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☆ U.S. Eyeing Japanese Shipyards for Warship Overhauls, Says U.S. Ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Reuters) - The United States and Japan will look at the viability of using Japanese shipyards to overhaul U.S. navy warships that patrol East Asian waters, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said on Friday at the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo. Doing refits in Japan could help the U.S. keep more of its ships battle-ready in East Asia where China is expanding its naval power. The U.S. navy currently sends its ships back across the Pacific to shipyards at home that are wrestling with a backlog of maintenance contracts. Japan hosts the biggest overseas concentration of U.S. military power, including the only forward-deployed carrier strike group, which operates from Yokosuka.

Persons: Japan Rahm Emanuel, John Geddie, Tim Kelly, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Yokosuka, U.S . Navy, Seventh Locations: YOKOSUKA, Japan, United States, U.S, Tokyo, East Asia, China, Pacific, Yokosuka

☆ Biden-Kishida Summit in Washington Likely Around April 10 -Yomiuri
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and the United States are working to reschedule a summit in Washington between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joe Biden around April 10, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Thursday, citing diplomatic sources from both nations. Kishida said in November that Biden had invited him for a formal state visit in early 2024. The premier may also address the U.S. Congress during his visit to demonstrate the two nations' deepening ties, the Yomiuri said. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, Kishida, Biden, Kaori Kaneko, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Yomiuri, Congress Locations: TOKYO, Japan, United States, Washington

☆ Japan's Alps Alpine says ex-worker arrested on suspected trade secret leak
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Japanese police have arrested a former worker of Alps Alpine (6770.T) on suspicion of stealing trade secrets, the Japanese electronic components maker said on Tuesday. Alps Alpine said it had brought a criminal complaint against the former employee after determining that the worker had stolen information. Kyodo News reported earlier that the arrested employee was a Chinese man in his 30s who had left Alps Alpine for a job at a major Japanese automaker, where he attempted to use the stolen data. Alps Alpine said in its statement that it would tighten compliance, declining to provide further details about the case citing ongoing police investigation. Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Kyodo News, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Chinese, Japanese

☆ Nvidia CEO says he will try to prioritise Japan for AI processors
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Japan is rushing to rebuild its once world-leading semiconductor infrastructure and catch up on the development of AI technology. The graphics processing units (GPUs) made by U.S.-based Nvidia dominate the market for AI. "Demand is very high, but I promised the prime minister we will do our very, very best to prioritise Japan's requirements for GPUs," Huang told reporters at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's official residence in Tokyo. "The semiconductor industry that Japan is now starting to grow and foster will be able to produce GPUs," Huang said. "Countries like Japan are realising that you need to own your own data, build your own AI factories and produce your own AI intelligence," he added.

Persons: Ann Wang, Jensen Huang, Huang, Fumio, Huang's, TSMC, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Rocky Swift, Chang, Ran Kim, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Nvidia, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Japan, U.S, Tokyo, Hokkaido

Japan, a key U.S. ally, had sought the suspension of all non-emergency V-22 Osprey flights over its territory after one fell into the sea on Wednesday in western Japan. Japan's Coast Guard has said one person was found and confirmed dead, and the search for the remaining seven aboard continues. The Pentagon said on Thursday that it was still flying Ospreys for now, and that it was not aware of any official request for their grounding. "We are concerned that despite our repeated requests, and in the absence of sufficient explanation (from the U.S. military), the Osprey continues to fly," he told a news conference. The Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF), which also operates Ospreys, has said it would suspend flights of the transport aircraft.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Yoko Kamikawa, Rahm Emanuel, Robert Dujarric, Dujarric, Mariko Katsumura, John Geddie, Chang, Ran Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Japan's Coast Guard, Pentagon, Ospreys, U.S ., Japan Self - Defense Forces, U.S, Pacifist Japan, U.S . Marine Corps, Tokyo's Temple University, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, U.S, Tokyo

☆ Japan asks US military to ground Osprey aircraft after fatal crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Japan Coast Guard vessel and a helicopter conduct a search and rescue operation at the site where a U.S. military aircraft V-22 Osprey crashed into the sea off Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan November 30, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. The Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF), which also operates Ospreys, will suspend flights of the transport aircraft until the circumstances of the incident are clarified, another senior defence ministry official said in parliament. A spokesperson for U.S. military forces in Japan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The deployment of the aircraft in Japan has been controversial, with critics of the U.S. military presence in the southwest islands saying it is prone to accidents. The last fatal U.S. military aircraft crash in Japan was 2018, when a mid-air collision during a training exercise killed six people, according to the defence ministry.

Persons: Minoru Kihara, Witnesses, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro Komiya, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Japan Coast Guard, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S . Air Force, U.S, Ospreys, Japan Self - Defense Forces, Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Marines, Navy, U.S . Marine Corps, Osprey, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, U.S, Australia, Okinawa

Adachi said Japan has yet to see a positive wage-inflation cycle, in which wages and inflation rise together, kick off. The BOJ can start debating an exit strategy only when the chance of such a cycle emerging heightens, he added. But Adachi said the BOJ did not necessarily need to wait until inflation-adjusted wage growth turns positive for it to normalise monetary policy. Hawkish member Naoki Tamura in August signalled a chance of ending negative rates early next year, saying Japan's inflation was already "clearly in sight" of the BOJ's target. With inflation exceeding its 2% target for more than a year, many market players expect the BOJ to end negative rates and YCC next year, with some betting on a move as early as January.

Persons: Issei Kato, Seiji Adachi, Adachi, we're, Naoki Tamura, YCC, Leika Kihara, Takahiko Wada, Chang, Ran Kim, Jamie Freed Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, MATSUYAMA, Matsuyama

☆ Creditor Nations Likely to Agree on Sri Lanka Debt Restructuring - Report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - A group of Sri Lanka's creditor nations are likely to reach an agreement on debt relief and an extension of repayment deadlines for the South Asian nation, Japan's Jiji News reported on Wednesday, without naming a source or giving any details. China is Sri Lanka's largest bilateral creditor and has steered clear of joining this group as a formal member. Mired in its worst financial crisis in decades, Sri Lanka has been trying to reach restructuring deals with creditors since last year. The agreement with the group of creditor nations came about a month after the debt-ridden island nation reached a deal with the Export-Import Bank of China covering about $4.2 billion of outstanding debt. In so doing, Colombo is also seeking to receive more clarity on its debt restructuring talks with key bilateral creditors.

Persons: Tetsushi Kajimoto, Chang, Ran Kim, Miral Organizations: South, Jiji, Export, Import Bank of, International Monetary Fund Locations: TOKYO, Japan, France, India, China, Sri Lanka's, Sri Lanka, Import Bank of China, Colombo

☆ Mitsubishi Heavy expects to double defence revenue over next 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Miniatures of windmill and electric pole are seen in front of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries logo in this illustration taken January 17, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - (This Nov. 22 story has been corrected to show that the revenue forecast is for a 3-year period after the company's clarification in the headline, paragraphs 1 and 3)Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T) said on Wednesday it expects to double its defence revenue to about 1 trillion yen ($6.68 billion) over the next three years. The increase would come partly from the expansion of facilities to build missiles and develop next-generation fighter jets, it said. During the three-year period starting in April 2027, Mitsubishi Heavy expects annual revenue to top 1 trillion yen due to growth in the defence and space business, presentation material showed. The Japanese government has said it plans to double spending on defence to about 2% of its gross domestic product by 2027 as regional tensions heighten.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Chang, Ran Kim, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Mitsubishi, Industries, REUTERS, Rights, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy, Thomson

☆ South Korea court orders Japan to compensate 'comfort women', reverses earlier ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 23 (Reuters) - A South Korean appellate court on Thursday ordered Japan to compensate a group of 16 women who were forced to work in Japanese wartime brothels, overturning a lower court ruling that dismissed the case and prompting a stern protest from Tokyo. In response to the court's decision, Japanese vice minister for foreign affairs Masataka Okano summoned South Korean ambassador Yun Dukmin to lodge a "strong protest". The Seoul High Court, however, reversed the lower court's decision, recognising the jurisdiction of South Korean courts over the Japanese government as a defendant. In a statement, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said the judgment went against international law and agreements between the two countries, calling it "extremely regrettable and absolutely unacceptable." South Korea's foreign ministry said it was looking into details of the latest ruling, without elaborating.

Persons: Jason Reed, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Masataka Okano, Yun Dukmin, Yoko Kamikawa, Lee Yong, I'm, 1,294.3500, Hyonhee Shin, Chang, Ran Kim, Makiko Yamazaki, Ed Davies, Simon Cameron, Moore, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Seoul Central, Court, Seoul High Court, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Korea, Rights SEOUL, Japan, Tokyo, South Korean, Seoul, South, Republic of Korea

☆ North Korea notifies Japan of satellite launch plan between Nov 22 and Dec 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Chang-Ran Kim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Nov 21 (Reuters) - North Korea has notified Japan it plans to launch a rocket carrying a space satellite between Nov. 22 and Dec. 1 in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, Japan's Coast Guard said on Tuesday. If carried out, it would likely mark a third attempt by the nuclear-armed state this year to put a spy satellite into orbit. Japan will work with the United States, South Korea and others to "strongly urge" North Korea not to go ahead with the launch, Kishida said. North Korea has not made a formal announcement of the plan on official media. The North considers its space and military rocket programmes a sovereign right, and analysts say spy satellites are crucial to improving the effectiveness of its weapons.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, military's Vandenberg, Chang, Ran Kim, Jack Kim, Christina Fincher, David Gregorio, Sandra Maler Organizations: Japan's Coast Guard, Aegis, United Nations, South, Japan, International Maritime Organization, North, U.S, SpaceX, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, North Korea, Japan, East China, United States, South Korea, Pyongyang, Korea, Tokyo, Seoul

The logo of Rapidus Corp. is displayed at the company headquarters in Tokyo, Japan February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Japanese chip foundry venture Rapidus plans to open a sales office in the United States by the end of the financial year. Rapidus is led by veteran chip executives and hopes to manufacture cutting-edge chips by partnering with IBM (IBM.N) and Belgium-based research organisation Imec. The CEO of Imec said last week that what Rapidus is trying to do is "extremely difficult" adding he was "positive" about the prospects for the venture. Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Sam Nussey; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Issei Kato, Rapidus, Taiwan's TSMC, Imec, Kaori Kaneko, Sam Nussey, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Rapidus Corp, REUTERS, Rights, IBM, Samsung Electronics, U.S, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United States, Belgium, South, Chitose, China

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki arrives for a news conference during the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Marrakech, Morocco, October 13, 2023. REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Tuesday that the government would take all possible steps necessary to respond to currency moves, repeating his usual mantra that excessive swings were undesirable. Suzuki made the remarks when asked about impacts from the weak yen on households which have been pressured by rising living costs due to higher import prices for fuel and food. "What's important is to maximise positive effects from the weak yen while mitigating negatives," Suzuki told reporters. Japan last intervened in the currency market - selling dollars and buying yen - in October last year.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Susana Vera, Suzuki, Shinichi Uchida, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Kaori Kaneko, Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Japanese Finance, Bank, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Japan, U.S

☆ Japan Q3 annualised GDP falls worse-than-expected 2.1%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A woman looks at items at a shop in Tokyo, Japan, March 24, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Japan's economy shrank 2.1% in July-September from the previous quarter on an annualised basis, government data showed on Wednesday, worse than market estimates and falling for the first time in three quarters. The gross domestic product (GDP) figure compared with the median forecast for a 0.6% decline and translated into a quarterly fall of 0.5%. Private consumption, which makes up more than half of the economy, was flat quarter-on-quarter, the data showed. Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Androniki, Tetsushi, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan PM to sack deputy finance minister over tax scandal - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, November 2, 2023. Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to sack a deputy finance minister, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday, after the official last week admitted to media reports that he had been delinquent on tax payments in the past. State Minister of Finance Kenji Kanda, who is in charge of government bonds and monetary policy, would be the third to leave a ministerial post in just two months since Kishida reshuffled his cabinet to improve tumbling public approval ratings. The report of Kanda's firing comes as the latest poll by broadcaster FNN showed the approval rating for Kishida's cabinet reaching a record low of 27.8%, sliding 7.8 points from last month. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fumio, Kiyoshi Ota, Fumio Kishida, of Finance Kenji Kanda, Kishida, FNN, Kantaro Komiya, Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Rights, NHK, of Finance, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan PM to Sack Deputy Finance Minister Over Tax Scandal - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to sack a deputy finance minister, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday, after the official last week admitted to media reports that he had been delinquent on tax payments in the past. State Minister of Finance Kenji Kanda, who is in charge of government bonds and monetary policy, would be the third to leave a ministerial post in just two months since Kishida reshuffled his cabinet to improve tumbling public approval ratings. The report of Kanda's firing comes as the latest poll by broadcaster FNN showed the approval rating for Kishida's cabinet reaching a record low of 27.8%, sliding 7.8 points from last month. (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)

Persons: Fumio Kishida, of Finance Kenji Kanda, Kishida, FNN, Kantaro Komiya, Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: NHK, of Finance Locations: TOKYO

☆ Japan to allocate $13 bln for chip industry support in extra budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Semiconductor chips are seen on a printed circuit board in this illustration picture taken February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Japan's government will allocate 1.99 trillion yen ($13 billion) to support efforts to boost its chip industry in a supplementary budget for the current fiscal year. Some of the funds are expected to be used to support Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC (2330.TW) and chip foundry venture Rapidus, local media have reported. Countries around the world are moving to strengthen control over the supply chain for chips, which are essential for the electronics, automotive and defence industries. ($1 = 151.3400 yen)Reporting by Tokyo newsroom Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Florence Lo, TSMC, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa waits for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to arrive for a meeting, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in New York. Julia Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Japan's foreign minister said on Thursday she would meet Palestinian counterparts during a visit to Israel and Jordan, and would communicate Japan's readiness to provide aid to the Palestinians. The minister, Yoko Kamikawa, is also set to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen during her two-day trip from Friday, as the crisis in Gaza deepened after Israel conducted a strike on the Jabalia refugee camp and as foreigners, including Japanese nationals, leave. Speaking to reporters before her departure, she acknowledged the Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp and that many civilians had been killed in the attack. She said Japan would remain in touch with one Japanese national living in Gaza who wished to remain there and did not evacuate.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, Antony Blinken, Julia Nikhinson, Eli Cohen, Israel, Kamikawa, Sakura Murakami, Kantaro, Chang, Ran Kim, Robert Birsel Organizations: Rights, Israeli, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: New York, Israel, Jordan, Gaza, Egypt, Japan

☆ China, Japan coast guards face off again near disputed islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING/TOKYO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Chinese and Japanese coast guard ships faced off in waters around disputed islands in the East China Sea again on Wednesday, with both countries saying they deployed patrol ships to urge the other side to leave the territory. The disputed islands, called Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, are claimed by both countries. The Chinese coast guard said three Japanese ships and several patrol ships illegally entered its territorial waters on Wednesday and that it took necessary control measures in accordance with the law. Japan's coast guard said its patrol boats in turn repeatedly urged three Chinese coast guard vessels to leave the waters. Reporting by Beijing newsroom, Mariko Katsumura in Tokyo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mariko Katsumura, Jacqueline Wong, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: East China, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, TOKYO, East, China, Senkaku, Japan, Japan's, Tokyo

☆ BOJ modifies yield curve control, re-defines long-term rate cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An office employee walks in front of the bank of Japan building in Tokyo, Japan, April 7, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan modified its bond yield control again on Tuesday by re-defining 1.0% as an "upper bound" with room for allowance, rather than a rigid cap. "The BOJ will regard the upper bound of 1.0% for the 10-yaer Japanese government bond (JGB) yield as a reference" and continue large-scale bond buying and nimble market operations, the central bank said in a statement. As widely expected, the BOJ maintained a 0.1% interest charged on financial institutions' excess reserves parked with the central bank, and a 0% target for the 10-year government bond yield set under its yield curve control (YCC) policy. Reporting by Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Androniki, Leika Kihara, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Japan, Tokyo

TOKYO, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Kokusai Electric (6525.T) shares jumped 29% in their Tokyo market debut on Wednesday after private equity firm KKR sold shares in the chip equipment maker for $724 million in Japan's largest initial public offering (IPO) in five years. The stock opened at 2,116 yen and climbed to a high of 2,371 yen, valuing the company at 546.3 billion yen ($3.65 billion), as investors grabbed shares following the rare IPO of a key chip tool manufacturer. "The market for chip related stocks outside of AI is weak so some were wondering what would happen," said Tomoichiro Kubota, analyst at Matsui Securities. KKR agreed to buy Hitachi's (6501.T) electronic equipment unit in 2017 in a deal valuing the business at 257 billion yen ($1.72 billion) as the conglomerate streamlined operations. The private equity group then spun off Kokusai, which manufactures machines for depositing thin films on silicon wafers, the following year.

Persons: telco, Tomoichiro Kubota, Kazuyoshi Saito, Warren Buffett, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Mayu, Makiko Yamazaki, Chang, Ran Kim, Sonali Paul Organizations: KKR, telco SoftBank Corp, Matsui Securities, Reuters, Iwai Cosmo Securities, Materials, Equity, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, China, Japan

☆ Japan launches antimonopoly probe into Google's search dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Google app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Alphabet Inc FollowTOKYO, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Japan's competition watchdog on Monday said it would start investigating Google's (GOOGL.O) possible breach of antimonopoly laws in web search services, following similar steps taken by authorities in Europe and other major economies. The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) said it would investigate whether Google violated Japan's Antimonopoly Act, including by returning part of its revenues to Android smartphone makers on the condition that they not install rival search engines. The decision follows similar moves by antitrust regulators in the European Union, the United States and others. Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka and Kantaro Komiya Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Google's, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: REUTERS, Japan Fair Trade Commission, Google, European Union, Thomson Locations: Europe, United States

☆ Toyota, Idemitsu join hands to mass-produce all-solid-state batteries
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A worker cleans Toyota's Electric Vehicle bZ4X, that is displayed during the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Tangerang, near Jakarta, Indonesia, August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor (7203.T) and Idemitsu Kosan (5019.T) have joined hands to develop and mass-produce all-solid-state batteries for electric vehicles, the companies said on Thursday. Idemitsu and Toyota said in a statement they would aim to commercialise the next-generation batteries in 2027-28, followed by full-scale mass production. Toyota President Koji Sato and Idemitsu President Shunichi Kito will hold a press conference at 3 p.m. (0600 GMT) on Thursday. Solid-state batteries can hold more energy than current liquid electrolyte batteries.

Persons: Willy Kurniawan, Idemitsu Kosan, Koji Sato, Shunichi Kito, Chang, Ran Kim, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Toyota, world's, Thomson Locations: Indonesia, Tangerang, Jakarta

☆ BOJ's Noguchi says wage growth momentum is biggest focus for Japan economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Bank of Japan board member Asahi Noguchi said on Thursday that the biggest focus for the Japanese economy now was to ensure that momentum for wage growth stayed in place, with a 3% rise in nominal pay to back efforts to meet the 2% inflation target. "His emphasis on wage growth probably meant the BOJ will retain its easy policy until wage hikes are firmly in place following the labour talks next March." "The biggest focus now is whether this (wage growth) momentum will be maintained or not from now on as well." Noguchi said household inflation expectations are steadily rising, but if wage growth lags behind price hikes, consumers would have no choice but to reduce their spending, as seen lately. "The BOJ's mission for the time being is to realise it (positive growth in real wages) through patient monetary easing," Noguchi said.

Persons: Asahi Noguchi, Noguchi, Yoshimasa Maruyama, Tetsushi, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Bank of Japan, Nikko Securities, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Niigata, Tokyo

☆ Japan issues tsunami advisory for islands in eastern Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Japan issued an advisory for a tsunami of 1 metre for the islands off of Izu peninsula on the eastern coast of the country. The warning followed an earthquake that had a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 that struck at 11 a.m. near Torishima island, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The epicentre was in the Pacific ocean about 550 kms (340 miles) south of Tokyo. Reporting by Rocky Swift Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rocky Swift, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Japan Meteorological Agency, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Izu, Torishima, Tokyo

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