Why Japanese Iron Kettles Are So Expensive

Tokyo inflation cools for second month, but exceeds BOJ target
Reuters - Apr 01
Core consumer inflation in Japan's capital Tokyo slowed in March for a second month but remained well above the central bank's 2% target, data showed on Friday, highlighting broadening price pressures in the world's third-largest economy.

Mizuho and Line to scrap online bank project in Japan
Nikkei - Mar 30
Mizuho Financial Group and messenger app Line are preparing to abandon plans to develop smartphone-based Line Bank, Nikkei learned on Wednesday, after cost overruns and delays allowed competitors to hit the market first.

Japan outlaws 'stealth marketing'
NHK - Mar 30
Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency has moved to crack down for the first time on the shady advertising practice known as stealth marketing.

Osaka exchange targets individual investors with small 10-gram trading units
Nikkei - Mar 30
TOKYO/OSAKA -- An Osaka futures market whose roots go back to 17th-century rice trading is quietly attempting a comeback through small-lot trading of gold, silver and platinum.

Alibaba to open blockchain lab to boost business in Japan
beincrypto.com - Mar 28
Chinese tech giant Alibaba will open a blockchain laboratory in Japan next month in an effort to push Web3 adoption in the country.

Japanese businessman climbs Mount Kinabalu in full suit and leather shoes
theonlinecitizen.com - Mar 26
Nobutaka Sada, the President of bespoke suit company SADA, has become a viral sensation after successfully climbing Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Malaysia, while wearing a full suit and leather shoes.

Japan inflation slows sharply, masking underlying price strength
Bloomberg - Mar 24
Japan’s inflation slowed for the first time in more than a year, as government energy subsidies masked the stronger underlying trend ahead of the Bank of Japan’s first leadership change in a decade.

Toshiba board accepts Japan Industrial Partners' $15 billion buyout proposal
Reuters - Mar 23
Toshiba Corp's board has accepted a buyout offer from a group led by private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners, valuing the company at 2 trillion yen ($15.2 billion), the company said on Thursday.

Suntory jacks up whisky prices by 20 percent
NOJ / TV Asahi - Mar 23
Suntory has announced that it will raise the prices of 11 domestically produced whisky brands, including Kakubin, starting July 1.

Hokusai's 'Great Wave' print sells for record $2.8m in New York
Nikkei - Mar 23
One of the most famous of Japan's ukiyo-e woodblock prints has sold for $2.76 million at the Christie's auction house in New York, a record for a print by Katsushika Hokusai.

Japan land prices recover from COVID to rise fastest in 15 years
Nikkei - Mar 23
Japan land prices gained the most in 15 years as a loose monetary policy and the lifting of COVID restrictions fueled demand for offices, condominiums and hotels.

Toyota to end Camry sales in Japan, ending 43-year history
Nikkei - Mar 23
Toyota Motor plans to discontinue sales of the Camry sedan in the Japanese market, focusing on countries where the automaker's 43-year-old flagship model remains popular.

NTT to offer free anti-scam services for elderly
NHK - Mar 23
Telecom giant NTT is joining efforts to fight telephone scams by offering free caller identification to households with older members.

BOJ's paper loss on bond holdings spikes tenfold
Nikkei - Mar 18
The Bank of Japan's paper loss on Japanese government bond holdings grew more than 10 times at the end of last year from three months earlier as rises in long-term rates undercut the value of the assets.

Japan Should Increase Liquidity in Labor Market: Kishida's Adviser
Bloomberg - Mar 17
Ken Shibusawa, a member of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's new capitalism panel and chairman of Commons Asset Management, discusses the challenges the economy, the government and the central bank face.

Hot spring baths block Japan's geothermal potential
AFP - Mar 16
The hot springs at Tsuchiyu Onsen are beloved by bathers but also power a small geothermal plant, making use of an abundant yet barely tapped green energy source in Japan.