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[1/6] Takeshi Hakamada, "ispace" 's founder and chief executive, is pictured at a venue to watch landing of the lander in HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program on the Moon, in Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, April 25 (Reuters) - Japanese startup ispace (9348.T) said its attempt to make the first private moon landing had failed on Tuesday after losing contact with its Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) lander, concluding it had most likely crashed on the lunar surface. The M1 lander appeared set to autonomously touch down about 12:40 p.m. Eastern time (1640 GMT Tuesday) after coming as close as 295 feet (90 meters) from the lunar surface, a live animation of the lander's telemetry showed. The company said in a statement Wednesday in Japan that it believes the spacecraft may have made a "hard landing" on the lunar surface. The M1 also carried an experimental solid-state battery made by NGK Spark Plug Co (5334.T), among other objects to gauge how they perform on the moon.

☆ Japanese Company’s Spacecraft Is Lost During Moon Landing Attempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Japanese company has lost contact with a small robotic spacecraft it was sending to the moon, a signal that it may have crashed into the lunar surface. After firing its main engine, the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander built by Ispace of Japan dropped out of lunar orbit. About an hour later, at 12:40 p.m. Eastern time, the lander, about 7.5 feet tall, was expected to land in Atlas Crater, a 54-mile-wide feature in the northeast quadrant of the near side of the moon. But after the time of touchdown, no signal was received from the spacecraft. “At this moment, we have not been able to confirm successful landing on the lunar surface,” said Takeshi Hakamada, the chief executive of Ispace, a half-hour after the scheduled landing time.

[1/6] Takeshi Hakamada, "ispace" 's founder and chief executive, is pictured at a venue to watch landing of the lander in HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program on the Moon, in Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 2023. But a lunar landing would be an ambitious feat for a private firm. The Japanese firm "determined that there is a high probability that the lander eventually made a hard landing." In disclosure to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, ispace said it did not expect an immediate impact on its earnings forecast. The lander completed eight out of 10 mission objectives in space that will provide valuable data for the next landing attempt in 2024, Hakamada said.

☆ Japan March export growth slows, annual trade deficit widens to record
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Import growth outpaced exports in March, due to the hefty cost of coal, crude and oil products, helping bring the annual trade deficit in the world's third-biggest economy to a record 21.7 trillion yen ($161 billion). It exceeded the previous record of 13.7 trillion yen in fiscal 2013. Analysts say Japan's trade deficit will persist for the time being as exports weaken. "Effects of the fully-fledged monetary tightening in the West since last summer will play out in their economies, causing Japan's exports to turn downward going forward." By region, exports to the United States grew 9.4% in the year to March, slowing from the 14.9% seen in the previous month.

☆ Japan's business mood sours to 2-year low as global slowdown bites, Tankan survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's business sentiment soured in January-March to hit the worst level in more than two years, the closely-watched tankan survey showed on April 3, 2023. Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesJapan's business sentiment soured in January-March to hit the worst level in more than two years, a closely-watched central bank survey showed on Monday, as slowing global growth clouds the outlook for the export-reliant economy. The service-sector mood, by contrast, recovered as easing border controls and an end to Covid-19 curbs heightened hopes for a rebound in tourism and consumption, the Bank of Japan's tankan survey showed. It was the fifth straight quarter of deterioration and the worst level hit since December 2020. Given the fragile nature of Japan's recovery, the BOJ is not in a situation where it can normalize monetary policy anytime soon.

The service-sector mood, by contrast, recovered as easing border controls and an end to COVID-19 curbs heightened hopes for a rebound in tourism and consumption, the Bank of Japan's tankan survey showed. Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute, expects external factors, such as the fallout from U.S. and European monetary tightening, to weigh on Japan's exports and business sentiment. "Given the fragile nature of Japan's recovery, the BOJ is not in a situation where it can normalise monetary policy anytime soon," he said. Big firms plan to raise capital expenditure by 3.2% in the fiscal year that began in April, less than market forecasts for a 4.9% gain, the tankan showed. Reporting by Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The world's third-biggest economy has struggled to make a solid post-COVID recovery, undermined by lacklustre household consumption and a global slowdown. Slowing shipments to China, which fell for a third straight month, have also shattered policymakers' hopes for a quick rebound from the pandemic doldrums. Exports to China, Japan's largest trading partner fell 10.9% year-on-year in February, registering a second straight month of double-digit decline, as demand weakened for cars, auto parts and display-making equipment. Japan has now posted a trade deficit for 19 straight months. "Chances are 50-50 that Japan may slide into recession," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute.

☆ WHO fires director in Asia accused of racist misconduct
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Tedros did not refer to Kasai by name, referencing only his title as regional director in the Western Pacific. It is the first time in WHO's history that a regional director has been dismissed. He said that the process of naming a new regional director for the Western Pacific would begin next month, with the election to be held in October. In January, the AP reported that a WHO doctor hoping to replace Kasai as regional director in the Western Pacific had previously faced sexual misconduct accusations. With support of some WHO colleagues and his home country, Waqanivalu was preparing to run for the regional director job.

☆ Japan to promote gas, LNG, hydrogen investments during G7 presidency - METI
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Japan plans to emphasise the importance of investments in natural gas, liquefied natural gas as well as cleaner fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia during the country's presidency at the G7 summit later this year, a senior energy official said. Takeshi Soda, director, petroleum and natural gas division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), told a conference on Tuesday that such investments would be central to solving potential future energy shocks. Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] FILE PHOTO-A woman in a traditional costume makes her way at a shopping district in Tokyo, Japan November 15, 2022. "From a negative growth in July-September, the rebound isn't very impressive," said Toru Suehiro, chief economist at Daiwa Securities. But it's difficult to project a strong recovery partly due to pressure from rising inflation," he said. RECESSION RISKSFor the full year, the economy expanded 1.1% compared with a 2.1% increase in 2021, the data showed. Economy minister Shigeyuki Goto told reporters the economy was on course for a recovery as the pandemic's impact fades.

Ueda, a 71-year-old former Bank of Japan (BOJ) policy board member, will succeed incumbent Haruhiko Kuroda, whose second, five-year term ends on April 8, according to documents presented to parliament on Tuesday. Analysts expect Ueda, who had warned of the dangers of premature interest rate hikes in the past, to hold off on tightening monetary policy. "Ueda is likely to focus on theory and empirical analysis in guiding monetary policy," said Naomi Muguruma, senior market economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. Upon parliament's approval, Ueda will chair his first BOJ policy meeting on April 27-28. A soft-spoken academic with a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ueda is seen as a pragmatist who can adjust his views on monetary policy flexibly.

☆ Japan's wholesale inflation stays elevated, keeps BOJ under pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's core consumer prices rose 0.3 percent in April from a year earlier, government data showed on May 29, keeping inflation distant from the central bank's 2 percent target. The increase in the corporate goods price index (CGPI), which measures the price companies charge each other for their goods and services, largely met a median market forecast for a 9.6% gain. The index, at 119.8, matched a record high hit in December, Bank of Japan (BOJ) data showed. "Firms have yet to fully pass on past rises in input costs, which is keeping inflationary pressure high," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. "We expect the pace of inflation to gradually slow in the latter half of fiscal 2023," he told parliament.

Last month, he called on companies to hike pay at a level above inflation, with some already heeding the call. Last month, Japan recorded its biggest drop in earnings, once inflation is taken into account, in nearly a decade. A changing job marketExperts say Japan’s wages have also suffered because it lags in another metric: its productivity rate. Hideya Tokiyoshi, a teacher in Japan, told CNN he had barely seen his salary go up over the last 30 years. “If some of the biggest companies in Japan raise wages, many other firms will follow,” if only to stay competitive, said Yamaguchi.

The 66-year-old Toyoda on Thursday announced he would step aside as leader of the company his grandfather founded from April 1 to take the role of chairman. He will hand over to Koji Sato, the 53-year-old head of Toyota's luxury Lexus brand. "It's likely that he'll remain active as chairman for a long time and continue to put his mark on Toyota." "Toyota is a public company that likes to pretend it's a family company," said John Shook, a former Toyota manager who now consults on the lean management techniques pioneered by the automaker. "Choosing someone who is much younger and with Sato's background indicates Akio recognised the time for change had come."

TOKYO, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) chief Akio Toyoda is set to remain a dominant force inside the world's largest automaker for years to come, and will continue to influence the agenda after stepping down in April, experts and people familiar with the firm said. The 66-year-old Toyoda on Thursday announced he would step aside as leader of the company his grandfather founded from April 1 to take the role of chairman. "It's likely that he'll remain active as chairman for a long time and continue to put his mark on Toyota." "Toyota is a public company that likes to pretend it's a family company," said John Shook, a former Toyota manager who now consults on the lean management techniques pioneered by the automaker. "Choosing someone who is much younger and with Sato's background indicates Akio recognised the time for change had come."

☆ Toyota Needs a New EV Road Map
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Stephen Wilmot | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Toyota President Akio Toyoda recently said the car maker is looking at rolling out a dedicated manufacturing platform for electric vehicles. Toyota ‘s incoming boss has a big decision to make on electric vehicles. The world’s largest car maker by sales said Thursday that its President Akio Toyoda would move into the chairman role in April, leaving Lexus President Koji Sato to run the company. The unexpected move was prompted by the decision by current Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada to retire. Celebrated as the father of the Prius, Mr. Uchiyamada said he saw the need for “generational change.”

☆ Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda to Step Down and Become Chairman
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Peter Landers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Toyota Chief Executive Akio Toyoda said it was time to pass the baton to a younger executive. TOKYO— Toyota Motor Corp. Chief Executive Akio Toyoda , a scion of the founding family who has led the company since 2009, will step down from his current roles and become chairman in April, Toyota said Thursday. Chief Branding Officer Koji Sato , a 53-year-old executive who has led Toyota’s luxury Lexus division since 2020, will become president and chief executive in April, the company said. Takeshi Uchiyamada , Toyota’s chairman, will step down from that post.

☆ Toyota leader Akio Toyoda to step down as president and chief executive
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Toyota Motor Corp FollowTOKYO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Thursday that Akio Toyoda will step down as president and chief executive to become chairman from April 1, and hand over the helm of Japan's biggest automaker to its top branding officer, Koji Sato. Sato will become the new CEO while the current chairman, Takeshi Uchiyamada, will drop his chairman title but remain on the board, Toyota said. The issue of who would take over from Toyoda, the 66-year-old grandson of the company's founder, had increasingly been a focus for investors. Here are some reactions to the news:KOJI ENDO, SENIOR ANALYST AT SBI SECURITIE“I myself was surprised. Ten out of 10 analysts had probably been thinking that Toyoda would carry on (as CEO) for a while, so that came as a huge surprise.

☆ Toyota names Lexus chief Koji Sato CEO as Akio Toyoda takes chairman role
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda and Toyota's GAZOO Racing Company President Koji Sato attend an event for Toyota GAZOO Racing and LEXUS at Tokyo Auto Salon 2023 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonCompanies Toyota Motor Corp FollowLexus FollowTOKYO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Thursday that Akio Toyoda will step down as president and chief executive to become chairman from April 1, and hand over the helm of Japan's biggest automaker to the company's top branding officer. Koji Sato, a 53-year-old who is also president of Toyota's luxury brand Lexus, will become the new CEO, the company said. He has held positions as the president of Lexus International and Gazoo Racing Company, Toyota’s motorsport brand, since 2020. He also took on an executive role at Toyota and became its chief branding officer in January 2021.

☆ Akio Toyoda steps down: Toyota names Koji Sato new CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Toyota’s longtime president and CEO Akio Toyoda is stepping down and handing over the reins of the world’s largest automaker to Lexus chief Koji Sato. The Japanese company announced the shakeup Thursday, saying that Toyoda would be appointed chairman of the board as Sato takes over daily management. Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota’s current chairman, will resign from his post but remain on the board, the company said. “I believe that over the past 13 years, I have built a solid foundation for passing the baton forward.”Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota, speaking at the company's showroom in Tokyo on Dec. 14, 2021. Sato will take over as CEO of Toyota in April.

☆ Toyota CEO and President Akio Toyoda to step down
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Toyota Motor Corporation's President and Chief Executive Akio Toyoda will step down from his post on April 1, to be replaced by current Chief Branding Officer Koji Sato, the Japanese automaker said Thursday. Toyoda will become the new chairman of the board, while the current Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada will continue as a member of the board. Toyoda, 66, is the grandson of the carmaker's founder and has served as chief executive since June 2009. Chairman Uchiyamada has long supported me in all imaginable ways," Toyoda said in a webcast. Tokyo-listed shares of Toyota ended the session 0.63% lower Thursday ahead of the announcement.

☆ Suntory CEO expects next BOJ governor to show clear policy roadmap
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The BOJ stuck to its ultra-easy policy at a two-day policy meeting that ended on Jan. 16, defying investors who had bet on it ceasing to defend a cap on the 10-year government bond yield. The cap is part of a policy called yield curve control (YCC). But Niinami said expectations were growing that the BOJ would sooner or later end its expansionist experiment. "The ultra-easy policy can't be kept forever, given current (economic) conditions. Niinami also said economic growth led by the private sector would be needed to help prevent Japan's financial health worsening further.

☆ Davos fireside chat with the Suntory CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDavos fireside chat with the Suntory CEOFor Suntory Holdings, one of the world’s leading producers of whisky and other beverages, the supply of water is vital to business. Takeshi Niinami, the company’s CEO, joins CNBC to talk about protecting the world’s water resources and setting ambitious goals to reduce carbon emissions.

☆ Suntory CEO on building renewable energy powered plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSuntory CEO on building renewable energy powered plantsIn a CNBC fireside chat with Karen Tso, Suntory CEO Takeshi Niinami shares some the company's initiatives to achieve sustainability goals.

☆ Japan needs an exit plan from negative rates, Suntory CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailJapan needs an exit plan from negative rates, Suntory CEO saysTakeshi Niinami, CEO of Japan's largest alcohol and beverage manufacturer Suntory, discusses the economic situation in Japan and what the business community wants to see from the government and central bank.

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