Japan

Toshifumi Suzuki, father of Japan's convenience stores, dies at 93

Toshifumi Suzuki pioneered the use of data to tailor inventory and built a business model centred on ready-to-eat meals and rapid inventory turnover

Japan's economy expands at 2.1% annual pace, boosted by consumer spending

The Japanese economy grew at an annualised rate of 2.1% in the January-March quarter, the government said Tuesday, showing its resilience despite rising energy prices because of the war in Iran. Japan's real gross domestic product, or GDP, the sum value of a nation's goods and services, grew at a seasonally adjusted 0.5% from the previous quarter. It was the second straight quarter of growth. The annualised number shows what the growth, or contraction, would have been if the quarterly rate continued for a year. Increased spending by consumers and businesses helped contribute to the stronger than expected results. Higher government spending also supported the expansion. Private consumption rose 0.3% quarter-on-quarter, or at an annualised rate of 1.1%, according to the preliminary data from the Cabinet Office. Public demand rose 0.3% from the previous quarter. Japan's economy contracted in July-September last year, then eked out moderate growth in October-December of 0.2% on-quarter

Philippines to be involved in any Taiwan conflict due to proximity: Marcos

Philippines, which has a territorial dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea, is increasing its engagement with China to help maintain peace, Marcos said

Best of BS Opinion: Time to treat gold as a structural factor in economy

Today's BS Opinion wrap looks at gold imports and forex pressures, judicial infrastructure gaps, financing the Viksit Bharat dream, coal gasification, and Japan's wartime history

Japan's imperial hubris holds a dire warning for a violent century

As new empires pursue old ambitions and borders become bargaining chips, this anti-war treatise reminds us how history repeats itself through humanity's amnesia

Japanese crude tanker emerges after going dark near Strait of Hormuz

Eneos Endeavor had sailed into the Persian Gulf in late February to pick up crude from the United Arab Emirates' Das Island and Kuwait's Mina Al Ahmadi

Why firms in the country need to prioritise Japanese engagement more

Japan now has a fully open capital account and a largely floating exchange rate, which absorbs external shocks

India, Japan boost tech ties with pacts on medical devices, quantum science

India and Japan strengthened their strategic partnership in science and technology with the exchange of key agreements in the fields of healthcare innovation and emerging technologies during a high-level bilateral meeting in the national capital.According to an official statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology, on Tuesday, the meeting took place in the presence of Japan's Minister for Science and Technology Policy and Minister of State for Space Policy, Kimi Onoda and Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh.The discussion expanded cooperation across critical and frontier technologies, with the exchange of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the field of health and medical devices between the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and India's Department of Science and Technology (DST).A Letter of Intent (LoI) on cooperation in Quantum Science and Technology

Foreign Secy meets Japanese Minister, both sides agree to deepen ties

Both sides affirmed the importance of the India Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and agreed to deepen public private partnerships in economic security, the MEA said

Japan's MUFG to foray into Indian real estate, expand forex derivatives

Japan's biggest bank is setting up a team which will start operations this financial year, Shashank Joshi, MUFG India's deputy chief executive officer said

Asian stocks near record highs ahead of tech earnings, BOJ awaits

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.12 per cent, hovering near the record high it touched on Monday

Japan can help Asia navigate reduced US role in Indo-Pacific region

With the revision last week of rules to remove restrictions on overseas sales of lethal weapons, Japan can export advanced equipment, including warships and missiles, and support its partners' defence

Earthquake of magnitude 6.2 hits part of northern Japan, no damage reported

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook part of northern Japan early Monday, but no damage or casualties have been reported. No tsunami advisory was issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The quake struck 18 kilometres west of the small town of Sarabetsu on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido at a depth of 81 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey. It measured the quake's strength at 6.1 magnitude. A week ago, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake prompted Japan to issue an advisory of a slightly higher risk of a possible megaquake for the nation's northeastern coastal areas.

India welcomes Japan scrapping its lethal weapons exports policy

India welcomes Japan's move to lift its ban on lethal weapons exports, signalling deeper defence ties and stronger Indo-Pacific security cooperation amid rising regional tensions

Why Japan has lifted WWII-era arms curbs to allow lethal arms exports

Japan has lifted decades-old curbs on lethal arms exports, signalling a major shift from its post-war pacifist stance as Tokyo seeks a bigger role in global defence supply chains

Japan mulls social media age limits as global push for tighter curbs grows

Specific age thresholds were not discussed, with some experts noting that uniform age limits may not be the best approach given differences in risks associated with each platform

India, Japan hold first AI Strategic Dialogue, seek to boost cooperation

Top officials of India and Japan have held discussions on strategic cooperation with a view to promoting co-creation, enhancing policy convergence and encouraging development of solutions in industrial domains to foster a robust, innovative and trustworthy AI ecosystem, the MEA said on Wednesday. The inaugural India-Japan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategic Dialogue was held on April 21 in Mumbai. "Both sides engaged in substantive discussions on strategic cooperation across the entire AI stack, with a view to promoting co-creation, enhancing policy convergence and encouraging the development of AI solutions in industrial domains to foster a robust, innovative and trustworthy AI ecosystem," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. The dialogue was co-chaired by Amit A Shukla, Joint Secretary (Cyber Diplomacy), MEA; and Hanada Takahiro, Deputy Assistant Minister for Cyber Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The dialogue was attended by stakeholder .

L&T Energy signs long-term green ammonia supply deal with Japan's ITOCHU

L&T Energy GreenTech will supply green ammonia, a key fuel option to ‌decarbonise the shipping sector, from its proposed production facility in the western Indian state of Gujarat

Japan opens door to global arms market, breaking with postwar pacifism

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her top officials, at a meeting in Tokyo, reversed longstanding limits on the sale of Japan-made weapons overseas