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EDITORIALS
Dec 24, 2008

Worsening economic prospects

The government's economic report for December states that Japanese economic conditions are "worsening," a downgrade from the previous month's assessment that "the economy has weakened further." The term "worsening" was used for the first since February 2002, after the information-technology bubble had...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 23, 2008

Tight budgets or not, the year's hit products roll on

As the year rushes toward its finale, Japan's media devotes a lot of coverage to identifying hitto shōhin (ヒット商品, hit products) that have succeeded in capturing consumers' hearts and minds over the previous 12 months.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2008

Toy company CEOs dress up to play Santa

To help boost the sagging toy market, toy company executives transformed themselves into one-day Santa Clauses on Saturday to promote their products for Christmas.
Japan Times
JAPAN / MIXED MATCHES
Dec 13, 2008

Pair's flexibility keeps their options open

Smart couples have smart rules.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 11, 2008

Bad timing hurts auctioneers' plans

One of the positive developments that Jonathan Stone, head of development in Asia for Christie's, saw in the otherwise disappointing contemporary-art auctions held this month in Hong Kong was that they "showed that Hong Kong has become the center of contemporary art in Asia."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 11, 2008

Was that the sound of the China art bubble bursting?

As quickly as it appeared, the Chinese contemporary art boom ended last week in Hong Kong.
BUSINESS
Dec 11, 2008

Large firms turning to state as lender of last resort

The government may become the lender of last resort for large companies struggling to obtain financing as the economy worsens and the corporate bond market remains weak.
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2008

Hong Kong exports boost farmers

Japan's agriculture has long had a global reputation for protectionism and weak price competition for rice grown in its rural areas.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 5, 2008

New tourism agency ambushed by high yen

When the Japan Tourism Agency opened for business on Oct. 1 to attract more Asian travelers, the timing could hardly have been worse.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2008

Idemitsu plans 15% quarterly cut in oil processing as demand wanes

Idemitsu Kosan Co., Japan's second-largest oil refiner, said Friday it plans to cut crude oil processing by 15 percent in the quarter ending Dec. 31 as demand for gasoline and other petroleum products declines.
BUSINESS
Nov 28, 2008

Nipponkoa ups target in response to Southeastern

Nipponkoa Insurance Co., the nation's fourth-largest casualty insurer, has raised its profit target and vowed to cut costs and increase sales in response to pressure from its biggest shareholder, Southeastern Asset Management Inc.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2008

Diageo makes Kirin new distributor

Kirin Holdings Co., Japan's biggest beverage maker, will start selling Diageo PLC's beers and spirits in Japan from June, ending Sapporo Holdings Ltd.'s 44-year sales contract with the British company.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 23, 2008

Where are world's 'targeted' tourists visiting in Japan?

As part of the Visit Japan Campaign, the central government identified 12 "target" countries and regions on which to concentrate marketing activities. Have their efforts paid off? We asked industry insiders from each of the selected countries how Japan was perceived as a tourist destination.
BUSINESS
Nov 18, 2008

Service demand decreases for second month

Demand for services fell for the second straight month in September as squeezed profits began to affect employment and paychecks, dimming prospects for consumer spending to support the world's second-largest economy, the government said Monday.
BUSINESS
Nov 15, 2008

Asia's emerging-economy exports may slump 20%, Nomura says

SINGAPORE (Bloomberg) Exports from Asia's developing economies may decline 20 percent over the next year as a deepening global slowdown hurts demand for the region's products, according to Nomura International (HK) Ltd.
EDITORIALS
Nov 14, 2008

Hard times for U.S. automakers

If there were any doubts about the severity of the economic downturn and its impact on the "real economy," they were put to rest last week by reports from U.S. automakers. General Motors Corp. warned that it may not have enough cash to keep operating through the year; Ford's situation is not as dire,...
BUSINESS
Nov 14, 2008

Industry use down at Chubu Electric

Chubu Electric Power Co., the utility that supplies power to Toyota Motor Co., said sales to industrial users may have fallen in October for the third straight month as the slowdown in the U.S. economy hits Japanese exports.
EDITORIALS
Nov 12, 2008

Financial crisis hits home

The global financial crisis is hitting Japanese companies hard. Symbolic is Toyota Motor Co.'s prediction of its own business performance for the full year to March 2009. The rise of the yen's value and the slowing down of the world economy as seen in decreased auto sales in the United States and Europe...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 12, 2008

Toyota iQ named year's top car

The Toyota iQ "microcar" has been named Japan's car of the year, giving the automaker a potential tool to lure buyers away from BMW's Mini brand, the award organizer said Tuesday.

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?