Page 2 - Japan

Japan's economy grows more than expected on strong exports, consumption

Japan's economy grew at a better-than-expected annual rate of 2.8 per cent in October-December, underlined by steady exports and moderate consumption. On a quarter-to-quarter basis, the world's fourth largest economy grew 0.7 per cent for its third straight quarter of growth, the Cabinet Office reported on Monday in its preliminary data. For 2024, the Japanese economy eked out 0.1 per cent growth in seasonally adjusted real GDP, or gross domestic product, which measures the value of a nation's product and service. That's the fourth straight year of expansion. Private consumption grew at an annual rate of 0.5 per cent during the three months through December, holding up while losing momentum. Exports jumped 4.3 per cent, and capital investment increased 0.5 per cent. The positive data sent Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 higher, as well as other Asian markets. Some analysts think the anticipation of President Donald Trump's tariffs may have lifted trade. Unlike the US and some other

Sony raises profit forecast as strong gaming business drive growth

Japanese electronics and entertainment company Sony reported a 3 per cent gain in October-December profit Thursday, and raised its full-year forecast. Quarterly profit totaled 373.7 billion Yen (USD 2.4 billion), up from 364 billion Yen. Quarterly sales edged up 18 per cent to 4.4 trillion Yen (USD 29 billion), boosted by solid results in its financial services, games and music operations. The Tokyo-based maker of the PlayStation video game machine reported a 21 per cent gain in April-December profit at 943.9 billion yen (USD 6 billion), up from 781.6 billion. Nine-month sales edged up 8 per cent to 10.3 trillion Yen (USD 67 billion). Sony Corp revised its full year profit projection upward to 1.08 trillion Yen (USD 7 billion) from the 980 billion Yen (USD 6.3 billion) annual profit forecast it gave in November. The latest projection is also an 11 per cent improvement over the profit it recorded the previous fiscal year. The revision was caused by a favourable currency exchange

Buyout firms compete to acquire cybersecurity company Trend Micro: Report

In November, Trend Micro said third-quarter net sales rose 6 per cent to 68.1 billion yen for a 42 per cent jump in operating income to 14.8 billion yen, as its operating margin rose to 24 per cent

Japanese firms commit Rs 7,500 cr in investments at Invest Karnataka 2025

Leading Japanese companies have pledged investments across multiple sectors, with a strong focus on automobile manufacturing, industrial automation, and advanced technology

Around 250 Japan CEOs to visit UP to explore investment opportunities

Deputy Governor of Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture, Ko Osada, on Wednesday paid a courtesy visit to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence and discussed investment opportunities in the state among other issues, according to an official statement issued here. Ko Osada said, "Around 250 CEOs from Japan will visit Uttar Pradesh to explore potential investment opportunities. The Japanese delegation will assess the state's investment prospects, driven by its strong law and order, good governance and rapid economic growth. "This initiative will also create significant employment opportunities for the youth of Uttar Pradesh," it said. Ko Osada emphasised his commitment to strengthening friendly relations between Yamanashi and Uttar Pradesh. A key focus of the discussions was green hydrogen, the statement said. It was felt that a pact between UP and Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture would drive green hydrogen initiatives, including a centre of excellence, with Japa

Booze breaks & hangover leave: Japan's IT firm is redefining work culture

Trust Ring Co, an Osaka-based IT company, believes that a little fun can go a long way in keeping employees happy

Japan's Softbank Group likely to make $1.5 billion quarterly profit

The profit of 234 billion yen is based on the average of four analyst estimates compiled by LSEG, and compares with a gain of 950 billion yen in the same period last year

North Korea's Kim Jong slams US-South Korea-Japan security partnership

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said an elevated US security partnership with South Korea and Japan poses a grave threat to his country and vowed to further bolster his nuclear weapons program, state media reported Sunday. Kim has previously made similar warnings, but his latest statement implies again that the North Korean leader won't likely embrace President Donald Trump's overture to meet him and revive diplomacy anytime soon. In a speech marking the 77th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army on Saturday, Kim said the US-Japan-South Korea trilateral security partnership established under a US plot to form a NATO-like regional military bloc is inviting military imbalance on the Korean Peninsula and raising a grave challenge to the security environment of our state, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Referring to a series of new plans for rapidly bolstering all deterrence including nuclear forces, he clarified once again the unshakable policy of more

Trump hails security partnership with Japan, announces $1 bn defence sales

Japan has been increasing its defence spending, and Donald Trump expressed his satisfaction with Japan's plans

Donald Trump meets Japan's PM Shigeru Ishiba as China trade tensions loom

Trump put a 10 per cent tariff on all imports from China in what he called an opening salvo in a clash between the world's two largest economies

Motherson partners with Japan's Sanko for sustainable packaging solutions

Auto components major Motherson on Friday said it has entered into a joint venture with Japan's Sanko, a player in material handling sector to provide sustainable packaging solutions in India and Europe. The joint venture (JV) will contribute to greater efficiencies in material handling with cost reduction in overall logistics spending, Motherson said in a statement. This partnership with Sanko is a strategic, synergistic diversification for the group, Motherson Chairman Vivek Chaand Sehgal said. "We believe that reimagining packaging as an engineered solution versus a simple commodity can bring immense logistics, cost, and value efficiencies to supply chains," he said. More importantly, Sehgal said, "We see this collaboration as another way to support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals." Sanko President Toshihiko Goto said, "We believe we can contribute more to Motherson's and our valuable customers by combining Motherson's strong global presence and our long .

Donald Trump meets US Steel CEO to discuss deal with Nippon Steel

A $14.9 billion bid for US Steel by Nippon Steel was blocked last month by former President Joe Biden

Panasonic raises battery unit's outlook, pursues group management reform

The company will also seek to improve group profitability by more than 300 billion yen ($1.93 billion) and achieve a return on equity of over 10 per cent by the fiscal year ending March 2029

MP CM Mohan Yadav calls Japan trip 'extremely pleasant, successful'

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday returned to India after his four-day trip to Japan ahead of the state's investor summit. Taking to social media platform X, Yadav said the four-day Japan visit was "extremely pleasant and successful". This Japan visit will create new dimensions of investment in Madhya Pradesh and the relations between the two countries will become stronger with the participation of Japan as a partner country in the 'Global Investors Summit' to be held in Bhopal in February, he wrote. During his journey, which was primarily aimed at attracting investment for the upcoming Global Investors Summit (GIS) scheduled for February 24-25 in Bhopal, Yadav engaged with leading industrialists and pitched the state's potential, inviting them to invest in Madhya Pradesh. Upon his arrival in Tokyo on Tuesday, he received a warm welcome from the Indian community, who honoured him with traditional gestures. Yadav engaged in crucial meetings with the "Friends of

After Fronx, Maruti Suzuki India starts exporting Jimny to Japan

MSIL launched the Jimny in India in June 2023 and started exporting it to various countries in Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa from October 2023

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 5: When and where to watch, and more nc

My Happy Marriage is a film adaptation of a Japanese light novel series. Depending on their time zones, viewers from other countries can check the corresponding release schedules

MP CM discusses Japanese railway tech with East Japan Railway chairman

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday held extensive discussions with Yuji Fukasawa, Chair of the Committee South Asia, Keidanren and Chairman of East Japan Railway Company, as talks centred on exploring opportunities for mutually-beneficial collaboration between Japan and India, with a focus on world-renowned Japanese railway technology. Fukasawa expressed keen interest in visiting Madhya Pradesh and exploring opportunities for cooperation with the state, which has been aggressively pitching itself as an attractive investment destination for leading global companies. Yadav is currently on a four-day visit to Japan, and is holding extensive talks to showcase the state's immense potential to investors. "A detailed discussion on investment opportunities in Madhya Pradesh was held during a meeting with Mr. Yuji Fukasawa, Chairman of the South Asia Committee of Keidanren and President of East Japan Railway Company, at the Imperial Hotel, Japan," Yadav said in a post on

MP CM Mohan Yadav's visit to Japan to attract big investors for state

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is leading a high-level delegation to Japan and will be visiting Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe between January 28 and 31, 2025, as he looks to showcase the state's potential to investors, and hardsell it as an attractive investment destination to leading Japanese companies. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) about his upcoming visit, Yadav said that he will be engaging in one-to-one discussions with prominent industrialists. "From 28th to 31st January 2025, I will be visiting Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe in Japan to engage in one-to-one discussions with prominent industrialists. My mission is to showcase the abundant opportunities in Madhya Pradesh and to extend a heartfelt invitation to these leaders to attend GIS-2025 (Global Investors Summit)," Yadav said in the X post. The visit is expected to strengthen economic, cultural, and strategic partnership between India and Japan while attracting investments to Madhya Pradesh. Under Yadav's leadership, Madhya

Centre initiates anti-dumping probe into PVC resin imports from EU, Japan

India has initiated a probe into the alleged dumping of PVC paste resin, used to make artificial leather and other technical textiles' products, from the European Union (EU) and Japan, according to a notification. The commerce ministry's investigation arm, Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), is probing the dumping as imports are allegedly hurting the margins of the domestic industry. Chemplast Sanmar Ltd has filed an application seeking the imposition of anti-dumping duty, stating that the cheap imports are causing material injury to the domestic industry. "On the basis of the duly substantiated written application submitted by the domestic industry and having reached satisfaction based on the prima facie evidence submitted by domestic industry about the dumping of subject goods...the Authority, hereby, initiates an anti-dumping investigation," the DGTR has said in a notification. If it is established that the dumping has caused material injury to domestic players, the DG

India emerges as Japanese Manga's latest 'superhero' amid rising interest

India's manga and anime content market has seen exponential growth post-Covid, with a remarkable increase of 300 to 400 per cent