Business Politics
Adam Westlake on May 14 2013
As the ongoing territorial row between Japan and
China continues with no end in sight, the nations' joint economy is often said to be the greatest victim. With many Japanese companies, most notably
in the auto industry, pulling their manufacturing operations out of China and moving to other locations in Asia, so as not to get caught up in political tensions, many say that China still holds too many of the economic cards, what with its lockdown on producing so many of the world's goods. But one analyst believes China may see a revolution in the next 10 years, triggered not with violence and weapons, but rather an economic deterioration.
Having been arrested upon her arrival in Tokyo on May 7th, Ugandan singer
Iryn Namubiru remains in jail on charges of possessing drugs, while her management says they are working to have her released. As the artist holds a French passport, officials from all three involved nations are trying to attain a better understanding of the circumstances, with Interpol even previously commenting that they are
curious about the promoter who hired Namubiru to perform in Japan, yet seemed to disappear when she got into trouble.
Sanae Takaichi, the policy chief for Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, stated on Sunday that she would continue her visits to the controversial Yasukuni war memorial, even amidst the outcry and protest from China and South Korea. Speaking on a television program on NHK, Takaichi defended the mass visit of
almost 170 active lawmakers, herself included, to the shrine last month, saying that it is a nation's internal affair of how to honor those who gave their lives in service of their country.
National
Adam Westlake on May 10 2013
The Japanese government's
Ministry of Justice announced on Friday that for the first time in history it has offered a part-time employment position to a minor currently on probation. The decision was made in order to set an example for the country's private firms to take part in the rehabilitation of those on probation or parole.
Japan's financially beleaguered
Sharp Corp. is expected to reveal that it will be eliminating 5,000 positions from its current workforce of 51,000 by March of 2016. As the TV manufacturer struggles to stay afloat after losses amounting to billions of dollars over the last fiscal year, their revival plans will see the sales of factories in China and Malaysia, cutting the number of workers at head offices by half, and dropping the number of board members from 12 to six.
It looks like one of the goals of Prime Minster Shinzo Abe and his '
Abenomics' campaign has finally been realized in the months after his December election; a rise in the U.S. dollar on the world exchange rates on Thursday has it worth just over 100 Japanese yen. The value of the
yen has been seen dropping rapidly in recent months as Abe has been making good on his promises to turn around Japan's long-stagnant economy by pouring money into the economy in order to counter deflation.
Following the news that
Ugandan singer Iryn Namubiru has been arrested and continues to be held after her arrival in Tokyo at the Narita International Airport, the International Police in the African country have said they will begin looking into the matter. Interpol's director in Uganda, Asan Kasingye, has stated that they were notified by Japanese police after Namubiru was arrested, and that she was being
held for possession of illegal drugs.
Japan's
Sony Corp. revealed today that it recorded its first annual net profit in the last five years, with much of credited to the recent weakening of the yen and the resulting increase in overseas revenue. For the fiscal year ending March of this year, the financially beleaguered electronics giant earned 43.03 billion yen (approx. 436.08 million dollars), a quick turnaround from the 456.66 billion yen in losses that were recorded one year earlier.
A
Brazilian national of Japanese decent currently residing in Sao Paulo filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government this week after she was denied residency status to re-enter the country. Having spent many years residing in Japan, 21 year old Giullyane Futenma left the country in 2009 and returned to Brazil. However, her husband, also a Japanese-Brazilian, is now living in Japan, and she feels there is no legal basis for to not be able to join him.
Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases stated this week that over 5,000 cases of the
disease rubella have been reported in the first four months of the year alone, more than double that of all of 2012. The Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry previously noted that the largest concentration of cases was in men from their 20s to 40s in
Tokyo and the surrounding areas, and now the government is increasing its efforts to promote vaccination among those without immunity.
