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April 25, 2024
 

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Casey Hall
For Casey Hall's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
As their popularity grow, Shein and Temu together send almost 600,000 packages to the U.S. every day.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 22, 2024
Rise of fast-fashion Shein and Temu roils global air cargo industry
Their pursuit of limited air-cargo space to woo consumers with rapid transit times make off-peak seasons almost disappear and cause capacity shortages.
The rupture of one of the world's busiest shipping routes has exposed the vulnerability of China's export-reliant economy to supply snarls and external demand shocks.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 22, 2024
Red Sea crisis pressures China's exporters as shipping delays mount
Further Red Sea disruptions would pile pressure on a struggling economy already contending with a property crisis and weak consumer demand.
China's economy grew 5.2% last year, more than most major economies. But for many in the country, the world's second-largest economy feels like it's shrinking.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 18, 2024
For many in China, the economy feels like it is in recession
A crisis of confidence is keeping Chinese consumers from spending and businesses in the world's second-largest economy from hiring and investing.
Gold ornaments on display for sale at a Chow Tai Fook jewellery store in Shanghai.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 11, 2023
Young Chinese spurn traditional investments in favor of gold
The trend underscores uncertainty about growth prospects in the world's second-largest economy, which has not recovered from COVID-19 as fast as expected.
A woman sits on a swing attached to a giant McDonald's sign outside its themed exhibition in Beijing on Monday.
BUSINESS
Dec 4, 2023
McDonald’s raises China bet amid Western derisking trend
The move contrasts sharply with the prevailing trend of multinational corporations reeling back investments in China or even exiting altogether.
A Tiffany store in Shanghai. Luxury companies are targeting VIC's, or very important clients, as China's post-pandemic economic slowdown dries up the spending power of the middle class.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 20, 2023
Exclusivity the name of the game as firms target China's wealthiest
Brands are focusing on selling fewer, more valuable items, relying on luxury consumers.
Couples prepare to have their photo taken during a wedding photography shoot on a in Shanghai on Sept. 6.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 19, 2023
Fewer 'I dos' ruin the party for China's $500 billion wedding industry
The trend is worrying officials trying to revive marriage rates and birth rates, which dropped to record lows last year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 19, 2023
Why China could become the luxury industry's next sore spot
The luxury goods industry has relied heavily on China and North America for growth in recent years, but latest figures suggest both markets may be starting to slow.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 21, 2023
No joke: China's backlash against stand-up stirs fear of comedy clampdown
A Beijing-based comedian said a number of their shows had been canceled in the wake of a joke about the military.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
May 5, 2023
Fewer luxury shoppers but bigger spenders as Chinese return to Europe
Those trickling back to Europe are mostly business travelers and wealthier people who have the means to travel 'a bit differently.'
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Mar 3, 2023
As China ages, investors bet they can beat retirement home stigma
Who takes care of the elderly in China, where pensions are tiny, is one of the major headaches policymakers face as they deal with the start of a demographic downturn.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 18, 2023
China's pessimistic Gen Z poses challenge for Xi post-COVID
Improving young people's livelihoods without abandoning the country's export-led growth model poses inherent conflicts for a government that prioritizes social stability.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 12, 2022
Chinese consumers wary of splurging after COVID-19 restrictions fall
Glee that greeted abrupt relaxations in COVID-19 rules has been tempered with uncertainty for consumers and businesses.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 28, 2022
China tightens security after rare protests against COVID curbs
There was no sign of new protests on Monday in Beijing or Shanghai, but dozens of police were in the areas where the weekend demonstrations took place.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Nov 22, 2022
China's great reopening may come too late for many businesses
China, the last among major countries not treating COVID-19 as endemic, this month unveiled 20 new steps that eased its stringent anti-COVID policies.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Aug 9, 2022
More Chinese women delay or give up on having babies after 'COVID zero' ordeal
Strict controls on people's lives may have caused profound damage on their desire to have children, demographers say.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 20, 2022
China's international schools struggle to retain teachers deterred by COVID curbs
The schools are also facing a drop in foreign student enrollment, with many foreign families choosing to leave while others stay away.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.
Over 40% of Japan's municipalities at risk of vanishing, study finds
Of 1,729 local municipalities nationwide, 744 have been identified as being at risk of disappearing.
Tokyo issues strong warning on yen intervention as currency dips further
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks during a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on the sidelines of IMF and G20 meetings in Washington last week.
Princess Aiko makes debut at imperial garden party
Princess Aiko attends an imperial garden party in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Japan's former PM Aso meets Trump for talks on security and economy
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Taro Aso, vice president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in New York on Tuesday. The Japanese government’s top spokesman on Wednesday played down the meeting as one conducted "in the capacity of one lawmaker" and “without the government’s involvement.”
For amateur sumo, a fresh start offers hope against time-wasting and gamesmanship
Wrestlers prepare for the start of a bout at the 2023 Sumo World Championships in Tokyo. Starting this month, placing one hand on the clay first is no longer allowed.
LDP veteran Nikai's youngest son expected to succeed him in Wakayama
Toshihiro Nikai, former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, announced in March that he would not run in the next Lower House election to take responsibility for the political funds scandal that rocked his party and his own faction.
New workers name Shohei Ohtani as 'dream boss' for two years running
Shohei Ohtani has been overwhelmingly voted as the “dream boss” for people who started working in April, according to a survey.
A craft beer crawl through Tokyo’s top bars, brewpubs and dives
If all you drink is Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin, you're depriving yourself of some of the best craft beer Tokyo has to offer — and there sure is a lot of it out there.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa
A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa

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