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Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida (left), Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe (second from left) and Takao Kato, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, hold a news conference on merger talks on Monday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 23, 2024

Honda-Nissan megamerger in the works

Both carmakers are facing overcapacity and the need for huge investments related to electric-vehicle and self-driving technologies.
JR Kyushu concluded that it will not be able to guarantee the safety of the Queen Beetle high-speed passenger ferry operations even after safety measures are taken.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 24, 2024

JR Kyushu to end passenger ship operations after water leak incident

JR Kyushu Jet Ferry covered up a water leak incident on its high-speed passenger ferry linking Hakata Port with the city of Busan in South Korea.
David Nemecek
BUSINESS
Dec 25, 2024

The star dealmakers remaking the rules of corporate debt

The world of liability management is a small, aggressive and, thus far, male-dominated corner of corporate finance.
A poster depicting the characters of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" in Tokyo's Shibuya Station in 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 28, 2024

Sony's Crunchyroll finds its early lead in anime under attack

Netflix, Walt Disney and Amazon are all digging into their deep pockets to license shows, making it more expensive for anime-steaming site to compete.
A Dior store front in Rome. Despite passing audits, Dior's contractors in Italy have been accused of labor abuses.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 2, 2025

Inside luxury goods' broken audit system

Revelations of worker exploitation in Dior's Italian production chain have exposed flaws in supply chain audits and triggered judicial action.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket in Cape Canaveral, Florida
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 6, 2025

Italy plans $1.6 billion SpaceX telecom security services deal

In 2024 alone, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has added more than 20 nations to its Starlink satellite internet service.
Paloma Rheem Holdings is offering to buy Fujitsu General, Fujitsu’s air-conditioner unit.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 7, 2025

Japanese oven maker to buy out Fujitsu General for $1.6 billion

Paloma Rheem Holdings is offering to pay Fujitsu General stockholders ¥2,808 a share, or as much as ¥164.7 billion.
Prices continue to outpace wage increases in Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 9, 2025

Real wages fall for a fourth month, squeezing Japanese households further

Inflation-adjusted real wages dropped 0.3% from a year earlier in November as some food prices and utility rates increased.
Seven & I Holdings reported Thursday that its operating profit was ¥128.4 billion during the three months to the end of November, compared with ¥169 billion a year earlier.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 9, 2025

Seven & I profit drops despite recovery in convenience stores

Operating profit was ¥128.4 billion during the three months to the end of November, compared with ¥169 billion a year earlier.
The TikTok logo is displayed outside the offices of the social media app's company offices in Culver City, California, in 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 14, 2025

China discusses sale of TikTok U.S. to Elon Musk as possible option

Under one scenario that’s been discussed by the Chinese government, Musk’s X would take control of TikTok U.S. and run the businesses together.
Mitsubishi Corp. will stop buying and selling refined metals and mineral resources in the Chinese spot market after a suspected fraud by one of its copper traders caused a huge loss.
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2025

Mitsubishi Corp. quits China metal trading after copper fraud

Mitsubishi announced a ¥13.8 billion loss "in its Chinese trading business” in its quarterly earnings in November.
Cleveland-Cliffs is reportedly in talks with North Carolina-based steelmaker Nucor to acquire U.S. Steel.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 14, 2025

Japan avoids commenting on Cleveland-Cliffs CEO's provocative comment

Lourenco Goncalves’ remarks over Nippon Steel’s takeover bid for U.S. Steel and description of Japan as being "evil" stunned many in Tokyo.
The Nasdaq MarketSite is seen on the day that shares of Trump Media & Technology Group start trading under the ticker "DJT" in New York on March 26, 2024.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 21, 2025

Trump's crypto and Truth Social believers bet on his presidency

Hundreds of thousands of U.S. retail investors have linked their fortunes with those of the president they support.
Tetsuji Ohashi, chairman of the Special Committee on Management and Labor Policy, holds a news conference after announcing the guidelines for 2025 spring wage negotiations.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 21, 2025

Keidanren urges member companies to consider pay scale hikes

Keidanren vowed to make every effort for the continuation of wage increases to cope with rising prices.
The production line at Tanmiah Food’s chicken processing plant in Shaqra, Saudi Arabia
BUSINESS
Jan 26, 2025

Chickens hatch across the Saudi desert in kingdom’s pivot from oil

The kingdom imports about 80% of what it eats, triggering worries about shortages in a time of rising geopolitical tensions.
"The public and private sectors need to work as one to realize (Keidanren's) targets," Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a joint meeting of the public and private sectors to expand domestic investment, held on Monday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 28, 2025

Keidanren sets ¥200 trillion capital spending target for fiscal 2040

The target was unveiled at a joint meeting of the public and private sectors to expand domestic investment.
Hiroki Totoki had taken up more of the leadership burden at Tokyo-based Sony two years prior, when he added the titles of president and chief operating officer to his role as chief financial officer.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 29, 2025

Sony names finance chief Hiroki Totoki as its next CEO

Kenichiro Yoshida, the outgoing CEO, will remain as chairperson of the board.
Even before U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office this month, uncertainty motivated businesses to rush shipments.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Jan 31, 2025

Companies race to ship goods to the U.S. ahead of potential tariffs

Even before Trump returned to office, uncertainty motivated many businesses to rush shipments to the U.S.
Ditching the U.S.' normal trade relations designation for China could lead to an automatic jump in levies, at rates that could far exceed what Trump has so far slapped on China.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Feb 6, 2025

Trump's China focus increases odds of end to special trading status

The Permanent Normal Trade Relations designation was was extended to China in 2000.
Visitors pack Bourbon Street on Saturday ahead of the NFL's Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, in New Orleans, Louisiana,
WORLD
Feb 9, 2025

Super Bowl parade celebrates fact that New Orleans is 'still in business'

New Orleans mixed celebration and remembrance with a Super Bowl parade ahead of the big game.
Semiconductor chips on a printed circuit board in in 2023. Chinese companies' dramatic increase in legacy chip production capacity in recent years has forced Taiwanese foundries to retreat or pursue more advanced and specialty processes.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 10, 2025

Taiwan's legacy chip sector contemplates future as China eats into share​

Strong funding support from Beijing and an embrace of lower margins have enabled Chinese foundries to undercut Taiwanese rivals on price.
The entrance to Walt Disney studios in Burbank, California
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 12, 2025

Disney softens diversity criteria used to determine manager pay

Disney is the latest company to soften its focus on diversity, equity and inclusion amid a growing backlash against such policies by mostly conservative groups.
In its new medium-term business plan, Suzuki also included a goal to increase its sales to 8 trillion yen in the fiscal year beginning April 2030 from 5,374.2 billion yen in fiscal 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 20, 2025

Suzuki targets operating profit of ¥800 billion in FY 2030

Suzuki will spend ¥4 trillion on research and development and capital investment over the six years to fiscal 2030.
An electric vehicle factory in Rayong, Thailand. Asian countries are among the most vulnerable to President Donald Trump's economic grievances — but also well-placed to make deals to minimize their exposure.
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 22, 2025

How Trump’s tariffs could reorder Asia trade and exclude the U.S.

Asian countries are among the most vulnerable to Trump's economic grievances — but also well-placed to make deals to minimize their exposure.
Major Japanese banks are tightening controls on the management of safe-deposit boxes after a string of thefts involving bank employees rocked public confidence.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 24, 2025

Japanese banks to rethink security measures for safe-deposit boxes

A string of thefts involving bank employees have intensified scrutiny of a segment already grappling with weak demand and thin margins.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' announcement is believed to be part of a push by Japan as it vies with Germany for a lucrative contract to build new Mogami-class frigates for Australia.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2025

MHI to ramp up Australian business activities with eye on frigate contract

The expansion is seen as a push by Japan to improve its chances of securing a winning bid over Germany to supply the Australian Navy with seven to 11 warships.
A person takes a photo of the Google Cloud logo during the 2025 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on Tuesday. The administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden in November had called for Google to sell its Chrome web browser and make other changes to its business.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 5, 2025

Google urges DOJ to reverse course on breaking up company

Representatives argue that the Alphabet unit’s critical importance to the U.S. economy and national security requires a softer touch.
Nippon Steel is trying to build its business globally with U.S. Steel as a key component.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Mar 5, 2025

U.S. Steel seen as key to Nippon Steel's global strategy

To meet its target of raising its annual crude steel production capacity to over 100 million metric tons, the firm needs to forge ahead into promising foreign markets.
Sony Group President Hiroki Totoki told a news conference last month that the Playstation maker had been preparing for tariffs by building up inventory from its gaming and electronics divisions in the United States.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Mar 6, 2025

Sony and Suntory build U.S. stockpiles as Japan faces Trump tariff threat

In his latest trade salvo this week, U.S. President Donald Trump hinted that he might target Tokyo next, after imposing tariffs on Mexico and China.
Nomura Holdings and Japan's other big brokers are having second thoughts about selling so-called structured loans to regional lenders.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 11, 2025

Japan brokers rethink repackaged JGBs after regulator warning

There are concerns that buyers might lack proper risk management for the product and could suffer mounting losses if market interest rates move against them.

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A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami