Society

Japan still world's top creditor at end of 2019

May 27 (Japan Times) - Japan remained the worldâ€™s largest creditor at the end of 2019, with the net balance of external assets held by its government, companies and individual investors hitting a record Â¥364.53 trillion ($3.40 trillion), the Finance Ministry said Tuesday.

The figure, up 6.8 percent from a year earlier and the highest since comparable data became available in 1996, reflected increased direct investments abroad by Japanese firms and a rise in prices of foreign stocks held by domestic investors.

Japan was the worldâ€™s largest holder of overseas net assets for the 29th consecutive year, the ministry said.

A ministry official refrained from presenting an outlook for the possible impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the 2020 balance.

In the reporting year, Germany had the worldâ€™s second-largest net external assets, with Â¥299.83 trillion at the end of 2019, followed by China with Â¥231.77 trillion. The United States was the biggest net external debt holder with Â¥1.199 quadrillion, according to the ministry.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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