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☆ US, Japan and South Korea leaders hold brief meeting at APEC
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ethan Rosenzweig, Acting Chief of Protocol shakes hands greeting Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a welcome reception for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. The leaders posed for a photograph together before leaving without making remarks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, news agency Yonhap reported. The brief meeting comes three months after the leaders met at Camp David in August for talks. Yoon and Kishida promised to push for deeper cooperation in a separate meeting earlier Friday, Yoon's office said. The pair met on Thursday, a day before they were due to attend a roundtable on technological cooperation at Stanford University.

Persons: Ethan Rosenzweig, Japan's, Fumio Kishida, Loren Elliott, Yoon Suk Yeol, Joe Biden, Yonhap, Camp David, Yoon, Kishida, Yoon's, Biden, Josh Smith, Sam Holmes, Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Japanese, Camp, Stanford University, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights SEOUL, San Francisco, United States, Japan, North Korea, South, Seoul

☆ Japan Inc is only winner in nixed chip deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But this failed tie-up does have a winner of sorts: Japan Inc.That’s precious little consolation for the others involved. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe nixed deal also complicates Bain Capital’s exit strategy from Kioxia. Yet Western Digital was set to be the majority partner in the proposed deal. The Nikkei business daily also said that Kioxia and Western Digital were unable to agree on conditions with top Kioxia shareholder Bain Capital. The news sent Western Digital shares down 9%.

Persons: Elliot, Bain, Nobuo Hayasaka, –, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Japan Inc, Western Digital, Elliot Investment Management, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Toshiba, SK Hynix, Western Digital’s, Development Bank of Japan, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, –, Western, South Korea's SK Hynix, U.S, Nikkei, Bain Capital, Thomson Locations: HYDERABAD, India, Japan, Tokyo

☆ Powerchip, SBI to build chip plant in northern Japan -Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp's Japanese business in pictured in Tokyo, Japan July 21 2023. REUTERS/Sam Nussey/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing (6770.TW) plans to build a chip plant in northern Japan's Miyagi prefecture in cooperation with SBI Holdings (8473.T) with an initial investment of about 400 billion yen ($2.67 billion), the Nikkei business daily said on Friday. Powerchip aims to bring the new plant into operation in 2026, the paper said. Reuters reported earlier this month that Powerchip had closed in on five locations for a new plant and was negotiating subsidies to cover part of the first phase. ($1 = 150.0300 yen)Reporting by Tokyo Newsroom; editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Nussey, Powerchip, Christina Fincher Organizations: Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Rights, Powerchip Semiconductor, SBI Holdings, Nikkei, Reuters, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Japan's Miyagi

☆ Japan to allocate $205 million to support electric aircraft systems, Nikkei reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Japan will subsidize hydrogen fuel cell systems and other equipment to the tune of 30.6 billion yen ($205 million), the Nikkei business daily reported on Sunday. The government's decision is aimed at supporting the development of components for electric aircraft with reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the newspaper said. The trade ministry is expected to present the policy at a working group of the ministry's council, it said. The government will allocate 17.3 billion yen for the development of hydrogen fuel cell systems for aircraft, and 13.3 billion yen for the development of fuel-efficient engine control systems, the Nikkei said. ($1 = 149.3200 yen)Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kaori Kaneko, Robert Birsel Organizations: Nikkei, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, ministry's

☆ Japan Display ends partnership talks with China's HKC
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Japan Display (6740.T) said on Friday it has ended talks with China's HKC Corp over co-operation on next-generation display technology and will limit collaboration to high-end automotive displays. The talks, launched in April, were aimed at building display-making plants in China using Japan Display's eLEAP OLED technology with mass production to start in 2025. The companies could not agree on the licensing fee HKC was to pay for Japan Display's technology, while China's economic slowdown and HKC's recent withdrawal of its initial public offering to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange likely affected the talks, the Nikkei business daily reported earlier. Separately, Japan Display said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the local government in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui to build panels there and is targeting a final agreement by year-end. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Sam Nussey; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: China's, Kantaro Komiya, Sam Nussey, Chang, Ran Kim, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: China's HKC Corp, Japan, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Anhui

☆ Japan budget requests likely to top 110 trln yen as rates rise - Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO-An office employee walks in front of the bank of Japan building in Tokyo, Japan, April 7, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Japanese ministries' budget demands for the next fiscal year will likely top 110 trillion yen ($753 billion), the Nikkei business daily reported on Friday, with rising interest rates expected to boost debt servicing costs. This fiscal year's budget stood at 114 trillion yen. It would be the third straight year that budget requests exceed 110 trillion yen and may top a record 111.6 trillion yen requested for fiscal 2022. It's only natural for debt-servicing costs to rise under such circumstances," said Takuya Hoshino, senior economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

Persons: Androniki, Takuya Hoshino, Fumio, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Diane Craft, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Nikkei, Bank of, Dai, Research, Thomson Locations: Japan, Tokyo, China, North Korea

☆ SoftBank Group invests $65 million in British insurance firm - Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, July 18 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group (9984.T) has invested $65 million in British company Tractable, an insurance technology company that uses AI to assess insurance claims in photos, the Nikkei Business Daily reported on Tuesday. In June CEO Masayoshi Son said he planned to shift to "offence mode" as artificial intelligence caught the attention of global investors. The group had previously slashed the volume of new investments in 2022 as it sought to recover from heavy losses on its Vision Fund investing arm. Reporting by Anton Bridge, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Masayoshi Son, Anton Bridge, Louise Heavens Organizations: SoftBank, Nikkei Business, Vision Fund, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ Japan will 'aggressively' push for women's participation after gender gap report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, June 21 (Reuters) - Japan plans to "aggressively" push for women's participation in society, especially in politics, top government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday after an annual report showed the country was struggling to narrow the gender gap. The World Economic Forum report measuring gender parity ranked Japan 125th out of 146 countries this year, compared with 116th in last year's report. In economic participation and opportunity, a category that examines labour force participation, wage equality and income showed, Japan was 123th, the lowest among East Asian and the Pacific countries. Its gender parity in political empowerment was one of the lowest-ranked in the world, at 138th, behind China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party this month compiled a plan to raise the percentage of its female lawmakers to 30%.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Satoshi Sugiyama, Pasit, Mariko Katsumura, Shri Navaratnam, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Economic, Japan, East, Investors, Norges Bank Investment Management, Nikkei, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lower

☆ North Korean hackers stole $721 million in cryptocurrency from Japan - Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, May 15 (Reuters) - Hacker groups affiliated with North Korea have stolen $721 million worth of cryptocurrency assets from Japan since 2017, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday, citing a study by U.K. blockchain analysis provider Elliptic. The amount is equal to 30% of the total of such losses globally, the Nikkei reported. The report comes after Group of Seven finance ministers and central bank governors said in a statement on Saturday that they support measures to counter growing threats from illicit activities by state actors, such as the theft of crypto-assets. According to Elliptic, which conducted the analysis on behalf of the Japanese newspaper, North Korea has stolen a total of $2.3 billion in cryptocurrency from businesses between 2017 and 2022. Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Toshiba board agrees to accept JIP's $15.3 bln buyout proposal -Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Toshiba Corp is seen at the company's facility in Kawasaki, Japan June 10, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File PhotoTOKYO, March 23 (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp's (6502.T) board on Thursday agreed to accept a buyout proposal worth around 2 trillion yen ($15.3 billion) from a consortium led by private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), the Nikkei business daily reported. The JIP consortium last month submitted a binding buyout proposal backed by $10.6 billion in loan commitments from major banks. It has taken weeks for the board to proceed with a vote on JIP's proposal as some board members were dissatisfied with its offer price, sources have said. "If the early reports are correct, this ends months of uncertainty regarding whether a deal was coming and years of uncertainty regarding Board understanding of the right price," said analyst Travis Lundy of Quiddity Advisors, who publishes on Smartkarma.

☆ Toyota will start electric SUV production in US as early as 2025 -Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Toyota Motor Corp FollowTOKYO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) will begin producing mid- to large-sized electric sports utility vehicles (SUVs) at its Kentucky plant as early as in summer 2025, aiming for monthly output of more than 10,000 by the year's end, the Nikkei business daily reported on Tuesday. The company aims to sell about 1 million electric vehicles globally by 2026, according to the report. Toyota spokesperson said the reported details were not something the company had announced, and that there was no decision yet on when EV production would start in the United States. Reporting by Tokyo Newsroom Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"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.

☆ Toshiba's preferred bidder to seal $10.6 bln loan deal this week -Yomiuri
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), the preferred bidder to buy out Toshiba Corp (6502.T), is set to sign a loan agreement of about 1.4 trillion yen ($10.6 billion) with lenders this week, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Thursday. The loans include a commitment line of 200 billion yen, the paper said. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (8316.T) and Mizuho Bank (8411.T) would provide about 400 billion yen to 500 billion yen each, it said. The deal is expected to value the industrial conglomerate at around 2.2 trillion yen, although the Nikkei business daily reported at the weekend that JIP could lower it to below 2 trillion yen. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Mizuho Bank both declined to comment on the Yomiuri report.

☆ Toshiba's preferred bidder may lower valuation below 2 trillion yen, Nikkei reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), the preferred bidder to buy out Toshiba Corp (6502.T), may lower the valuation from the planned 2.2 trillion yen ($16.09 billion) to levels below 2 trillion yen, the Nikkei business daily reported on Saturday. Even though JIP has secured funding worth 1 trillion yen in equity from domestic companies and 1.2 trillion yen in loans from major banks, it may cut the valuation in light of a recent deterioration in Toshiba's earnings and the need for post-buyout working capital, the Nikkei said. Toshiba said in a letter to shareholders on Friday that it was aiming to reach a conclusion with potential partners as soon as possible. read moreIt is "planning to receive binding and bona-fide proposal(s) and shall be making strong efforts to arrive at a conclusion as early as possible after necessary negotiations," the letter said. ($1 = 136.6900 yen)Reporting by Tokyo Newsroom; Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mazda unveils $11 bln EV spending plan, considers investing in battery production
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) on Tuesday unveiled a $10.6 billion spending plan to electrify its vehicles and said it was also considering investing in battery production. "We will promote the full-fledged launch of battery EVs and consider investing in battery production. We estimate Mazda's EV ratio in global sales to rise to a range between 25% and 40% as of 2030," Mazda said in a statement. Its previous EV sales target was 25% by 2030. Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto also told reporters the company had reached a supply agreement with battery maker Envision AESC for its EVs produced in Japan.

☆ Mazda to invest $11 billion to electrify its vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) will invest about 1.5 trillion yen ($10.58 billion)to electrify its vehicles, including boosting production of battery EVs, and aims to increase their share in the company's overall global car sales by 2030. The ratio of electric vehicles (EVs) in global sales is expected to rise to between 25 percent and 40 percent as of 2030, from 25% previously, the company said in a statement. Automakers worldwide are spending billions of dollars to ramp up battery and EV production in the face of tougher environmental regulations. In August, Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said it would invest up to 730 billion yen in Japan and the United States to make batteries for fully electric vehicles as opposed to hybrid gasoline-electric cars like the Prius. Shoichi Matsumoto, Envision AESC chief executive, told Reuters last month it was in talks with automakers in Japan, Europe, the United States and China for new supply deals.

☆ Mazda to invest $11 bln by 2030 to procure EV batteries - Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) plans to invest 1.5 trillion yen ($10.6 billion) by 2030 to procure electric vehicle (EV) batteries and cooperate with battery supplier Envision AESC, the Nikkei business daily reported on Tuesday. The Hiroshima-based automaker will secure batteries and seek to increase production of fully electric vehicles at factories in Japan through the partnership with Envision AESC, the newspaper reported. Both Mazda and Envision AESC declined to comment. Mazda is set to hold a news conference at 0530 GMT on Tuesday to talk about it medium-term business plan. Shoichi Matsumoto, Envision AESC chief executive, told Reuters last month it was in talks with automakers in Japan, Europe, the United States and China for new supply deals.

☆ Sapporo Holdings investor 3D writes to external directors seeking overhaul -Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: Cans of Sapporo Holdings' beer are aligned during a photo opportunity at the company's lobby in Tokyo February 16, 2011. REUTERS/Yuriko NakaoTOKYO (Reuters) - Sapporo Holdings Ltd investor 3D Investment Partners has reached out to the Japanese beer maker’s five external directors seeking major changes in an attempt to improve its performance, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday. Unhappy with Sapporo’s low profit margins and return on equity, the Singapore-based fund has asked the five outside directors to postpone the announcement of a new business plan scheduled on Wednesday, among other requests, the paper said. 3D Investment Partners and Sapporo Holdings declined to comment on the report. In a letter to the directors dated Nov. 3, the fund noted that Sapporo Holdings had failed to meet its sales target during the past 15 years, and that its return on equity (ROE) averaged 2% in the past five years - far lower than rivals Kirin Holdings’s 14% and Asahi Group Holdings’s 11%, the Nikkei said.

☆ Sapporo Holdings investor 3D writes to external directors seeking overhaul, Nikkei reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Sapporo Holdings Ltd (2501.T) investor 3D Investment Partners has reached out to the Japanese beer maker's five external directors seeking major changes in an attempt to improve its performance, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday. Unhappy with Sapporo's low profit margins and return on equity, the Singapore-based fund has asked the five outside directors to postpone the announcement of a new business plan scheduled on Wednesday, among other requests, the paper said. 3D Investment Partners and Sapporo Holdings declined to comment on the report. In a letter to the directors dated Nov. 3, the fund noted that Sapporo Holdings had failed to meet its sales target during the past 15 years, and that its return on equity (ROE) averaged 2% in the past five years - far lower than rivals Kirin Holdings's (2503.T) 14% and Asahi Group Holdings's (2502.T) 11%, the Nikkei said. Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim and Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan keeps up warnings over rapid yen moves after G20
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Japan's vice minister of finance for international affairs, Masato Kanda, poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters at the Finance Ministry in Tokyo, Japan January 31, 2022. The phrasing about "decisive steps" is at times deployed as a prelude to intervention, although the authorities' warnings on currency moves have not generally had consistent or long-lasting effects on the markets. On Monday, the yen was again hovering close to 149 per dollar, trading around 148.70. The yen's sharp moves also heighten uncertainty for firms in making business decisions. Japanese policymakers have said they won't seek to defend a certain yen level, and instead will focus on smoothing volatility.

☆ Japan's top currency diplomat: will respond to excessive FX moves
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's vice minister of finance for international affairs, Masato Kanda, poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters at the Finance Ministry in Tokyo, Japan January 31, 2022. REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Japan will respond firmly to excessive currency fluctuations, its top currency diplomat Masato Kanda said, following the yen's sharp fall to a 32-year low to the dollar. "Each country would respond appropriately" to an agreement on foreign exchange market moves by the Group of Seven (G7) and G20 meetings last week, Kanda, vice finance minister for international affairs, told reporters at the Ministry of Finance. In addition, the yen's sharp falls heighten uncertainty for firms in making business decisions. Separately, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Monday authorities would take decisive steps against excess currency moves driven by speculation, the Nikkei business daily reported.

☆ Toshiba shares surge following report of $19 bln buyout bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Shares in Toshiba Corp (6502.T) jumped about 9% in early trading on Thursday following a report that a domestic-led consortium is looking to buy the Japanese conglomerate for 2.8 trillion yen ($19.1 billion). News agency Kyodo reported on Wednesday that a group of firms led by Japan Industrial Partners, a domestic private equity group, had made the bid, which marked a premium of around 26% from Wednesday's closing price. The group, which includes Chubu Electric Power Co (9502.T), had received the right of first refusal in its bid for Toshiba, the Nikkei business daily reported. Shares of Toshiba were up 8.5% at 5,566 yen in morning trade in Tokyo, putting them on track for their biggest one-day gain in more than a year. ($1 = 146.7700 yen)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sam Byford; editing by David Dolan and Richard PullinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan Industrial Partners-led group looking to buy Toshiba for $19 bln -Kyodo
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The consortium of mostly domestic firms led by Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) is looking to buy Toshiba Corp (6502.T) for 2.8 trillion yen ($19.13 billion), Kyodo reported on Wednesday citing unnamed sources. The reported acquisition price marks a premium of about 26% from Toshiba's current market value of 2.22 trillion yen. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterJIP's consortium will put up about 1 trillion yen and likely borrow the rest from financial institutions, Kyodo reported. It said the price could still change depending on Toshiba's share price and valuation premium. Asked about the report, a Toshiba spokesperson said the company could not comment on candidates as doing so could undermine fair process.

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