Idoki wins Senior PGA ... Fox News ST. LOUIS – Kohki Idoki reveled in the moment, soaking in the satisfaction and suds when fellow Japanese golfers gave him a well-deserved beer shower. Kenny Perry, on the other hand, suffered through another head-shaking finish. Idoki entered the final ... See all stories on this topic »