DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

SummarySummary Companies C.banks responded to risk-aversive moves in markets - MatsunoJapan's banking system stable as a whole - MatsunoGovt watching market moves with strong sense of alarm - MatsunoFinmin says will keep assessing impact of Credit Suisse buyoutTOKYO, March 20 (Reuters) - Japan's banking system is stable and the country will not see a contagion from U.S. and European banking sector woes, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Monday. "Each country promptly ramped up efforts as risk-aversive moves were seen in financial markets," Japan's top government spokesperson 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. Reporting by Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Tom Hogue and Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mask-free Monday comes to Japan as government eases COVID guidelines
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Rocky Swift | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Commuters make their way on the first day of the Japanese government's relaxation of official guidance on masks as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, in Tokyo, Japan March 13, 2023. "Mask-wearing was part of our culture even before COVID-19," said Hitoshi Oshitani, a Tohoku University professor who was an architect of Japan's COVID response. "I think many people will be wearing masks even after the rules are relaxed." "As of today, mask wearing is at the discretion of each individual," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters on Monday. Health experts in Japan have pointed to widespread mask use along with an embrace of hygiene and social distancing for the country's relatively lower death toll from COVID.

☆ S.Korea's Yoon to visit Japan for summit, first such trip in 12 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, March 9 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife will visit Japan from March 16-17 at Tokyo's invitation, his office said on Thursday, the first such visit in 12 years after Seoul announced a plan to end a protracted dispute over wartime forced labour. Yoon will hold a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "The visit... will be an important milestone in the improvement and development of relations between South Korea and Japan," Yoon's office said in a statement. “South Korea is an important neighbour with which we should cooperate in addressing various issues in the international community,” Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a briefing. South Korea's defence ministry said on Tuesday it would work with Japan to enhance security cooperation, including trilateral relations with the United States.

☆ Activists rally, some governments seek change as world marks Women's Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Demonstrators take part in a march to call for gender equality and protest against gender discrimination, marking the International Women's Day in Tokyo, Japan March 8, 2021. REUTERS/Issei KatoMarch 8 (Reuters) - Activists planned rallies and marches to celebrate International Women's Day on Wednesday while governments in several countries promised action to help improve the lot of half the world's population. International Women's Day has its roots in the U.S. socialist and labour movements of the early 20th century when many women were fighting for better working conditions and the right to vote. In Russia, where International Women's Day is one of the most celebrated public holidays, the head of its upper house of parliament used the occasion to launch a vehement attack on sexual minorities and liberal values promoted by the West. Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Progress made in Japan on gender wage gap, but more must be done - government
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, March 8 (Reuters) - Progress has been made on improving working conditions for women in Japan but more must be done, Japan's chief cabinet secretary said on Wednesday, adding that social attitudes about gender equality were poor. Japan ranked 116 out of 146 countries on gender parity in the World Economic Forum's global report last year, and efforts to promote women in management and government have stalled. There are only two women cabinet ministers among the 20 members of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet. Women did 80% of the cooking, compared to 8% of men, and other household chores had a similar weighting. The only job men did more than women was taking out the rubbish, at 49% to 43%.

FILE PHOTO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida poses during his news conference in Tokyo, Japan on February 24, 2023. Stanislav Kogiku/Pool via REUTERSThe news comes as households grapple with intensifying cost-of-living pressures amid elevated inflation for items such as energy and food, hitting consumption and smaller businesses. Thanks to the energy subsidies, a leading indicator of Japan’s consumer prices rose at a slower pace in February, data showed on Friday. However, an index stripping away the effect of fuel hit a fresh three-decade high in a sign of broadening inflationary pressures. The Japanese government will consider asking major utilities to reduce price increases for households in light of recent declines in energy prices, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday.

☆ Japan's Nikkei seen hitting 30,000 by end of 2023 on economic recovery: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Junko Fujita | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Japanese companies will issue their outlook for 2023 by May, which will be based on the current macro environment. So the forecast will be conservative," said Hikaru Yasuda, chief equity strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities. "But as the environment is not as bad as companies (now) expect, they will slowly raise their forecast towards the end of the year." "Companies whose businesses are linked with China are expected to perform well," said Hiroshi Namioka, chief strategist and fund manager, T&D Asset Management. "Japanese equities are undervalued due to caution for the currency movement," said Hirokazu Kabeya, chief global strategist at Daiwa Securities.

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.

☆ Japan told China violation of airspace by balloons is unacceptable, spokesman says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Japan told China that violations of its airspace by uncrewed surveillance balloons were absolutely unacceptable, a spokesman for the government said on Wednesday. Japan's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that it "strongly suspects" Chinese surveillance balloons had entered Japanese territory at least three times since 2019. read more"As a result of further investigation of specific balloon-shaped flying objects that were confirmed in Japan's airspace in the past, it is strongly suspected that they were unmanned surveillance balloons from China," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. Japan's government is considering relaxing requirements on the use of weapons to defend against intrusions of its airspace, the Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday. Attention to past intrusions of Japan's airspace has heightened since the United States shot down a Chinese balloon this month and briefed officials from 40 nations about the object. read moreReporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Tom Hogue and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ex-Tokyo Olympics official, ad execs arrested in bid-rigging scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Japanese prosecutors arrested on Wednesday a former Tokyo Olympics organising committee official and executives at three advertising agencies on suspected bid-rigging of test events for the Games, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office said. The media reports later said the prosecutors also arrested three executives at advertising and event-planning firms Dentsu Inc (4324.T), Cerespo Co (9625.T) and Fuji Creative Corporation, a subsidiary of Fuji Media Holdings Inc (4676.T). Dentsu said in a statement that a former employee, who currently works at a group firm in Japan, was arrested. The bid-rigging investigation comes after a bribery scandal, in which Haruyuki Takahashi, a former member of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics board and before that a Dentsu executive, was arrested in August on suspicion of receiving bribes from Olympic sponsors. Executives from ADK, suits retailer Aoki Holdings (8214.T) and publishing firm Kadokawa (9468.T) have also been arrested in connection with the bribery scandal.

☆ China, Japan discuss concerns over disputed East China Sea islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi discussed disputed islands in the East China Sea on Thursday, with both expressing concerns and Qin hoping Japan could stop "right-wing" provocations. The disputed East China Sea islets claimed by both China and Japan have long been a sticking point in bilateral relations. China calls the islands Diaoyu, while Japan calls them Senkaku. Hayashi said bilateral relations face "many challenges and concerns," adding that Japanese public opinion toward China is "extremely severe," Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Hayashi also expressed "serious concerns" about the East China Sea, including China's activities around the islands, as well as its "increasingly active military activities near Japan".

☆ Panasonic cuts full-year outlook as costly raw materials weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Daniel Leussink | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Japan's Panasonic Holdings Corp (6752.T) cut its annual operating profit forecast by 12.5% on Thursday after lower-than-expected third-quarter earnings, hit by headwinds from a slowing global economy and persistently high raw materials prices. The conglomerate slashed its operating profit forecast to 280 billion yen ($2.18 billion) for the financial year to Mar. 31, from 320 billion yen, in part due to a less rosy outlook for its industry segment this quarter. Panasonic's third-quarter result, with its operating profit rising 16% to 84.4 billion yen in the three months ended Dec. 31, fell short of a mean estimate of 95.31 billion yen profit from nine analysts. Most investors were focused on more clarity and details about U.S. Inflation Reduction Act benefits for Panasonic's EV battery cell production, such as the size and sustainability of subsidies, the analysts added.

☆ Protesters mark Myanmar coup anniversary, junta due to make statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Filipino activists stage a protest in solidarity with Myanmar citizens, two years since Myanmar's military coup, outside the Embassy of Myanmar in Makati City, Philippines, February 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezFeb 1 (Reuters) - Protesters marked the two-year anniversary of Myanmar's military coup with a "silent strike" in major cities and rallies overseas on Wednesday, as exiled civilian leaders vowed to end what they called the army's "illegal power grab". Myanmar's military took power after complaining of fraud in a November 2020 general election won by Suu Kyi's party. PROTESTS IN BANGKOKIn the main commercial cities of Yangon and Mandalay, images on social media showed deserted streets in what coup opponents said was a silent protest against the junta. State media recently announced tough requirements for parties to contest, a move that critics say could sideline the military's opponents and cement its grip on politics.

☆ Japan will continue to monitor COVID situation in China, govt says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/3] Passengers of a plane from Dalian in China, head to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test area upon their arrival at Narita international airport in Narita, east of Tokyo, Japan January 12, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Japan will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in China and deal "flexibly" with border control measures, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Monday. The comment came a day after the Chinese embassy in Japan said it had resumed the issuance of ordinary visas for Japanese citizens travelling to the country. China had stopped issuing visas for Japanese nationals earlier this month after Japan toughened COVID-19 border control rules for travellers coming directly from China. Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Heavy snow causes havoc in Japan as cold snap sweeps through Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Heavy snow blanketed wide swathes of Japan on Wednesday, snarling traffic, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, disrupting train travel and leaving at least one person dead. An unusually cold weather front and extreme low pressure systems set snow falling and strong winds blowing across Japan from Tuesday after causing havoc in other Asia countries earlier this week. Some 3,000 people were stranded at two train stations in the western city of Kyoto after snow and high winds forced service to be suspended on Tuesday. Strong winds connected to the storm may have caused the sinking of a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship between western Japan and South Korea's Jeju island early on Wednesday. Reporting by Kaori Kaneko, Sugiyama Satoshi and Elaine Lies in Tokyo and Hyonhee Shin in Seoul, writing by Elaine Lies and Miyoung Kim Editing by Chang-Ran Kim, Kim Coghill and Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Heavy snow, deep cold halts transport across Japan, at least one dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A train is stranded at Nishioji station in Kyoto, Japan in this photo provided by Kyodo on January 25, 2023. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERSTOKYO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Heavy snow blanketed wide swathes of Japan on Wednesday, snarling traffic, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations and disrupting train travel, leaving at least one person dead. An unusually cold weather front and extreme low pressure systems set snow falling and strong winds blowing across Japan from Tuesday. Snow was particularly heavy on the side of the nation facing the Sea of Japan, with the city of Maniwa in western Japan hit with a record 93 cm (36 inches) in the 24 hours to 8:00 a.m. (2300 GMT) on Wednesday. Strong winds connected to the storm may have caused the sinking of a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship between western Japan and South Korea's Jeju island early on Wednesday.

☆ Thirteen crew rescued after ship sinks off Japan, search on for 9 missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The vessel, the 6,651-tonne Hong Kong-registered "Jintian", issued a distress call late on Tuesday, the Japan Coast Guard said. A Coast Guard spokesperson said winds were strong at the time the distress signal was received at around 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The Coast Guard "is also seeking cooperation from the Self-Defense Forces, South Korean Coast Guard, and vessels sailing near the waters," Matsuno said at a regular news conference. He said the five crew members who were rescued were all Chinese but had no further information on their condition. A Japan Coast Guard spokesperson told Reuters the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the Korea Coast Guard rescued another eight members of the crew.

The UN agency said China was heavily under-reporting deaths from COVID, although it is now providing more information on its outbreak. China's foreign ministry said the country's health officials have held five technical exchanges with the WHO over the past month and have been transparent. Concerns over data transparency were among the factors that prompted more than a dozen countries to demand pre-departure COVID tests from travellers arriving from China. Tensions escalated this week with South Korea and Japan, with China retaliating by suspending short-term visas for their nationals. Still, traffic data and other indicators have not yet fully recovered to levels of just a few months ago.

☆ South Korea hints at compensating victims of Japan's colonial forced labour
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan said it has secured initial donations from steelmaker POSCO (005490.KS) totalling 4 billion won ($3.2 million). Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Tokyo’s top spokesperson, declined to comment on Seoul’s compensation plan or its public hearing, saying they were domestic matters within South Korea. The foundation's chief, Shim Kyu-sun, said he would encourage South Korean companies to donate "from the perspective of social responsibility". National flags of South Korea and Japan are displayed during a meeting between Komeito Party members and South Korean lawmakers at Komeito Party's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, July 31, 2019. Under the 1965 deal, South Korea was required to consider all pre-treaty compensation issues settled.

☆ Japan lodges protest to China over visa suspension
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Japan lodged a protest to China over the suspension of visas for Japanese citizens and asked that it overturn the action, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday. "It is regrettable that China unilaterally has taken visa suspension action for reasons other than steps for the coronavirus," Matsuno told a regular press conference. China's move came after Japan toughened COVID-19 border control rules for travellers coming directly from China, including a requirement for a negative PCR test result less than 72 hours before departure. Asked about Japan's border controls going forward, Matsuno said the government would respond appropriately based on China's coronavirus situation and its information disclosure. Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Here are 12 of the weirdest and most fascinating animal behaviors scientists spotted in 2022. Here are 12 bizarre and amazing things animals were spotted doing, some of which had never been seen before. It turned out that at least 12 species of primates had been reported doing so, a review published in the Journal of Zoology in October found. A dolphin swallowed 8 venomous sea snakesA sea snake (indicated with pink arrow), moments before it is captured and eaten by a Navy dolphin. Though animals have often been spotted using tools, these usually are used to give the animal a clear survival advantage.

☆ Japan to look into group's report of secret Chinese police stations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Safeguard Defenders, an Asia-focused rights group based in Spain, has published two reports since September indicating that Chinese authorities have established 102 overseas police stations in 53 countries, including Japan. Chinese authorities have dismissed the accusations and said the facilities are volunteer-run centres that help citizens renew documents and offer other services that were disrupted during the COVID pandemic. Matsuno said earlier that Japan had told Chinese authorities through diplomatic channels that "it would be unacceptable if there was any activity that violates Japan's sovereignty". Safeguard Defenders said in a September report that police from the Chinese city of Fuzhou had set up a "service station" in Tokyo. The group indicated in a follow-up report that police from the Chinese city of Nantong had another such station somewhere in Japan.

☆ Rising interest rates give pause to festivity for markets
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Japan's Nikkei (.N225) fell 1.1% and the yen , which rose about 0.4% to 136.20 per dollar, was the biggest mover in otherwise quiet currency trade. Japan will consider revising a 2% inflation target agreed between the government and central bank next year, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The yen has been the worst-performing G10 currency this year, with a 15% loss against the dollar, driven mainly by the gap between rising U.S. rates and anchored Japanese rates. U.S. rates were steady last week, despite the Fed projecting further hikes ahead, as traders fret that interest rates are already high enough to start hurting economic growth. It is down 20% for the year and has failed in several attempts at sustainably trading above its 200-day moving average.

☆ Festivity on hold for stocks as rate hikes loom
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.1%. Japan will consider revising a 2% inflation target agreed between the government and central bank next year, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The yen has been the worst-performing G10 currency this year, with a 15% loss against the dollar, driven mainly by the gap between rising U.S. rates and anchored Japanese rates. U.S. rates were steady last week, despite the Fed projecting further hikes ahead, as traders fret that interest rates are already high enough to start hurting economic growth. It is down 20% for the year and has failed in several attempts at sustainably trading above its 200-day moving average.

☆ Japan to consider revising Abe-era deflation fighting mandate - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan next year will consider revising its decade-old blueprint for fighting deflation, sources said, as financial markets bet that a weak yen and rising consumer prices will force the central bank to finally drop its ultra-loose monetary policy. The pledge has served as the backbone of Kuroda’s radical monetary stimulus and justification for keeping Japan’s interest rates ultra-low, even as other central banks tighten monetary policy to combat stubbornly high inflation. Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday that the government is set to revise the joint statement to make the BOJ’s inflation target a more flexible goal, with some leeway. SHIFTING FOCUSA revision to the joint statement would mark the final nail in the coffin for former premier’s Abenomics stimulus programme, which relied heavily on Kuroda’s massive stimulus to pull Japan out of deflation. Analysts say any revision that waters down the status of the BOJ’s 2% inflation target could serve as a trigger for phasing out Kuroda’s stimulus programme.

Search resuls for: "Hirokazu"

25 mentions found