DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ U.S. recession fears spark selloff in international markets
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( David Hodari | David Hodari Is A London-Based Editor. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — U.S. stocks are on course to open in the red Monday, with Japanese stocks suffering their worst day of trading since the 1980s and a global equities sell-off intensifying over fears of a U.S. economic slowdown. The Nikkei’s 12.4% fall marked the worst day for the Japanese index since 1987’s “Black Monday” — the sudden and unexpected stock market crash that raised fears of a depression. Noriko Hayashi / Bloomberg via Getty ImagesIn recent weeks, rising concerns around a potential U.S. recession have spooked investors. A rise in the value of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar — making Japanese assets more expensive for holders of other currencies — has also likely played a role in the selling. Even so, some investors put their money into U.S. Treasury bonds — so-called ‘haven’ assets that act as stores of wealth in volatile moments.

Persons: Noriko Hayashi, Japan’s, Shunichi Suzuki, “, ” Suzuki, ” Organizations: LONDON, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty, Federal Reserve, Labor, U.S ., Treasury Locations: U.S, Europe

Nearly every elementary school student in Japan carries a book bag known as a randoseru, a staple of Japanese childhood for close to 150 years. No one mandates that students use these backpacks, but strong social norms lead most families to purchase them for their children. When fully loaded with textbooks, worksheets, pencil cases and, more recently, digital tablets, the randoseru can weigh close to nine pounds. Made of leather or some sturdy facsimile, randoseru, which cost hundreds of dollars, are meant to last for the entire six years of elementary school. More than a simple school bag, the randoseru is a unique Japanese symbol, reflecting the conformity and consistency that is deeply rooted in the culture.

Locations: Japan

☆ What’s your single best tip for traveling in Japan? Here’s what frequent visitors said
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Oliver Horovitz | Mike Cappetta | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

To help travelers bridge the cultural gap, CNBC Travel asked frequent visitors for their single best piece of advice when visiting Japan. The staff at Kinkos — located in all major cities in Japan — will walk you through the whole process. Be sure to only pack and wear your best (clean and hole-free) socks while in Japan. She has made nine trips to Japan, on top of spending her middle and high school years in Yokosuka. — Miles Ashton, a Chicago-based entrepreneur who has made more than 10 trips to Japan, including a nine-month stint living in Tokyo.

Persons: — Tyler Monahan, it's, Henry Rose, Oliver Horovitz, — Henry Rose, Horovitz's, —, — Oliver Horovitz, Tina Horne, Istock, Lawson, Noriko Hayashi, I've, — Jeffrey Cole, you'd, I'd, — Miles Ashton Organizations: CNBC Travel, Staff, Bloomberg, Getty, Tokyu Locations: Japan, — Tyler Monahan , New Jersey, Osaka, Tokyo, Seattle, Kyoto, — Oliver Horovitz , New York City, Aspen , Colorado, Yokosuka, Hokkaido, — Jeffrey Cole , Colorado, Miyakojima, Akihabara, Chicago

☆ What Japanese potato chip maker Calbee learned from a potato shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —What happens when Asia’s biggest potato chip maker runs out of potatoes? Pepsi (PEP) controls about 24% of the region’s potato chip market, while Calbee has about 12%, according to data from Euromonitor International. But the area was ravaged by drought in 2021, and the firm’s domestic potato supply fell by 8% and 14% in the 2021 and 2022 fiscal years, respectively. Calbee tried to make up for the shortfall by importing more from the United States, which normally accounts for the remaining 10% of its potato supply. “Staying available on shelves is essential, not just to compete with other potato chip brands but also with other types of snacks.”

Persons: ”, Makoto Ehara, Noriko Hayashi, Calbee, Ehara, it’s, Keiei Sho, Sho, Emil Fazira Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, Pepsi, Euromonitor, United Nations, Food, Agriculture Organization, FAO, Walmart Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Asia, Brazil, Ukraine, Japan, Hokkaido, United States, Pacific Northwest, ”, America, Europe, China, Indonesia, Asia Pacific

☆ In Isolated Guam, Abortion Is Legal. And Nearly Impossible to Get.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( David W. Chen | Noriko Hayashi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, the Pregnancy Control Clinic, tucked inside a squat, beige building around the corner from a bowling alley, handled most of the abortions on Guam, a tiny U.S. territory 1,600 miles south of Japan. But the doctor who ran it retired seven years ago, and the clinic now appears abandoned. Though abortion is legal in Guam up to 13 weeks of pregnancy, and later in certain cases, the last doctor who performed abortions left Guam in 2018. The closest abortion clinic on American soil is in Hawaii, an eight-hour flight away. And a pending court case could soon cut off access to abortion pills, the last way for most women on Guam to get legal abortions.

Persons: Dr, Edmund A, ”, “, Griley Organizations: Pregnancy Control Locations: Guam, Japan, Hawaii

☆ Chinese apps remain hugely popular in the U.S. despite efforts to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

But while TikTok has been the one in the spotlight, other Chinese apps that present similar issues are also experiencing massive popularity in the U.S. Gorman said as the U.S. considers the threat posed by TikTok, it will also need to develop a framework for how to evaluate the relative risk of Chinese apps. But in the meantime, U.S. consumers continue to turn to Chinese apps. "And then of course, there's the early growth of Lemon8, which suggests that the appetite for Chinese apps in the U.S. is still growing." And some say the most effective long-term solution for curbing the use of Chinese apps may be fostering an environment for robust alternatives to grow.

☆ China's Shein set to raise $2 billion in new funding round, aims for U.S. IPO later this year, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters reports the fast fashion retailer is targeting a U.S. IPO in the second half of 2023. Shein cut its valuation to $64 billion in this fundraising, down by a third from a funding round a year ago, according to six sources with knowledge of the matter. All sources declined to be identified as the information was confidential. Shein said it does not currently have plans for an IPO and declined to comment further. Shein, founded by Chinese entrepreneur Chris Xu, has grown into one of the world's largest online fashion marketplaces since its 2008 launch in Nanjing.

Search resuls for: "Noriko Hayashi"

7 mentions found