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☆ The internet-famous Shiba Inu who inspired 'doge' memes, and a joke cryptocurrency, is seriously ill with cancer
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Atsuko Sato said Tuesday that her Shiba Inu, Kabosu, was diagnosed with liver disease and leukemia. Shiba Inu dogs have an average life expectancy of between 12 to 15 years. It is unclear whether the Shiba Inu was Kabosu. Shiba Inu dogs have an average life expectancy of between 12 to 15 years. According to an Instagram post, Kabosu celebrated her 17th birthday in October.

☆ Fourth Japan minister exits PM Kishida's four-month-old cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Japan's Reconstruction Minister Kenya Akiba visits at Yasukuni Shrine on the 77th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Japanese reconstruction minister Kenya Akiba tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday, becoming the fourth minister to leave the cabinet created by Kishida in August. Three other ministers have quit in close succession due to scandals, some involving funding and ties with the Unification Church. "It was a difficult decision to make, but I tendered my resignation to the prime minister as I felt I must not hamper the debates in parliament," he added. Akiba will be replaced by former reconstruction minister Hiromichi Watanabe, Kyodo News reported on Tuesday.

☆ Japan PM Kishida to replace embattled reconstruction minister Akiba - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is battling low approval ratings, will replace a government minister for the fourth time since he created his current cabinet in August, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday. Discussions on a replacement for Kenya Akiba, minister responsible for overseeing the reconstruction of areas hit by Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, are still underway, the broadcaster said. NHK initially reported that Akiba will be replaced by former financial services agency minister Tatsuya Ito, but later corrected that report to say a successor has not been picked. That's all I can say," Kishida said on Monday when asked whether he planned to replace Akiba. Kishida also plans to replace Mio Sugita, his Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs, Kyodo reported on Monday citing multiple unidentified government sources.

"On Tuesday, all of a sudden I'm hearing the interest rates are going up," said the 48-year-old father of two. Like Nakamura, many Japanese fear they may eventually start paying more for mortgages. "Even a small increase would have a big impact on consumer incomes," said Masaaki Kanno, chief economist at Sony Financial Group and a former central bank official. Fixed-rates are seen rising first, because the central bank allowed 10-year yields to creep up. The company is telling them that floating-rate loans won't be affected as long as the central bank keeps short-term rates negative, he said.

[1/2] Participants look around Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force's vessel at a recruiting event in Yokosuka, Japan December 10, 2022. The five-year plan unveiled on Friday will double Japan's defence spending and add new capabilities, including long-range missiles and an expanded cyber warfare unit. "It is just a paper plan and that should be corrected," said Yoji Koda, a retired navy admiral, who commanded the Japanese fleet in 2007-2008. Koda said the plan would limit Japan's ability to fight in situations such as land invasions and sea battles, giving its foes an advantage. Japan's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meeting Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Mitsuo Ohashi in Taipei on Friday, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said she expected greater defence cooperation with Japan. "Japan is making a late start, it is like we are 200 metres behind in a 400-metre sprint," he added. China defence spending overtook Japan's at the turn of the century, and now has a military budget more than four times larger. Japan says it wants ship-launched U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles made by Raytheon Technologies (RTX.N) to be part of its new deterrent force. To pay for the military build-up, Kishida's ruling bloc earlier on Friday said it will raise tobacco, corporate and disaster-reconstruction income taxes.

TOKYO, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Renault SA (RENA.PA) and Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) are set to forgo a Wednesday announcement of a deal to restructure their automotive alliance as they struggle to bridge their differences, three people familiar with the matter said. The French and Japanese carmakers remained apart on how to share intellectual property, the people, who declined to be named, said. Renault and Nissan declined to comment. The companies have been aiming to announce the new alliance structure as early as this month, Reuters reported this week. The question of how to share technology and intellectual property has proved to be a sticking point in the talks.

☆ Renault and Nissan forgo Wednesday announcement of alliance deal -media
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Renault SA (RENA.PA) and Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) are set to forgo a Wednesday announcement of a deal to restructure their automotive alliance as they struggle to bridge their differences, Japanese television network JNN reported. The French and Japanese carmakers remained apart on how to share intellectual property, JNN said late on Friday. There are no plans on when to make an announcement, the network said. The companies have been aiming to announce the new alliance structure as early as this month, Reuters reported this week. The question of how to share technology and intellectual property has proved to be a sticking point in the talks.

☆ Renault and Nissan forgo Dec. 7 announcement of new deal -JNN
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Automakers Renault and Nissan are set to forgo an announcement on Dec. 7 of a new deal on their restructured alliance as they struggle to bridge their differences, Japanese TV network JNN reported on Friday. Renault is looking to Nissan to invest in its EV business, while Nissan is seeking the sale of part of Renault's 43% stake in Nissan to put the two partners on a more equal footing. The two parties decided to forgo an announcement on Dec. 7 as they had not reached an agreement as of Friday on how to share intellectual property, JNN said. Neither Renault nor Nissan immediately responded to a request for comment. Reuters previously reported that both parties had raised Dec. 7 as a possible date for an announcement of the new alliance structure.

☆ Binance still has big growth plans despite crypto market meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New Delhi CNN Business —Binance is expanding into new markets even as the crypto industry grapples with turmoil unleashed by the spectacular collapse of crypto exchange FTX. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange has acquired Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC), a crypto exchange registered in Japan, Binance said on its website Wednesday. The deal would allow Binance to enter the world’s third biggest economy as a regulated entity. The purchase of SEBC marks Binance’s first license in East Asia, the company said. “We will actively work with regulators to develop our combined exchange in a compliant way for local users,” said Takeshi Chino, general manager of Binance Japan.

☆ Binance enters Japanese market with Sakura Exchange BitCoin deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Cryptocurrency exchange operator Binance said on Wednesday it acquired Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC), a crypto exchange service registered in Japan, to expand into the Asian country. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed by Binance. Through the acquisition, Binance will be able to operate in the Japanese market as an entity regulated by the Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA). Takeshi Chino, general manager of Binance Japan, said, "We will actively work with regulators to develop our combined exchange in a compliant way for local users." Reporting by Urvi Dugar in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Prosecutors raid Dentsu over suspected bid-rigging for Olympics test events -media
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Tokyo prosecutors raided the headquarters of ad agency Dentsu Inc and an events company on Friday on suspicion of rigging bids for Tokyo Olympics test events, public broadcaster NHK and other domestic media reported on Friday. Shares in its parent company Dentsu Group Inc (4324.T) slumped 4% on the news. The move marks a widening of scandal over the Tokyo 2020 Olympics that also saw Dentsu Inc offices raided earlier this year. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office and the Japan Fair Trade Commission declined to comment on the reports of suspected bid-rigging. Prosecutors have also searched the home of a Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee executive who was suspected of having handled the project orders for the test events, Kyodo news agency reported.

☆ Japanese prime minister under pressure over campaign expenditure report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday his office in western Hiroshima prefecture had found errors in receipts attached to a campaign expenditure report, after a magazine reported possible violations of election funding laws. The allegations are another blow to the prime minister, who has seen three cabinet minister quit within a month and whose public support is currently around 30% in recent polls, a level that may make it difficult for him to carry out his agenda. Weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun published a report on Tuesday saying Kishida's office had submitted 94 receipts in its campaign expenditure report with no addressee or description, which could amount to breaches of election funding laws. "I have instructed my office to make sure similar errors like this don't happen in the future," Kishida told reporters. The person in charge had filled in the items on the expenditure report but had overlooked adding the details into the attached receipts, he added.

☆ Japan calls off business forum after Saudis cancel trip
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"Nothing has been decided regarding a visit to Japan from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed (bin Salman)," Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. "Japan's relationship with Saudi Arabia is crucial given they are a significant strategic partner. It is important we hold high-level visits between Japan and Saudi Arabia in the near future," Matsuno said. Saudi Arabia signed investment agreements worth $30 billion with South Korean companies during the visit. Prince Mohammed has since arrived in Thailand for a state visit, according to state media.

It was a rare, candid glimpse of the Chinese leader and a reminder of Beijing's testy relations with the West. Besides Biden, Trudeau and Australia's Anthony Albanese, Xi also met the leaders of South Korea, Italy, Argentina, Holland and France for bilateral talks in Bali. Xi was ferried around Bali in his own Hongqi (Red Flag) limousine - Mao Zedong used an earlier model - China's version of the U.S. presidential "Beast" limo. Returning to in-person diplomacy also gives Xi a platform to push Chinese initiatives that further cement its stature as leader of the emerging world. "I think in the coming years you'll see China indeed making a serious effort to implement its major power diplomacy," he said.

☆ Japan PM says conveyed concerns to China's Xi about peace in Taiwan Strait
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BANGKOK, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday he conveyed concerns during a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about peace in the Taiwan Strait. Kishida said he reaffirmed with Xi that they would reopen dialogue between their diplomatic officials and communicate closely on all levels, including at the leadership level. "I conveyed my grave concerns about the situation in the East China Sea, including the Senkaku Islands, as well as China's military presence such as their launching of missiles," he told reporters. The disputed islands are known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. "I also reiterated the importance of peace and security in the Taiwan strait," Kishida added.

☆ Biden says U.S., Japan, South Korea are 'more aligned than ever' on North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PHNOM PENH, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The United States, Japan and South Korea are "more aligned than ever" on North Korea's "provocative behaviour," U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sunday, as his national security adviser promised a joint response if Pyongyang carries out a seventh nuclear test. Speaking in Cambodia after a trilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Biden called their countries "critical allies" that share the United States' concerns about North Korea's missile tests. Yoon said North Korea's recent provocations showed its regime's "nature against humanitarianism", while Kishida said its actions were "unprecedented". "I look forward to strengthening the coordination between the U.S., South Korea and Japan to respond firmly" to North Korea's actions, he added. In October, North Korea test fired a ballistic missile farther than ever before, sending it soaring over Japan for the first time in five years and prompting a warning for residents there to take cover.

☆ China stepping up actions hurting Japan's sovereignty, PM Kishida says -Jiji
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - China is continuously, and increasingly, taking actions that infringe on Japan's sovereignty, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said, Jiji Press reported on Sunday. Kishida's remarks came during a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, the news agency added. Reporting by Ju-min Parkand Sakura Murakami; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

At stake is an unresolved dispute over compensation for the Korean wartime labourers used by Japanese firms during World War Two, which had worsened bilateral relations in recent years. The South Korean presidential office also said that the two leaders agreed to continue discussions for prompt resolution of the pending issues. A South Korean court has ordered the seizure of assets of Japanese companies accused of not compensating some of their colonial-era labourers. read moreTokyo says the issue of compensation was settled under a 1965 treaty normalizing diplomatic ties and providing South Korea with economic assistance, and has warned of serious repercussions if the orders are enforced. Japan has urged South Korea to present a solution, and a Seoul official said it would devise a proposal that can win consent from both South Korean victims and Tokyo.

☆ Nissan posts 45% rise in Q2 operating profit, hikes full-year outlook
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A year earlier it earned 63.4 billion yen. The company raised its full-year operating profit forecast to 360 billion yen from 250 billion yen. That compares with a 335.13 billion yen average forecast by 21 analysts. Renault has a 43% stake in Nissan while the Japanese automaker has a 15% non-voting stake in Renault. Like other Japanese automakers, Nissan has been forced to make adjustment to its production plan due to persistent semiconductor supply disruptions.

SEOUL, Nov 2 (Reuters) - A North Korean ballistic missile landed less than 60 kilometres off South Korea's coast on Wednesday, the first time an apparent test had landed near the South's waters, leading to air raid warnings, officials said. The missile was one of three short-range ballistic missiles fired from the North Korean coastal area of Wonsan into the sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The JCS said at least one of the missiles landed 26 kilometres south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a disputed inter-Korean maritime border. The missile landed 57 kilometres from the South Korean city of Sokcho, on the east coast, and 167 kilometres from Ulleung, where air raid warnings were issued. It was the first time a North Korean ballistic missile had landed near South Korean waters, JCS said.

[1/2] People watch a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing three ballistic missiles into the sea, in Seoul, South Korea, November 2, 2022. South Korean warplanes fired three air-to-ground missiles into the sea north across the NLL in response, the South's military said. The South's launches came after Yoon's office vowed a "swift and firm response" so North Korea "pays the price for provocation". The North Korean weapon was one of three short-range ballistic missiles fired from the North Korean coastal area of Wonsan into the sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. It was the first time a North Korean ballistic missile had landed near South Korean waters, JCS said.

A 12.4% decline in auto-related production - the sector's steepest fall in eight months - drove down the overall index. Manufacturers surveyed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) expected output to fall another 0.4% in October and rise 0.8% in November. "Rather, with rising procurement costs on the weak yen, coupled with (higher) energy prices, some firms have voiced concerns for their business conditions." Separate data showed retail sales rose 4.5% year-on-year in September, extending a rebound since March when the government ended domestic COVID-19 containment measures. On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, retail sales grew 1.1% in September, rising for a third month.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAfter the dollar rose to 151.94 yen , its highest since 1990, the intervention drove the greenback down more than 7 yen to a low of 144.50 yen. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) intervened in several stages from around 9:35 p.m. (1235 GMT), one source said. Japan's top currency diplomat, Masato Kanda, also declined to say whether the MOF had intervened. Many market players doubt whether Tokyo can reverse the yen's downtrend with solo intervention, even with Japan's $1.33 trillion in foreign reserves. Japan bought a record 3.6 trillion yen ($24 billion) in the September action, Tokyo money market brokerage firms estimated.

After the dollar rose to 151.94 yen , its highest since 1990, the intervention drove the Japanese currency down more than 7 yen to a low of 144.50 yen. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe Ministry of Finance (MOF) intervened in several stages from around 9:35 p.m. (1235 GMT), one source said. Speaking to reporters shortly after the yen spiked, Japan's top currency diplomat, Masato Kanda, declined to comment on whether the MOF had intervened, according to Jiji news agency. Many market players doubt whether Tokyo can reverse the yen's downtrend with solo intervention, even with Japan's $1.33 trillion in foreign reserves. Japan bought a record 3.6 trillion yen ($24 billion) in the September action, Tokyo money market brokerage firms estimated.

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