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Takashi Umekawa
For Takashi Umekawa's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
The Aozora Bank headquarters in Tokyo. The bank surprised investors with losses tied to U.S. commercial property, sending shares down by the limit and heightening concern over global banks' exposure to souring real estate bets.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 2, 2024
Gamble on U.S. commercial property blows up for Japan’s Aozora
Shares went down by the limit and heightened concern over global banks' exposure to souring real estate bets.
Commuters in Tokyo in March. Japanese women are paid on average around 67% the salaries of men, according to a report based on around 2,000 firms’ financial statements, compiled by advisory firm Willis Towers Watson and others this month.
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2023
Investors see need for more gender pay data in Japan
Some firms have disclosed pay gaps according to different job levels, but most are revealing the minimum amount of information necessary.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 28, 2023
Japan's mega-bank CEOs paid less than global peers despite near-record profits
Japanese companies have traditionally seen compensation as a reward for rising successfully through the ranks, while paychecks elsewhere tend to reflect performance.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 28, 2023
A small Japanese town sets new precedent for women in politics
Among the country’s city councils and assemblies, men held more than 80% of the total seats as of 2021. But in Ebetsu, more than 40% of the city council members are women.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2023
Japan's emissions up for first time in eight years in blow to climate goal
The country"s emissions expanded 2% in the year ending March 2022 to 1.12 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the Environment Ministry said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 9, 2023
Funds that inflate green credentials face strict new rules in Japan
Under the FSA’s new guidelines, only funds that consider environmental, social and governance as a "key factor” when choosing investments can be marketed as such.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 3, 2023
Japan's GPIF, the world's biggest pension fund, posts longest loss in 20 years
The Government Pension Investment Fund lost 1% during the quarter ended December, or ¥1.85 trillion ($14 billion), reducing its total assets to ¥189.9 trillion.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 22, 2022
Japanese panel approves return to nuclear power as disaster memories fade
Japan's move to extend nuclear reactor lifespans reflects a shift in public opinion as the country struggles with the threat of blackouts amid Russiau2019s war in Ukraine and extreme weather.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 9, 2022
Japan to ramp up scrutiny of ESG data providers with new guidelines
With ESG assets set to reach $53 trillion by 2025, concerns are growing over the substantial influence these typically unregulated ESG data providers have over the industry.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 18, 2022
Investors wary of greenwashing in Japan’s $140 billion bond plan
The ambiguous name and a lack of details over what the proceeds would be used for are sparking concerns among investors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 30, 2022
Maruha Nichiro plans to issue Japan’s first blue bond to help ocean
The firm tapped Mizuho Securities and Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities to manage the u00a55 billion ($35 million) offering of five-year notes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 25, 2022
Japan’s new ‘green economy’ bond may fund nuclear projects
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week proposed a "green economy transformation bondu201d to raise as much as u00a520 trillion to help meet climate goals.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2022
Murata to run more plants entirely on renewable energy by March 2023
A third of Muratau2019s u00a5230 billion capital expenditure budget over the next three years will be dedicated to environment-related projects, Murata President Norio Nakajima said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 14, 2022
Green push ending 150-year tradition of bank passbooks in Japan
The countryu2019s largest bank will soon require new clients to pay u00a5550 a year for a passbook in a bid to encourage them to embrace digital services.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 3, 2021
Caution needed on ESG bonds, top Japanese finance official says
Like many countries, Japan has pledged to go net carbon neutral by 2050, but its borrowing practices differ from those in France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 26, 2021
Female graduates to outnumber men for first time at Japan’s financial regulator
Women account for eight of the 14 fresh bureaucrats planning to join the Financial Services Agency in April.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 25, 2020
Top Toshiba investor calls for inquiry in widening vote scandal
Because receipts were issued a day after voting forms were received, some were mistaken for being late even though they'd been delivered on time.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 23, 2020
Japan's SBI, eyeing shake-up of regional banks, may get a Suga boost
Suga has pledged to strengthen local economies and encourage regional banks to consolidate, a shake-up that many say is long overdue.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 11, 2020
Japan kept activist investor in limbo over key Toshiba vote, sources say
The news illustrates how Japan's tighter rules on foreign ownership may also be used to keep activist shareholders in check.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 2, 2016
Government lobbies wary firms to invest in Russia in bid to resolve territorial dispute
The government is lobbying Japanese firms to invest in Russian projects to help secure a breakthrough in a festering territorial row with Moscow when President Vladimir Putin visits Japan in December, sources have said.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world