National / Social Issues Apr 29, 2021

Tokyo to push Olympic sponsors on gender parity following gaffes

A pledge to advance equality and inclusion is also expected to come next month from the games' organizing committee.

National | FOCUS Mar 24, 2021

How the Tokyo Olympics became one big public relations quagmire

Japan’s Olympic organizers have all but lost control of any messaging, with no real strategy to generate any momentum toward holding the fast-approaching games.

Summer Olympics Mar 12, 2021

JOC president Yasuhiro Yamashita no stranger to Olympic frustration

The former judo heavyweight, who missed out on the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to an international boycott, is optimistic that the postponed Tokyo Games will go on this summer.

National | FOCUS Mar 3, 2021

Fear of being upstaged by China fuels Japan’s Olympics push

Japan’s fear of losing face against its closest regional rival has upped the ante for the Summer Games.

Business Feb 18, 2021

Cash-loving Japan shifts from notes and coins in boost for banks

As banks move toward digitalization, the pandemic has added an incentive for consumers and merchants to avoid touching physical money.

National Jan 14, 2021

Shadow hangs over Olympics once more with Japan virus surge

Japan is one of several countries where the virus has made a comeback in winter months with Tokyo finding a record 2,447 cases on Jan. 7.

Business / Corporate Dec 25, 2020

Junichi Hanzawa, MUFG’s next banking unit chief, targets Asia for growth

Japan’s biggest bank has been aggressively expanding in Asia, where it has spent about $15 billion buying stakes in lenders in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Business / Corporate Dec 22, 2020

Sumitomo Mitsui on hunt for Asian lender and U.S. partner for deals

The plans underscore how the bank is looking beyond the current dip to grow abroad, with low interest rates and a graying population hampering prospects at home.

Business Dec 11, 2020

Japan banks struggle to unwind last ¥4.6 trillion in cross-shareholdings

Having already divested trillions of yen under pressure from regulators and investors, megabanks are now down to a clutch of firms that are resistant to stake sales.

Business / Corporate Nov 11, 2020

Japanese banks to hit profit goals as stimulus curtails bad loans

Any moderation of bad-loan charges would mirror a trend seen around the world this earnings season, after banks from Singapore to the U.S. kept defaults at bay.