Japan to Shut Down Ethylene Production

Apr 09, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Domestic production facilities for ethylene, a basic raw material for various chemical products including plastics, are set to be shut down for the first time in approximately ten years.

Japanese manufacturers are being forced to rationalize their operations due to factors such as the expansion of production in China. Mitsui Chemicals and Idemitsu Kosan have begun deliberations to shut down one of the two ethylene production units they jointly operate at a complex in Chiba Prefecture by the fiscal year 2027. The plan is to reduce production capacity by about 40%, marking the first suspension of domestic facilities by a Japanese manufacturer in about a decade. Ethylene serves as a fundamental raw material for various chemical products, including plastics, and is considered an indicator of the market conditions for petrochemical products. According to the Petrochemical Industry Association, last year's domestic production volume was at its lowest level in approximately 30 years, and the operating rate of domestic facilities has been sluggish for over a year and a half due to the expansion of production in China, among other factors.

Within the industry, Resonac Holdings has also revealed plans to spin off and make independent the ethylene production facilities at its complex in Oita City within two to three years, focusing on semiconductor-related businesses. Furthermore, the Mitsubishi Chemical Group has announced its intention to separate its petrochemical business and consider reorganization with other companies, leading to expectations that the trend towards rationalization of production and business operations will continue to advance.

Source: NHK

New Tropical Depression Threatens Flooding in Southern Japan

A newly formed tropical depression near Taiwan on June 9th is expected to intensify the seasonal rain front lingering over southwestern Japan, raising the risk of warning-level rainfall across Okinawa and the Amami Islands through around June 11th.

Japan National Team Holds First Training Session in Nashville

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

Sakurajima Eruption Blankets Kagoshima in Volcanic Ash

A prolonged eruption at Sakurajima on June 7th blanketed parts of Kagoshima City in volcanic ash, turning roads gray and prompting long lines of vehicles seeking car washes after a plume of smoke rose 1,300 meters above the crater.

Japan Lifts Tsunami Advisories After Philippines Quake

A powerful earthquake struck off Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines at 8:38 a.m. (Japan time) on June 8th, generating tsunami waves across parts of the Pacific, causing building collapses and casualties near the epicenter, and prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami advisories along a wide stretch of Japan's Pacific coastline before lifting all of them at 4:50 p.m.

Unlicensed Peruvian Man Conducts Risky Medical Procedure During Delivery

A clinic director and a former Peruvian staff member have been referred to prosecutors after the man allegedly performed medical procedures without a license, including an external cephalic version—a procedure used to manually turn a baby into the correct position before birth—at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Fukuoka City, raising concerns about patient safety and oversight in maternity care.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Business NEWS

Bank of Japan Poised to Raise Rates to 1.0% as Inflation Risks Mount

The Bank of Japan is increasingly expected to raise its policy interest rate to 1.0% at next week's monetary policy meeting, responding to growing concerns that inflation could rise faster than previously anticipated due to soaring oil prices and other cost pressures.

Japan's Restaurants Struggle Under Inflation and Labor Shortages

The number of restaurant bankruptcies in Japan reached a record high for the January–May period, highlighting mounting pressures from rising costs, labor shortages, and increasingly cautious consumer spending.

Inside Casio’s Secret Project to Revive Its Manufacturing Spirit

Casio Computer, the company behind some of Japan’s most iconic consumer electronics including calculators, digital cameras, electronic musical instruments, and the G-SHOCK watch, is pursuing a new strategy aimed at reviving its tradition of product innovation.

Nippon Steel to Invest 400 Billion Yen in U.S. Steel Plant Expansion

Nippon Steel plans to invest up to $2.5 billion, or approximately 400 billion yen, over the next three years in the Mon Valley Works steel complex in Pennsylvania, one of the key facilities operated by U.S. Steel, the American steelmaker it acquired in 2025.

Japan Revises Q1 GDP Growth Down to 1.8% on Weak Capital Investment

Japan's economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.8% in the January–March quarter of 2026, according to revised gross domestic product (GDP) data released by the Cabinet Office, with the figure marked down from the preliminary estimate due largely to weaker-than-expected capital investment.

Tokyo Stocks Suffer Fifth-Largest Drop as Tech Sell-Off Deepens

Japanese stocks suffered a sharp sell-off on June 8th as weakness in U.S. technology shares and growing concerns over higher global interest rates triggered widespread selling, sending the Nikkei Stock Average down 2,563.52 points, or about 3.8%, to close at 64,024.60.

Japan's Current Account Surplus Rises 64.9% in April on Strong Exports

Japan's current account surplus expanded 64.9% from a year earlier to 3.9078 trillion yen in April, marking the 15th consecutive month of positive balance, according to balance of payments data released by the Finance Ministry on June 8th.

Former BOJ Governor Kuroda Says Wages Are Outpacing Prices

Rapid inflation and the weakening yen continue to squeeze household budgets across Japan, prompting renewed debate over the country's economic policies. Former Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, who spearheaded the central bank's aggressive monetary easing campaign under Abenomics, argues that the overall economy remains on a positive trajectory and that wage growth is now exceeding inflation.

< 2 3 4 5 >