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U.S. President Donald Trump walks toward Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 31, 2025

U.S. orders French companies to comply with Trump's DEI ban

The order will spark concerns in European boardrooms that the Trump administration is widening its fight against DEI policies overseas.
Some market participants predict that benchmark 10-year borrowing costs won’t climb as sharply as the fiscal year that ended Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 1, 2025

Japan confronts biggest bond loss globally as BOJ rate hikes upend market

The past year marked a sixth straight year of losses for Japan’s sovereign debt as the central bank raises rates while its other counterparts elsewhere are cutting them.
Rapidus is gearing up to mass produce semiconductors using 2-nanometer processes in 2027, which on paper would match Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 2, 2025

Rapidus begins pilot production of 2-nanometer chips in Hokkaido

The 2-year-old company aims to mass produce the next-generation semiconductors — vital for technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous driving — in 2027.
A drone view shows a coffee plantation in Guaxupe, Brazil, on Feb. 17.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 1, 2025

Brazil's coffee farmers turn to costly irrigation to quench global demand for the brew

Most farms in the western part of Bahia — a new frontier for coffee growing in Brazil — are now irrigated.
The logo of Xiaomi is seen on a tire wheel of the SU7, the company's first electric vehicle, on display at a showroom in Beijing on March 25.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 2, 2025

Three reported dead after Xiaomi car with driver assistance crashes

The incident is likely to spark scrutiny over the smart driving software deployed in many of today’s cars.
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking is in talks to provide corporate client data to Fujitsu to run through the IT company’s multimodal machine learning tools to make business forecasts.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 3, 2025

SMBC and Fujitsu to partner on AI-driven forecasting services

The move would be a rare instance of a Japanese bank allowing another company access to sensitive customer data.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with journalists onboard Air Force One en route to Miami on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2025

Trump open to tariff cuts in return for ‘phenomenal’ offers

"The tariffs give us great power to negotiate,” Trump said, adding that "every country has called us.”
Containers and cranes at the international port of Manila on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2025

Philippines sees benefits as Trump tariffs hit peers harder

The Philippines is striking an optimistic tone amid global anxiety over President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff move.
Nissan plans to reduce production at its Fukuoka factory and shift some manufacturing of its Rogue SUV to the United States to mitigate the impact of Trump's tariffs.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 5, 2025

Nissan considers transferring some domestic production to U.S., report says

The carmaker plans to reduce production at its Fukuoka factory and shift some manufacturing to the U.S. to mitigate the impact of Trump's tariffs.
U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order during a tariff announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on Wednesday. Trump's tariff policies are the centerpiece of his effort to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and reshape a world trade system he has long decried as unfair.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Apr 6, 2025

Trump promised a manufacturing boom. Industries are not so sure.

Some question the tariffs' underlying logic, saying that supply chain issues, high costs and other obstacles stand may in the way.
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs for Washington, at Palm Beach International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 7, 2025

Trump team rejects market fears, projecting defiance on tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump’s top economic officials dismissed investors’ fears of inflation and recession, insisting a boom is on the horizon.
Pedestrians stand in front of an electronic board showing the numbers of the Nikkei Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange along a street in the Japanese capital on Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 7, 2025

Nikkei plunges in third-biggest daily loss ever amid Trump tariff concerns

The index closed down 2,644 points, or 7.82%, from Friday at 31,136.58, its lowest finish since Oct. 31, 2023.
The TikTok logo is seen outside the Chinese video app company's Los Angeles offices on Friday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 7, 2025

Trump says China tariff objections stalled TikTok deal

ByteDance is required to divest TikTok’s U.S. unit but the company has balked at selling a business valued in the billions.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Japan does not intend to seek direct confrontation with the U.S. over the newly levied tariffs, during a parliamentary committee session in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 7, 2025

Japan to avoid direct confrontation with the U.S. over Trump tariffs

The Japanese prime minister is calling for a more diplomatic and fact-based approach, in part by examining U.S. allegations about trade barriers.
One of Honda's most senior executives resigned over allegations he’d engaged in inappropriate conduct during a social gathering outside of work hours.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 7, 2025

Senior Honda executive resigns after allegations of misconduct

Honda’s audit committee investigated the accusations against Shinji Aoyama, an executive vice president and board director, and compiled a disciplinary action plan.
A screen displays rising share prices outside a securities firm in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 8, 2025

Japan stocks rebound on hopes of Trump tariff deal and weaker yen

Major shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended Tuesday's session at 33,012.58, up 1,876 points, or 6.02%, from Monday, when it suffered its third-biggest daily point loss.
Economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa enters the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 8, 2025

Japan and U.S. appoint tariff negotiators after Ishiba-Trump phone call

Ryosei Akazawa, minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, will spearhead talks with the U.S.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner speaks as others look on during a news conference to unveil legislation that would allow the White House to "ban or prohibit" foreign technology products such as the Chinese-owned video app TikTok during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington in March 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 8, 2025

Top Democratic senator says new Trump TikTok extension may violate law

Sen. Mark Warner also said the reported deal under consideration would not meet legal requirements for eliminating ByteDance’s influence over TikTok’s U.S. operations.
Japan posted a surplus in the current account balance for the first time in two months, mainly as the trade balance turned into a surplus.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 8, 2025

Japan's current account surplus hits record high in February

The country posted a surplus in the current account balance, mainly as the trade balance turned into a surplus.
The Osaka tax bureau found ¥1.3 billion in unreported income as Kawasaki Heavy Industries pooled funds through fictitious transactions related to repair contracts for MSDF submarines.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2025

Kawasaki Heavy hit with ¥1 billion in back taxes over MSDF scandal

The defense contractor was found to have wined and dined Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel.
A chemical plant in Mie Prefecture. The number of business failures linked to soaring labor costs and labor shortages increased 1.6 times to 309, the highest since fiscal 2013.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2025

Japan bankruptcies in fiscal 2024 hit 11-year high

The result reflected a surge in the number of bankruptcies due to labor shortages, particularly among small and midsize companies, and rising prices.
A woman looks at cranes and shipping containers from an observation platform at Pyeongtaek port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on April 2.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 9, 2025

Trump optimistic after call about tariffs with South Korea

South Korea's trade minister is traveling to Washington to meet U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for tariff negotiations.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) signage on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. TSMC could face a penalty of $1 billion or more to settle a U.S. export control investigation over a chip it made that ended up inside a Huawei artificial intelligence processor,
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 9, 2025

TSMC could face $1 billion or more fine from U.S. probe, sources say

The penalty is to settle a U.S. export control investigation over a chip it made that ended up inside a Huawei artificial intelligence processor.
Seven & I Holdings released forecasts for this year's operating profit and revenue that are lower than analysts' estimates.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 9, 2025

Seven & I’s guidance miss adds to pressure amid takeover bid

Seven & I said it expects domestic convenience store sales to rise 9.4% this fiscal year, while seeing revenue from overseas convenience stores falling 3.6%.
The operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores is taking a series of steps to boost its value, including share buybacks, selling the under-performing superstore business and divesting its banking unit.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 10, 2025

Seven & I jumps most in a month on buyback plan and broader buying

The operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores is taking a series of steps to try to boost shareholder value amid a takeover bid by Canadian retailer Alimentation Couche-Tard.
Guests play the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console at an event in Paris on April 2.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 10, 2025

Nintendo gets breathing room on tariffs — just in time for Switch 2 launch

Nintendo dodges a 46% tariff on Vietnam-assembled consoles, buying time to flood the U.S. with Switch 2 units before the launch window closes.
U.S. President Donald Trump's abrupt U-turn on his tariff measures has been met with a mix of relief and bewilderment.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 11, 2025

U.S. allies greet Trump’s tariff U-turn with relief and defiance

As governments try to divine what would convince Trump to grant permanent waivers, his new willingness to reverse course inserts another layer of uncertainty.
Environmental, social and governance funds are increasingly looking to Japan, as efforts to boost diversity are coming amid a regulatory and government push for better corporate governance.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 11, 2025

Trump’s DEI rollback gives Japan a chance to draw ESG inflows

Japanese firms have long lagged behind their Western peers on gender equality, but the U.S. crackdown on diversity may give them a chance to shine.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks outside the White House in Washington on Wednesday. Bessent appears to have taken a larger role in articulating U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies to financial markets.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 11, 2025

Amid turmoil over tariffs, Bessent rises in Trump trade world

Multiple sources close to the White House said the former hedge fund manager was giving the U.S. president the best counsel among a team of advisers on trade.
Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture in 2017. Travel agencies catering to luxury tourists often include areas outside well-known cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto in their itineraries offered.
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2025

A trip to remember: Japan answers the demand for curated luxury travel

Creating a unique experience that luxury travelers feel they can hold on to well after their trip is part of the challenge.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years