17 February 2020
Coronavirus: Tokyo Marathon may trim number of runners
Organizers ask participants residing in China not to attend event on March 1
Coronavirus latest: US flights with cruise ship evacuees depart
China cases top 70,000 as Taiwan records its first fatality
SoftBank investment chief pushes hedge fund after Vision Fund stumbles
Misra explores tie-up involving Mubadala and Kazakhstan despite deviating from Son’s blueprint
Japan alloy maker banks on Chinese scrap import curbs
Daiki to push zinc and copper extraction in diversification away from aluminum
US evacuees from Diamond Princess leave Tokyo for home
Two-week quarantine aboard ship to be followed by 2 weeks’ isolation onshore
Japan GDP falls most since 2014 on sales-tax hike
Economy contracts at annualized 6.3% in final quarter of last year
G-20 finance ministers, Nissan shareholders and a China-ASEAN meeting
Your weekly lineup of Asia’s biggest political and business events
Japan experts decline to raise alert, as virus ‘not yet prevalent’
But health ministry prepares for surge in cases
NTT urges 200,000 employees to work from home as virus spreads
Japan’s businesses disinfect buses and train stations to stop outbreak
Japan Post’s zombie privatization is warning to Shinzo Abe
Scandal-hit conglomerate shows how not to get government out of private sector
Japan’s Motegi discusses territorial row with Russia counterpart
Foreign minister invites Lavrov for continued discussion
Japan reveals Russia’s ‘dark power’ in SoftBank spy incident
Surprise move aimed at checking Kremlin’s espionage ahead of 2020 Tokyo Olympics
16 February 2020
Another 70 people test positive for coronavirus on ship in Japan
‘Valuable 500’ sees inclusion of disabled as key for business
Social entrepreneur seizes chance to bring the issue off the ‘sidelines’
Ex-Japan diplomat helps South Korean job seekers find their feet
Ko Nishiyama has ‘no regrets’ pursuing dream of building bridges in Asia
Hong Kong to arrange flights to take home passengers from Diamond Princess ship
Chinese tourist slump forces job cuts at duty-free chain Laox
Coronavirus adds to troubles for Suning-owned Japan retailer
US to evacuate citizens as Japan’s ship quarantine comes under fire
Tokyo weighs other nations’ requests to leave Diamond Princess
Sanrio to let tour groups reserve entire Hello Kitty theme park
Puroland booking plan aims to maximize merchandise sales to foreign visitors
15 February 2020
Coronavirus: Week of Feb. 9 to Feb. 15, Beijing to quarantine all arrivals for 14 days
China reports 143 new deaths on mainland as cases surpass 66,000
Japan seized with anxiety over homegrown outbreak
Lack of beds and limited testing ability raise fears of nation unprepared to cope
Multinationals reroute supply chains from China — for good?
Komatsu, Daikin and Asics shift operations elsewhere
Japan to pour investment into non-China rare-earth projects
Tokyo aims to reduce China dependency to 50% or less
Japan to cast wider net to catch coronavirus cases
Screening no longer limited to those with China connection
Chinese GoPro rival brings photo robot idea to Japan
Insta360 battles established rivals for attention in action and 360-degree cameras
China’s top diplomat to visit Japan ahead of Xi’s state trip
Coronavirus outbreak threatens to derail diplomatic calendar
Japan’s Kirin opposes $5.4bn share buyback proposal from activist
UK-based IFP had demanded that brewer focus on core beer business
14 February 2020
Katsuya Nomura, star baseball player with rocky personal life
He spent 26 years at Nankai Hawks, racking up achievements
China’s ‘inevitable’ slowdown due to deleveraging: IMF economist
Rhee warns long lasting low interest rates will stress local banks
Renault sets lower profit goal in crunch reboot year
Automaker posts first loss in a decade as Nissan’s contribution shrinks
SoftBank Vision Fund: All you need to know in simple graphics
Japanese IT giant’s $100 billion venture explained as sequel is scaled down
Coronavirus infection tracker: interactive map
Stay updated as the scope of the outbreak expands worldwide
India’s automakers expect sales to ‘increase only gradually’
Market thought to have bottomed out but still lacks growth incentives
Coronavirus leaves Japan and South Korea short of Chinese workers
Laborers face prejudice from employers, while travel restrictions leave interns stranded
Tokyo readies licenses for Japanese-language teachers
Certification to improve system where 60% of instructors are volunteers
Ikinari Steak wants to reduce reliance on big-eating men
Stand-up restaurant chain rolls out lady’s set to bring sizzle back
Contagion fears force cancellation of trade fairs across Asia
Companies scramble to unveil gadgets on YouTube and at domestic events
None of Japan’s new coronavirus patients had direct China links
First death raises fear that virus is quietly spreading
Rakuten sells entire Pinterest stake as it offloads tech holdings
Japanese e-commerce group follows SoftBank in scaling back new bets
Vietnam locks down Son Loi district near Hanoi for 20 days
Areawide quarantines spread to outside China
Nissan faces ‘critical’ situation with profit set for 10-year low
Coronavirus shutdown to have further impact on earnings
Insurance scandal delays Japan Post privatization by 5 years
Stock price wallows below threshold for successful float
13 February 2020
Aircraft makers stay Asia-focused amid toughest year in a decade
Embraer, Boeing and Mitsubishi look beyond coronavirus in high-flying market
SoftBank failures show it is time to break up Japan’s conglomerates
Sprawling Kirin and Sony must heed activist calls for their dismantling too
Coronavirus casts shadow over Nissan’s earnings outlook
With no end to epidemic in sight, carmaker’s reliance on China will exact a toll
Japan to allow some seniors off virus-hit ship sooner than expected
Passengers with chronic conditions to finish quarantine period on land
Asian tourism capitals sweat over Chinese travel drought
Xenophobia risks keeping world’s top vacation spenders away for months
Japan’s justice minister: Carlos Ghosn fled a fair trial
Ex-Nissan chief’s criticisms of the system do not justify escape to Lebanon
Coronavirus will not affect Tokyo Olympics schedule, organizer says
Yoshiro Mori stresses cancellation or postponement have ‘not been considered’
SoftBank pushes back $108bn Vision Fund sequel
Son plans smaller ‘bridge fund,’ says he is in no hurry to sell Alibaba stake
SoftBank’s Son welcomes Elliott but won’t sell Alibaba yet
Excerpts from briefing: WeWork aims to ‘be profitable in 2021’
Japan’s wagyu exports sizzle as more Asians dig in
Rising incomes help spice up market but coronavirus looms over consumer spending
Why are central banks not responding to coronavirus’ economic threat?
It is much better for major countries to react now than wait for worse damage
Nissan sues Carlos Ghosn for $90m in damages
Automaker accuses fugitive ex-boss of ‘corrupt practices over many years’
12 February 2020
Coronavirus slashes China’s international flight routes by 67%
Impact on aviation industry appears to exceed SARS outbreak
Mazda delays restart of Chinese factories amid coronavirus threat
Shutdowns continue as Japanese automakers struggle to control supply chain
Global food markets need buffer against China’s gyrations
Coronavirus, trade war and swine fever show vulnerability of key commodities
Weaker Asian jewelry buying weighs on gold demand in 2019
Analysts expect firm prices in 2020 amid fears over impact of coronavirus
Coronavirus on Japanese cruise ship spreads to 39 more people
New cases bring total to 174; one quarantine officer also infected
HIV treatments provide line of attack against coronavirus
Doctors in Thailand and Japan focus on drugs’ ability to halt reproduction
Saving face time: Busy Japanese drive sales of no-fuss skin care
All-in-one products promise to streamline hectic morning routines
Coronavirus patients to be admitted to any Japanese hospital
Designated facilities would run out of beds if infection spreads
SoftBank gains near $13bn as Sprint’s stock soars
Approval of T-Mobile merger offers big win following WeWork fiasco
Shinzo Abe is redefining Japan’s China policy for a generation
In trade, technology and defense, prime minister mixes engagement and wariness
China braces for 160m travelers returning to work
Post-holiday rush reignites alarm over virus spread as deaths exceed 1,000
