Fintech

Plunge in the value of TerraUSD, one of the biggest cryptocurrencies

akhila balakrishnan May 17, 2022

TerraUSD had a value of $1, with a market value of nearly $19 billion at its peak, before it plunged last week and ended at just 16 cents on Friday. Tokyo (Japan)- The plunge in the value of TerraUSD, one of the biggest cryptocurrencies, has strengthened the resolve of regulators worldwide

Finance

Japan’s SoftBank sinks to losses as investments sour

Editorial Bureau May 13, 2022

TOKYO — SoftBank Group sank into losses in the past fiscal year as the value of its global investments declined, the Japanese technology company reported Thursday. SoftBank Group Corp. reported red ink totaling 1.7 trillion yen ($13 billion) for the fiscal year through March, a reversal from the 4.9 trillion yen profit racked up the previous […]

Asia

Investigators raid Japan boat company’s office after sinking

Editorial Bureau May 2, 2022

TOKYO — Coast guard officials searched the office of a Japanese tour boat operator Monday as part of a criminal investigation into suspicions that professional negligence caused the sinking of a vessel carrying 26 people in a national park last month. The Kazu 1 sightseeing boat started the tour in Shiretoko National Park on the […]

Asia

Japan, Indonesia urge immediate halt to war in Ukraine

Editorial Bureau April 30, 2022

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged a rapid halt to fighting in Ukraine on Friday and said they will work together to improve humanitarian conditions there. “The Ukraine war must be stopped immediately and we agree to create a conducive situation so that negotiations and a peaceful […]

Asia

Major Japan railway now powered only by renewable energy

Editorial Bureau April 27, 2022

TOKYO — Tokyo’s Shibuya is famed for its Scramble Crossing, where crowds of people crisscross the intersection in a scene symbolizing urban Japan’s congestion and anonymity. It may have added another boasting right. Tokyu Railways’ trains running through Shibuya and other stations were switched to power generated only by solar and other renewable sources starting […]

Asia

4 people from missing tour boat in Japan found

Editorial Bureau April 24, 2022

TOKYO — The Japanese Coast Guard said Sunday that their helicopters found four of the 26 people on a tour boat missing since the day before. The four people were found near the tip of Shiretoko Peninsula, but the coast guard said it could not confirm whether they were rescued alive. The boat carrying 24 […]

USA

US drone company Zipline starts delivering medicine in Japan

Editorial Bureau April 22, 2022

TOKYO — Zipline, an American company that specializes in using autonomously flying drones to deliver medical supplies, has taken off in Japan. They’re flying, starting Thursday, across the tiny Goto Islands, off the western coast of Kyushu, in southwestern Japan, delivering to pharmacies and hospitals. Other parts of Japan may follow, including urban areas, although […]

Finance

Japan logs trade deficit in March on weak yen, pricey oil

Editorial Bureau April 21, 2022

Japan’s trade deficit persisted in March as imports surged 31% thanks to soaring oil prices and a weakening yen. The deficit of 412 billion yen ($3.2 billion) for March was lower than the previous month’s 670 billion yen but was quadruple analysts’ estimates and a reversal of the surplus of 615 billion yen recorded a […]

Asia

Japan formally revokes Russia’s ‘most favored nation’ status

Editorial Bureau April 20, 2022

TOKYO — Japan formally revoked Russia’s “most favored nation” trade status Wednesday over its invasion of Ukraine, as Tokyo steps up sanctions amid revelations of the Russian military’s widespread atrocities against civilians. The stripping of Russia’s trade status is Japan’s latest move against Moscow and was part of a list of sanctions measures Prime Minister […]

Asia

Japan’s top envoy to bring back 20 Ukrainians from Poland

Editorial Bureau April 5, 2022

TOKYO — Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi returned from Poland on Tuesday with 20 Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s ongoing war on their country as Tokyo seeks to play a greater role in international support for Ukraine. During three days in Poland, Hayashi visited facilities for Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw and held talks with Polish officials, […]