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TOKYO, March 31 (Reuters) - Japan, the world's fifth-biggest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter, will begin a carbon pricing scheme in stages from April to encourage companies to curb emissions and achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The country is the latest among Asian nations to formulate plans to create a carbon pricing mechanism and emissions trading system. The scheme, based on METI proposals and approved by the cabinet this year, consists of emissions trading and a carbon levy. The carbon levy will be introduced from around 2028/29 on fossil fuel importers such as refiners, trading houses and electricity utilities. The introduction of emissions trading and carbon surcharges mark "a significant shift in Japan's climate change policy", said Tohru Shimizu, senior researcher at the Japan's Institute of Energy Economics.

TOKYO, March 31 (Reuters) - Japanese regional lenders will be well able to weather even "large" losses on their foreign bond portfolios thanks to strong capital buffers, a senior banking regulator official said, rebuffing concerns fuelled by U.S. banking woes. "Overseas media seem to be focusing on Japanese regional banks in association with the SVB collapse, but I'd like to emphasise that they are completely different," he told Reuters in an interview. Analysts at SMBC Nikko Securities calculated unrealized foreign bond losses at over 70 listed Japanese regional banks totalling 1.4 trillion yen ($10.6 billion) at the end of last year, the worst in decades for global bond markets. "It is true that unrealized losses on foreign bond holdings at some regional banks are large, but the banks have enough capital buffers even when such losses are taken into account," Yashiki said. He also said he saw no immediate need to review Japan's regulatory framework as Japanese banks have grown resilient with significantly improved asset quality.

TOKYO, March 28 (Reuters) - The Japanese construction company targeted for takeover by the family office linked to Nintendo Co's (7974.T) founder is pushing back against the fund and has asked the government to investigate alleged breaches of foreign ownership rules. Toyo Construction Co (1890.T), the marine construction company now 27% owned by Yamauchi-No.10 Family Office (YFO), made the request to the government this month, according to a letter seen by Reuters. YFO has amassed most of its 27% stake through three related investment companies registered in the Cayman Islands, each of them with less than 10%. It said the three investment vehicles were not closely related as defined by law in terms of the capital structure and that all three had different directors. "In both the acquisition of Toyo Construction shares and the formulation of the buyout proposal, we have been in close consultation with regulators throughout.

Other investors who have held Toshiba longer may not be so lucky: the offer price represents a 15% discount from a December 2014 high. Some were introduced to JIP by Toshiba's management, some of the people said, declining to be identified because the information is not public. Toshiba's management, including CEO Taro Shimada, will stay on, while the government keeps Toshiba's sensitive defence and nuclear technologies in Japanese hands. Toshiba felt stable shareholders were desirable to end the tumult, unlike current shareholders "with many differing views", it said. JIP does not see the need for big strategy adjustments, Toshiba said.

SummarySummary Companies C.banks responded to risk-aversive moves in markets - MatsunoJapan's banking system stable as a whole - MatsunoFinmin says will keep assessing impact of Credit Suisse buyoutMarket rout may complicate BOJ's exit path from easy policyTOKYO, March 20 (Reuters) - Japan's top government spokesperson said on Monday the banking system was stable, seeking to reassure markets the country won't see a contagion from U.S. and European banking sector woes. "Each country promptly ramped up efforts as risk-aversive moves were seen in financial markets," Matsuno told a regular news conference. "Japan's financial system is stable as a whole," he said, adding that authorities were watching financial market moves "with a strong sense of alarm". For now, financial authorities in Tokyo see the most likely risk for Japan coming from a deterioration in the U.S. economy that would hurt exports, rather than a direct bank contagion. "The failure of two U.S. banks spilled over to a Swiss bank in a seemingly unrelated way," one official said.

"Each country promptly ramped up efforts as risk-aversive moves were seen in financial markets," Matsuno told a regular news conference. "Japan's financial system is stable as a whole," he said, adding that authorities were watching financial market moves "with a strong sense of alarm". The remarks came after Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki told reporters on Monday the government would continue to "carefully assess" how a weekend rescue deal for Credit Suisse Group would affect Japan's financial sector. For now, financial authorities in Tokyo see the most likely risk for Japan coming from a deterioration in the U.S. economy that would hurt exports, rather than a direct bank contagion. "The failure of two U.S. banks spilled over to a Swiss bank in a seemingly unrelated way," one official said.

☆ TikTok went big at SXSW and creators discussed building lasting businesses. Here are 3 takeaways that I left Austin with.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Creators gathered at Meta's Austin, TX offices for a series of talks hosted by the Asian Creator House. Whether creators were talking about pay transparency, or startups were pitching their products as solutions, creator monetization was an ongoing conversation at SXSW. "More and more creators are being transparent as to how much they're making," said Monica Ravichandran, creator and Collective Voice staffer. At the Asian Creator House, led by Always Be Creating cofounders Justin Nguyen and Jerry Won, creator pay and business building were also top of mind. But on the brand and marketing side of SXSW, AI wasn't a potent topic, according to Influencer's Penchin.

But its tussle with the $620 million Toyo, Japan's third-largest marine construction firm in which it holds 27%, has been anything but whimsical. When asked for comment, Toyo Construction said it intended to set up a committee to consider the takeover proposal. It said it repeatedly requested more information to help it evaluate the offer but the Yamauchi office had not responded. The Yamauchi family office announced its all-cash offer to take Toyo private in May last year, a 30% premium to an earlier bid by Toyo's then largest shareholder. The board supported the lower offer, which later lapsed and the Yamauchi family office says it spent many months trying to engage with the board.

Kazuo Ueda, a 71-year-old university professor who has kept a low profile despite strong credentials as a monetary policy expert, ticked some important boxes. While he was not even on the list of dark horse candidates floated by the media, Ueda was well known in global central bank circles. The bank's preferred choices were incumbent deputy governor Amamiya, as well as former deputies Hiroshi Nakaso and Hirohide Yamaguchi, given their deep knowledge on monetary policy. Matsuno said he hoped the BOJ works closely with the government and guides monetary policy flexibly, when asked whether Ueda's appointment could lead to a retreat from Abenomics. While he warned of the rising cost of the BOJ's yield control policy, Ueda has called for the need to keep monetary policy loose to ensure Japan stably achieves the bank's 2% inflation target.

☆ Sony chip unit sees limited impact from recent export curbs to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Sony Group Corp's (6758.T) semiconductor division will likely see a limited impact from chip export curbs to China by the United States, Japan and the Netherlands, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Chief Executive Terushi Shimizu said on Thursday. Sony is the world's largest maker of image sensors widely used in smartphones and autos. Shimizu said shipments of its security camera-related products could be affected by export curbs introduced by the United States in October, saying negative impact to its sales will likely exceed one billion yen ($7.47 million), but below 10 billion yen. In comparison, the chip division expects its total sales to come to 1.42 trillion yen for the year ending March 31, 2023. ($1 = 133.8700 yen)Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka Editing by Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/4] A Japanese flag flutters atop the Bank of Japan building under construction in Tokyo, Japan, September 21, 2017. "This is a problem that is not going to change easily," said Momoko Nojo, a prominent campaigner for gender equality in Japan. The BOJ ranked 142nd of 185 central banks on gender equality, according to a report last year by the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum. About 11% of central banks surveyed had a female governor, a record high, while 37% had female deputy governors. That target is far below the European Central Bank, where women hold 30% of management roles.

"The company has received a proposal from the JIP consortium," Toshiba said in a statement. Two of the sources said major Japanese banks, including Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T), had issued letters of commitment to provide 1.4 trillion yen ($10.6 billion) in loans to the group. The final buyout proposal would also include an equity portion of about 1 trillion yen, they said. The Nikkei business daily reported the total value of the buyout proposal was around 2 trillion yen. JIP was then asked by Toshiba to provide commitment letters from banks by Nov. 7, something it was unable to do.

Major Japanese banks, including Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T), had issued letters of commitment to provide the loans to the JIP-led group, said two of the sources, who declined to be identified because the information has not been made public. The 1.4 trillion yen of loans included a commitment line of 200 billion yen for working capital, the sources said. The final buyout proposal would also include an equity portion of about 1 trillion yen, they said. The Nikkei business daily reported a final buyout proposal worth around 2 trillion yen. The banks asked Toshiba to promise the sale of underperforming businesses if earnings deteriorated after a buyout was concluded, sources, including those who spoke on Thursday, have previously said.

Major Japanese banks, including Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T), have issued letters of commitment to provide the loans to the JIP-led group, said the sources, who declined to be identified because the information has not been made public. The Nikkei business daily reported a final buyout proposal worth around 2 trillion yen had been submitted. Sources said the 1.4 trillion yen of loans included a commitment line of 200 billion yen for working capital. Toshiba named the JIP-led group as its preferred bidder in October. The private equity firm was then asked by Toshiba to provide commitment letters from banks by Nov. 7, something it was unable to secure by that date.

☆ Factbox: Who are candidates to become next BOJ governor?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Nikkei newspaper reported the government has sounded out BOJ Deputy Governor Masayoshi Amamiya as the next governor, citing anonymous government and ruling party sources. The government will present a nominee for BOJ governor, and that for two deputy governors, to parliament later this month. But he also said in July the BOJ must "always" think about the means of exiting ultra-loose monetary policy. FEMALE DEPUTY GOVERNOR CANDIDATESNo female has yet served as BOJ deputy governor or governor, a tradition Kishida may seek to change to enhance diversity. FINANCIAL BUREAUCRAT DEPUTY GOVERNOR CANDIDATESIf a former BOJ executive becomes governor, there is a strong chance one of the deputy governor posts will be filled by top finance ministry bureaucrats such as Shigeaki Okamoto and Yasushi Kinoshita.

☆ Analysis: BOJ bullishness on wages suggests days of super-low rates are numbered
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Kuroda likely put YCC on life support so his successor can strategise an orderly exit, said former BOJ official Nobuyasu Atago. He said the bank could raise the 0.5% yield cap to as high as 1% around mid-year and ditch negative rates by year's end. The parent of casual clothing giant Uniqlo says it will raise wages as much as 40%. "If the BOJ ends negative rates, that would widen the spread between deposit and lending rates so would definitely be positive for us," he said. With YCC creaking under market pressure, the BOJ may not be able to wait too long.

TOKYO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Japanese insurers are expected to maintain marine war insurance, which covers the sinking and requisition of ships due to war in Russian waters for at least three months for liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels, industry sources said on Friday. But on Tuesday, a senior official at the industry ministry said the Japanese government had asked insurers to take on additional risks to continue providing war insurance for liquefied natural gas (LNG) shippers. The insurance companies negotiated with reinsurers to replace part of the coverage and they are expected to enable continued insurance, Nikkei reported on Thursday. After renegotiating with UK reinsurers, a total of 30 billion yen ($224 million) is expected to be secured, with domestic insurers covering about 8 billion yen and overseas reinsurers taking on about 22 billion yen, it said. But added the underwriting capacity will be less than half of the previous 67 billion yen.

☆ Japan's biggest banks to raise housing loan rates after BOJ's policy tweak
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Japan's three biggest banks said on Friday they would raise interest rates for housing loans for next month, reflecting the Bank of Japan's tweak in its ultra-loose policy. Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, the main banking unit of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.T), will raise the rate by 0.18 percentage point to 3.7%. Each bank has special loan programs for selected customers so their rates will be lower, with Sumitomo Mitsui charging 1.14%, Mizuho 1.60% and Mitsubishi UFJ 1.05%. Japan's central bank surprised the market last week by raising the cap on 10-year bond yield to 0.5% from 0.25%. Reporting by Ritsuko Shimizu; Writing by Junko Fujita; Editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The 1.4 trillion yen includes 200 billion yen in working capital, they said. The main banking arms of Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T) and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc (8309.T) are together expected to lend more than 1 trillion yen, three sources said. The core bank unit of Japan's biggest financial group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.T) and Aozora Bank Ltd (8304.T) are also participating, they added. Spokespeople for all five banks declined to comment. Toshiba named a JIP-led group as its preferred bidder in October for the buyout process.

TOKYO/HONG KONG, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Japan Industrial Partners, the preferred bidder to buy out Toshiba Corp (6502.T), has moved closer to securing financing from banks, three people with knowledge of the matter said. JIP's bid has called for Toshiba management to retain their jobs - a proposal which initially made some of the banks cautious about lending, sources have said. The sources all declined to be identified as the talks are private. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, the core unit of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc (8316.T), and Mizuho Bank Ltd, the core unit of Mizuho Financial Group Inc (8411.T) declined to comment. ($1 = 137.0500 yen)Reporting by Kane Wu, Makiko Yamazaki and Ritsuko Shimizu; Editing by Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ifeoma Ozoma is a passionate advocate for tech whistleblowers. It all started with tweets
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Ifeoma Ozoma’s path as an advocate for tech workers started with a series of tweets one morning in June 2020. She emerged as a passionate advocate for tech workers by seeking legal protections for whistleblowers. “So many people reached out when I told my story, and most of them were tech workers or workers within the tech industry,” she said. The 30-year-old mentors activists and other people fighting all over the world against workplace discrimination. After leaving Pinterest, Ozoma moved to a farm near Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she grows her own vegetables and raises a flock of chickens nicknamed the Golden Girls.

☆ This former tech worker is helping change laws for people who get laid off
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

☆ Japan's Seven & i to sell Sogo & Seibu unit to U.S. fund Fortress
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Japan's Seven & i Holdings Co Ltd (3382.T) said on Friday it will sell its Sogo & Seibu department store unit to U.S. fund Fortress Investment Group. The transfer price will be based on 250 billion yen ($1.77 billion) in enterprise value for Sogo & Seibu, adjusted by net debt and working capital, Seven & i said in a release. Electronics retailer Yodobashi Holdings will be a partner in the deal with Fortress, which is controlled by Japan's SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T). Yodobashi is expected to set up outlets within Sogo & Seibu locations, the Nikkei newspaper reported earlier this week. Seven & i shares rose 0.3% in Tokyo trading compared with a 3% jump in the benchmark Nikkei (.N225) index.

☆ Japan's Seven & i Holdings to sell Sogo & Seibu unit to Fortress -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Japan's Seven & i Holdings Co Ltd (3382.T) has decided to sell its Sogo & Seibu department store unit to U.S. fund Fortress Investment Group, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Seven & i held an extraordinary board meeting on Friday to decide on the sale to the SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) controlled fund, the people said. Reporting by Mariko Katsumura, Ritsuko Shimizu and Rocky Swift; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: List of squads for the 2022 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Midfielders: Aaron Mooy (Celtic), Jackson Irvine (FC St. Pauli), Ajdin Hrustic (Hellas Verona), Cameron Devlin (Heart of Midlothian), Riley McGree (Middlesbrough), Keanu Baccus (St Mirren). Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras). Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), Casemiro (Manchester United), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Fabinho (Liverpool), Fred (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham United). Midfielders: Thomas Delaney (Sevilla), Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur). JAPANDefender Yuta Nakayama was called up but will miss the World Cup after suffering an Achilles injury.

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