TOKYO (Reuters) – Finding the pandemic scary? A Japanese group is trying to take people’s minds off COVID-19 – by putting them in coffins surrounded by chainsaw-wielding zombies. Customers this weekend in Tokyo can lie in a 2-metre (6 1/2-foot) windowed box, l... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan was hit by its biggest economic slump on record in the second quarter as the coronavirus pandemic emptied shopping malls and crushed demand for cars and other exports, bolstering the case for bolder policy action to prevent a deeper rec... More »
DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates said on Friday it would launch its mission to Mars on July 20, depending on weather conditions at the launch site in Japan, Dubai’s media office said on Twitter. The launch of the UAE’s Hope Probe from Japan’s Tanegas... More »
DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates has rescheduled the launch of its mission to Mars to a preliminary window between July 20 and July 22, depending on weather conditions at the launch site in Japan, the government’s communications office said on Thursd... More »
DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates has postponed the launch of its mission to Mars for a second time due to weather conditions at the launch site in Japan, the government’s communications office said on Wednesday. A new launch date in July will be anno... More »
(Reuters) – Japan’s Sosei Group Corp will collaborate with AbbVie Inc on a drug discovery partnership that could be worth up to $1 billion. Sosei shares soared 12.4% in Tokyo trading, compared with a 1.2% slide in the broader market. The partnership will initi... More »
(Reuters) – Shionogi & Co Ltd said it is partnering with Japanese universities to develop a saliva test for coronavirus that can yield visual results in 25 minutes. The method, known as SATIC, involves heating a sample of saliva and adding it to a reagent that... More »
TOKYO/FRANKFURT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – After years of applying plenty of stick to commercial lenders unhappy with negative interest rate policies, central bankers in the euro zone and Japan are experimenting with some carrot, too. With the coronavirus pandemic... More »
SYDNEY/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Asian shares bounced on Monday as the Bank of Japan (BOJ) announced more stimulus steps to help cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus, but the recent weak run in the global oil price showed no signs of ending. MSCI’s broad... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) said on Tuesday it will shut its global headquarters in Japan for 16 days through early May to contain the spread of the coronavirus, even though the government has permitted keeping workplaces open to get the economy... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese police have reported that 11 people whose deaths were deemed to be unnatural in the past month subsequently tested positive for the new coronavirus, media said on Tuesday. Japan, with more than 260 virus-related deaths according to p... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that it was concerned about the increasing number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Japan. But Japan is not yet in the stage of a large-scale community outbreak, Takeshi Kasai, WHO Re... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Some of Japan’s ubiquitous convenience stores have taken a novel approach to social distancing by hanging plastic sheets from the ceiling to provide a barrier between customers and staff at the cash register during the coronavirus pandemic. P... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – With blunt warnings, flip-charts and daily online briefings, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has been delivering a tough message to the Japanese capital’s residents and shops: stay home and shut down to avert an explosive outbreak of the coronavi... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Narita Airport has prepared an impromptu hotel of cardboard beds and quilts in its baggage-claim area for passengers from overseas who might have to stay there while awaiting the results of tests for the novel coronavirus. Though flig... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese social media celebrity Pikotaro returned as a leading twitter trend in Japan with a coronavirus hand washing song that repurposes his signature Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen (PPAP) to Pray-for-People-and-Peace. The video was among the top ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan will declare a state of emergency as early as Tuesday in a bid to stop the coronavirus, media reported, with the government preparing a stimulus package to soften the blow on an economy already struggling to avoid a recession. More than... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is poised to declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus, giving governors stronger legal authority to urge people to stay home and businesses to close, media reported on Monday. In contrast to stringe... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – The Japanese government’s advisory panel on the new coronavirus outbreak will meet on Monday at 0500 GMT in preparation for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare a state of emergency, the Nikkei business daily reported. Source: https://www.reu... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – As Japan faces a fresh wave of coronavirus infections and the government prepares for a state of emergency, medical staff say a shortage of beds and a rise in cases linked to hospitals are pushing Tokyo’s medical system to the brink of collap... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan will step up its efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus by banning the entry of foreign citizens traveling from the United States, China, South Korea and most of Europe, the Asahi newspaper reported on Monday. Non-Japanese citizens w... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s top government spokesman said on Monday there was no truth to rumors the government was planning to declare a state of emergency from April 1 to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese comedian Ken Shimura, who had been hospitalized after being infected with the new coronavirus, has died, becoming the first Japanese celebrity to die of the virus. His death, late on Sunday, set off widespread grief among fans. Shimu... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese biopharmaceutical firm Anges Inc said on Tuesday that it and Osaka University had completed development of a DNA vaccine against the new coronavirus and that it would begin testing it in animals soon. Shares of Anges surged as much a... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – The head of the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) said on Monday he had to consider postponing the Games among his options amid increasing calls from committees around the world to delay the Olympics due to the coronavirus outbreak. “From the ath... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said for the first time on Monday that the Tokyo Olympic Games may need to be postponed if the event cannot be held in its “complete form” due to the coronavirus pandemic. The International Olympic Committee... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda said on Friday the government would not extend its request that schools be closed until spring break to stem coronavirus infections, setting the stage for classes to resume at the start of the academ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Borrowing costs in the United States, euro zone, Britain and Japan surged on Wednesday after two days in which governments across the globe announced trillions of dollars of spending to support locked-down economies frozen by the coronavirus... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s defence ministry said on Monday there was no indication that North Korea projectiles reached Japan’s territory or its exclusive economic zone. South Korea’s defence ministry said earlier North Korea fired two unidentified projectiles ... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s chief medical officer said on Monday it was no longer possible to completely prevent people with the coronavirus from entering the country, citing concerns about outbreaks in Japan and South Korea. Australia, one of the first cou... More »
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Two Indonesians have tested positive for coronavirus after coming into contact with an infected Japanese national, President Joko Widodo said on Monday, marking the first confirmed cases in the world’s fourth-most populous country. The disc... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Monday the central bank will take necessary steps to stabilize markets jolted by the coronavirus outbreak, bolstering speculation about coordinated global policy action. Kuroda’s comments, made i... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese authorities have confirmed five more cases of coronavirus in Hokkaido, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday, days after the northern island declared a state of emergency. The new confirmed infections bring the total in Hokkaido to 7... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Beijing was not considering issuing travel advisories for countries such as South Korea and Japan that are reporting an increase in coronavirus cases. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Liji... More »
RIYADH/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Central bankers from the United States, Japan and the euro zone meeting in the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia this weekend had their own shifting sands to cross – those of elusive inflation. The problem facing all three is that pr... More »
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A Russian woman who was on board the Diamond Princess cruise liner docked in Yokohama, Japan, has tested positive for coronavirus following examinations by the Japanese authorities, the Russian Embassy to Japan said on Monday. The woman will... More »
(Reuters) – Fourteen U.S. citizens tested positive for the new coronavirus during the evacuation of over 300 U.S. nationals and their family members from a quarantined ship in Japan, the U.S. State Department said on Monday. The passengers were preparing to re... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia will evacuate more than 200 of its citizens onboard a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship being held under quarantine in the Japanese port of Yokohama, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday. Morrison said the passengers will de... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – An additional 99 people on a quarantined cruise ship off Yokohama have been confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus, Japanese media reported on Monday. The widening impact of the outbreak, which began in China in December and has... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan said on Monday it would limit public crowds in Tokyo to prevent a further spread of the deadly coronavirus, scrapping the emperor’s birthday celebrations and closing next month’s Tokyo Marathon to all but elite professional runners. The... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A small factory in Malaysia’s capital is preparing thousands of ready-to-eat halal meals, from fried rice to chicken biryani, to be shipped off to Japan for 2020’s biggest sporting event. Food firms from Muslim-majority Malaysia, are e... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Testing aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan has revealed 60 more confirmed cases of coronavirus, media said on Monday, as quarantined passengers took to social media to warn of depression setting in over their confinement. Monday... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese fashion billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has pulled out of a documentary search for a girlfriend to take on his voyage around the moon with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, citing his “mixed feelings” about participating. This month, the 44-year-old an... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Shares tumbled on Monday as investors grew increasingly anxious about the economic impact of China’s spreading virus outbreak, with demand spiking for safe-haven assets such as the Japanese yen and Treasury notes. Japan’s Nikkei average .N225... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – Renault’s (RENA.PA) engineering boss will meet his counterpart at Nissan (7201.T) in Japan this week, two sources close to Renault said, as the carmakers seek to revive projects crucial to an alliance left reeling by the Carlos Ghosn affair. ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Six months before the Tokyo Olympics open, the Games are already inescapable in Japan – including dominating Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policy speech to parliament on Monday. Normally a staid set piece laying out national policy, Abe this ti... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A microorganism scooped up in deep-sea mud off Japan’s coast has helped scientists unlock the mystery of one of the watershed evolutionary events for life on Earth: the transition from the simple cells that first colonized the planet to ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa’s search for a girlfriend to join him on a voyage around the moon will be the subject of a new documentary program, in the latest attention-grabbing stunt by the entrepreneur. 44-year-old Maezawa, who sold ... More »
(Reuters) – Japan-based drugmaker Eisai Co’s U.S. subsidiary announced on Sunday that it had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its insomnia treatment in adult patients. The agency approved the drug, Dayvigo, in doses of 5 mg and ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hailed the completion of the National Stadium built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Sunday, his speech at the Kengo Kuma-designed venue praising the efforts to finish on schedule after an early setback. The s... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – BlackRock Investment Institute said on Tuesday it was cautiously rotating into cyclical assets, Japanese equities and emerging markets. “We are modestly positive on risk assets,” said Scott Thiel, chief fixed income strategist for BlackRock ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese activists on Monday called for drastic steps by the government, companies and universities to stamp out sexual harassment of job-hunting students, a problem they said lurks in the shadows because victims fear speaking out. Although t... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Pope Francis expressed concern about future energy sources as he comforted victims of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster on Monday, noting a call by Japan’s Catholic bishops to abolish nuclear power outright. Around 18,000 people die... More »
(This Nov. 23rd story corrects fiscal year of expected regulatory approval in the 10th paragraph to March-end 2021, not March-end 2020) By Rocky Swift (Reuters) – Japan’s biggest drugmaker, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, said long-term data show better outcomes... More »
SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) – South Korea and Japan traded fresh barbs on Monday, just days after agreeing to salvage an important intelligence-sharing pact, highlighting the fragile ties between the former wartime foes and allies of the United States. Officials fro... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Few aspects of life escape the touch of high tech in cutting-edge Japan, including an official song written to welcome Pope Francis when he visits Japan from Saturday. Written by Jun Inoue, the song, “Protect all Life – The Signs of the Times... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – A Japanese space probe is heading home from an asteroid 250 million km (155 million miles) from Earth after collecting sub-surface samples that could help scientists seeking the origins of life, Japan’s space agency said on Monday. Asteroids ... More »
(This November 16 story has been refiled to correct the number in the headline) By Kanishka Singh (Reuters) – Japan’s Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T) has said it is recalling 394,025 cars in the United States over a braking system defect, causing concerns that a ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s SoftBank Corp (9434.T) plans to merge internet unit Yahoo Japan with messaging app operator Line Corp (3938.T) to create a $30 billion tech giant, as it bags struggling internet companies to bulk up against rivals like Rakuten Inc (47... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese actress Erika Sawajiri, famous for her role in 2005 drama “1 Litre of Tears”, has been arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs, NHK reported on Saturday citing unnamed sources. The 33-year-old actress, who this year starred in a TV... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in on Monday suggested high-level talks to resolve a deepening political and trade row with Japan during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Moon’s spokeswoman said. The two leaders held an 11-m... More »
(Reuters) – The United States may not need to impose tariffs on imported vehicles later this month after holding “good conversations” with automakers in the European Union, Japan and Korea, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in an interview published on ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s exports contracted for a 10th straight month in September, adding to speculation the central bank could ease monetary policy as soon as next week to support an economy hit by a slowdown in global demand. A bitter Sino-U.S. trade war a... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The collateral damage of the United States’ trade wars is being felt from the fjords of Iceland to the auto factories of Japan. Central bank governors and finance ministers traded grim tales of suffering economies at the International Mo... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – When Japan’s youngest prince, Hisahito, visited Bhutan in August on his first overseas trip just months after his uncle Naruhito became emperor, his trip was regarded as the debut of a future monarch on the world stage. Greeting his hosts in ... More »
(Reuters) – HBO Max, the forthcoming streaming service from AT&T Inc’s WarnerMedia, will screen films from Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation producer behind the Academy Award-winning movie “Spirited Away”. This is the first time a streaming provider has ob... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan has decided to participate in a U.S. plan for putting astronauts back on the moon by 2024 and the government will officially inform the United States within this year, the Kyodo News agency reported on Thursday. The decision was made by... More »
KORIYAMA, Japan (Reuters) – The death toll in the worst typhoon to hit Japan for decades climbed to 66 on Tuesday as rescuers slogged through mud and debris in an increasingly grim search for the missing, and as thousands of homes remained without power or wat... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Private equity firm Blackstone Group (BX.N) said on Tuesday it would launch a tender offer for Japan’s Unizo Holding (3258.T) at 5,000 yen ($46) a share, firing back after its earlier bid for the hotel chain was rebuffed. Blackstone said in a... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Rock met kimonos as Tokyo kicked off its fashion week with a dazzling runway show that put a modern twist on the traditional Japanese garment. Models hit the runway in kimono-inspired outfits ranging from colorful shoulderless minidresses wit... More »
(Reuters) – Shared office space company WeWork Companies Inc is leaning toward a near $5 billion financing package led by JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), instead of selling a controlling stake to Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T), Bloomberg reported bloom.bg/2... More »
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Japan’s SoftBank will invest in Mexican used car platform Kavak, the group’s chief operating officer Marcelo Claure said on Monday, adding to SoftBank’s growing portfolio in Latin America. “We are proud to join with and invest in Kavak ... More »
MANILA (Reuters) – For a four-decade-old Philippine disco band, the namesake supertyphoon bearing down on Japan has brought a sudden rush of interest in its macho act. Known as the Philippines’ “Village People”, all-male band Hagibis has been going since 1979.... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Alicia Vikander plays a murder suspect caught in a love triangle in “Earthquake Bird,” a thriller set in 1989 Tokyo in which the Oscar winner performs in English as well as Japanese. Based on the novel by Susanna Jones, the film follows Vika... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier Japan Display Inc (6740.T) said it aims to clinch a deal for least 50 billion yen ($468 million) in vital funding by the end of the month, having had to scramble after a Chinese investor group suddenly pulled out o... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump has called his new trade deal with Japan a “phenomenal” victory for U.S. farmers. But don’t expect America’s Land O’Lakes butter to knock New Zealand’s Anchor or France’s President brands off store shelves in ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese officials have culled 753 pigs in Saitama Prefecture north of Tokyo after detecting an outbreak of swine fever, the Yomiuri newspaper said on Sunday. The cull, which took place on Saturday, was necessary after it was determined that ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday he did not think U.S.-Japan trade talks would result in an outcome that would cause concern for Japanese automakers. Motegi made the remarks to reporters in Tokyo after the United St... More »
(Reuters Health) – People who eat more plant-based protein may live longer than those who get more protein from meat, a Japanese study suggests. Researchers followed almost 71,000 middle-aged Japanese adults for an average of almost two decades. Compared to pe... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s exports slipped for an eighth month in July, while manufacturers’ confidence turned negative for the first time in over six years as China-bound sales slumped again in a fresh sign the Sino-U.S. trade war could tip the economy into re... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Millions of years after the ancestors of humans evolved to lose their tails, a research team at Japan’s Keio University have built a robotic one they say could help unsteady elderly people keep their balance. Dubbed Arque, the grey one-meter ... More »
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) is in advanced talks to invest in Mexican used car platform Kavak and financial technology firm Konfio, several people familiar with the matter said, underscoring the company’s interest in Mexico as ... More »
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab on Monday said it will invest $2 billion into Indonesia over five years using capital received from Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp, which wants to increase its exposure to the region’s most populous marke... More »
(Reuters) – Cruise, a U.S. self-driving vehicle company majority-owned by General Motors Co, told Reuters on Friday that a U.S. national security panel approved a $2.25 billion investment in the firm by Japan’s SoftBank Corp. SoftBank has come under increasing... More »
MINAMIBOSO, Japan (Reuters) – When Yachiyo Ichihara was a child in Wada, one of Japan’s oldest whaling villages, she’d go down to the harbor with a bucket and carry it home full of freshly butchered whale meat. “It’s really delicious- that’s what I grew up eat... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan has for decades been steadfastly defiant about hunting whales despite widespread anger, including from key allies like the United States. After roughly 30 years of what it has called scientific research whaling, which saw several hundre... More »
MINAMIBOSO, Japan (Reuters) – Whale cutlets, sliced raw whale, deep-fried whale nuggets, whale bacon and whale jerky feature on the menu at the restaurant Yoko Ichihara runs – and that’s just a small sample of the ways Japan eats whale. Though Japan’s governme... More »
HONG KONG/SYDNEY (Reuters) – Fears of a global recession are on the rise as the U.S.-China trade war re-escalated in May, sending investors to the safety of U.S Treasuries, the Japanese yen and gold. But in Asia, investors are exploring new sanctuaries, from C... More »
ZURICH/TOKYO (Reuters) – UBS signed a joint venture deal with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust on Friday, aiming to crack a Japanese wealth management market where it has struggled to grow over the last 15 years. The deal, signed by the banks’ CEOs in Zurich, will create... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit said on Thursday it plans to bring its satellite launch system to Japan in partnership with airline operator ANA Holdings Inc, which will provide maintenance and possibly aircraft. Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s government said on Monday that high-tech industries will be added to a list of businesses for which foreign ownership of Japanese firms is restricted. The new rule, effective Aug. 1, comes amid heightening pressure from the United Sta... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urged Japan on Monday to move swiftly to clinch a trade deal with Washington on farm products and other goods, in a way that would treat his country fairly as “premier customer.” “President (Donald) ... More »
(Reuters) – Cigarette maker Philip Morris International Inc has suspended a global social media marketing campaign in response to Reuters inquiries into the company’s use of young online personalities to sell its new “heated tobacco” device, including a 21-yea... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese trading house Mitsubishi Corp and MUFG Bank plan to rescue plant engineering company Chiyoda Corp with a $1.4 billion lifeline, betting on a turnaround fueled by greater LNG demand, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday. Chiyoda, o... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa said he plans to auction off artworks worth millions of dollars because he has no money. Maezawa, the founder and CEO of online fashion retailer Zozo, said in a Twitter post on Saturday that he plans to ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese prosecutors indicted former Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn on Monday on a charge of aggravated breach of trust, a Tokyo court said, bringing a fourth charge against him on the day his detention period was set to expire. Ghosn’... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp said on Sunday it was setting up a research institute in Beijing in partnership with Tsinghua University to study car technology using hydrogen power and other green technologies that could ease environmental probl... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – The newly appointed chief executive of Walmart Inc’s Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu on Monday denied the business was up for sale, following reports last year that the U.S. retail giant was looking for a buyer. “I’m not here to sell a busin... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s exports fell for a third month in February in a sign of growing strain on the trade-reliant economy, suggesting the central bank might be forced to offer more stimulus eventually to temper the effects of slowing external demand and tr... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp, one of the world’s largest automakers, and Japan’s space agency said on Tuesday they had agreed to cooperate in developing a manned lunar rover that runs on fuel cell technologies. Although Japan has no plan currently to ma... More »
