Page 5 - Japan

Honda reports 15% drop in Q2 operating profit, misses analyst forecasts

Honda said last week its global vehicle sales shrank 1.5per cent to 2.8 million over the first nine months of the year, as a hefty 29per cent drop in China and a 6 per cent fall in Asia and Oceania

Japan's Mount Fuji still without its iconic snowcap for 1st time in 130 yrs

Japan's iconic Mount Fuji, known for its snowcap forming around this time of the year, is still snowless in November for the first time in 130 years, presumably because of the unusually warm temperatures in the past few weeks. The lack of snow on Mt. Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as of Tuesday breaks the previous record set on October 26, 2016, meteorological officials said. Usually, the 3,776-metre-high mountain has sprinkles of snow falling on its summit starting October 2, about a month after the summertime hiking season there ends. Last year, snow fell on the mountain on October 5, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, or JMA. The snowless Mt. Fuji has captured attention on social media. People posted photos showing the bare mountain, some expressing surprise and others concerned over climate change. The JMA's Kofu Local Meteorological Office, which keeps weather data in central Japan and was the agency that announced the first snowfall on Mt. Fuji in 1894, has ci

Japan launches world's first wooden satellite, LignoSat, into space

Japanese researchers have launched LignoSat, the world's first wooden satellite, aiming to test the viability of timber as a sustainable material in space

Japan launches defence satellite aimed at speedier military operations

Japan launched a defence satellite aimed at speedier communication and military operations on a new flagship H3 rocket on Monday and successfully placed it into orbit, as the country seeks to build up its military capability amid growing tension in the region. The H3 No. 4 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on a southwestern Japanese island. Everything went as planned and the satellite was successfully put into a targeted orbit, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, announced. The rocket was carrying a Defense Ministry satellite, Kirameki No. 3, which uses X-band communication for information and data sharing, as well as military operations and command. X-band satellite is less affected by weather conditions and is capable of supporting stable communication. Kirameki No. 3 follows two earlier X-band satellites already in operation to meet Japan's growing communication demands and enhance its satellite operations. Maj. Gen. Yasuhiro Kato, the Joint Staff .

Japan launches defence satellite carried by new flagship H3 rocket

Japan launched a defence satellite designed for information-gathering and military operations on a new flagship H3 rocket on Monday, as the country seeks to build up its military capability amid growing tension in the region. The H3 No. 4 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on a southwestern Japanese island. Everything went as planned and the satellite placed at the top of the rocket was successfully separated about half an hour after liftoff, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said in a livestream. JAXA will give further details about the launch later Monday. The rocket is carrying a Defense Ministry satellite, Kirameki No. 3, which uses X-band communication for military operations and reconnaissance, including information-gathering for signs of North Korean missile activity. X-band satellite is less affected by weather conditions and is capable of supporting stable communication. Kirameki No. 3 adds to two earlier X-band satellites already in ...

Nuclear reactor that restarted 13 yrs after Fukushima disaster shuts again

A Japanese nuclear reactor that restarted last week for the first time in more than 13 years after it had survived a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami that badly damaged the nearby Fukushima nuclear plant was shut down again Monday due to an equipment problem, its operator said. The No. 2 reactor at the Onagawa nuclear power plant on Japan's northern coast was put back online on Oct. 29 and had been expected to start generating power in early November. But it had to be shut down again five days after its restart due to a glitch that occurred Sunday in a device related to neutron data inside the reactor, plant operator Tohoku Electric Power Co. said. The reactor was operating normally and there was no release of radiation into the environment, Tohoku Electric said. The utility said it decided to shut it down to re-examine equipment to address residents' safety concerns. No new date for a restart was given. The reactor is one of three at the Onagawa plant, which is 100 kilometers (

US, Japan, South Korea hold drills after N Korea's ballistic missile launch

"Amid gradually increasing security cooperation between the three countries, (we) will strengthen coordination to deter and jointly respond to North Korea's threats," it said in the statement cited

Japan, EU forge security pact amid rising tensions with China and Russia

Borrell emphasized the dangerous global climate, referring to the top security concerns for both Japan and the EU without specifically naming China, Russia, or North Korea

Japan plans automated transport to address driver shortage, cut emissions

Japan is planning to build an automated cargo transport corridor between Tokyo and Osaka, dubbed a conveyor belt road by the government, to make up for a shortage of truck drivers. The amount of funding for the project is not yet set. But it's seen as one key way to help the country cope with soaring deliveries. A computer graphics video made by the government shows big, wheeled boxes moving along a three-lane corridor, also called an auto flow road, in the middle of a big highway. A trial system is due to start test runs in 2027 or early 2028, aiming for full operations by the mid-2030s. We need to be innovative with the way we approach roads, said Yuri Endo, a senior deputy director overseeing the effort at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Apart from making up for a shrinking labour force and the need to reduce workloads for drivers, the system also will help cut carbon emissions, she said. The key concept of the auto flow-road is to create dedicated

Nomura woes deepen with trading scandal, arrest for attempted murder

The scandals reinforce Nomura's image as a firm prone to missteps, including data leaks and a multi-billion dollar loss from the collapse of Archegos Capital Management

Asian stocks slip as chips drag, yen nears 3-month low before BOJ decision

Yen hovered close to a three-month low against the dollar, weighed down by political instability after a drubbing for Japan's ruling coalition in parliamentary elections last weekend

Yen struggles before BOJ decision; dollar steady ahead of US jobs report

The yen has fallen more than 6 per cent in October and is on track for what would be its biggest monthly loss against the greenback since November 2016

Japan high court rules country's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional

A second Japanese high court ruled Wednesday that the government's policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, the latest in a series of decisions upholding plaintiffs' demands for marriage equality. The Tokyo High Court called the ongoing ban a groundless legal discrimination based on sexual orientation, saying it violates the constitutional guarantee of right to equality, as well as individuals' dignity and equality between sexes. It was a clearer statement than the 2022 lower court decision that described the situation as an unconstitutional state. The Sapporo High Court ruling in March said not allowing same-sex couples to marry and enjoy the same benefits as straight couples violates their fundamental right to equality and freedom of marriage. Wednesday's ruling is the seventh overall that found the ongoing ban to be unconstitutional or nearly so, against only one district court decision that found it constitutional. The rulings can still be appealed to the Supreme ...

Japan's Mount Fuji snowless in late October, breaking 130-year record

Typically, Mount Fuji sees its first snowfall by early October, with the last record set for October 26 in 1955 and 2016

Daiwa's profit surges over 80% as investors flock to stock markets

Net income jumped more than 80 per cent from a year earlier during the three months ended Sept. 30 to ¥53.8 billion ($352 million)

What does a shocking parliamentary loss for Japan's long-ruling party mean?

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling party and its junior partner lost their majority in Sunday's parliamentary election. The loss, much bigger than expected, is bad news for a leader who's only been in power for a month. It's largely a reflection of voters' anger at the repeated financial scandals that have hit the Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled Japan nearly without interruption since 1955. The big loss throws the nation's politics into turmoil, and will make it difficult for Ishiba to push through the changes he needs to win back voter support. The Associated Press explains how the election results could weaken Ishiba's hold on power, and what the poor showing means for Japan's diplomatic, economic and security goals. What happened Sunday? The governing Liberal Democratic Party lost its sole majority in the lower house, the more powerful of Japan's two-chamber parliament. Even adding the Buddhist-backed Komeito party, which has partnered with the LDP for a

Election shock in key US ally Japan could embolden China and rivals

In response to escalating Chinese military activity around its islands and nearby Taiwan, including more regular drills with Russia and the first ever intrusion by a Chinese plane

Yen mired in political uncertainty, dollar awaits key data releases

Elsewhere, the dollar eased a touch, though remained not too far from its recent high ahead of major US data releases

Japan boosts defence capability with missiles to counter Chinese expansion

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) is set to conduct the first test launch of its new anti-ship missile in fiscal year 2027

Japan's Shigeru Ishiba vows to bring stability after losing majority

"The LDP suffered a crushing defeat," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute, who sees a December rate hike as the main scenario