Page 40 - Japan

Japan's Mitsubishi Motors set to join Honda-Nissan alliance: Report

Nissan and Honda said in March they were considering a strategic partnership to collaborate on producing electric vehicle components and artificial intelligence in automotive software platforms

Netaji's grandnephew appeals to PM to bring back his remains from Japan

Legendary freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose's grandnephew Chandra Kumar Bose on Sunday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring back the "mortal remains of Netaji" from Japan's Renkoji by August 18. He also said a final statement should come from the central government on the matter so that false narratives about Netaji are laid to rest. Stating that the NDA-led government took initiative to declassify files related to the freedom fighter, Bose said after the release of all the "10 inquiries - national and international", it is evident that "Netaji perished on August 18, 1945" in an air crash in Taiwan. "It is therefore imperative that a final statement is made from the Government of India so that false narratives about the liberator of India are laid to rest," Bose wrote in a letter to Modi on Sunday. "My humble appeal to you is to bring back the mortal remains of Netaji from Renkoji to India by August 18, 2024," he said. In an interview to PTI Videos, Bose, who was a

US-Japan talks focus on bolstering cooperation amid rising China threat

Japanese and US defence chiefs and top diplomats will meet in Tokyo on Sunday for talks aimed at further bolstering their military cooperation, including by upgrading the command and control of US forces and strengthening American-licensed missile production in Japan, amid a rising threat from China. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will join their Japanese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara, at the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee, known as 2+2 security talks, to reaffirm their alliance following President Joe Biden 's withdrawal from the November presidential race. For the first time, the ministers will hold separate talks to reaffirm the US commitment to extended deterrence, which includes atomic weapons a shift from Japan's earlier reluctance to openly discuss the sensitive issue in the world's only country to have suffered nuclear attacks amid growing nuclear threats from Russia and China. The ministers are expected to ..

2nd India-Japan consultations on Middle East discuss developments in region

The second India-Japan consultation on the Middle East was held in the national capital on Thursday, and both sides discussed the challenges and political developments happening in the Middle East and West Asia region.The delegation was led by Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary, West Asia & North Africa (WANA) Division, and the Japanese delegation was led by Ando Toshihide, Director General, Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau."The consultations covered a wide range of topics, including political developments, economic opportunities and challenges in the Middle East/West Asia region," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.Moreover, participants engaged in constructive discussions, sharing their perspectives and insights on the situation in the Middle East, including Gaza.Both sides agreed to remain in touch and continue their consultation on issues concerning the Middle East region.MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, stating that the discussions were ...

Nissan's profits wiped out by deep US discounts; shares plunge 7%

The US and China are Nissan's two biggest markets, accounting for half of global sales in the year through March and 51 in the first quarter of this financial year

Yen rises over 0.5% as carry trades unwind, risk sentiment takes a hit

The yen rose more than 0.5 per cent to an intraday high of 152.835 per dollar, its strongest in 2-1/2-months

Nissan to reboot India ops, lines up product launches over next 30 months

Japanese auto major Nissan is looking to introduce five models over the next 30 months, as it looks to reboot its operations in the fast-growing Indian car market. The company, which is selling just one model in the country currently, is planning to drive in two mid-size SUV models (one five-seater and one seven-seater), one electric SUV and a refreshed version of its compact SUV Magnite. The company has also unveiled the latest version of its premium SUV X-Trail, which will be imported into the Indian market as a completely built-up (CBU) model. "India is an important market for us, and we will be going in for a product offensive over the next two and half years, between FY24 and FY26," Nissan India President Frank Torres told PTI in an interaction. He noted that the company is looking at tripling its sales volume in the domestic and export markets by FY26. "In the next two and half years, we will enhance three times our volume in domestic as well as exports," Torres said. The .

Can AI teach you to smile? Japan's firm uses it for customer satisfaction

Japan's supermarket chain AEON has introduced 'Mr Smile' to accurately assess employees' service attitudes based on facial expressions, voice volume, and tone of greetings

Japan to ease entry for tourists with pre-clearance, speed up immigration

Japan's yen has depreciated, making it a more affordable destination for tourism and shopping than before

Blue Screen of Death: Global outage that led to Windows 10 crash explained

An outage of CrowdStrike has caused a global disruption for users of Microsoft Windows computers, affecting businesses and individuals across Australia, Japan, India and other countries

Japan attracts record 3.14 mn visitors in June as weak yen draws tourists

The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure was 3.14 million last month, exceeding the previous monthly record of 3.08 million set in March

14 students hospitalised in Japan after eating chips made with Bhut Jolokia

Bhut Jolokia is one of the hottest chillies in the world originating in Northeast India, especially in the regions around Assam, Nagaland and Manipur

What are Japan's tactics based on latest suspected forex intervention?

The yen had languished at 38-year lows past 160 per dollar before the suspected bout of intervention making policymakers increasingly worried

Japan turns to AI romance apps amid rising loneliness, falling birth rate

In Japan, the Loverse app offers AI companionship as traditional relationships decline, while government efforts remain focused on addressing the nation's falling birth rates and growing loneliness

India set to advance Indo-Pacific agenda at Quad foreign ministers' meeting

The agenda is set to address China's expanding naval activities in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, alongside concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes

Laughter the best medicine in Japan: Local govt passes new health law

Explained: Japan's Yamagata prefecture's has introduced a new laughter ordinance aiming to promote better physical and mental health in the community

Japan punishes defence officials for mishandling sensitive data, misconduct

Japan's defence ministry announced disciplinary action on Friday against more than 200 senior officials and service members over mishandling of classified materials and other misconduct, an embarrassment that could undermine Tokyo's efforts to work more closely with United States and other partners. Japan's Defence Ministry and its Self Defence Forces have been under scrutiny over allegations that members of the navy violated the sensitive information protection law, as well as other misconduct such as falsely claiming allowances for special assignments, or wrongfully claiming free meals at base cafeterias. Ministerial staff were also accused of abuses of power. Defence Minister Minoru Kihara apologised, saying the problems significantly damaging to the public trust for the ministry and Japan's defence forces. I'm keenly aware of my responsibility. He blamed a lack of discipline across the organisation. Kihara said the ministry's investigation found that classified information was

What explains Japanese government's non intervention to support yen?

Massive interest rate differentials between the U.S. and Japan have been weighing the yen down, putting monetary policy at the centre of the currency's woes

Women politicians' share rises in Japanese politics, but challenges remain

Eight years ago, Yuriko Koike became the first woman to lead Tokyo, beating her male predecessor. She won her third term as governor on Sunday, and one of her closest rivals was a woman. Multiple women competing for a top political office is still rare in Japan, which has a terrible global gender-equality ranking, but Koike's win highlights a gradual rise in powerful female officials and a society more open to gender balance in politics. That said, even if a woman eventually becomes prime minister, politics here is still overwhelmingly dominated by men, and experts see a huge effort needed for equal representation. There are growing expectations for women to play a greater role in politics, said parliamentarian Chinami Nishimura, a senior official with the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. In politics or parliament, which are still largely considered men's work, it is extremely meaningful for women to show their presence and have our voices heard. Nishimura,

Japan, Philippines sign defense pact in face of shared alarm over China

Japan and the Philippines signed a key defence pact on Monday allowing the deployment of Japanese forces for joint drills in the Southeast Asian nation that came under brutal Japanese occupation in World War II but is now building an alliance with Tokyo as both face an increasingly assertive China. The Reciprocal Access Agreement, which similarly allows Filipino forces to enter Japan for joint combat training, was signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in a Manila ceremony witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It would take effect after ratification by the countries' legislatures, Philippine and Japanese officials said. Kamikawa called the signing a groundbreaking achievement" that should further boost defence cooperation between the countries. The Japanese and Philippine officials expressed serious concern over the dangerous and escalatory actions by China in Second Thomas Shoal, the scene of a recent confrontation