May 29, 2023 (NHK) - Regional banks in Japan saw unrealized losses surge in fiscal 2022. A new survey says the figure climbed by more than 5 times in yen terms over the previous year as investments sank.
An asset-management advisory firm in Tokyo surveyed 99 regional banks across the country.
It says they had unrealized losses totaling more than 1.9 trillion yen, or about 13 billion dollars.
The losses were in domestic and foreign bonds, as well as mutual funds. ...continue reading
An evacuation order has been issued for the entire city of Ishinomaki and parts of Marumori in Miyagi Prefecture as heavy rain caused by the autumn rain front disrupts transportation across the region, with a linear rainband potentially forming along the Pacific side of Tohoku through the evening.
Heavy rain caused by the autumn rain front continued to disrupt rail services across the Tohoku and Kanto regions on September 7, with parts of the Shonan-Shinjuku Line and other routes remaining suspended while some major Tokyo commuter lines returned to normal operations after running reduced services earlier in the day.
Typhoon No. 24 (Krovahn) was near Minami-Daito Island, about 300 kilometers southeast of Okinawa, as of 3 a.m. on September 7, moving east-northeast at about 10 kilometers per hour and expected to weaken into a tropical depression by the afternoon, although strong winds and high waves were forecast to persist before its remnants move north and potentially intensify the autumn rain front over western and eastern Japan later in the week.
Tokyo has unveiled the design for a major redevelopment of the plaza outside Shinjuku Station's west exit, with a landmark tree, water-play area and event space planned as part of a transformation centered on "greenery, light and people" that is scheduled for completion in 2035.
A late former professor at Asahikawa Medical University has won the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine for scientifically examining the proper way to blow the nose, extending Japan's streak of Ig Nobel winners to 20 consecutive years.
Tokyo stocks rose sharply on September 7, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 66,399, up 1,378 points, or 2.12%, as buying in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares lifted the headline index, even though more stocks fell than rose across the Prime Market.
Applications for hotel business licenses are rising sharply in Osaka as property owners seek an alternative way to operate short-term rentals following the suspension of new applications under the city's special-zone minpaku program, with the approach drawing growing interest from wealthy Chinese and other overseas investors.
Asahi Kasei has grown from its roots in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture, into a global conglomerate with annual sales exceeding 3 trillion yen by repeatedly developing products and technologies that dominate their markets or occupy niches with few direct rivals.
The WoW Auction House can look chaotic when you first start using it. Hundreds of listings may appear for the same item, prices can differ dramatically, and a deal that looks excellent at first glance may not be a deal at all.
Tokyo stocks rebounded on September 4, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,020.94, up 806.46 points, or 1.26%, as buying returned to artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares after a Wall Street rally, while investors waited for U.S. jobs data and watched the yen, oil prices and Bank of Japan rate-hike expectations.
Household spending in Japan fell for an eighth consecutive month in July as consumers continued to economize on everyday purchases such as food and beverages while increasing spending on dining out, accommodation and in-game purchases.
Japan's rice market is facing a growing surplus as large volumes of last year's crop remain unsold just as another strong harvest begins reaching the market, forcing retailers to slash prices below cost and leaving farmers warning that losses could make it impossible to continue farming.
Five oil distributors, including Higashinihon Usami and ENEOS Wing, admitted charges of violating Japan's Antimonopoly Act by forming a cartel to coordinate diesel fuel prices at their first trial at the Tokyo District Court on September 3.
