Society

Japan sees fewest bankruptcies in 50 years for April

May 14 (Japan Times) - The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan plunged 35.8% from a year before to 477 in April, the smallest figure for the month in the past 50 years, Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. said Thursday.

April marked the 10th straight month of year-on-year drop in business failures. The data covered bankruptcies involving liabilities of ¥10 million or more.

The result reflected the Japanese government’s financing support measures for companies damaged by the novel coronavirus crisis, according to the credit research firm.

Still, the coronavirus crisis is continuing to hit certain industries hard, with the number of bankruptcies remaining high mainly in the restaurant industry.

The number of business failures linked to the epidemic stood at 134 in April, exceeding 100 for the fourth consecutive month since January, when the Japanese government issued its second state of emergency over the coronavirus.

The restaurant industry saw the largest number of business failures tied to the pandemic. Such bankruptcies were also prominent among food makers and sellers, construction firms, apparel companies and hotel operators.

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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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