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Stock prices are displayed at the Indonesia Stock Exchange in Jakarta on April 18. Indonesia’s flurry of listings this year is even more notable because globally the number of initial public offerings has fallen.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 26, 2023

Indonesia rides EV rush to domestic IPO boom

The trend is interlinked with President Joko Widodo’s ambitious bid to transform the nation into an EV manufacturing powerhouse, capitalizing on Indonesia’s rich resources.
Osaka Organic Chemical Industry President Masayuki Ando talks about their strategy at the company office in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2023

Japanese chemicals company sees potential niche in EUV chipmaking materials

Little known even in its home country, Osaka Organic has carved out a critical niche in the semiconductor industry by supplying companies that make photoresists.
A building under construction in Osaka. Singapore investors are snapping up Japanese real estate, particularly in Osaka where a large casino resort is set to open.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 27, 2023

Singapore property investors bet on Osaka casino

International property agent FM Investment said it has seen a fivefold increase in inquiries since Japan opened its borders in October.
Monex Group was sued on Thursday in what is believed to be the first lawsuit questioning the responsibility of a Japanese securities company over Credit Suisse AT1 bond losses.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 28, 2023

Japan’s Monex sued by client for Credit Suisse bond loss

The move marks a rare case of a financial institution being accused of responsibility for investor losses triggered by Switzerland’s move to wipe out the bonds.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 28, 2023

Japan’s average minimum wage set to top ¥1,000

With the government eager to create a healthy cycle of pay and price increases, the minimum wage panel suggested a record 4.3% hike from the current average of ¥961.
Pan Gongsheng
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jul 29, 2023

China’s central bank chief is taskmaster Xi couldn’t let retire

Pan Gongsheng is expected to turn around growth slowdown for the world's second largest economy and safeguard the $60 trillion domestic financial system.
Kazuyuki Tanioka, the owner of Japanese cuisine Toya restaurant, prepares fish a sashimi dish during an interview in Beijing on July 25.
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2023

Japanese eateries in China fear ruin over Fukushima water release

Shortly after the 2011 disaster hit the Fukushima No. 1 plant, China banned the import of food and agricultural products from five Japanese prefectures.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 31, 2023

Bigmotor suspected of fabricating insurance contracts

The news came on top of an investigation report that showed employees padded maintenance fee claims to insurance firms by deliberately damaging cars.
Wall Street in New York. While survey participants are likely riding the AI-fueled market melt-up thanks to their broad equity exposure, they aren’t going all-in on the technology just yet.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 31, 2023

Investors are happy to pay premium for tech, but not for AI

Even as AI floods the workplace, many still doubt that it will dramatically affect their job within the next three years.
The Universal Entertainment logo at the company's headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS
Aug 1, 2023

Japanese firm accused of improper influence over Manila casino

The dispute involves a $275 million investment by 26 Capital. Universal owns 88% of the property under the terms of the deal.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins (center) and others, as Britain signs the treaty to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, in Auckland on July 16.
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Aug 1, 2023

China entry into trans-Pacific trade pact faces political hurdles

China should be able to meet standards set out in the pact, experts say, forcing members to make a politically uncomfortable decision on letting it join.
Toyota Motor Corp.’s quarterly profit exceeded estimates as improvements in the supply of semiconductors and a cheap yen helped the carmaker capitalize on a global rebound in demand for new vehicles.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 1, 2023

Toyota profit tops estimates, sticks to full-year forecasts

A post-pandemic surge allowed the automaker to boost production and sell a record number of vehicles in June.
Facebook owner Meta Platforms has started the process of ending news availability in Canada.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 2, 2023

Meta starts blocking news in Canada

Google has said it is considering a similar move amid an ongoing global debate as more governments try to make tech firms pay for news content.
AIRism clothing on display at Uniqlo 5th Avenue in New York on Monday
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2023

Garment-makers bet on 'cooling' fabrics as temperatures rise

With widespread heat waves, and inflation-weary consumers prioritizing essentials, retailers are pursuing sales by marketing "cooling" garments.
The central business district in Melbourne in 2016
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 2, 2023

Australians fight for the right to work from home permanently

While remote work spells pain for investors in bricks and mortar, employees can only see benefits: "It just helps get through life a little bit easier."
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. BOJ Deputy Gov. Shinichi Uchida has said there is still a long way to go before conditions fall into place for the bank to raise its short-term interest rate target.
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2023

BOJ tweak not prelude to ultralow rates exit: deputy governor

Shinichi Uchida said there is still a long way to go before the BOJ can raise its short-term interest rate target from the current minus 0.1%.
A new study suggests that the benefits from shifting to a four-day week may last and grow stronger over time, rather than dissipating.
BUSINESS
Aug 4, 2023

Employee health benefits of four-day weeks persist, study shows

Self-reported physical and mental health scores held steady over a full year of the pilot program, while work-life balance continued to improve.
Though Apple’s overall revenue of $81.8 billion came in just above Wall Street estimates last quarter, iPhone demand was weaker than predicted.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 4, 2023

Apple faces longest sales slowdown in decades as iPhone slumps

The company reported a revenue decline of 1.4% in the fiscal third quarter, hurt by an industrywide slump that has sapped demand.
A Shein office in Singapore. The meteoric rise of shopping platforms selling Chinese-made goods has been fueled by a decades-old loophole that allows cheap products to land in U.S. mailboxes tariff-free.
BUSINESS
Aug 4, 2023

Key trade loophole keeps cheap Chinese products flowing to U.S.

The fact that Chinese goods and China-founded companies are benefiting from the loophole has frustrated some U.S. lawmakers.
A participant operates the "Flappy Bird," a self-made flying machine, during an event in Hong Kong in May 2014. Vietnam first caught the attention of global gamers in 2013 after Hanoi developer Dong Nguyen created, Flappy Bird, a simple but addictive game app.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 7, 2023

A decade after Flappy Bird, Vietnam becomes gaming powerhouse

Moving beyond outsourced software and sneaker factories, Hanoi views mobile games as a crucial part of its emerging tech sector.
Toshiba, which has know-how ranging from air conditioners and nuclear power equipment to semiconductors and quantum computing, sees a Japan Industrial Partners-led bid as a chance to regain its footing following more than a decade of scandals and management overhauls.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 7, 2023

JIP-led ¥2 trillion tender offer for Toshiba to start Aug. 8

A consortium led by Japan Industrial Partners will start a tender offer to buy all outstanding Toshiba shares at ¥4,620 per share through Sept. 20.
Hiroyuki Nagai, president and chief executive officer of Rakuten Bank (left), attends the company's listing ceremony at the Tokyo Stock Exchange on April 21.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2023

Rakuten Bank sees edge over rivals once BOJ ends negative rates

Uncertainty remains over when the Bank of Japan will scrap the policy, which has squeezed banks’ lending margins since its introduction seven years ago.
The Azabudai Hills development in Tokyo on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2023

Mori Building to open Azabudai Hills complex in Tokyo in November

The company hopes the project will boost the capital’s competitive edge over metropolises overseas.
A shopper at a Beijing grocery store in 2022. China's consumer and producer prices have both declined from 12 months ago, indicating that the world’s second-largest economy may be weakening.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 9, 2023

China shows signs of deflation as consumer and factory prices fall

A prolonged property market slump, plunging demand for exports and subdued consumer spending are weighing on China's economic recovery.
The Alibaba Group Holding offices in Beijing on Tuesday. Alibaba is scheduled to release earnings results on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 9, 2023

Alibaba and Tencent’s big gains may not signal inflection point

Chinese policymakers have stopped short of providing significant policy support, consumer spending is muted and profit margins remain thin.
Shohei Ohtani's free agency is expected to be among the wildest pursuits of a player in baseball history.
BASEBALL
Aug 9, 2023

Angels hoping to stay in the Shohei Ohtani business

Whether the two-way phenom remains an Angel for two more months, or the rest of his career, is an open question.
Sony's headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2023

Sony and other top music labels sue over Sinatra 78s stored online

The companies include a list of 2,749 recordings in the lawsuit, including songs by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong.
The U.S. Federal Reserve building in Washington
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 14, 2023

The Fed is playing a waiting game to try to avoid a recession

An increasing number of economists — including the Federal Reserve’s own staff — are predicting the U.S. will escape a recession.
Honda's electric vehicle e:NP2 is displayed at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai in April. The recent weakening of the yen couldn't come at a better time for Japanese automakers, which are struggling in the Chinese market.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 14, 2023

Weak yen gives Japan automakers temporary relief from China pain

A weak yen has traditionally lifted profits for Japan's big exporters
SoftBank, which currently owns 75% of Arm, is in talks to acquire the 25% stake in the firm it does not directly own from Vision Fund 1, according to sources.
BUSINESS
Aug 14, 2023

SoftBank in talks to buy Vision Fund's 25% stake in Arm

The move would potentially deliver a win for investors who have waited years for strong returns.

Longform

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