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☆ Japan's weak machinery orders, other batch of soft data raise BOJ challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | 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

Core orders, the leading indicator of Japanese business spending, were down 1.1% in July from the previous month, the data showed. Orders from manufacturers fell 5.3% in July, the largest decline in eight months, due to weak demand for computers from industries including electric machinery, auto and chemicals. Orders from "core" service-sector firms excluding shipping and electric utilities grew 1.3%. The government maintained its weak view on machinery orders, saying they are "stalling", highlighting the bumpy road ahead for Japanese business and its broader economy. In July, Japan's exports fell for the first time in nearly 2-1/2 years, while the industrial output contracted more than expected.

Persons: Chisato Oshiba, Fumio Kishida, reshuffling, Kantaro Komiya, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: ", Dai, Research, Manufacturers, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Japan

☆ Japan launches rocket carrying moon lander SLIM after three delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | 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: +1 min

H-IIA launch vehicle number 47 is seen on the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the southwestern island of Tanegashima, Japan in this photo taken by Kyodo on August 28, 2023. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Japan launched the H-IIA rocket carrying the national space agency's moon lander on Thursday morning, after unfavourable weather led to three postponements in a week last month. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the rocket took off from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan as planned. The rocket is carrying JAXA's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft, dubbed the "moon sniper" for its experimental precision landing technology. SLIM's lunar landing is scheduled for early next year.

Persons: JAXA's Smart Lander, Kantaro Komiya, Tom Hogue, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kyodo, Rights, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Tanegashima Space, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NASA, Thomson Locations: Tanegashima, Japan, India

Although the H-IIA rocket, the Japanese flagship launch vehicle, has a 98% launch success rate, unsuitable wind conditions in the upper atmosphere forced a suspension 27 minutes before the planned liftoff. "High-altitude winds hit our constraint for a launch... which had been set to ensure no impact from debris falling outside of pre-warned areas," said MHI H-IIA launch unit chief Tatsuru Tokunaga. It will mark the 47th H-IIA Japan has launched. H-IIA, jointly developed by JAXA and MHI, has been Japan's flagship space launch vehicle, with 45 successful launches in 46 tries since 2001. However, after JAXA's new medium-lift H3 rocket failed on its debut in March, the agency postponed the launch of H-IIA No.

Persons: MHI, Tatsuru Tokunaga, Michio Kawakami, Tokunaga, JAXA's Smart Lander, India's, SLIM, Ray, Kantaro Komiya, Rocky Swift, Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, MHI, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Ray Imaging, NASA, European Space Agency, Epsilon, Thomson Locations: Tanegashima, Japan, TOKYO, Tokyo

Only one of 22 economists, or 5%, expected the BOJ to start unwinding its ultra-easy policy this year, the Aug 15-23 poll found, significantly down from 50% in a July survey. Four said the BOJ will start unwinding in January-March 2024, five chose April-June, six selected July-September and another six opted for October-December. A separate question showed 73% of economists expecting the BOJ to end YCC next year, up from 50% in July. A question about when the BOJ ends its negative short-term interest rate policy showed 41% of economists anticipating it in 2024, down from 54% in a May poll. Economists raised their projection for Japan's fiscal 2023 GDP growth to 1.8% from 1.1% in the previous poll.

Persons: Issei Kato, Takumi Tsunoda, YCC, Kazuo, Ueda, Hiroshi Namioka, Kantaro Komiya, Satoshi Sugiyama, Susobhan Sarkar, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Rights, Shinkin Central Bank Research Institute, D, Management, U.S, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Elon Musk is on a glittery Tokyo summer vacation with Grimes and his son X. I've been to the same art exhibit he went to, and I've got to say — the man knows what's fun.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk, Grimes, and their son X are in Tokyo. Musk posted videos and photos of TeamLab Planets Tokyo's massive light exhibit. Musk posted a clip of what appeared to be part of the sprawling TeamLab Planets Tokyo exhibit in Odaiba. And it seems Musk and Grimes' son, X, was also in tow, and equally fascinated by the lights. This trip to Japan is Musk's second trip to Asia this year, and his first trip to Japan in close to a decade, per The Japan Times.

Persons: Elon Musk, Grimes, X, Musk, hasn't, Ma Organizations: Makuhari Messe, Japan Times Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Chiba ., Asia, China

Japan’s Q2 GDP grows fastest in more than two yearsMarcel Thieliant, head of Asia-Pacific at Capital Economics, said the export-driven momentum in growth is unlikely to be sustained. Exports expanded 3.2% in the second quarter led by car exports and inbound tourism, while capital expenditure was flat. Strong U.S. and European demand has also supported exports while the post-COVID boom in foreign tourists has given the economy a much-needed tailwind. That boost in external demand, or net exports, added 1.8 percentage points to second quarter growth. It doesn't mean a strong recovery in Japanese economy," said Takumi Tsunoda, senior economist at Shinkin Central Bank Research Institute.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Marcel Thieliant, Thieliant, Takumi Tsunoda, Shigeyuki Goto, Goto, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Pasit Kongkunakornkul, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, TOKYO, Capital Economics, Private, U.S, Shinkin Central Bank Research Institute, The Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, China

☆ Japan ex-PM Aso's 'fight for Taiwan' remark in line with official view, lawmaker says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | 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: +2 min

Japan's Former Prime Minister and current Vice-President of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Taro Aso, speaks during the Ketagalan Forum in Taipei, Taiwan August 8, 2023. Aso's speech angered China, which claims Taiwan as its territory. Keisuke Suzuki, an LDP lawmaker who accompanied Aso's Taiwan visit this week, told the BS Fuji talk show on Wednesday that Aso had discussed the issue with Japanese government officials, indicating that Aso's view did not deviate from the official position. "The comment was not lawmaker Taro Aso's personal remark, but a result of arrangements with government insiders", Suzuki said. Aso's visit, which marked the most senior Japanese political official to visit Taiwan since 1972, when Japan normalised diplomatic relations with China, came as tensions have risen over democratically governed Taiwan amid China's increasing military pressure on the island during the past three years.

Persons: Taro Aso, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Taro Aso's, Aso, Keisuke Suzuki, Aso's, Suzuki, Joe Biden, White, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kantaro Komiya, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, REUTERS, Japanese, Beijing, Fuji, United, Taiwan, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, TOKYO, Japan, United States, China, Aso's Taiwan, U.S

☆ Japan's military is thinking about how to drop long-range cruise missiles from its biggest panes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( David Cenciotti | The Aviationist | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Japan is considering using its Kawasaki C-2 tactical transport aircraft to drop stand-off missiles. A Kawasaki C-2 flies around the Hawaiian Islands in September 2022. The Rapid Dragon allows the deployment of long-range cruise missiles using standard airdrop procedures from a cargo aircraft. After successful extraction, the AGM-158B JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range) missiles extend their wings and turn on the engine. The Kawasaki C-2 is a long range twin-engine transport aircraft designed to replace the old C-1.

Persons: Makensie Cooper, JASDF Organizations: Kawasaki, Service, Japan's Defense, Japan Times, US, US Air Force, Japan's Defense Ministry, US Air Force Special Operations Command Locations: Japan, Wall, Silicon, United States

☆ Typhoon Khanun kills one man, knocks out power to one-third of Japan's Okinawa homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | 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

TOKYO, Aug 2 (Reuters) - High winds hit power lines in Japan's popular tourist destination Okinawa, knocking out electricity to more than 200,000 households on Wednesday morning, as powerful and slow-moving typhoon Khanun neared the country's southwestern islands. A man was crushed under a collapsed garage and went into cardiac arrest, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. A man was crushed under a collapsed garage and went into cardiac arrest, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Local utility Okinawa Electric Power (9511.T) said 212,530 households, or 34% of all houses covered, were experiencing power outages as of 10:55 a.m. Japan time (0155 GMT), according to its website. Kyushu Electric Power (9508.T) said power supply was down for 10,030 houses in Amami islands in Kagoshima prefecture, north of Okinawa.

Persons: Co's, Khanun, Kantaro Komiya, Sonali Paul Organizations: Disaster Management Agency, Japan Meteorological Agency, Local, Okinawa Electric, Kyushu Electric Power, Mobile, SoftBank Corp, Kadena Air Base, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Okinawa, Japan's, Tokyo, Japan, Amami, Kagoshima prefecture, Naha, Okinawa's, U.S, East China, Zhejiang, Taiwan, Kyushu, China, Philippines

SEOUL/TOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) - North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) off its east coast on Wednesday, prompting U.S. condemnation, as well as from the leaders of South Korea and Japan who met on the sidelines of a NATO summit. The White House condemned the launch and said it would take all necessary measures to ensure its security and that of South Korea and Japan. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, in Lithuania for the NATO summit, convened an emergency national security council meeting and vowed to use the summit to call for strong international solidarity to confront such threats. [1/3]Passengers wait for their train in front of a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiThe top military generals of the United States, Japan and South Korea gathered for a rare trilateral meeting in Hawaii just before the missile launch.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Adam Hodge, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Kim Hong, Ji, Kim Dong, Yang, Leif, Eric Easley, Josh Smith, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyunsu Yim, Hyonhee, Rami Ayyub, David Brunnstrom, Elaine Lies, Tom Hogue, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: NATO, House, National Security, REUTERS, University of North Korean Studies, Analysts, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Asan Institute, Policy Studies, Ewha Womans University, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, TOKYO, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Korean, American, Pyongyang, Lithuania, Japanese, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Seoul, Hawaii, Japan's, U.S, Washington, Tokyo

[1/3] Passengers wait for their train in front of a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiSEOUL/TOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) - North Korea fired a long-range missile off its east coast on Wednesday, as leaders of South Korea and Japan were set to meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania to discuss rising threats including the nuclear-armed North. Japan's Coast Guard said what was believed to be a ballistic missile appeared to have landed as of mid-morning. United Nations Security Council resolutions ban North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology, including for satellite launches. The Security Council, as well as a number of nations, have imposed sanction on North Korea for its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Persons: Kim Hong, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Yoon Suk, Hirokazu Matsuno, Matsuno, Yoon, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong, Kim, Leif, Eric Easley, Elaine Lies, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, Ji, NATO, Japan's Coast Guard, Asahi, Japanese, South Korean, United Nations, Security, Ewha Womans University, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Seoul, South Korea, Ji SEOUL, TOKYO, Japan, Lithuania, American, Japan's, Korean, Australia, New Zealand, Beijing, Korea, United States, Pyongyang, Tokyo, Lincoln

TOKYO, July 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine has submitted a formal request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to New Zealand, Japanese and New Zealand authorities said on Friday. New Zealand, which performs the legal depositary functions for the partnership, had received a formal accession request from Ukraine on May 5, a New Zealand foreign ministry spokesperson said. The CPTPP includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, with Britain becoming the 12th member state. China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Uruguay all also have requests pending to join. Japan's economy minister, Shigeyuki Goto, told a regular press conference that Japan, as a CPTPP member, "must carefully assess whether Ukraine fully meets the high level of the agreement" in terms of market access and rules.

Persons: Shigeyuki Goto, Kantaro Komiya, Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel Organizations: Trans, Pacific, ., Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Ukraine, New Zealand, Zealand, Auckland, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Britain, China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Uruguay

☆ These airlines are back in the black — they're looking to China as the next bright spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Travellers check in for the flight at the Singapore Airlines counter in the departure hall at Changi International Airport in Singapore on December 2, 2021. Roslan Rahman | AFP | Getty ImagesThree major airlines in Asia are back in the black, rebounding from their pandemic doldrums as global travel picks up, and they're all saying that China could be the next bright spot for them. Just this week, Singapore flag carrier Singapore Airlines posted a record net profit of 2.16 billion Singapore dollars ($1.61 billion) for the financial year ended March. At that time, ANA posted a net profit of just 28 billion yen, less than a third of its current net profit. Hopes in China reopeningAll three airlines are looking to China to power further growth.

☆ It's riskier than ever to be a foreign business in China, as evidenced by a series of recent sanctions, detentions, and an updated anti-espionage law that has watchdogs on edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The updated law doesn't clearly define what constitutes China's national security or interests. The new law follows a recent spate of sanctions, probes, and detentions into foreign firms in China. Even now, the terms relating to national security and interest are still "not explicitly defined," the Eurasia Group wrote. The updated law is also particularly concerning because of the recent developments surrounding foreign firms in China. China's recent crackdown on foreign businesses is spurring concernsIn April, Chinese police questioned staff at American consultancy Bain in Shanghai.

☆ Things to do in Nagoya, Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( John Walton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In the years since, the city has proven the opposite is true, according to Nagoya residents Lena Yamaguchi and Elisabeth Lloris. Ruben Earth/Getty ImagesIf you’ve traveled by Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka, you’ve passed through Nagoya, and might even remember the skyscraper district around its central railway station. Just 45 minutes from Nagoya Station on the private (non-JR) Meitetsu railway, the area between Inuyama station and its castle has been sympathetically restored in recent years. Back in Nagoya, a few kilometers east of Nagoya Castle you’ll find the Tokugawa Art Museum, one of Japan’s finest private museums, which holds several National Treasures of Japan thanks to its connection with the Tokugawa clan dynasty. If cars are your thing, then the Toyota Automobile Museum, about 45 minutes east of Nagoya Station, features some 140 historical vehicles.

☆ As the Supreme Court considers canceling Biden's student-debt relief, here is how other rich countries handle student loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Biden wants to cancel up to $10,000 in student loans for those who earn less than $125,000 per year. In most other rich countries, student debt is easier to get written off than in the US. Here's a look at how other rich countries handle student debt, according to data from Lendingtree and the New York Times. In these countries, students take out loans or work part-time to cover living expenses. Even if Biden's loan repayment cancellations are blocked by the Supreme Court, there may be plenty to learn from other countries in reforming the US student loans system.

☆ Masato Kudo: Former Japanese international and MLS soccer player dies aged 32
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Japanese football club Tegevajaro Miyazaki has announced the death of striker Masato Kudo at age 32, the Japan Times reports. “From his achievements in the J1 to being selected for the Samurai Blue, Kudo was an incredibly accomplished player. But in spite of that he was never arrogant and cherished his teammates, the club and our supporters. The Japanese Professional Football League confirmed his passing on Twitter:“Along with the entire Japanese football community, we mourn the passing of Masato Kudo and wish to express our most heartfelt condolences to his family and friends,” the statement read. “Football Australia is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Japanese forward Masato Kudo,” Football Australia, the sport’s governing body in Australia, also tweeted.

☆ Russia blindfolded and restrained a Japanese diplomat it accused of being a spy, Japan says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia said it detained a Japanese diplomat in the city of Vladivostok. Russia's FSB said the official was detained on suspicion of espionage. Tokyo said it the official was mistreated, in violation of international rules. Matsuno said Japan would demand a formal apology from Moscow, and the official would leave Russia by Wednesday, having been expelled by Russian authorities. Russia and Japan are regional rivals, and relations have worsened since Japan took the side of the US and other western nations in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and imposing economic sanctions.

☆ Take a look at China's fleet of destroyers, including the Type 055, which cost $920 million to build and is considered one of the country's most powerful warships
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China has the world's largest navy, with more than 355 vessels in its fleet, according to a 2021 report by the United States Naval Institute. Officers and soldiers of the Chinese naval fleet for escort mission line up on the deck at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 28, 2020. The report stated that "increasing capabilities of Chinese warships" like destroyers is crucial to the country's military plans. In addition to China's newest class, the Type 055, there are six other locally made active destroyer classes: Type 052A, Type 051B, Type 051C, Type 052B, Type 052C, and Type 052D(L), per a 2018 report by CRS. Keep reading for a look at all eight of China's destroyer classes.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi has toured the Pacific islands seeking security deals with them. In this op-ed, Görlach analyzes why China's moves are worrying so many different nations. Recently, China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, completed a tour of the Pacific islands, aiming to increase Beijing's influence in the region through security deals. China's goal is not to improve the quality of life for people in the Pacific, but to become the predominant power there. The deal that China proposed to the Pacific islands focused on security.

☆ На Олимпиаде в Токио запрещена продажа и употребление алкогольных напитков
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-22 | by ( Mld Media Srl | ) noi.md time to read: +1 min

Организаторы Олимпийских игр в Токио запретили употребление алкогольных напитков в местах проведения соревнований. Ранее оргкомитет рассматривал возможность разрешить продажу и употребление алкоголя с некоторыми ограничениями. Однако первоначальный план вызвал общественный резонанс, а в Twitter были опубликованы десятки тысяч записей с хэштегом «отмените Олимпийские игры». Премьер-министр Японии Ёсихидэ Суга не исключил такое развитие событий, если в Токио вновь будет введен режим чрезвычайного положения, из которого японская столица вышла только 21 июня. Церемония открытия Олимпийских игр запланирована на 23 июля.

Persons: Есихидэ Суга Organizations: Japan Times Locations: Токио, Япония

Tulpina britanicăÎn Regatul Unit a apărut o nouă variantă a SARS-CoV-2 (cunoscută sub numele de 20I / 501Y.V1, VOC 202012/01 sau B.1.1.7) cu un număr mare de mutații. Tulpina sud-africanăÎn Africa de Sud, o altă variantă a SARS-CoV-2 (cunoscută sub numele de 20H / 501Y.V2 sau B.1.351) a apărut independent de cea britanică. „Cea din Marea Britanie este mai transmisibilă, dar cea din Africa de Sud are transmisibilitate similară cu tulpinile clasice, iar simptomele sunt la fel. Totuși, potrivit secretarului în sănătate din Marea Britanie Matt Hancock, tulpina din Africa de Sud pare să se răspândească mai repede decât cea din Marea Britanie. Conform Ministerului Sănătății din Japonia, mutația a fost descoperită la un călător care a ajuns la Aeroportul Narita, lângă Tokyo, din Filipine.

Persons: ., Răzvan Cherecheș, României, Sun, Britanie Matt Hancock, P, Nuno Faria, Tatiana Bucearschi Organizations: British Medical Journal, Universitatea Babeș - Bolyai, Ministerul Sănătății, Hot News, Imperial College, Sănătății, Aeroportul, Republic World, Ministerului Sănătății Locations: Republica Moldova, Regatul Unit, Africa de Sud, Cluj - Napoca, Britanie, România, Brazilia, Tokyo, Japonia, SUA, Manaus, Londra, New Scientist, Aeroportul Narita, Filipine, Germania, Chișinăului, Chișinău, Berlin, Moldova

De asemenea, s-a constatat că această tulpină este cu aproximativ 40% – 70% mai contagioasă în comparație cu alte variante dominante de coronavirus de până la apariția acesteia. Tulpina sud-africanăÎn Africa de Sud, o altă variantă a SARS-CoV-2 (cunoscută sub numele de 20H / 501Y.V2 sau B.1.351) a apărut independent de cea britanică. „Cea din Marea Britanie este mai transmisibilă, dar cea din Africa de Sud are transmisibilitate similară cu tulpinile clasice, iar simptomele sunt la fel. Totuși, potrivit secretarului în sănătate din Marea Britanie Matt Hancock, tulpina din Africa de Sud pare să se răspândească mai repede decât cea din Marea Britanie. Conform Ministerului Sănătății din Japonia, mutația a fost descoperită la un călător care a ajuns la Aeroportul Narita, lângă Tokyo, din Filipine.

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