National / Science & Health Oct 28, 2020
Japan sees muddled messaging on nuclear’s role in carbon target
Top Liberal Democratic Party officials have contradicted each other over whether new reactors are needed.
Business / Economy Mar 15, 2020
Japanese Cabinet minister says virus may be worse for economy than 2008 financial crisis
The effect of the new coronavirus on the economy could be worse than the 2008 financial crisis, economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said. Speaking on Fuji TV, Nishimura called Sunday for strong measures to protect the economy and said proper consideration should be given to ...
National Oct 10, 2019
A former senior Kansai Electric Power Co. official said Thursday he received gift coupons in the 1990s from a former deputy mayor of a town hosting one of the company's nuclear power plants, though he was in charge of a plant outside the town. Eiji ...
Business Sep 9, 2019
Ministers from 16 countries negotiating an Asian free trade pact failed to make significant progress Sunday at a meeting in the Thai capital, according to Japan's representatives. Speaking to reporters after the single day of talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Minister of Economy, ...
Business Sep 3, 2019
METI chief and French counterpart affirm support for Nissan-Renault amid rapid industry changes
The Japanese and French economy ministers agreed Monday to support the alliance between Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA in its bid to improve competitiveness in an auto industry rapidly shifting to electrified and self-driving vehicles, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. The ...
Business Aug 21, 2019
British trade secretary hopes to visit Japan by end of October for FTA and TPP talks
British trade secretary Liz Truss said Tuesday she hopes to visit Japan by the end of October for talks on a potential bilateral trade agreement and the possibility of entering the revised TPP. During a teleconference, Truss told her Japanese counterpart Hiroshige Seko of her ...
Business Aug 8, 2019
Japan OKs first shipment of high-tech chemical to South Korea under tightened controls
by Satoshi Sugiyama
Trade minister Hiroshige Seko rejected criticism of the recent decision to scrub South Korea from the so-called whitelist of countries cleared for preferential export screenings.
Business Aug 3, 2019
A widening rift between Japan and South Korea spilled over at a meeting of 16 mostly Asian countries negotiating the world's largest free trade agreement Saturday, according to Japan's representative. After the one-day meeting of trade ministers chaired by China in Beijing, the members of ...
Business Apr 5, 2019
METI asks Japan's convenience store chains to present plans for coping with labor shortage
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko wants the eight major chains to formulate action plans because the labor shortages are straining the 24-hour industry.
Business / Corporate Feb 26, 2019
Antitrust watchdog to question Amazon Japan over new rewards program
The Japan Fair Trade Commission will question the e-commerce giant over its plan on the suspicion that small merchants will be forced to shoulder the cost of the points.
Business Dec 4, 2018
Economy minister Hiroshige Seko said Tuesday he will voluntarily return a month's pay after his ministry offered annual remuneration of over ¥100 million to executives at a government-backed investment fund and later retracted it for being "too high." "We have caused an administrative blunder where ...
National / Politics Nov 15, 2018
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum on Thursday adopted new guidelines on the quality of infrastructure development and investment, with all 21 economies — including China — agreeing to take into consideration recipients' ability to pay back loans for such funding. The guidelines call for openness, ...