Japan

TOKYO, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Japan's widening wealth gap has emerged as a key issue in a ruling party leadership contest that will decide who becomes the next prime minister, with candidates forced to reassess the legacy of former premier Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" policies.

Under Abenomics, a mix of expansionary fiscal and monetary policies and a growth strategy deployed by Abe in 2013, share prices and corporate profits boomed, but a government survey published earlier this year showed households hardly benefited.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s benchmark advanced but other Asian markets were lower Friday amid concerns over troubled Chinese real estate developer Evergrande and the pandemic.

Some Chinese banks have disclosed what they are owed by Evergrande, seeking to dispel fears of financial turmoil as it struggles under $310 billion in debt. The lenders say they can cope with a potential default. Evergrande’s announcement that it was making a payment due Thursday seemed to help ease some worries.

TOKYO, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government decided on Tuesday to call an extraordinary Diet session on Oct. 4 to determine a new prime minister, ahead of a general election possibly to be held in November.

The presidential election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) scheduled for Sept. 29 is expected to effectively decide the next premier succeeding the outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is to resign at the end of September, as the LDP controls the powerful lower house of parliament.

TOKYO, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Two of the candidates vying to become Japan's next prime minister denied on Saturday they had toned down their positions on nuclear energy and gender issues to attract conservative backing in a tight ruling party leadership election this month.

The winner of the Sept. 29 contest to lead the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is almost certain to succeed Yoshihide Suga as the country's next premier because the party has a majority in the lower house.

TOKYO (AP) — The race is on for the next Japanese prime minister.

Official election campaigning kicked off Friday for the new head of Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party, a role that typically signals the next national leader.

Four candidates are competing in the Sept. 29 vote to replace outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who will quit when his term ends at the end of this month after serving only one year. He took over for predecessor Shinzo Abe.

TOKYO, Sept 16 (NNN-NHK) – The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said today that, severe tropical storm Chanthu, is forecast to approach Japan, calling people to stay alert for landslides, heavy winds and high waves in western Japan, as rough weather is projected from northern to western Japan through Saturday.

Chanthu, now heading northwest after spinning over the East China Sea the previous days, is expected to alter its tracks. It will possibly turn into a low-pressure system tomorrow morning, carrying gradually intensifying rain and winds to western Japan, the JMA said.

TOKYO, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Japan's vaccine minister Taro Kono, a contender to replace Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, said on Thursday any new economic stimulus measures should prioritise spending on renewable energy and expansion of 5G networks nationwide.

In a group interview, Kono also said it was hard to change monetary policy abruptly now given the strain the coronavirus pandemic is inflicting on the economy.

(AP) --- Japan’s exports rose 26% in August from a year earlier, preliminary data released Thursday showed, below analysts’ forecasts, as supply chain disruptions hit manufacturers.

The 6.6 trillion yen ($60 billion) in exports compared with 5.2 trillion yen a year earlier, when the economy was just beginning to recover from the initial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Analysts had forecast an increase of more than 30%. Exports rose 37% year-on-year in July.

TOKYO, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The United States has no hostile intent towards North Korea and hopes it responds positively to offers for talks on its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, a U.S. envoy said on Tuesday as he met Asian allies.

The meeting between top officials of the United States, Japan and South Korea on ways to end a standoff with North Korea over is nuclear ambitions came a day after it said it had tested a new long-range cruise missile.

TOKYO, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Japan must counter neighbouring China's assertiveness by beefing up the coast guard and improving its coordination with the military, Fumio Kishida, a contender to head the ruling party and become the next prime minister, said on Monday.

Only lawmakers and grassroots members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will vote for its chief in a Sept 29. election, but candidates' popularity with the public counts, as the winner will lead it into general elections this year.