Japan

TOKYO, Apr 18 (NNN-NHK) – Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, said today that, recent sharp declines of the Japanese yen could negatively impact Japanese firms’ earnings outlooks and hence the nation’s already struggling economy.

“The yen’s recent depreciation against the U.S. dollar has been quite rapid,” Kuroda told a parliamentary session.

TOKYO, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Japan's population logged the steepest fall on record, dropping by 644,000 to just over 125.5 million in 2021, government statistics showed Friday.

The large drop reflects a plunge in the number of foreign residents due to strict border controls over the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapidly aging society, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares fell in muted trading as most world markets were closed for Good Friday and other holidays.

Benchmarks declined in Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai. Sydney, Manila, Bangkok and Hong Kong were among Asian markets observing holidays on Friday. U.S. and European markets also were closed.

After markets closed, China’s central bank freed up extra money for lending to support the slowing economy by cutting the amount of reserves commercial banks are required to hold.

TOKYO (AP) — As millions of Ukrainians fled their country, a longtime Tokyo resident did the opposite. Sasha Kaverina left her life in Japan and rushed to Ukraine to rescue her parents after a Russian missile hit their apartment building.

Kaverina’s main goal in returning was to get her parents out of their hometown of Kharkiv, the second-largest city in battered eastern Ukraine, to a safer place in western Ukraine. But Kaverina, who had organized fund-raising and antiwar rallies in Japan for her homeland, also delivered medicine, first-aid kits and other relief goods.

TOKYO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Japan (BOJ) lowered its assessment for the majority of regional economies in the country on Monday, with its governor warning of uncertainty over the situation in Ukraine amid surging commodity prices, as well as COVID-19-related weakness.

BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda told a meeting of the bank's branch managers that higher inflation could be caused by rising costs for energy supplies and raw materials, and the core consumer price index excluding volatile fresh food items is likely to "clearly" rise.

TOKYO, April 10. /TASS/: Takeda Pharmaceutical has suspended new clinical trials of drugs in Russia due to the situation around Ukraine, Nikkei newspaper reports on Sunday.

The company will also halt new investments in Russia. Supplies of drugs and clinical trials will continue. Sanctions against Russia linked to its special military operation in Ukraine do not apply to the pharmaceutical business but introduced restrictions made logistics and transactions more challenging.

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares were trading higher Friday as investors eyed the war in Ukraine and what the world’s central banks might do to keep inflation in check.

Benchmarks rose in Paris, London and Frankfurt after Asian markets finished higher. Oil prices rose.

Investors have been weighing the latest updates from the U.S. Federal Reserve amid concerns about rising inflation. The Fed has signaled it is prepared to keep raising interest rates and reducing its stockpile of bonds and mortgage-backed securities in order to rein in the highest inflation in 40 years.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s government says it is expelling eight Russian diplomats over their country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hikariko Ono announced the decision Friday. Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Mori has notified Russian Ambassador Mikhail Galuzin, she said.

European countries have expelled dozens of Russian diplomats as their relationships have plunged over Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

TOKYO, Apr 2 (NNN-NHK) – Japan plans to raise its daily cap on foreign arrivals to around 10,000, starting from Apr 10, up from the current 7,000, as the country further relaxes border controls, a top government spokesman said yesterday.

“Japan plans to increase international movements of people in stages, by taking into account the infection situation at home and abroad, and border control measures that other major nations have taken,” Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, said at a press conference.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Monday as worries about the pandemic, inflation and the war in Ukraine weighed on market sentiment.

Benchmarks in Hong Kong and Sydney gained while Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai declined.

Adding to concern over the economic impact from the pandemic, Shanghai went into a nine-day semi-lockdown. With China’s economic growth already slowing, the extreme measure could worsen unemployment, sap consumer demand and further complicate already snarled global supply chains.

The Shanghai Composite index edged 0.2% lower to 3,207.10.