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☆ Super-aged Japan now has 9 million vacant homes. And that’s a problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Chris Lau | Mayumi Maruyama | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“This is a symptom of Japan’s population decline,” said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba. “It’s not really a problem of building too many houses” but “a problem of not having enough people,” he said. According to figures compiled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 14% of all residential properties in Japan are vacant. “When an earthquake or a tsunami occurs, there is a possibility that vacant houses will block evacuation routes as they break down and get destroyed,” he said. In other rural areas with a high concentration of vacant houses, akiya have stalled development, the professor said.

Persons: ”, Jeffrey Hall, “ It’s, don’t, Akio Kon, it’s, “ They’re, Buddhika Weerasinghe, Yuki Akiyama, Akiyama, ” Akiyama Organizations: CNN, Kanda University of International Studies, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Kanda University, “, Bloomberg, Getty, Ministry, Internal Affairs, Communications, Tokyo City University, Homes Locations: Japan, New York City, Tokyo, Kyoto, Chiba, Kanda, Yato, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa prefecture, Tambasasayama, Noto, Ishikawa, Europe, West, “

☆ Nikkei briefly breaches 38,000 for the first time since 1990 as it rallies 3%, nears all-time high
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Signage for the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), operated by Japan Exchange Group Inc. (JPX), displayed outside the bourse in Tokyo, in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesJapan's Nikkei 225 briefly crossed the 38,000 mark for the first time since the asset bubble burst in 1990 as it rallied about 3% and pushed 34-year highs. However, it was unable to sustain its run above 38,000 points, falling minutes before its close to end at 37,963.97, while the Topix climbed 2.12% to 2,612.03, also at a 34-year high. Other Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose as more markets return to trade from the Lunar New Year holiday, including South Korea and Singapore. Japan's corporate goods price index rose 0.2% in January, beating the 0.1% expected by economists polled by Reuters.

Persons: Akio Kon Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan Exchange Group Inc, bourse, Bloomberg, Getty, Nikkei, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Gaza, Asia, Pacific, South Korea, Singapore

☆ China Arrests Japanese Executive Despite Tokyo’s Appeals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Miho Inada | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The arrested Astellas Pharma executive disappeared in late March. Photo: Akio Kon/Bloomberg NewsTOKYO—China formally arrested a Japanese pharmaceutical executive who had been detained since March, Tokyo said Thursday, in a move likely to further chill business travel to the nation. Hirokazu Matsuno , Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said the Astellas Pharma executive, whom China has previously identified as Hiroshi Nishiyama , was arrested in mid-October. Matsuno said Tokyo had made strong appeals to Beijing for the early release of the executive and would continue doing so.

Persons: Astellas, Akio Kon, Hirokazu, Hiroshi Nishiyama, Matsuno Organizations: Astellas Pharma, Bloomberg News TOKYO Locations: China, Tokyo, Beijing

Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images2008: iPhone 3G, meet the App StoreWith the second version of the iPhone, Apple introduces the App Store and 3G connectivity. Stephen Lam/Reuters2016: iPhone SE, a budget optionTaking a step back, the iPhone SE is a cheaper, smaller device than the 6S, giving customers a chance to enjoy Apple’s phones at a much lower cost. People handle the new Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max during a media tour at an Apple office in Shanghai, China, on September 21, 2018. Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg/Getty Images2020: iPhone 12 Mini, small but mightyThe iPhone 12 mini is smaller than the usual iPhone but packs a powerful punch. Mike Segar/Reuters2021: iPhone 13 Series, same price for more spaceThe iPhone 13 stays at the same price as the iPhone 12 with double the storage space, as well as featuring a much smaller top notch.

Persons: Steve Jobs, John Green, ” Jobs, Leon Neal, Justin Sullivan, Siri, FaceTime, “, ”, Jobs, Michael Nagle, Apple, Seth K, Hughes, Akio Kon, David Gray, Tim Cook, Josh Edelson, Stephen Lam, David Paul Morris, Phil Schiller, Aly Song, Max, Jason Lee, Pro Max, Phil Barker, Brendon Thorne, Mike Segar, Gabby Jones, Andrew Kelly Organizations: New, New York CNN, Apple, Macworld, Bay Area, Getty, Lightning, Bloomberg, Apple Inc, Worldwide, Steve Jobs, Steve, Pro, Future Publishing Locations: New York, San Francisco, London, AFP, San Francisco , California, New York City, Cupertino , California, Ginza, Tokyo, Japan, Sydney, Shanghai, China, Beijing, Australia, Manhattan , New York

The Tokyo Tower, left, and commercial and residential buildings at night in Minato district of Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets are set to rise on Friday after more inflation data out from the U.S. came in softer than expected, raising optimism that inflation could come down without weakening the labor market. "Most stock and bond index prices rose today as economic data indicates inflation has fallen quickly and the labor market remains strong," Bill Merz, senior investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. June's producer price index rose less than anticipated, climbing 0.1% year on year, compared to the 0.2% expected by economists polled by Dow Jones. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index also looks set to continue its rally after surging more than 2.5% on Thursday.

Persons: Akio Kon, Bill Merz, Dow Jones Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty Images, U.S, Bank Wealth Management, Core PPI, Nikkei Locations: Tokyo, Minato district, Japan, Getty Images Asia, Pacific, U.S, Chicago, Osaka, Australia

☆ Can Japan's Nikkei benchmark hit an all-time high of 40,000? One strategist thinks so
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesJapan's Nikkei 225 can reach 40,000 points in the next 12 months as fundamentals are "pointing in the right direction," according to market strategist Jesper Koll. Should the prediction come true, this would mean that the Nikkei would have breached its all-time high of 38,195 achieved on Dec 29, 1989. Japan's central bank has maintained an ultra-loose monetary policy for more than 20 years. He said that while there is more upside in the Nikkei, "a lot of good news is already priced in." That's on the expectation that the BOJ will move to tighten monetary policy.

Persons: Akio Kon, Jesper Koll, CNBC's, Koll, Kazuo Ueda, Tony Sycamore Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty, Nikkei, Monex Group, Bank of Japan, CNBC Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Japan's, Koll, Sycamore

☆ SoftBank shares drop after its Vision Fund tech investment unit posts a $32 billion record loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article 9984.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSoftBank's Vision Fund posted a record loss in the year ended Mar. The flagship tech investment unit has been hit by the falling prices of tech stocks. Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesShares of Japanese tech investor SoftBank fell on Friday after the company reported a record loss at its Vision Fund tech investment unit. The company said on Thursday that its Vision Fund segment lost a record 4.3 trillion Japanese yen ($32 billion) for its fiscal year ending Mar. The $100 billion Vision Fund was launched in 2017 under the stewardship of SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son and shook up the tech investing world.

☆ In China, a Detention and a New Espionage Law Have Businesses Worried
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Yoko Kubota | Miho Inada | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China’s detention of a Japanese executive at Astellas Pharma is one of a string of incidents that have sparked new concerns among foreign companies. Photo: Akio Kon/Bloomberg NewsBEIJING— Hiroshi Nishiyama , a veteran Japanese executive at Astellas Pharma Inc. and a prominent member of his country’s business circle in China, spent late March wrapping up his assignment there and preparing to head home. He never made it. Mr. Nishiyama disappeared on what was supposed to be his last day in China. A few days later, China’s Foreign Ministry said he had been accused of espionage and detained.

☆ Japan's business mood sours to 2-year low as global slowdown bites, Tankan survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's business sentiment soured in January-March to hit the worst level in more than two years, the closely-watched tankan survey showed on April 3, 2023. Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesJapan's business sentiment soured in January-March to hit the worst level in more than two years, a closely-watched central bank survey showed on Monday, as slowing global growth clouds the outlook for the export-reliant economy. The service-sector mood, by contrast, recovered as easing border controls and an end to Covid-19 curbs heightened hopes for a rebound in tourism and consumption, the Bank of Japan's tankan survey showed. It was the fifth straight quarter of deterioration and the worst level hit since December 2020. Given the fragile nature of Japan's recovery, the BOJ is not in a situation where it can normalize monetary policy anytime soon.

☆ Crypto is banned in China, but Binance employees and support volunteers tell people how to bypass the ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

The messages CNBC reviewed come from accounts identified as Binance employees or Binance-trained volunteers known as "Angels." Whatever the method, Binance's Chinese users take on a significant risk: In China, crypto exchanges have been outlawed since 2017, while crypto itself was outlawed in 2021. But Chinese customers have continued to seek ways to trade on Binance, which include using instructions provided by employees and volunteers. "'Binance does not offer a 'Binance Chinese Android app," a spokesperson said. In addition, hours after Binance responded to CNBC, messages apeared on Twitter suggesting that some customers' Binance debit cards had been frozen.

Hong Kong/Tokyo CNN —Masatoshi Ito, the Japanese billionaire who turned 7-Eleven convenience stores into a global empire, has died aged 98, closing the chapter on one of Asia’s most storied retail entrepreneurs. A 7-Eleven convenience store in Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture, on January 9, 2023. So, how did 7-Eleven become synonymous with the Japanese convenience store culture as we know it today? He renamed the company Ito Yokado and started running the business like a US supermarket. Ito Yokado was renamed Seven & I Holdings in 2005, and Ito remained its honorary chairman until his death.

☆ Kazuo Ueda nominated to lead Japan's central bank in possible move away from ultra-easy policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —The Japanese government has nominated Kazuo Ueda to lead its central bank, in a surprise move that could pave the way for the country to wind down its ultra-loose monetary policy. Accommodative is a term used to describe monetary policy that adjusts to adverse market conditions and usually involves keeping interest rates low to spur growth and employment. As part of that program, the central bank targeted some short-term interest rates at an ultra-dovish minus 0.1% and aimed for 10-year government bond yields around 0%. But as prices rose and interest rates elsewhere went up, pressure has grown on the BOJ to wind down YCC. But Kuroda later dismissed a near-term exit from his ultra-loose monetary policy.

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