Corporate Mar 13, 2014
Japan to name, shame firms that refuse to hike pay
The government threatens to out big firms that refuse to hike wages in this year's spring labor talks as Japan seeks a way to conquer deflation.
National Mar 13, 2014
Maehara urges Abe to better ties with U.S., Seoul
Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara is calling for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to work toward more stable relations with the United States and South Korea after rifts over historical disputes. Maehara, a prominent member of the Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition force, ...
Economy Mar 12, 2014
Key firms agree to hike pay scales
Many major firms notified their labor unions Wednesday that they will raise pay scales to conclude this year’s spring wage negotiations, responding to strong calls from the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to help end long-standing deflation. Toyota Motor Corp., which has huge ...
National Mar 12, 2014
Abe pitches trilateral meet to kick-start chilly ties with Seoul
The government is trying to arrange a trilateral summit with South Korea and the United States for this month in a bid to thaw Tokyo’s frozen relations with Seoul, an official said Wednesday. But Seoul appears cool to the idea of a meeting between ...
Politics & Diplomacy Mar 12, 2014
Japan falls to 127th global ranking of female lawmakers
While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed to empower women, the country continues to rank poorly in the number of female Diet members — placing 127th, far below China, South Korea and even North Korea, a global U.N. survey released Tuesday showed. “It is ...
Politics & Diplomacy Mar 10, 2014
Abe, Obama may chat in Netherlands this month
Japan and the United States are considering holding a summit later this month when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Barack Obama attend an international conference in the Netherlands, a Japanese government source said Monday. The meeting would provide an opportunity for the leaders ...
Politics & Diplomacy Mar 8, 2014
Abe to tell Putin of Japan's trilateral stance with U.S. and EU on Ukraine crisis
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to inform Russian President Vladimir Putin of the unified policy adopted by Tokyo, Washington and the EU on the Ukraine crisis.
Politics & Diplomacy Mar 8, 2014
Abe, Obama agree Ukraine's sovereignty must be respected
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed on Friday to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a 40-minute telephone conversation, Obama explained to Abe the United States’ decision to place economic sanctions and visa restrictions on Russians following Russia’s military ...
Japan-related Mar 7, 2014
Mending Japan-S. Korea ties
by Jeffrey W. Hornung
The downward spiral in relations between Tokyo and Seoul over history issues cannot continue. But both should not expect the U.S. to mediate their dispute.
National Mar 6, 2014
Spending on Fukushima ballooning three years on
The government is expected to use a substantial amount of money to develop advanced technology aimed at mitigating the ongoing effects of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The government has budgeted more than ¥166 billion for technological development at ...
Politics & Diplomacy | ANALYSIS Mar 5, 2014
Japan's embrace of Russia under threat with Ukraine crisis
by Aaron Sheldrick
Russia’s incursion into Ukraine is setting off alarm bells in Tokyo, where officials worry that any push by the nation’s Western allies to impose economic penalties will undermine its drive to improve relations with Moscow. While U.S. President Barack Obama and other Group of ...
National Mar 5, 2014
U.S. calls for 'urgent' restraint to ease Japan, Korea tensions
The United States expresses concern about tensions between Japan and Korea and says its two main allies in Asia cannot afford to let historical rivalry interfere with ensuring security in the region.