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Japan opens 98th national airport
BBC Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:50:31 GMT
Japan opens an airport in Ibaraki offering just one flight a day, sparking criticism over wasteful public spending.
Japan reveals secret nuclear pact with US
PRESSTV Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:37:44 GMT
Japan has verified the existence of a secret nuclear pact with the United States that allows US forces to bring nuclear weapons into the country.
Giant crossing hailed a 'success'
BBC Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:43:58 GMT
Designers of the Oxford Circus Tokyo style crossing has been called a success by its designers.
Japan lifts all tsunami warnings
BBC Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:34:38 GMT
Japan lifts tsunami warnings nationwide, almost two days after they were prompted by a powerful earthquake in Chile.
Japan, Russia on tsunami alert after Chile quake
DAWN Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:26:12 PKT
Japan Meteorological Agency warned that waves of up to three metres (10 feet) could hit its northern Pacific coastline.
Quake, minor tsunami hit southern Japan
DAWN Sat, 27 Feb 2010 12:22:10 PKT
The 7.0 magnitude tremor was measured at a depth of 22 kms and was centred 81 kms east-southeast of Naha.
Strong quake hits southern Japan
ALJAZEERA Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:20:46 GMT
A tsunami warning has been issued after the quake struck southern island of Okinawa.
Japan fears military row with US may create diplomatic tensions
GUARDIAN Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:59:41 GMT
Japanese foreign minister says trust between countries may be undermined over possible plans to relocate marine base Failure to resolve a sharp disagreement over the future of the US military presence in Japan could undermine trust between the two countries, Katsuya Okada, the Japanese foreign minister, said today. Japan's new centre-left government, which took office last September promising a more independent foreign policy, has given Washington assurances it will decide on a new location for a US marine base on the island of Okinawa, by the end of May. But the US, alarmed at a possible deterioration in ties with its key ally in the Asia-Pacific region, has indicated that it wishes to stick to an existing deal agreed with the previous conservative administration. "I believe that we have to reach a final conclusion by the end of May," Okada said in an exclusive interview with the Guardian. "That's something we can't afford to miss. "If that cannot be consummated, I am afraid the trust between the two countries could be undermined." He declined to express a preference for the base's location, saying to do so would fuel current media speculation about a split in the cabinet. Last week, the commander of the US marines in the Pacific said the base should remain in Okinawa and not be moved, as some in Japan have suggested, to the US Pacific territory of Guam. "Okinawa is in the perfect place in the region," Lt Gen Keith Stalder said. "It's literally a day away from almost anything that can occur in the region." Okada said he was confident the US would discuss any new proposal by Japan. Under the current agreement, Futenma airbase, located in the middle of a heavily populated city, would be moved to an offshore location in Okinawa, and 8,000 marines would be redeployed to Guam. Okada said he did not feel that US pressure over the base amounted to bullying, although he admitted Washington had been consistent in arguing that the current agreement was the best approach. "I don't think the US would utterly refuse to talk to us regarding the conclusion we reach after we have discussed it in the cabinet," Okada said. "If that is the case, there is no point for us to continue to study the matter in the cabinet." He denied reports that the government and the Obama administration had already started negotiating an alternative location for Futenma. "We will go to the US after a conclusion has been reached inside the cabinet," he said. "I'm aware that it's not easy to come up with a proposal that would satisfy the Okinawan people and the US government." Okada, speaking hours before Toyota's president, Akio Toyoda, was due to go before US congressional investigators to defend his firm's safety record, said he hoped the global recall of millions of Toyota cars would not further strain bilateral ties. "I certainly would like to hope this matter will not undermine the trust of the Americans, not just [in] Toyota as a company, but Japan as a whole," he said. "It is essentially a matter of one enterprise ... there's very little the Japanese government can do." Turning to relations with China, Okada said Japan was concerned about a perceived lack of transparency about Beijing's growing military expenditure. China's expanding military capabilities made the US-Japan alliance all the more important, not just for Japan, but for the region as a whole. But he welcomed China's attempts to persuade North Korea to rejoin talks on its nuclear programme. "We would like to see further [Chinese] efforts to influence North Korea," he said, but added, "Japan, South Korea and the US demand that North Korea come back to six-party talks with no conditions. To achieve that we are continuing economic sanctions." Okada's comments came as US negotiators arrived in the region to try and kick-start the talks, which Pyongyang abandoned last year, shortly before it conducted its second nuclear test. Japan's Asahi newspaper reported this week that.....
Turkish frigate foils pirate attack on Japanese ship
PRESSTV Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:58:41 GMT
A Turkish navy ship on an international mission to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden has prevented an attack on a Japanese merchant vessel off the coast of Somalia.
Canterbury inspires Japan tourism
BBC Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:01:43 GMT
The mayor of a Japanese town visits Canterbury to glean ideas about tourism strategies.
US insists on keeping military base in Japan
PRESSTV Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:52:38 GMT
A top US diplomat says that Washington wants Tokyo to keep the US military airfield in the Japanese southern island of Okinawa.
US wants Japan's quick decision over airfield
PRESSTV Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:39:34 GMT
The United States is stepping up pressure on Tokyo to come to a quick conclusion over the relocation of US troops in Japan.
Quake strikes off Japan islands
BBC Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:55:25 GMT
A magnitude-6.4 quake strikes off the southern coast of Japan, near the Ryukyu Islands.
In Toyota City, recalls are blamed on foreign components
INDEPENDENT Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:33:50 GMT
Toyota City, about 200 miles east of Tokyo, once appeared on the map – if it appeared at all – as Koromo. But in 1959 town leaders renamed it after the up-and-coming local car producer, and twinned their modest town with the then global centre of auto production, Detroit.
In Toyota City, recalls are blamed on foreign parts
INDEPENDENT Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:33:50 GMT
Toyota City, about 200 miles east of Tokyo, once appeared on the map – if it appeared at all – as Koromo. But in 1959 town leaders renamed it after the up-and-coming local car producer, and twinned their modest town with the then global centre of auto production, Detroit.
US softens stance on Japan base
PRESSTV Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:15:19 GMT
Washington strikes a softer tone on its controversial military base in Japan, saying is ready to negotiate the relocation of the US forces on Okinawa island.
Japan insists on reconsidering US accord
PRESSTV Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:46:57 GMT
After an opponent of the US military presence in Japan won a local election, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said he would reconsider Tokyo's accord with Washington.
Japan 'will rethink US presence'
BBC Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:55:32 GMT
Japan's PM Yukio Hatoyama says the result of a weekend mayoral poll will fuel a major rethink about US military bases.
Japan Airlines 'hours away from bankruptcy'
GUARDIAN Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:25:47 GMT
Once-revered symbol of corporate Japan attempts to free itself from multimillion dollar debts Japan Airlines [JAL] was today reported to be hours away from bankruptcy – the first step in an attempt to free itself from the huge debts and poor management that have come to define a once-revered Japanese corporate symbol. As the Japanese transport minister, Seiji Maehara, prepared to put the airline in the hands of a state-backed turnaround body, it suffered the indignity of seeing shares reach a record low of four yen (26 pence). JAL, which has received three government bailouts in the past decade, has seen the value of its shares fall by 90% since the beginning of the month. With a market value of $150m (£91m) – less than the price of a 787 jumbo jet – the airline is now trailing the likes of Croatia Airlines and Jazeera Airways. JAL shares could soon be worth nothing if, as expected, they are delisted from the Tokyo stock exchange. Despite filing for what would be Japan's sixth-biggest ever bankruptcy, the airline is expected to stay in business while it attempts to rid itself of debts of $16bn and repair its battered reputation. "The government wants to continue to support JAL to ensure its continued stable and safe operations," Maehara told reporters. In exchange for financial backing from the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation (Etic), JAL will reportedly be asked to cut 15,600 jobs – one-third of its workforce – by March 2013 and cut unprofitable routes. The airline is expecting operating losses of $265bn for the year to the end of March, having amassed $51bn losses last year. Its long-term future will be dependent on efforts to emerge as a leaner business, probably with additional support through new partnerships with overseas carriers that could transform the airline business in the Asia-Pacific. The restructuring plan, due to be announced later today, could mark the anointing of JAL's rival All Nippon Airways as Japan's flagship carrier. Analysts were upbeat about JAL's immediate future but admitted questions over its potential for growth remained. "I am not worried about the future of the carrier as I believe the government will strongly support it," Yasuhiro Matsumoto, a credit analyst at Shinsei Securities, said. "But whether it will be able to grow as a business is unclear. I can't see how JAL is going to build its network domestically and internationally." JAL's decline has been a sobering experience for an airline that grew from a handful of leased planes in 1951 into a global fleet of 280 aircraft and almost 50,000 employees. It will begin its recovery by filing for court protection – a move akin to Chapter 11 in the US – which would pave the way for a 300bn yen injection of fresh capital from Etic. The body indicated that it would draw on government-backed funding to open a line of credit that would enable JAL to buy fuel and parts to keep its planes in the air. JAL's main creditors, which include three Japanese megabanks, have reportedly agreed to waive debts of 350bn yen. The airline is also likely to offload unprofitable side businesses to give itself a fighting chance of recovery amid falling passenger numbers, rising fuel prices and high restructuring costs. Its first obvious break with the past will be the expected appointment of Kazuo Inamori, the founder of the electrical components maker Kyocera, as the chief executive in place of Haruka Nishimatsu. A very different airline is expected to emerge under the stewardship of the 77-year-old Inamori, a successful entrepreneur but an airline industry novice. Under the restructuring plan, JAL could retire 53 of its largest jets and replace them with smaller aircraft suited to domestic and regional flights. The airline will also have to decide on rival offers of investment from two US airlines keen to gain a bigger foothold in Asia. American Airlines and its partners, including British Airways, say they are willing to invest..
Japan's Ozawa snubs calls to step down
PRESSTV Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:31:21 GMT
Secretary General of Japan's Democratic Party (DPJ) Ichiro Ozawa has refused to resign over a scandal involving his party's fundraising.
Uniqlo boss named Japan's richest
GUARDIAN Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:07:55 GMT
Tadashi Yanai's estimated £5.7bn fortune keeps him top of the country's rich list for the second year running, according to Forbes Asia magazine What recession? It is a question Tadashi Yanai has every right to ask after the founder of the company behind the discount clothes store Uniqlo was today declared the richest person in Japan, with a fortune estimated at $9.2bn (£5.7bn). Yanai, president of Fast Retailing, has added $3.1bn to his fortune over the past 12 months to keep him at the top of the country's rich list for the second year running, according to Forbes Asia magazine. Fast Retailing has benefited from strong sales of Uniqlo's cheap range of casual clothes at the same time as weak consumer spending has battered the profits of other Japanese retailers. The firm recently reported a 57.2% jump in net profit from a year earlier to ¥34.9bn (£230m) for the three months to November, thanks to brisk sales of imitation leather jackets, fleece sweaters and its line of HeatTech garments made from heat-trapping fabric. Uniqlo stores in Japan recorded a 20.8% increase in sales in the same period, having initially forecast a modest 3% rise in sales for the year ending in March. Fast Retailing, whose shares have gained 36% in the past year, raised its full-year profit forecast by 8.9%. Yanai's Uniqlo empire includes 790 stores in Japan and 120 overseas, where it is competing with global apparel powerhouses such as Gap, Zara and H&M. Yanai, Fast Retailing's biggest shareholder with a 27% stake, plans to add to the firm's single US store in New York and boost Uniqlo's presence in Europe, India and China. "We want to make sales from overseas operations four times as large as those from domestic operations in 10 years," Yanai told reporters on a trip to New York this week to collect the retailer of the year award. "Asia has the number one potential for growth and our operations there will become a leading revenue source." Uniqlo's Japanese stores currently account for about 80% of the group's total revenue. Nobutada Saji, the chief executive of Suntory Holdings, rose to second place in the Japan rich list after his firm entered merger talks with its bigger rival Kirin Holdings to create an Asian drinks maker capable of competing with the likes of Nestlé, Anheuser-Busch and Coca-Cola. Saji's wealth has more than doubled over the past year to $8.6bn, Forbes said. The magazine said a 31% rise in the value of the Nikkei benchmark index last year had benefited Japan's business elite, despite the return of deflation to the world's second biggest economy. Japan's 40 richest people saw their net worth increase 25% to $87bn, Forbes said, with two-thirds of the increase attributed to the four top-earning tycoons. Forbes's figures also showed that the wealth gap has widened between those at the top and bottom of the list. Rich lists Japan Fashion Justin McCurry guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Japan Airlines heads towards bankruptcy
GUARDIAN Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:04:14 GMT
Investors, whose stakes were each worth ¥213 at the beginning of last year, will see the value of their investment wiped out Shares in Japan Airlines today plummeted 81% to just ¥7 amid strong indications that the firm will file for bankruptcy and have its shares de-listed as early as next week. Asia's biggest airline is expected to submit itself to a government-led rehabilitation package that will include a complete reduction of its capital. Investors, whose stakes were each worth ¥213 at the beginning of last year, will see the value of their investment wiped out. In return, the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation [ETIC], a state-run body formed in October to oversee JAL's rehabilitation, will offer ¥300bn (£2bn) in fresh investment. In addition, the body is reportedly preparing to offer a ¥600bn credit line, ¥200bn of it from the state-owned Development Bank of Japan, to avert an immediate cash crisis and keep JAL planes in the air. On Tuesday, the government reportedly secured the agreement of JAL's biggest creditors to write off ¥350bn in unpaid loans to smooth the path to what would be the sixth biggest bankruptcy in Japanese history. "I met with the heads of the three megabanks this morning and explained to them about a public-led restructuring and asked for their support. I got mostly positive responses," the transport minister, Seiji Maehara, told reporters. JAL shares fell by their daily limit of ¥30 today, having lost 45% on Tuesday. The airline, reeling from one of the most ignominious weeks in its 59-year-history, has lost $1.8bn (£1.1bn) in market value in just two days. "It is highly probable that JAL will have its capital wiped out when it files for bankruptcy," said Yasuhiro Matsumoto, a senior credit analyst at Shinsei Securities. The only buyers were those clinging to fading hopes that JAL may be permitted to retain a small percentage of its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, enabling them to make a quick profit. Pension problems While reports said the ETIC was considering that option, officials are said to favour delisting as a way of holding shareholders accountable for the firm's miserable performance. JAL, already weighed down by debts totaling $16m, has been hit hard by falling passenger numbers, inefficiency and an unwieldy pension scheme. It is expecting operating losses of ¥265bn for the year to the end of March, having amassed losses of ¥51bn last year. The firm has secured the two-thirds support it needs from employees and retirees to impose swingeing pension cuts to reduce an estimated pension shortfall of ¥331bn. Failure to gain approval could have seen the pension fund dissolved in bankruptcy court. The new-look JAL is expected to shed almost 16,000 jobs - about 30% of its workforce - and drastically reduce its routes in an attempt to return to profitability. The Kyodo news agency said the restructuring regime could include the launch of a budget airline that would operate only economy-class seats on domestic routes and charge passengers for drinks. The turnaround looks likely to be spearheaded by a new chief executive, with Kazuo Inamori, the founder of the electronics component maker Kyocera, the favourite to succeed current CEO Haruka Nishimatsu. While investors dumped shares that could soon be worth nothing, US airlines continued to vie for a stake in JAL's network of domestic and Asian routes, despite reports that ETIC is ruling out investments from foreign airlines because they could complicate bankruptcy proceedings. American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas and Cathay Pacific have joined forces with a $1.4bn offer of new investment, plus a guaranteed $2bn in revenue for the next three years, to keep JAL in their Oneworld alliance. BA's part of the offer includes more co-operation on flights between Japan and Europe, and help with establishing new JAL services between Heathrow and Haneda airport, near Tokyo, which is scheduled to open a new runway and..
Reports: JAL to cut more than 15,000 jobs
PRESSTV Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:09:52 GMT
Japan Airlines Corp. (JAL) is expected to slash more than 15,000 jobs, a third of its work force, in three years to save the troubled company from total collapse.
Okinawans urge US troops expelled
PRESSTV Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:27:38 GMT
Okinawa governor has urged Japan's chief cabinet secretary to back the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma off the island.
Challenges facing Japan's Naoto Kan
BBC Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:29:33 GMT
A weak economy, deflation and a huge government debt all face Japan's new Finance Minister Naoto Kan, says the BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo.
Seiji Ozawa diagnosed with cancer
BBC Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:56:16 GMT
Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa cancels concerts after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.
Japan's finance minister calls for weaker yen
PRESSTV Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:25:13 GMT
Japan's newly appointed Finance Minister Naoto Kan says he wants the yen to weaken in order to aid the recovery of the Japanese economy.
Japan charges US soldier in hit and run case
PRESSTV Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:26:07 GMT
A US soldier has been charged with a fatal hit-and-run motoring accident in Japan, raising long standing tensions between Washington and Tokyo over the US military presence in the Asian country.
Japan PM names new finance minister
PRESSTV Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:44:44 GMT
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Wednesday appointed his deputy Naoto Kan as the new finance minister, replacing 77-year-old Hirohisa Fujii who is resigning for health reasons.
Japan replaces finance minister
BBC Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:45:22 GMT
Japan's prime minister is forced to replace his experienced finance minister, who has resigned over ill health.
Atom bomb survivor dies, aged 93
BBC Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:48:19 GMT
The only person officially recognised as having survived both atomic bombings in Japan dies, aged 93.
Japan finance minister 'resigns'
BBC Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:34:38 GMT
Japan's prime minister suffers a blow as his finance minister resigns due to poor health, Japanese media reports say.
Watches worth $3.2mn stolen from Tokyo store
PRESSTV Sun, 03 Jan 2010 10:03:23 GMT
Thieves have made off with watches worth about 3.2 million dollars after boring a 40-50cm hole through the concrete wall of a jewelry shop in Japan.
Japan Airlines shares plunge to new low amid bankruptcy rumours
GUARDIAN Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:00:02 GMT
Government ministers hold crisis talks as Asia's biggest carrier considers filing for bankruptcy Shares in Japan Airlines plunged to a record low today amid rumours that Asia's biggest carrier could file for bankruptcy in an attempt to turn around its failing business. The transport minister, Seiji Maehara, and other cabinet ministers were this evening holding crisis talks to discuss JAL's options ahead of an official decision on the airline's future late next month. Maehara told reporters that no decision had been made on whether JAL should be exposed to court-led bankruptcy, and promised state backing for its restructuring efforts, possibly though bridge loans. JAL shares closed down 24% at ¥67 (46p), having plunged 32% at one stage, with investors taking flight amid media reports that liquidation was now under serious consideration. "Investors were very nervous about the fate of JAL," said Masatoshi Sato, a market analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities. "With recent reports saying the airline could face bankruptcy, investors were panicking that their JAL stock ownership could be worthless." Liquidation could leave JAL shareholders, whose shares were each worth ¥213 at the start of the year, with zero. Media reports quoted an official as saying that bankruptcy is the "strongest possibility" being considered by the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation [ETIC], a government-backed body formed in October to decide the airline's fate. The ETIC has up to ¥1.6tn in state-guaranteed funding at its disposal and, according to reports, is still considering a private restructuring plan that would not involve the courts.No guarantee But bankruptcy became a realistic option last week after the finance minister, Hirohisa Fujii, said the government would no longer guarantee loans to JAL. Until now, banks have lent to the airline on the understanding that the loans are guaranteed by the state. Fujii's surprise announcement was a major blow to JAL, the beneficiary of four bailouts since 2001, as the government had been expected to provide up to ¥100bn in credit through the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ). Fujii said: "This is a matter that should be worked out by private companies. The DBJ is wholly owned by the state but it has the status of a private bank so the government is not allowed to meddle in its business." JAL's three biggest creditors, Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho and Sumitomo Mitsubishi, reportedly rejected liquidation during fractious talks with Maehara yesterday. It would saddle them with huge losses on their investments and risk grounding the airline's fleet if it is unable to find enough ready cash to buy fuel and parts from nervous suppliers. Bankruptcy could also complicate rival bids for a minority stake from Delta and American Airlines. The US airlines are hoping to use a partnership with JAL to expand their trans-Pacific services and gain a stronger foothold in the Asian market ahead of the expansion of Haneda airport in Tokyo next year. The Asahi Shimbun newspaper claimed earlier this month that JAL was leaning towards the $1bn (£630m) bid from Delta, the world's biggest airline, in a move that would end its Oneworld alliance with American, which has offered $1.1bn. A capital tie-up with either could herald a dramatic reshaping of the global aviation industry, as it would give the buyer access to JAL's Chinese and other Asian routes through code-sharing agreements.Struggle JAL is heading for its fourth annual loss in five years as a result of the global slump in air travel, inefficiency and an unwieldy pension scheme. The ETIC is expected to ask JAL to cut 9,000 jobs and scrap 45 domestic and international routes in return for capital. The airline had already said it would suspend 50 domestic and international routes by March 2011, and cut 6,800 – 14% of JAL's workforce – by March the following year. The airline could struggle, however, to secure the two-thirds approval it needs from employees..
Japan Airlines shares fall 24%
PRESSTV Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:25:41 GMT
Japan Airlines shares have plummeted to a record low on the year's last trading day following speculation that the South Asian flag carrier is to seek bankruptcy.
Japanese PM to pay 3-day visit to‏ ‏India
PRESSTV Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:52:10 GMT
The Japanese Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, is due to arrive in Mumbai, India, for a three-day official visit.
Japan PM sorry over funds scandal
BBC Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:47:46 GMT
Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama has apologised after a former aide was charged with violating laws on political funding.
Blast kills 4 in Japanese chemical plant
PRESSTV Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:49:16 GMT
At least four people have been killed and several others wounded in Japan after an explosion occurred at a chemical plant.
Toyota and Nissan sales and production figures show signs of life
GUARDIAN Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:44:01 GMT
• Global production jumps 22% year on year at Toyota • Nissan reports first rise in domestic production for 14 months Japan's carmakers ended the year with cause for cautious optimism after Toyota and Nissan reported year-on-year rises in global production and a rebound in domestic sales. Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, said global production had jumped 22% from a year earlier, the first rise in 16 months. Domestic production rose 13.5% thanks to strong sales of passenger cars, including the Prius hybrid, the top-selling car in Japan for the sixth straight month. Toyota said November domestic sales had risen more than 40% from a month earlier, helped by government subsidies for people who trade in older vehicles for fuel-efficient models. Nissan, Japan's third biggest carmaker, said global output had risen 32.6%, while domestic production rose for the first time in 14 months. Honda and Mazda reported declines. In the US, overall auto sales rose 0.1% in November, the first increase since the government ended its cash-for-clunkers programme at the end of August. But despite those tentative signs of life and strong demand in China and the rest of Asia, Toyota has reportedly instructed its suppliers to make steep price cuts in attempt to return to profitability. According to media reports, the company said it wanted component prices to fall 30% by the time it launches new models in 2013. While the cuts will benefit consumers, particularly in India and China, where demand is rising for low-cost cars, they are expected to heap even more pressure on Toyota's huge network of subcontractors. Even with rising sales and cost cuts, Toyota, which suffered a ¥437bn (£3bn) loss last year – the worst performance in the company's 72-year history – still expects losses of ¥200bn for the year to March 2010. Tax breaks and subsidies to encourage consumers to buy fuel-efficient models are expected to drive up car sales in Japan for the first time in six years in 2010, according to the Japan automobile manufacturers' association. The association's chairman, Satoshi Aoki, told news agency Kyodo News that he expected sales to pick up in the US while those to China would continue to grow.Fall in exports eases Robust demand in China helped slow the pace of Japan's export decline last month, despite concern that the strength of the yen and weak domestic consumption is frustrating Japan's recovery following its emergence from recession in the April-June quarter. Japan's exports were down 6.2% last month from a year earlier – their best performance since September last year – and a drastic improvement on the 23% fall seen in October. Exports to China, Japan's biggest trading partner, rose 7.8% while those to the rest of Asia were up 4.7%. Toyota Nissan Automotive industry Manufacturing sector Japan Justin McCurry guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Japan to decide on US base pact by May
PRESSTV Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:34:47 GMT
Japan's Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa sets May as the deadline to decide where to relocate a controversial US military air base currently in Okinawa.
US warns Japan over Futenma airbase
GUARDIAN Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:39:11 GMT
Hillary Clinton says Tokyo must honour 2006 agreement as tension over US military role in region grows The US yesterday told Japan the planned relocation of a US marine airbase and thousands of troops based on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa was not up for negotiation in a further sign of growing tensions over the future of the US military footprint in east Asia. Reports said the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, told the Japanese ambassador to Washington, Ichiro Fujisaki, that Japan must honour a 2006 agreement to move the Futenma airbase – located in a crowded city on Okinawa – to the island's remote east coast. Fujisaki told reporters the discussion had centred on "the importance of US-Japan" ties, but Clinton reportedly made it clear that the US expected "swift implementation" of the existing accord. Last week, the Japanese prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, said he needed more time to determine the base's future following electoral promises to lessen the Japanese dependence on US foreign policy. The original $10.3bn (£6.4bn) relocation plan would also see the transfer of 8,000 marines and their families to the US Pacific territory of Guam by 2014. Discussions about the relocation began well over a decade ago amid mounting opposition to the US military presence on Okinawa, which hosts more than half the 47,000 US troops in Japan. The bases are routinely blamed for noise and air pollution, and residents live with the threat of a catastrophic accident. Although serious crimes are relatively uncommon, attitudes changed after three US servicemen were convicted of raping a 12-year-old Okinawan girl in 1995. The Japanese defence minister, Toshimi Kitazawa, said Tokyo had set itself a May 2010 deadline to decide the base's future, but added that he hoped an agreement would be reached sooner. Japan's decision to postpone a decision has been met with an exasperated reaction by US military officials. Last week, General James Conway, the commandant of the US marine corps, said the delay was "unfortunate", adding, "The Futenma replacement facility is absolutely vital to the defence that we provide for the entire region." Hatoyama's indecision is also harming his popularity at home, about six months before upper house elections that could give his Democratic party of Japan control of both houses of parliament. In a poll published by the Mainichi newspaper yesterday, 68% of respondents said they were concerned about ties with the US. The Futenma debacle and Hatoyama's handling of the economy saw his cabinet's approval rating slide to 55%, down 9% from last month, the poll revealed. Almost four months after his party swept to power in a landslide election victory, Hatoyama appears no closer to reaching a decision on Futenma. He could choose to honour the original agreement, but the delay suggests he is more sympathetic to moving the base to another part of Japan. The social democratic party, a junior partner in Hatoyama's coalition government, supports moving the base out of Japan and has threatened to leave the coalition if the existing accord is implemented. Barack Obama's irritation was evident earlier this month when the US president snubbed an offer from Hatoyama to explain his thinking on Futenma's future on the sidelines of the climate change summit in Copenhagen. Japan United States Justin McCurry guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Japan-US talks on US base stalled
PRESSTV Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:39:20 GMT
A rift between the US and Japan over the future of an American military base in Okinawa is deepening, as the media has been told that talks on relocating the base have been suspended.
Japan's hotels offer 'railway views' to woo train spotters
BBC Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:47:10 GMT
Hotels in Japan try to attract extra business by offering train spotters rooms with a view of the rails.
US base divides Japan coalition gov't
PRESSTV Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:36:27 GMT
Japan's Social Democratic Party (SDP) says it will quit the ruling coalition if the government decides to keep a US military base in Okinawa.
Japan to pump $115bn in loans to stem deflation
PRESSTV Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:53:46 GMT
The deflation and rising value of the yen have enforced Japan to allocate $115 billion to revive economic growth.
Japanese man still held in Yemen
BBC Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:32:13 GMT
A last-minute dispute leads to Yemeni tribesmen refusing to release a kidnapped Japanese engineer, officials say.
Scant welcome for refugees in Japan
BBC Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:40:22 GMT
The BBC's Abigail Mawdsley looks at the challenges facing the small number of refugees that Japan accepts each year.
Sacre bleu! Tokyo outstrips Paris in Michelin three-star restaurants
BBC Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:35:53 GMT
Tokyo now has the most Michelin three-star restaurants, overtaking Paris as the world's culinary capital, says the authoritative food guide.
The statesman's guide to bowing and scraping
GUARDIAN Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:05:20 GMT
When is it best to bow down low, like Barack Obama, or merely bend your neck? Whoever said that the Americans were relaxed about status? President Barack Obama's deep bow to Emperor Akihito of Japan (right) has sent the US media into a frenzied debate on protocol. Was Obama merely being polite or had he committed treason and demeaned the highest office in the universe by deferring to the head of state of a county that surrendered to the US in 1945? Obama does have form on this. Earlier this year, he bowed deeply to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at the G20 conference, though an aide later declared it wasn't a proper bow, "he was just grasping the king's hand with both his hands and had to bend over to do it as he was so much taller". Curiously, though, Obama didn't bother to bow to the Queen on the same visit to London. Not that we're snitty about it. Gordon Brown probably knows how Obama feels, having got it in the neck from the rightwing press for failing to show sufficient respect at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day by not moving his neck sufficiently far forward from the vertical position. So what is the correct procedure? According to a spokeswoman from Debrett's, "a man should bend his head from the neck or shoulders while briefly lowering the eyes on first meeting a member of the royal family. The movements should be brief and not overstated and should be repeated on leaving." Debrett's offers no guidance on bowing to anyone who is not British royalty. Unfortunately, neither does the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. "I haven't a clue," a spokeswoman laughs. "I'll get back to you." She doesn't. So you have to assume that the size of the bow you choose to make depends entirely on the favours you are hoping to get in return. Here are your options: The Obama Full Bow Legs straight, body and head horizontal (cf emperor of Japan). The Obama Non Bow Same as above, only with your fingers crossed (cf King Abdullah). The Judo Bow Same as above, only you try to pulp your opponent seconds later. The Operatic Bow Same as above, only with a giant hankie in your right hand to wipe the sweat off your forehead after the exertion of returning to the vertical. Full Papal Bow Fully prostrate, while kissing the runway. Used by most of us after a Ryanair flight. The British Bow A neat bend of the head from the neck, used while maintaining a stiff upper lip. Barack Obama John Crace guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Japanese 'should learn from war'
BBC Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:41:34 GMT
Japanese Emperor Akihito says the country should learn lessons from the wartime reign of his father, Hirohito.
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