News On Japan

Sales of Japanese carmakers Toyota, Nissan and Honda sink in China as they fall behind in EV race

Jul 19 (South China Morning Post) - Japan’s top carmakers suffered a huge setback in China in the first half, with sales plunging nearly 20 per cent, their biggest drop in the world’s largest car market since 2012, where the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) is accelerating.

The top six – Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Subaru – all of which assemble and sell cars through their joint ventures with Chinese partners, sold 1.71 million conventional vehicles between January and June, a 19.9 per cent decline year on year, according to industry data provider MarkLines.

“The dynamic Chinese car market requires all players to react quickly to customers’ changing tastes,” said Eric Han, a senior ­manager at Suolei, an advisory firm in Shanghai. “Japanese carmakers are lagging behind their Chinese rivals in developing electric cars which are now in high demand here.” ...continue reading

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The long-delayed extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo is facing further setbacks, with the opening now pushed back by more than a decade and total project costs projected to more than double, even as construction steadily advances on the ground.

Water erupted from near the ceiling of an underground passage inside Tokyo Metro’s Kasumigaseki Station in Chiyoda Ward at around 6:00 p.m. on January 14th, in what the operator believes was caused by a burst water supply pipe.

Hokkaido is set to relax the criteria for issuing its so-called “brown bear alert,” making it possible to release warnings even before human injuries occur, as the prefecture seeks to respond more flexibly to the early appearance of dangerous animals.

Ceremonies celebrating those turning 20 were held across Japan on January 12th, with events taking place nationwide to mark Coming of Age Day.

The Wall Street Journal reported on January 8th, citing two Chinese exporters, that the Chinese government has started imposing limits on shipments of rare earths and related materials bound for Japan.

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Bitcoin's trajectory is showing promising signs of significant growth, with projections suggesting a possible 50% price increase by March, as its correlation with gold diminishes.

Japan’s stock market extended its rally as election-related buying and a weaker yen pushed the Nikkei Average to a record close above the 54,000 mark for the first time.

JR East and Japan Airlines have launched a joint logistics service that relays cargo between bullet trains and aircraft, aiming to shorten transport times for fresh products.

For more than three decades, Shinsaibashi OPA, long regarded as a landmark in Osaka’s Minami district, closed its doors on January 12th, bringing an end to 31 years of history.

As mass production and mass consumption continue to drive the disposal of some 560,000 tons of clothing each year, there is growing urgency to reduce waste and build systems that circulate garments as reusable resources rather than discards.

The Wall Street Journal reported on January 8th, citing two Chinese exporters, that the Chinese government has started imposing limits on shipments of rare earths and related materials bound for Japan.

According to vehicle-by-model new car sales figures released on January 8th by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the National Light Motor Vehicle Association, the best-selling vehicle in Japan in 2025 was Honda’s light vehicle N-BOX, marking its fourth consecutive year at the top of the rankings.

In Japan, real wages in November, adjusted for price fluctuations, fell 2.8% from the same month a year earlier, marking the 11th consecutive month of decline.