Asia Tech World

Japan to pay up to $320M for US company’s chip production

Editorial Bureau September 30, 2022

Japan is providing a major U.S. chipmaker a subsidy of up to 46.6 billion yen ($322 million) to support its plan to produce advanced memory chips at a Hiroshima factory, the Japanese trade minister said Friday. The announcement to subsidize Micron Technology comes on the heels of U.S. Vice

Asia World

Imperial Japan university unites graduates decades after war

Editorial Bureau September 28, 2022

Growing up, Fumina Oka knew little about the mysterious university her Taiwanese grandfather attended in northern China’s Manchuria during Japan’s occupation in the early 20th century. But as the 28-year-old journalist studied the little-known Kenkoku University, she became fascinated about a place that started out as a grand piece of imperial propaganda meant to celebrate

Asia World

Man sets himself on fire in apparent protest of Abe funeral

Editorial Bureau September 21, 2022

Tokyo(Japan)- A man set himself on fire near the Japanese prime minister’s office in Tokyo on Wednesday in an apparent protest against the state funeral planned next week for former leader Shinzo Abe, officials and media reports said. The man, believed to be in his 70s, sustained burns on large parts of his body but […]

Asia Entertainment World

Theatre project aims to ease isolation of Japan’s social recluses

Editorial Bureau September 21, 2022

Disillusioned by work and tired of life, Seiji Yoshida withdrew from the world for seven years, but now he’s taking part in a play about the experiences of Japan’s “hikikomori”, or social recluses. The 42-year-old spent most of his thirties shut inside his home. “I was going through the motions of life, but lying to […]

Sport

Celtic star Hatate in Japan squad for pre-World Cup friendlies

Editorial Bureau September 15, 2022

Midfielder Reo Hatate earned a recall to Japan’s squad on Thursday for pre-World Cup friendlies on the back of impressive performances for Celtic in the Champions League. The 24-year-old is in line for just his second cap when Japan play the United States on September 23 and Ecuador four days later, both in Dusseldorf, Germany. […]

Asia UK World

Japanese emperor, empress to attend queen’s funeral

Editorial Bureau September 14, 2022

Tokyo (Japan)- Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will travel to Britain to attend Queen Elizabeth II ’s state funeral next week to pay respects to her, Japan’s top government spokesperson said Wednesday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Japanese government requested they accept the British royals’ invitation to attend, considering the close

Asia World

Russia launches war games with China, others

Editorial Bureau September 1, 2022

Moscow (Russia)- Russia on Thursday launched weeklong war games involving forces from China and other nations in a show of growing defence cooperation between Moscow and Beijing as they both face tensions with the U.S. The manoeuvres are also intended to demonstrate that Moscow has sufficient military might for massive drills even as its troops […]

Asia World

Japan PM apologizes for party’s church links, will cut ties

Editorial Bureau August 31, 2022

Tokyo(Japan)- Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday his ruling party would cut ties with the Unification Church following a widening scandal triggered by former leader Shinzo Abe’s assassination last month. Widespread cosy ties between members of Kishida’s governing Liberal Democratic Party, many of them belonging to Abe’s faction, and the South Korean-born

Asia Oceania World

Tropical Storm Meari hammers Japan with heavy rainfall, wind

Editorial Bureau August 13, 2022

Tokyo(Japan)- Tropical Storm Meari unleashed heavy rains on Japan’s main Honshu island as it headed northward Saturday toward the capital, Tokyo, according to Japanese weather officials. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned Meari was on course to make landfall by about noon, bringing sudden heavy rains and blasting winds, possibly setting off mudslides and flooding.

Business

Japan’s SoftBank reports record quarterly net loss

Editorial Bureau August 8, 2022

Tokyo(Japan)- Japan’s SoftBank Group reported a record quarterly net loss of $23.4 billion after central bank interest rate hikes caused tech shares to tank. The telecoms firm that has turned into an investment behemoth posted a net loss of 3.16 trillion yen, nose-diving from a net profit of 761.5 billion yen in the same April-June […]