Japan Financial News

By Satoshi Sugiyama

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Alexandra Alper

Investing.com-- Most Asian stocks fell sharply on Friday as hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation readings spurred more concerns over higher-for-longer interest rates, with a barrage of upcoming central bank meetings coming squarely into focus.

Sensex gained 335.39 points, or 0.46%, to close at 73,097.28, while the Nifty 50 settled 148.95 points, or 0.7%, higher at 22,146.65. “We expect broader market volatility to continue in the near term, thus, retail investors should take this correction as an opportunity to accumulate quality names in 3-4 tranches. We suggest to make a higher allocation towards largecaps as valuations are comfortable along with steady growth prospects," said Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

LGBTQ community in Japan cheered the high court ruling as a landmark decision that gives them hope for change toward equality. Notably, the Japanese High Court does not have the provision to overturn the current marriage law, which restricts marriage as between woman and man. The Sapporo High Court ruling said that 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, reports AP.

Japanese workers are about to receive much bigger paychecks. That could make the Bank of Japan’s decision on whether to ditch its ultralow interest rate policy—which could come as soon as next week—easier. Some of Japan’s biggest companies have agreed to give their employees their largest pay rise in decades, as workers demand higher wages to combat inflation.

Solo Leveling, Jujutsu Kaisen, Mashle: Magic and Muscles, One Piece, and The Daily Life of the Immortal King have found traction in India. Crunchyroll, LLC is an independent joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment in the US and Aniplex in Japan, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corp. Crunchyroll opened its second office in India in Hyderabad earlier this month.

high-level panel on 'one nation, one election' studied election processes in six countries including South Africa, Sweden and Belgium, before recommending simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and state assemblies in India. The other countries where simultaneous elections are conducted are Germany, Japan, Indonesia, the Phillipines and Belgium. The panel led by former president Ram Nath Kovind submitted its report to President Droupadi Mumu on Thursday, recommending simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days. According to the report, a comparative analysis of other countries was drawn while dealing with the issue of simultaneous elections. The aim was to study and adopt the best international practices to ensure fairness and transparency in elections.

An Atlantic Council study published Thursday showed that 134 countries, or 98% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), are currently exploring a central bank digital currency (CBDC). This number has surged from just 35 since May 2020.

TOKYO (Reuters) -Nissan Motor is considering seeking a business partnership with Honda (NYSE:HMC) Motor, TV Tokyo reported on Wednesday, while the Nikkei business daily said they could collaborate on electric vehicles.

By Mariko Katsumura and Rocky Swift

Mint on 28 December 2023 reported that legal scrubbing of both the pillars had started and the deal is expected to be signed in 2024. “Both the pillars are very important for the country. The clean economy (Pillar-III of the IPEF) is aimed at cooperation on research, development and commercialisation of clean energy and climate-friendly technologies," the second person said.

Yes Bank jumped 8.5% to Rs 22.75 in Thursday's trade on BSE amid reports that the private lender is looking for a new promoter. According to a report by Livemint, the bank is considering selling up to 51% of its stake, aiming for a target valuation ranging between $8-9 billion. This marks a notable increase from its current market capitalization of $7.2 billion. Citigroup's India unit has been enlisted to facilitate the search for a potential buyer.

Noida is set to witness a global level transformation, with an ideology to create miniature versions of Japanese and Korean cities. The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has marked two sectors for the establishment of these industrial cities, with the acquisition of hundreds of hectares of land.

stocks narrowed early losses and energy shares gained. The Nikkei closed 0.29% higher at 38,807.38, after three straight sessions of losses. The index fell as much as 0.76% earlier in the session.

KIKUYO, Japan—It was a signature feat for the country that made industrial policy famous. In less than two years, an $8.6 billion semiconductor factory on a plot the size of 40 football fields sprang up amid the cabbage fields here. The Japanese government, eager to boost the country’s standing as a chip-making hub, provided more than $3 billion in subsidies for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and helped round up thousands of workers to construct the buildings.

By Junko Fujita and Tom Westbrook

Investing.com-- Most Asian currencies retreated on Thursday, while the dollar steadied from recent gains as markets sought more cues on U.S. interest rates from producer inflation and retail sales data due later in the day. 

Investing.com-- Most Asian stocks stuck to a tight range on Thursday in anticipation of more cues on U.S. inflation and interest rates, while losses in Japanese markets extended into a fourth straight session amid persistent jitters over the Bank of Japan. 

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Rae Wee

Kim Jong Un joined his troops in training to operate newly developed battle tanks as he called for bigger efforts to prepare for war, state media reported Thursday. The North’s tank training was seen as a response to the annual 11-day South Korean-U.S. military drills that are to end later Thursday. The North views its rivals’ exercises a rehearsal for invasion. The North’s training on Wednesday was designed to inspect tankmen’s combat capabilities and involved the new-type main battle tank that Kim called “the world’s most powerful,” the official Korean Central News Agency.