15 NOVEMBER 2019
Brazil stock exchange to add Nikkei 225 futures
B3 will become first Latin American bourse to list the index derivatives
18 NOVEMBER 2019
Japan’s Yahoo and Line announce October 2020 merger plan
SoftBank and Naver’s venture to be Japan’s largest online player
Intelligence pact nears end as Seoul resists US, Japan pressure
Agreement aimed in part at Pyongyang’s missile tests faces Saturday deadline
World awakens to Japan’s sleeping diamonds
Traders flock to Tokyo as ’80s-era gems once kept in homes return to market
Abe lacks enduring success as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister
In power for nearly 2,886 days, he has not kick-started Japan’s economy
Next-gen encryption race heats up after Google’s quantum leap
US and China lead in state-backed research, with Japan also launching effort
17 NOVEMBER 2019
Japan and South Korea remain apart over intel-sharing pact
Nagasaki’s old Christian sanctuary to welcome high-end hotel
Sojitz to build near World Heritage sites on Goto Islands
Pope Francis meets Thai king, Alibaba prices IPO and GSOMIA expires
Your weekly lineup of Asia’s biggest business and political events
Japanese lawmakers face a rocky journey on comeback trail
80% of rookie opposition members from 2009 have left parliament for good
40 years, 500 million robot figures: The secrets of Gundam’s success
Behind the scenes of Japanese toymaker Bandai Namco’s plastic universe
Tourist spots in Japan still smarting from typhoon damage
Hagibis leaves a mountain railway paralyzed and hot springs high and dry
No Amazon, no problem for Japanese courier Sagawa
Shift in focus to profitability from delivery volume pays off for company
In rare-earth quest, Japan to deploy US-made drone sub
‘World’s first’ such survey will scan wide area of seabed for deposits
Addiction to weak yen saps Japan’s growth potential
Stock market high comes at long-term cost of lower buying power
Sports equipment maker Yonex’s founder dies at 95
Minoru Yoneyama’s rackets used by stars Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova
Rule-tightening signals Japan wants investors to toe the line
‘Very, very low’ 1% threshold for reporting seen as barrier to activism
16 NOVEMBER 2019
Chinese sci-fi blockbuster book hailed by Obama wins new fans in Japan
Author Liu Cixin crosses cultural borders with ‘The Three-Body Problem’
South Korean airlines’ profits vanish as Japan travel slumps
Losses extend from top-ranked Korean Air to budget carriers
Pentel truce scratched as Kokuyo moves toward hostile takeover
Once-friendly discussions back to drawing board after third party emerges
Japan chip industry heavyweight joins China’s Unigroup
Ex-Elpida CEO Yukio Sakamoto to help semiconductor maker grow globally
Major insurer cuts red tape blamed for food waste in Japan
In policy change, Sompo will cover damaged food donated to nonprofits
Pentagon chief says it is crucial Seoul pays more for US troops
US worried about expiry of South Korea-Japan intelligence pact
15 NOVEMBER 2019
Soup’s on: Japan’s Ippudo wants to be the world’s ramen chain
Noodle purveyor customizes eateries to fit the tastes of each market
China frees Japanese scholar detained for alleged spying
Grab launches cab-hailing tie-up in Japan
Southeast Asian unicorn makes app available for overseas travelers
Marubeni to bring Japanese-style preventive care to Russia
Trading house teams up with Russian Railways to offer medical screenings
Behind the scenes of the $27bn Yahoo-Line merger
Deal driven by desire to defend Japan and grow in Asia — and SoftBank’s deep pockets
Japan hospitals expand multilingual care as foreign patients rise
Osaka leads on services for international clients with 24-hour interpretation
Yahoo Japan-Line merger will not create domestic Alibaba or Amazon
Business which is centered on home country can never compete with tech giants
Thriving in a trade war: Japan’s Murata finds a way
Apple and Huawei supplier steers path through tech cycles and geopolitics
Over 50% of Japanese companies offer telecommuting, survey shows
Corporations tackle scourge of overwork as they strive to improve productivity
Yahoo Japan and Line: internet leaders in merger talks
Line also has large user bases in Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia
Move over big brands, Japanese makeup sees indie boom
Startups flourish as manufacturers like Nippon Shikizai open up opportunities across Asia
Brazil stock exchange to add Nikkei 225 futures
B3 will become first Latin American bourse to list the index derivatives
BOJ faces beer drinker’s dilemma on negative rates
Kuroda risks leaving Japan hungover with his monetary policy
FamilyMart to trim 10% of staff in Japan to reduce bloat
Convenience store chain extends more financial aid to struggling franchises
Bollywood beckons Sony to open AI research labs in India
Company will hire local engineers to study applications in music and movies
Japan emperor performs centuries-old succession rite
Naruhito attends private Daijosai ritual in specially built complex
Top materials maker Toray halts Mitsubishi jet supply
Aircraft maker will shift to in-house production of carbon fiber tail components
Russia looks to Japan icebreaking tankers to unlock Arctic gas
MOL-Novatek venture would transport LNG via northern routes
One year, one charge: NTT’s quest for low-energy smartphones
Japan telecom woos Microsoft and over 60 other partners for 6G alliance
14 NOVEMBER 2019
As Line hits growth wall it seeks SoftBank integration
A merger threatens to shake up Asia’s digital services playing field
South Korea gives Yahoo Japan-Line merger talks a warm reception
Chat app parent Naver’s shares surge as investors put profits over politics
NTT taps NASA to take on Google and IBM in quantum computing
Japanese telco aims to prove its optical network system can beat world’s fastest
Japanese banks stick with SoftBank despite WeWork woes
Main lender Mizuho says it will “share risk with business partner”
Fashion first in line with Yahoo Japan’s other billion dollar deal
Closing of Softbank-backed $3.6 billion Zozo merger has other pros and cons
Japan GDP figures show growth engines are on the blink
Personal consumption and external demand are both sluggish
Sadako Ogata’s legacy should restrain Shinzo Abe’s military enthusiasm
Changing Japan’s constitution betrays humanitarian example
Investors applaud mooted $27bn Yahoo Japan-Line deal
Rare Japanese-Korean tie-up seeks to create Alibaba-style super app
Strained South Korea ties hit Japanese exporters hard
Consumer boycotts show results in July to September quarter
Yahoo Japan to merge with Naver’s Line app
Deal sought this month on Japanese-Korean joint venture to own both companies
Japan’s Q3 GDP slumps to 1-year low as trade war bites
Economy grows only 0.2% as soft global demand hurts exports
WeWork losses widen to $1.25bn as expansion ramps up
Troubled office-sharing business doubles in size as record number of desks added
SoftBank’s Son seeks Alibaba-size scale with Yahoo-Line deal
CEO draws inspiration from his most successful investment
Japan’s profit outlook plunges $18bn in worst downgrade in 7 years
Komatsu and Isuzu among exporters hurt by sluggish global economy
Daiwa to offer microloans to low-income earners in Myanmar
Japanese brokerage expands operations in emerging economy
Singapore brings Japan into Asia’s first digital securities market
Tokai Tokyo to take stake in company behind SGX’s iSTOX platform
iPhone screen maker Japan Display logs near $1bn first-half loss
Lifeline deal faces potential slip to December amid search for new sponsors
Uniqlo taps robot startups to take humans out of its warehouses
Japanese fashion giant aims to completely automate all within five years
13 NOVEMBER 2019
Shinzo Abe cancels government-funded cherry-blossom event
Opposition questions whether prime minister uses party to favor supporters
As Fukushima food export barriers fall, Japan aims to persuade China
Five markets still prohibit crops and seafood from nuclear disaster zone
Toshiba’s operating profit jumps sevenfold to $476m in 1st half
All units move into black but concerns remain about growth potential
SoftBank must draw the right lessons from WeWork losses
Group should rethink light-touch management and keep retail investors informed
Debt-heavy Sri Lanka seeks Japan’s help and prepares samurai bond
Slow growth an obstacle for economy as IMF bailout conditions dent consumption
Mini electric vehicle makers take aim at Japan’s ‘kingdom of small cars’
Tokyo Motor Show draws affordable electrics from Switzerland, Thailand and China
Steel prices sink to 3-year low as trade war, weak auto sales take toll
Price of hot-rolled coils in East Asian fall to around $480 per ton
India and Japan to cement relations with new security deal
Countries look to check China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region
Korean Air to resume Ishikawa flights grounded by boycott
Service will restart Sunday as demand looks up
Taiwan wind farm gives Japan foothold in Asia’s green power game
Energy giant JERA completes island’s first commercial offshore facility
Historic Japanese inn takes over trout farm to preserve tradition
Kanaya Hotel acquires supplier for its century-old fish saute
US commander urges Seoul and Tokyo to drop GSOMIA feud
Defense ministers from South Korea and Japan to meet in Bangkok on Sunday
A quarter of Japan’s international flights now link to China
With trips up 19% this season, Chinese carriers fatten cash cow routes
Natural disasters force Japanese insurers to raise premiums again
4% hike on corporate policies in 2021 comes on heels of October increase
12 NOVEMBER 2019
Nissan slashes profit outlook as North American sales stall
New CFO says incentives for US dealers will be lowered
Tokyo Metro tackles $87bn global market with IPO in mind
Subway operator seeks new growth engine as aging population cuts local business
Oyo’s business model is looking a lot like WeWork’s
SoftBank has much riding on Indian hotel company
Mitsui E&S seeks shipbuilding tie-up with Mitsubishi Heavy
Competition overseas forces the company to cross traditional zaibatsu lines
US fund to pull small Japanese firms into ESG era
Neuberger Berman sees room for returns by bolstering governance
Japan’s top 20 startups surpass 1tn yen in total value
AI developer Preferred Networks maintains lead over two new unicorns
Japan’s GDP rises 1.9% in September: JCER
Surge of shopping before tax hike spurs economic growth
Fukushima Bank hopes SBI partnership will help it survive
Online broker keen to form alliances with regional banks
11 NOVEMBER 2019
Exclusive: SoftBank-backed Oyo torn between profits and growth
Rookie staff and angry hoteliers undermine ‘Project Yukichi’ for Japan domination
NTT to spend 600 billion yen on own grids for power business
Backup electricity systems to ease capacity constraints for renewable electricity
