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TOKYO, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Japan's Fair Trade Commission has issued no notice of antitrust fines to Kyushu Electric Power Co (9508.T) and Chugoku Electric Power Co (9502.T), the two utilities said on Monday, following a report they were in trouble for anti-competitive behaviour. The regulator would penalise Kyushu Electric, Chugoku Electric and Chubu Electric Power Co (9504.T) for agreeing not to expand into each other's industrial power-supply markets, the Nikkei said. Nikkei said Kansai Electric Power Co (9503.T) had also been part of the scheme and, along with the three other firms, had been raided by the commission last year. Kansai Electric had probably avoided penalty by reporting the matter to the antitrust regulator and taking advantage of a leniency policy, the newspaper said. A Kansai Electric spokesperson said on Monday the company was fully cooperating with the regulator, which so far had not called it to appear before an investigation hearing on the matter.

☆ Germany-Japan World Cup match a big draw for viewers in Japan, less so in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN/TOKYO, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The Germany-Japan World Cup match on Wednesday prompted record access numbers for Japanese online streaming platform Abema, while viewership in Germany more than halved from the national team's opening match four years ago, data showed. Some 9.2 million people tuned in to German broadcaster ARD's coverage to see the match, according to data from audience measurement firm AGF. In the 2018 World Cup, 25.96 million viewed Germany's first match against Mexico. The match, in which Japan scored a stunning 2-1 upset over four-times champions Germany, took place at 2 p.m. local time in Germany, when many people were at work. Millions more viewed the match on streaming platform Abema, where access reached a record of more than 10 million on Wednesday helped by the match, according to parent company CyberAgent Inc. (4751.T).

☆ Japan PM Kishida plans to sack internal affairs minister Terada, Yomiuri reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to sack internal affairs minister Minoru Terada, Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday, the third cabinet minister to leave in under a month in a fresh blow for Kishida's battered support ratings. Kishida told a news conference in Bangkok on Saturday he would make a decision on Terada as needed, adding "cabinet ministers must fulfill their obligations to explain." The suspected killer has said his mother was bankrupted by the church and has blamed Abe for promoting it. The LDP has acknowledged many lawmakers have ties to the church but that there is no organisational link to the party. Further damage came from the resignation of justice minister Yasuhiro Hanashi last week for comments seen as making light of his work responsibilities, specifically signing off on executions.

☆ Third Japanese cabinet minister in a month resigns in blow to PM
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Japan's internal affairs minister resigned on Sunday in connection with a funding scandal, becoming the third cabinet member to leave in less than a month in a severe blow to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's already shaky support. Internal affairs minister Minoru Terada tendered his resignation to Kishida after media reports the premier was preparing to sack him. Kishida said he had accepted Terada's resignation in order to prioritise parliamentary debate, including discussions on a second extra budget for the fiscal year ending in March. Asked about the fact that three ministers have resigned since Oct. 24, Kishida said he would like to apologise. Hanashi and Terada's resignations are likely to be especially painful because they were members of Kishida's faction in the LDP.

☆ Foreign visitors in Japan surge after tourism reopening
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The number of foreign visitors to Japan rose to nearly 500,000 in October, the first month it fully reopened to overseas visitors after more than two years of COVID restrictions, more than doubling the volume from September. The number of foreign visitors, for both tourism and business, rose to 498,600 in October, more than double September's 206,500 and surging a massive 2,155% from the year before, the Japan National Tourism Organization said, though it was still down 80% on 2019. This year, 1.52 million foreign visitors have arrived, a far cry from the record 31.8 million in 2019 and the government's 2020 goal - pegged to the Summer Olympics, that were ultimately postponed - of 40 million. "We are seeing the weak yen in a positive way," he said. Japan said on Tuesday it was reopening its ports to cruise ships from March 2023, with some 166 ships slated to visit next year, industry group Japan International Cruise Committee (JICC).

[1/3] A cargo ship and containers are seen at an industrial port in Tokyo, Japan, February 15, 2022. The world's third-biggest economy has struggled to motor on despite the recent lifting of COVID curbs, and has faced intensifying pressure from red-hot global inflation, sweeping interest rate increases worldwide and the Ukraine war. GLOBAL RISKSHowever, the risks to Japan's outlook have risen as the global economy teeters on the brink of recession. Economy Minister Shigeyuki Goto said a global recession could hit households and businesses. "As for 2023, Japan will be dragged into a mild recession in H1 by a global downturn that will weigh on exports and business investment."

☆ BOJ's Kuroda vows to continue monetary easing for now, focuses on wages
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kuroda said the job market is expected to tighten, particularly at service sector firms, many of which employ low-paid part timers and contract workers. The annual labour-management wage negotiations next spring will likely take into account both the tightening of the job market and rising inflation, he added. "We are at a stage where we will continue monetary easing to firmly back economic activity at present," Kuroda told a meeting with business leaders in Nagoya in central Japan. "The wages hold the key to see whether sustainable inflation take hold. In that sense, tightening of the labour market may be an encouraging signal to Governor Kuroda," Takeda said.

☆ NTT, Kioxia to invest in new Japan-backed logic semiconductor firm - TV Tokyo
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation) is displayed at the company office in Tokyo, Japan September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Japanese companies, including Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (9432.T) and Kioxia Holdings Corp, have decided to invest in a new government-backed company that aims to mass-produce next-generation logic semiconductors, TV Tokyo reported on Thursday. Other companies, including Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), Sony Group (6758.T), SoftBank (9434.T) and Denso Corp (6902.T), also plan to invest about 1 billion yen ($6.84 million) each into the new company, the Nikkei newspaper reported separately. Japan's government will set up a new research centre by the end of 2022 to develop sub 2-nanometer semiconductors, which will be led by a former Tokyo Electron Ltd (8035.T) president, TV Tokyo also said. ($1 = 146.2800 yen)Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Jan Harvey and Jane MerrimanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nintendo shares head for biggest one-day drop in a year after Switch sales projection cut
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Shares in Nintendo Co Ltd (7974.T) fell nearly 7%, putting them on track for their biggest one-day drop in a year on Wednesday after the Japanese videogame giant cut its annual sales projection for its Switch console by nearly 10%. The Kyoto-based company on Tuesday cut its sales forecast for the Switch to 19 million units for this business year from 21 million, as microchip shortages constrained production. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa told an earnings briefing on Tuesday that chip supply had begun recovering in recent months, helping boost Switch production. Still, Nintendo shares were up 6.9% in Tokyo trade, against a nearly flat broader market. Shares of Nintendo are up 8.3% so far this year.

☆ Philippines' unemployment hits new low since start of pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Lucy Craymer | Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The Philippines' unemployment rate in September fell to a new low since the COVID-19 pandemic began, highlighting more green shoots of recovery as the country fully reopens its domestic economy. The unemployment rate eased for a third month in a row to hit 5% in September, the statistics agency said on Tuesday, which bodes well for third quarter growth. "The recent survey results show the gains of the full reopening of our economy," Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a statement. Gross domestic product was 7.4% in the second quarter, bringing the average growth in the first half of the year to 7.8%, above the government's 6.5-7.5% growth target for 2022. Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LONDON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - British businesses fear a gloomy Christmas ahead, as almost half of households plan to cut festive spending due to the soaring cost of living and sales are already falling sharply in inflation-adjusted terms. "Christmas will come later than last year for many and there may be more gloom than glitter as families focus on making ends meet, particularly as mortgage payments rise," BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said. The BRC's measure of like-for-like sales, which adjusts for changes in retailers' floor space, slowed to 1.2% in October from September's 1.8%. "The small rise in sales masked a much larger drop in volumes once inflation is accounted for," the BRC said. Britain's official retail sales data, which cover more shops than the BRC figures and is adjusted for inflation, showed sales volumes excluding fuel dropped 6.2% year-on-year in September.

JIP, Chubu Electric and Orix will each invest 100 billion yen, the paper said, without saying where it got the information. A Toshiba representative declined to comment, saying the company could not "answer information about candidates, including co-investors, as it may undermine fair process". Investor focus could now turn to another potential bidder, state-backed fund JIC, which sources have said is also preparing a bid. The fund has been in talks with U.S. private equity fund Bain Capital and north Asia fund MBK Partners to form a separate consortium, sources have said. Differences over JIP's plan to retain Toshiba's management were a source of friction between the two, Reuters has reported.

☆ Japanese consortium submits 2.2 trln yen Toshiba bid, Nikkei reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - A consortium of more than 10 Japanese companies, led by the Japan Industrial Partners investment fund, has submitted a bid to buy Toshiba Corp (6502.T) for about 2.2 trillion yen ($15.01 billion), the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday. The consortium, including Chubu Electric Power Co Inc (9502.T) and Orix Corp (8591.T), appears not to have obtained commitment letters from banks but is aiming to complete the lending deal by end-November if Toshiba accepts the bid to go private, Nikkei said. Japanese companies in the consortium will spend about 1 trillion yen, while multiple overseas funds decided not to join the bid due to expectations for low returns, the newspaper added. When asked for a comment on the report, a Toshiba representative said the company "cannot answer information about candidates, including co-investors, as it may undermine fair process". ($1 = 146.5400 yen)Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by David Goodman and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The launches came a day after North Korea fired at least 23 missiles, the most in a single day, including one that landed off South Korea's coast for the first time. About an hour after the first launch, South Korea's military and the Japanese coast guard reported a second launch from North Korea. South Korea issued rare air raid warnings and launched its own missiles in response after Wednesday's barrage. On Oct. 4, North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years, prompted a warning for residents there to take cover. It was the farthest North Korea had ever fired a missile.

☆ Japan warns residents to seek shelter as North Korea missile flies over
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Japan's government warned residents of Miyagi, Yamagata and Niigata prefectures to seek shelter indoors after North Korea's missile launch, according to J-Alert Emergency Broadcasting System issued on Thursday. The missile has already flown past Japan's territory toward the Pacific Ocean, the government later said. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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.

☆ Japan's September factory output posts first fall in 4 months
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Factory output fell a seasonally adjusted 1.6% in September from a month earlier, government data showed on Monday, larger than economists' median forecast for a 1.0% decline. It marked the first month-on-month fall in four months in industrial production and followed a 2.7% rise in August. Retail sales rose 4.5% year-on-year in September, extending a rebound since March when the government ended domestic coronavirus curbs. In a seasonally-adjusted month-on-month basis, retail sales grew 1.1% in September. A further bounce is expected in coming months after Japan eased border controls on Oct 11 for foreign tourists.

☆ Japan September factory output falls 1.6% in September from the previous month
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Japan's factory output fell 1.6% in September from the previous month, government data showed on Monday, slightly more than the median market forecast for a 1.0% decline. Manufacturers surveyed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) expect output to fall 0.4% in October and rise 0.8% in November, the data also showed. For the full tables, visit METI's website. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ BOJ raises inflation forecasts, keeps ultra-low rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan raised its inflation forecasts on Friday but maintained ultra-low interest rates, remaining a dovish outlier among a global wave of central banks tightening monetary policy. As widely expected, the BOJ kept unchanged its -0.1% target for short-term interest rates, and 0% for the 10-year government bond yield by a unanimous vote. It also maintained its dovish policy guidance that pledges to ramp up stimulus as needed, and projecting that short- and long-term interest rates will move at "current or lower levels." It projects inflation to hit 1.6% in fiscal 2024. Reporting by Leika Kihara, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Kantaro Komiya and Daniel Leussink Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ BOJ keeps ultra-low interest rates, defies global tightening trend
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But the central bank revised up its price forecasts through 2024 and warned that risks were skewed to the upside, nodding to recent signs that inflationary pressure was broadening. "Accelerating underlying inflation is expected to heighten medium- and long-term inflation expectations ... and lead to sustained price rises accompanied by wage gains," it said. As widely expected, the BOJ left unchanged its -0.1% target for short-term interest rates and a pledge to guide the 10-year bond yield around 0%. The central bank also maintained its dovish guidance projecting that short- and long-term rates will remain at "present or lower levels." In a sign of its concern over global recession fears, however, the BOJ cut its economic growth forecasts for fiscal 2022 and 2023.

☆ POLL Rising U.S. rates pose biggest risk for Japan but recession unlikely
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Devayani Sathyan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/IllustrationTOKYO, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The biggest risk to Japan's economy over the next year is a prolonged period of U.S. monetary tightening, although the world's third-largest economy is unlikely to sink into a recession, the majority of economists polled by Reuters said. Policymakers worldwide, including the International Monetary Fund, have cut global growth projections for 2023, citing elevated prices and higher cost of borrowing. While most economists agreed that such risks would not plunge Japan into a recession, they said that was mainly owing to a low base. "Japan's economy appears robust compared with overseas peers, but that's just because its recovery from the pandemic has been lagging behind," said Fukoku's Takamatsu. Elsewhere in the poll, a median estimate of 34 respondents had the Japanese economy expanding an annualised 2.0% in October-December, slightly better than the 1.9% forecast in the September poll.

☆ Japan keeps warning on market volatility, raises view on capex in report
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Japan reiterated a warning that "full attention" should be paid to market volatility in its monthly economic report published on Tuesday, following the government's repeated market interventions in the wake of the yen's slide to a 32-year low. The October economic report kept the overall assessment of the economy unchanged for a fourth month, saying it was in a moderate recovery, though it raised its view on business spending while downgrading its assessment of imports. On private consumption, which accounts for more than half of Japanese gross domestic product, the government kept its view that it was moderately picking up. Service spending was rising, but consumer sentiment has tumbled due to inflation, especially among low-income earners, the official said. ($1 = 148.8400 yen)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan PM appoints ex-health min Goto as next economy minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday appointed former health minister Shigeyuki Goto as the next economy minister after the incumbent abruptly resigned amid criticism over his links to a controversial religious group. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Kishida said he picked Goto based on his "political experience, high presentation skills and passion for economic and social reforms." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterYamagiwa became the first minister to resign from Kishida's government and the highest profile political casualty thus far from a widening scandal sparked by the killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July. The suspect in the killing bore a grudge against the Unification Church, alleging it bankrupted his mother, and blamed Abe for promoting it. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Kentaro Sugiyama Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japanese economic minister steps down over church links
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He added that he regretted attending so many church gatherings and giving the organisation recognition as a result. INVESTIGATIONThe church, founded in South Korea in the 1950s and famous for its mass weddings, has came under the spotlight following the July 8 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Since the killing, evidence has come to light of deep and longstanding ties between the church and LDP members. The LDP has acknowledged that many individual lawmakers have ties to the church but have said there was no organisational link to the party. Critics say the church built ties with politicians in Japan to attract followers and gain legitimacy while politicians gained access to church members for help with campaigns.

☆ Japan October factory growth slows to 21-month low, but services pick up
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The au Jibun Bank Flash Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) eased to a seasonally adjusted 50.7 in October, down from the prior month's final 50.8. Growth in the services sector picked up, however. The au Jibun Bank Flash Services PMI Index expanded for a second month, rising to a seasonally adjusted 53.0 in October after September's 52.2 final, according to the survey. Earlier this month, Japan reopened its borders to individual foreign tourists after more than two years of pandemic isolation. The au Jibun Bank Flash Japan Composite PMI, which is estimated by using both manufacturing and services, also accelerated, rising to 51.7 from the prior month's final 51.0, it showed.

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