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July 06, 2025
 

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Chikafumi Hodo
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2021
Treasury traders seek moment of truth from Japan’s life insurers
With combined assets equivalent to $3.6 trillion, and one-quarter of this in foreign securities, even minor shifts in Japanese insurer allocations can impact markets.
BUSINESS
Apr 12, 2021
Japan's GPIF, forerunner on ESG investing, pulls back as trend catches on
Constrained by stricter legal restraints, the world's top pension fund has largely been quiet on impact investing since appointing a new chief investment officer in April 2020.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 31, 2021
World’s top pension fund faces moment of truth on China debt
The GPIF's decision will also be crucial for other Japanese public and private pension funds which have been mulling opportunities to invest in Chinese government debt.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 22, 2021
Fire and ice aggravate chip supply headache for car industry
A fire at a semiconductor factory in Japan, cold weather in North America and ongoing competition for chips are all hitting the global auto industry at the same time.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 8, 2021
Pension fund that mimics world’s largest boosts ESG stocks
The Pension Fund Association for Local Government Officials, known as Chikyoren, has increased its exposure to environment, social and governance themes to about u00a5820 billion ($7.8 billion).
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 2, 2020
‘Widow maker’ bets in play as Japan's superlong bond yields peak
Waning demand from key buyers plus less central bank support could set the stage for bonds to extend losses.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 23, 2020
Pandemic spurs forex trading surge among Japan’s teleworking salarymen
The COVID-19 pandemic is fueling a surge in currency trading by retail investors, who are discovering that working from home means they can moonlight in the market during the daytime.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets / CURRENCY MARKET
Dec 30, 2019
Good time to buy yen with your dollars, history suggests
The last quarter of 2019 has been painful for yen bulls, but if history is any guide, good times may be just around the corner.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 23, 2019
Army of Japanese, eager to make extra money, rocking global currency markets
Popular tales of "Mrs. Watanabe" — the canny Japanese housewife who dabbles in currency trading in between school runs and shopping — barely begin to tell the story of the nation's retail traders in the foreign exchange market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 7, 2019
Bank of Japan chief Kuroda's pain threshold put to test as yen rallies and yields slump
Global financial turmoil is turning up the heat on the Bank of Japan, raising the question of how much pain it can take before it is forced to act.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets / FOCUS
Aug 22, 2018
Bank of Japan's threat to global bonds fizzles as Japanese insurers stay put
For all the frenzy over the Bank of Japan's first policy tweak in almost two years, little seems to have changed for the nation's insurers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
May 12, 2017
Macron win seen ending Japan's record sale of French bonds
Like any good love affair, it has had its ups and downs.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

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