News On Japan

Golden Toilet Symbolizes Era of Excess

TOKYO, Feb 24 (News On Japan) - As the Nikkei reaches historic highs, investors are reminiscent of the last time the market reached such dizzy heights in 1989, the end of an era as Heisei began, marked by the emergence of the Recruit scandal, considered the largest corruption scandal in the post-war era, leading to the formation of a new government led by Prime Minister Takeshita.

It was the peak of the bubble economy, where everyone, not just in stocks, seemed to be flourishing. One of the iconic symbols of that era was the appearance of gold toilets, a sign of excess wealth.

In the Tokai region, attention was drawn to a company that even built a disco for its employees. Metec, a company that grew through the dispatch of technicians, made headlines with its president at the time, who surprised society with innovative ideas. However, looking back, one might wonder if they went too far. During the bubble era, doing something modest wouldn't excite young people, so every day was filled with extravagant ideas.

A luxurious Bugatti, displayed inside a car showroom designed by a famous designer, cost a staggering ¥2.4 billion, and a Ferrari could be bought by teenagers and lent to others for a ride. They didn't think much about spending ¥10,000, treating it more like ¥1,000.

Platinum Plating Industry, which manufactures automobile bumpers and door handles, employs about 220 people and supplies parts to Toyota Group, among others. The company experienced a significant drop in production and sales due to the impact of the corona crisis, but it has since recovered. Sales of automobile parts are strong, but there are concerns, such as Toyota and Daihatsu's suspension of shipments. Foreign investors find Japanese stocks more attractive, but the rapid rise is not felt by everyone.

The gap in wealth is likely widening, with only the wealthy and individual investors benefiting, while ordinary salaried workers who only invest in savings accounts are likely to see few benefits from the rising stock prices, possibly widening the wealth gap.

Source: NEWS ONE

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Reporters Without Borders has released its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, ranking Japan 66th out of 180 countries and regions surveyed, just behind Timor-Leste (65th) and Fiji (64th).

The Trump administration has imposed a 25% additional tariff on imported auto parts, including engines and transmissions, with the measure taking effect at 1:01 p.m. Japan time on May 3rd.

Plans are underway to install designated smoking areas inside the Expo site for the first time.

Okinawa Prefecture has issued a warning to watch out for habu snakes, which become more active as temperatures rise in May, particularly during farming and outdoor activities in mountainous areas.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after driving into seven elementary school children near an Osaka school as they were walking home.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

Japan and the United States held a second round of negotiations over tariffs, with discussions lasting 130 minutes. Economic Minister Akazawa described the talks as substantive, yet many officials believe the outcome hinges on the trajectory of U.S.-China relations.

A wave of fraudulent trades conducted through hijacked securities accounts has prompted Japan’s leading brokerages to move toward compensating affected customers, with some firms opting to offer full refunds.

Japan’s unemployment rate improved in fiscal 2024 for the first time in two years, falling by 0.1 percentage point from the previous year to 2.5 percent, according to government data released on May 2nd.

At the White House, President Donald Trump brought together corporate executives, including SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son, to highlight major investment commitments made in the United States—presenting them as a direct result of his administration's efforts.

Two women, a 54-year-old mother and her 26-year-old daughter from Kasukabe City in Saitama Prefecture, have been referred to prosecutors by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for allegedly selling nail parts resembling the logos of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton without authorization.

The Bank of Japan decided at its monetary policy meeting on May 1st to keep its policy interest rate at the current level of around 0.5%, marking the second consecutive meeting since March in which rates were left unchanged.

Toyota has announced that it has reached a basic agreement with Waymo, the autonomous driving division under Google's parent company, to move toward a new partnership.

Matsuo, operator of the Matsuo Jingisukan chain, has embarked on a surprising new venture by opening its first specialty shoe store last week in Atsubetsu Ward, Sapporo, selling footwear instead of lamb.