Japan Financial News

Oxford University physics spinout Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) recently announced the launch of Toshiko, a 32-qubit quantum computing services platform, alongside a $100-million Series B funding round led by Japan’s SBI Group’s investment arm.

Tokyo Gas has joined the race to acquire a minority stake in Think Gas Distribution, Indian natural gas supplier owned by private equity fund I Squared Capital, said two people aware of the development. Founded in 1885, Tokyo Gas is the city gas provider in the Tokyo metropolitan area and surrounding Kanto region. Tokyo Gas is doing due diligence at present, said sources.

Mint. Alipay’s share sale follows a partial stake sale by Softbank Group in the food delivery aggregator last month where the Japanese investor sold 1.1% stake for ₹1,200 crore. Alipay is selling 296 million shares in the online food delivery company and expects to raise ₹3290 crore or ($395 million).

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket had been scheduled to take place at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base in the United States. The South Korean Defence Ministry said in a brief statement on Tuesday the launch was delayed due to weather conditions. Ministry officials said the launch was tentatively rescheduled for this Saturday but it wasn't a fixed date.

Japan and Vietnam have agreed to boost their security and economic ties in the face of China’s growing influence in the region

artificial intelligence (ai) was like nothing else the world had seen. Within two months of its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT had racked up 100m users. Internet searches for “artificial intelligence" surged; more than $40bn in venture capital flowed into ai firms in the first half of this year alone.

By Leika Kihara

Investing.com-- Most Asian currencies advanced on Tuesday amid growing conviction that the Federal Reserve was done raising interest rates, which in turn put the dollar at a three-month low.

Investing.com-- Asian stocks rose slightly on Tuesday as traders kept to the sidelines before a string of key economic readings from the U.S. and China due later this week, although most regional bourses were sitting on strong gains for November. 

By Ankur Banerjee

BSE Sensex ended lower by 47.77 points or 0.07% at 65,970.04 level while the Nifty 50 closed at 19,794.70 level, down 7.30 points or 0.04%. According to technical analysts, the key indices experienced a sluggish week, with minimal momentum and prices maintaining a narrow trading range. Despite the lack of significant movements, the Nifty 50 managed to extend its weekly winning streak, securing a 0.34% gain and closing just below the 19,800 mark.

TOKYO (Reuters) — Japan's top business lobby Keidanren will discuss at next month's executive meeting the potential negative impact of the yen's weakness on the economy, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Tokyo Revengers Season 3 Episode 9 is just around the corner, and set to be released on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at midnight in Japan. In the US, Tokyo Revengers Season 3 Episode 9 will release on 2 pm (ET) on November 28. Viewers in US can catch the episode on streaming platforms such as Hulu and Disney Plus. While the seventh episode drew attention with the intense battle between Tenjiku and Toman, the narrative focus shifted in the eighth episode. The spotlight was on Koko and Inupi, delving into Koko's motivations for pursuing wealth through illicit means. The latest episode of Tokyo Revengers Season 3 explored the reasons behind Koko's fixation on making money and her involvement in a life of crime. Additionally, the concluding moments of the eighth episode showcased the Haitani Brothers taunting Angry. The eighth episode commenced with the confrontation between Inupi and Koko, unveiling the revelation that Akane is Seishu's older sister. As the series unfolds, fans anticipate further developments and revelations in the upcoming episode.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 19 is poised to deliver another emotionally charged episode, following the recent tragedies in Shibuya. Fans of Jujutsu Kaisen are still grappling with the sorrowful demise of Nanami, and the upcoming Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 19 is anticipated to bring another poignant narrative. Scheduled for release on November 30 at 12:00 am (JST), Jujutsu Kaisen Episode 19 will continue to unravel the story. Fans can catch the new episodes every Thursday, with Crunchyroll making them available across various time zones just two hours after the Japanese broadcast. For «Jujutsu Kaisen» fans in the US, the show will premier 1 pm (ET). In this episode, viewers can expect to witness the continuation of Nobara's confrontation with Mahito's double. Despite numerous warnings to evacuate Shibuya, Nobara remains steadfast, choosing to stand her ground alongside her friends in the intense battle.

IBM announced the completed installation of a 127-qubit quantum computing system at the University of Tokyo on Nov. 27. According to the company, this marks the arrival of the first “utility-scale” quantum system in the region.

The Japanese gaming giant Square Enix has begun the character non-fungible token (NFT) auction for its game Symbiogenesis, less than a month before its launch.

Investing.com-- Most Asian stocks fell on Monday tracking weak signals from China, while anticipation of a string of key economic readings this week kept markets largely on edge.

According to Japan’s tax authorities, the average value of undeclared income in crypto fell by 19% in 2022.

Circle, stablecoin issuer behind USD Coin (USDC), has joined forces with Tokyo-based financial services firm SBI Holdings to facilitate the strategic expansion of USDC into the Japanese market.

One mover was gold, which climbed to $2,009 an ounce and briefly hit a six-month top of $2,017.82. The approach of month end could also cause some caution given the hefty gains investors are sitting on. Japan's Nikkei (.N225) eased 0.3%, but it still up 8.6% so far in November. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) also dipped 0.3%, giving it a monthly gain of 6.4%. Chinese blue chips (.CSI300) lost another 1.1%, and have missed out on all the global cheer with the market down 2% in November so far. China's central banks announced it would encourage financial institutions to support private companies, but was short on detail. EUROSTOXX 50 futures eased 0.2%, while FTSE futures fell 0.1%. S&P 500 futures eased 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures lost 0.4%.

Every month, Mint’s Plain Facts section brings out an update on key global economic data to thread together the biggest developments in the world that are worth paying attention to. The accompanying analysis and charts attempt to explain how each story is creating ripples on the global stage, where it is headed in the coming weeks, and whether it can impact India. This time, we explain incoming central bank decisions in various countries, and the deflation in China that’s raising questions about its growth prospects.