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Cantourage employees inspect and process cannabis flowers at the company's production site at an undisclosed location in Bavaria, southern Germany, on April 29.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 19, 2025

High times for German cannabis firm amid medical boom

Cantourage's revenue totaled €51.4 million ($57.5 million) last year, a 118% increase on 2023.
Sakana AI Chief Operating Officer Ren Ito (left) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group President Hironori Kamezawa in Tokyo on Friday. The companies have entered into a ¥5 billion ($34 million) deal to automate the creation of banking documents.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 19, 2025

Sakana AI and MUFG sign agreement to automate creation of banking documents

The AI Scientist, which was originally designed for automating scientific discovery, including manuscript writing and peer review, will be used.
Wendy McMahon, CEO of CBS News, speaks during the Axios BFD event in New York on Oct. 12, 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 20, 2025

CBS News boss resigns amid tensions with Trump admin

"The past few months have been challenging," CEO Wendy McMahon wrote in a goodbye letter to staff. "It's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward."
Huawei Technologies has unveiled its first in-house operating system for personal computers.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 20, 2025

Huawei unveils in-house operating system to replace Windows

The rollout of HarmonyOS on the company's new laptops comes as China pushes to replace American technologies amid rising geopolitical tensions.
A lot at a Nissan plant in Mexico. The company may have overextended itself during the Ghosn era.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
May 20, 2025

Nissan’s troubles might go all the way back to Ghosn 

Some analysts argue that aggressive expansion by the iconoclastic executive left the company overextended.
Seven & I Holdings plans to sell part of its stake in Seven Bank to Itochu, sources said, as a part of efforts to improve its corporate value by focusing on its convenience store business.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 21, 2025

Seven & I considers selling portion of Seven Bank shares to Itochu

The move is part of efforts to improve its corporate value by focusing on its convenience store business amid a bid to acquire it.
A branch of Danish jewelry maker Pandora in central Copenhagen on Feb. 6, 2024. Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik said the company is debating whether to raise prices globally or more in the U.S.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 21, 2025

Global retailers' tariff strategy risks spreading pain beyond U.S. consumer

Raising prices elsewhere to avoid big hikes in the U.S. risks fueling inflation in those other markets.
A RAV4 model in 2018. The latest generation of the compact crossover available later this year comes equipped with a standard or plug-in hybrid powertrain, dropping the gas-powered option that makes up the bulk of current sales in the U.S.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 21, 2025

Toyota takes all-hybrid plunge with its bestselling U.S. vehicle

Toyota has long been skeptical of the industry push to go all-in on fully electric vehicles, opting instead for a multipronged approach.
Elon Musk boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on March 21
BUSINESS / Tech
May 21, 2025

Musk commits to Tesla CEO role and plans political pullback

"If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it,” Musk said. "I do not currently see a reason.”
Tokio Marine Holdings, MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings and Sompo Holdings posted record consolidated net profits for the second straight year in fiscal 2024, which ended in March, driven by gains from the sale of cross-held shares, according to their earnings reports.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 21, 2025

All three major Japanese nonlife insurers log record net profits

Net profit went up some 1.5 times to ¥1,055.2 billion at Tokio Marine Holding.
The parliament passed a bill to revise the law regulating Nippon Telegraph and Telephone's operations at a House of Councilors plenary session on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 21, 2025

Japan enacts revised NTT law

The amendments to the NTT law no longer require the former state-run company to provide uniform fixed-line telephone services throughout the country.
A cargo ship bound for China during a ceremony at a port in the northern Taiwan city of Keelung. Skittish foreign investors have pulled nearly $11 billion out of Taiwan stocks this year.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 22, 2025

No place to hide from any China-Taiwan conflict, investors say

For investors, the options are to stay out of Taiwan completely or stay invested and hope for the best.
An Aeon store in Osaka. Aeon, the country’s largest supermarket chain operator, last month said it will launch a tender offer to make Tsuruha a consolidated subsidiary at ¥11,400 per share.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 23, 2025

Tsuruha shareholders to vote on criticized Aeon merger plan

The chorus reflects rising shareholder activism in Japan in recent years as the country’s governance reforms embolden investors.
U.S. President Donald Trump points as he boards Air Force One en route to New Jersey, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 24, 2025

Trump announces Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel ‘partnership’ deal

Media reports said the agreement signaled the approval of a takeover of the iconic American company by the Japanese steelmaker.
At a warehouse managed by online grocer BigBasket in central Mumbai, employees work with military-like precision to pull off deliveries in just 10 minutes.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2025

In India's congested cities, delivery apps cash in

Delivery apps have faltered elsewhere in recent years, but sales in India have soared from $100 million in 2020 to an estimated $6 billion in 2024.
Tsuruha shareholders approved a merger plan with Welcia, which will result in an effective acquisition by supermarket chain Aeon.
BUSINESS
May 26, 2025

Tsuruha shareholders approve future merger with rival drugstore Welcia

Tsuruha, based in Sapporo, has announced it will integrate its operations with Welcia, the biggest force within the Japanese pharmacy industry, in December.
Japan lost its position as the world’s largest creditor nation for the first time in 34 years despite posting a record amount of overseas assets, with Germany overtaking the country.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 27, 2025

Japan loses top creditor status for first time in 34 years

Despite Japan’s net external assets rising to a record high, it lost the top position to Germany.
Nippon Steel headquarters in Tokyo. The U.S. government is poised to receive a so-called golden share in U.S. Steel as a condition for approving Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of the American company.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 28, 2025

Golden share fix proposed for knotty Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel deal

The plan would give the U.S. government a veto over certain company decisions.
A Skechers store in Times Square in New York. The company has announced plans to sell to investment firm 3G Capital in a take-private deal for about $9.4 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 28, 2025

Retailers pummeled by Trump's trade war entertain more 'take-private' offers

Such companies have been hard-hit by rapidly shifting tariff announcements and are frustrated with an inability to provide earnings guidance.
Workers assemble a Nissan Juke at the production line at Nissan's factory in Sunderland, England, in November 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 28, 2025

Nissan seeks to raise $7 billion with backing from U.K. government

The struggling automaker plans to issue debt and sell assets to raise funds for keeping its operations on track, according to internal documents.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at the Regulatory Reform Promotion Council on Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN
May 29, 2025

Japan may allow bus and railway firms to enter ride-hailing business

The council called for promoting ride-hailing services to address the nationwide transportation shortage and suggested a trial for bus and railway operators.
Tokyo’s consumer price index that serves as a leading indicator for national inflation trends posted in May the biggest year-on-year rise since January 2023.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 30, 2025

Tokyo prices rising most in two years keeps BOJ on hike path

The food price gains are a worrisome sign for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of a summer election expected to be held by July.
Pipelines at Jera's thermal power station in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture
BUSINESS / Companies
May 30, 2025

Japan’s top LNG importer will explore buying from Alaska

Jera, which is also the nation’s largest power producer, inked the nonbinding pact ahead of a summit in the U.S. state next week.
Tokyo-listed Dai-ichi Life has been aggressively expanding beyond traditional life insurance in Japan and focusing on asset management as one of its growth areas.
BUSINESS
May 30, 2025

Dai-ichi Life to buy $1.1 billion M&G stake in partnership

Tokyo-listed Dai-ichi Life has been aggressively expanding beyond traditional life insurance in Japan and focusing on asset management as one of its growth areas.
Since last summer, the Bank of Japan has been reducing its buying of government bonds by ¥400 billion every quarter, but that process will come to a halt, according to former board member Makoto Sakurai.
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2025

BOJ likely to stop cutting bond purchases in next fiscal year, ex-official says

The government’s cost for debt servicing has risen to about a quarter of its budget for this fiscal year, thanks partly to higher interest rates.
Toyota group companies could establish a new holding company to privatize Toyota Industries.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 3, 2025

Toyota Industries receives $33 billion buyout offer from group companies

The deal would be in line with government efforts to encourage big companies to unwind cross-held shares with subsidiaries and other businesses.
Business and household sentiments "have deteriorated recently," Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda said Tuesday at an event in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 4, 2025

Uncertainties over Trump tariffs extremely strong, BOJ chief says

The Bank of Japan will continue to raise interest rates if the Japanese economy and prices move in line with the central bank's outlook, Gov. Kazuo Ueda added.
Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China in 2010.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 4, 2025

Global alarms rise as China's critical mineral export curbs take hold

China has a stranglehold on minerals crucial for sectors ranging from aerospace to semiconductors.
Japanese trading companies' shares gained following comments from Warren Buffett at the Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting that he expects his company to hold the shares for 50 years or more.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 4, 2025

Buffett inspires retail investors to bet on Japan trading houses

Japanese trading companies shares gained following comments from Warren Buffett that he expects his company to hold the shares for 50 years or more.
U.S. President Donald Trump at the U.S. Steel Corporation Irvin Works facility in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, on Friday
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 4, 2025

U.K. avoids doubled U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs as countries eye trade pact

The U.S. announcement, which exempts British steel and aluminum from a doubling of tariffs to 50%, came in a proclamation that will raise metals tariffs for other countries.

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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