Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Emi Urabe
For Emi Urabe's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Corporate Aug 21, 2013
Cost to insure Tepco's debt soars on back of bad news
The bond risk for Tokyo Electric Power Co., from whose stricken Fukushima nuclear plant highly radioactive water is flowing into the sea, surged the most since June on concern delays in getting reactors started at another atomic plant will spoil its loans. The cost ...
Corporate Aug 1, 2013
Son reshaping Softbank seen in $20 billion loan
Softbank Corp.’s cost of refinancing debt from its purchase of Sprint Corp. will be less than half of what it paid seven years ago to acquire the Vodafone unit that launched its mobile phone operations. Now Japan’s third-largest mobile carrier, Softbank expects to pay ...
Business Jul 14, 2011
Sanrio to cut reliance on Hello Kitty
Sanrio Co. aims to spend as much as ¥30 billion to buy the rights to a character for the first time and cut its reliance on Hello Kitty. “We want to diversify our character portfolio instead of spending time to boost recognition of our ...
National Nov 9, 2010
Miniskirts hit Mount Fuji as 'yama girls' take on trekking
Forget the ice ax and ¥50,000 climbing boots. The “mode du jour” for today’s mountain hikers is the miniskirt and leggings. The North Face, maker of the Gore-Tex waterproof jacket, and Alpine Tour Service Co. are targeting “yama girls,” or mountain girls, the nickname ...