Japan Inc's foreign forays recall bubble economy
News On Japan via Straits Times -- Jul 15

The US$5 billion (S$6.3 billion) buyout of a British media group last week was the latest in a line of huge foreign acquisitions by Japanese firms reminiscent of their heady overseas adventures during the bubble economy.

The announcement on Thursday by the country's top advertising agency Dentsu that it would pay 3.16 billion pounds (S$6.22 billion) for Aegis came after figures showed Japan Inc signed a record 262 overseas deals in the first six months of the year.
Source: Straits Times



May 25 Nagoya Castle structures restored
At the Nagoya Castle compound in central Japan, restoration work has been completed on the entrance and reception room of the main residential building for the first time in 70 years. (NHK )
May 24 Tokyo cops bust casino in Shibuya
Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Wednesday raided an Internet casino in Shibuya Ward for offering illegal gambling. (Tokyo Reporter )
May 24 WWII vet gets 'Order of the Rising Sun' from Japan's ambassador
The government of Japan has bestowed one of that nation's highest honors on a Japanese-American, a former U.S. Soldier and World War II veteran, for his work furthering relationships between the Japanese and Americans. (army.mil )
May 23 Osaka court accepts losing horse racing bets as expenses
Osaka District Court accepted a claim on Thursday that losses on betting on horse racing should be deductible from payouts to calculate taxable income. (Jiji Press )
May 23 Japanese becomes oldest person to conquer Everest
Eighty-year-old Yuichiro Miura has become the oldest person to scale Mount Everest, his management office said Thursday. (Japan Times )
May 23 Youth arrested for hitting 16-year-old girl with baseball bat
An 18-year-old youth has been arrested on a charge of attempted murder after he allegedly hit a 16-year-old girl in the head with a baseball bat. (Japan Today )
May 22 X Japan waxes lyrical at Madame Tussauds debut
This Monday, members of the seminal metal band X Japan were in Odaiba rubbing shoulders with the likes of Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga and AKB48′s Yuko Oshima. The catch? They were all made out of wax. (Japan Times )
May 22 Transport ministry to unify rules for baby strollers on buses, trains
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced that it intends to draw up a set of unified rules for the use of baby strollers on buses and trains. (Japan Today )
May 21 Man stabs ex-wife, then crashes car during getaway
A man stabbed his ex-wife on a street in Isehara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday morning, and then caused a car crash while he was fleeing from the scene. (Japan Today )
May 21 Japan Crown Prince to visit Spain
Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito will visit Spain for seven days from June 10, the government said Tuesday. (Jiji Press )