Business / Financial Markets | FOCUS Nov 9, 2020
Biden victory likely to boost Tokyo stocks; market eyes policy
Many analysts forecast the 225-issue Nikkei average will move between 23,000 and 24,000 toward the end of the year.
Su Xincheng
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Business / Financial Markets | FOCUS Sep 17, 2020
Focus on snap poll as Suga's continuity policy gives market firm footing
Market participants are closely watching whether the new prime minister will dissolve the Lower House for a snap election to strengthen his grip on power.
Business / Economy | FOCUS Sep 1, 2020
Abe's departure after mixed economic results to test market confidence
Japan's longest-serving prime minister is leaving an economy that is smaller, badly hit by the pandemic and with more debt than when he returned to power in 2012.
National Jul 26, 2020
Tokyoites leaving bustle behind for space and nature as pandemic proves catalyst for change
As companies close offices in central Tokyo or encourage employees to work from home to stay safe from the coronavirus pandemic, young people are relocating to the suburbs where rents are cheaper, space less at a premium and nature nearer the doorstep. With Japanese work ...
Business / Corporate | FOCUS Jun 7, 2020
Japanese firms rush to develop cooler masks as summer approaches
Inventive companies are adding tricot, xylitol and even coolant packs to masks as medical experts warn using them in hot and humid weather might cause health problems.
National Mar 6, 2020
With schools closed, Japanese firms offer children easy access to e-learning
E-learning program providers are offering their services for free to help students keep up with their studies while schools in Japan remain closed over the coronavirus outbreak. Major manga publishers are taking the same step to keep students entertained as the government calls on students ...
Business Jan 28, 2020
Former nurse's fresh ideas transform struggling Hokkaido fishing business
In a small fishing village in Hokkaido, Shiho Tateoka rises at 6 a.m. and sends her three children off to school before starting a day of handling fish sales. When that's done, she's back on social media searching for more clients. The 43-year-old used to live ...
Business Mar 29, 2019
Cash-obsessed Japan slowly buying into digital payment systems
Every few meters along a shopping street near towering Tokyo Skytree, signs with the words "PayPay used here" can be seen promoting the availability of an electronic payment option, an option that remains a relatively uncommon offering in cash-obsessed Japan. Despite its reputation as one ...
National / Social Issues Jan 17, 2019
No-peel appeal: Novelty banana grower is showcase for integration of mentally disabled workers in Japan
On a farm employing a sophisticated technique to develop special bananas in Okayama Prefecture, people with disabilities play a major role in the routine work of watering, fertilizing and removing yellowing leaves from the plants. Every morning, several mentally disabled workers come to the banana ...
Business Oct 14, 2018
Business lobby Keidanren's plan to nix hiring rules makes waves in Japan
Every spring, hordes of young people dressed in matching dark business suits descend on workplaces across the country. They have not yet joined the ranks of the country's ubiquitous salarymen and women but rather are university students beginning a monthslong job hunt. But as companies ...