Japan

Stories 1301 - 1320 | << Prev   Next >>

Obama Speeches Teach English, Hope to Japanese

Dem's speeches good for language-learners, more inspiring than local pols'

(Newser) - The Japanese version of Amazon.com features an unlikely bestseller: the collected speeches of Barack Obama, with Japanese translation and accompanying CD, Reuters reports. Obama’s inspiring but straightforward rhetoric is perfect for teaching English in a country that hankers to learn the language. He “uses words such as...

Tokyo Dims Red Light in Olympic Bid

Officials aim to keep 'local color' in crackdown

(Newser) - Japan’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics has prompted a cleanup of Tokyo’s red light district, but local proprietors aren’t eager to change local culture, the Guardian reports. Police, backed by a governor hoping to snuff out sleaze, are getting tough about a new law forcing sex...

In Rare Move, Toyota to Suspend Production in Japan

11-day break amid shrinking demand is first since 1993

(Newser) - Toyota is suspending production at all 12 of its Japanese plants for 11 days over February and March, a stoppage of unprecedented scale for the nation's top automaker as it grapples with shrinking global demand. The last time it halted production at all its Japanese plants was in August 1993,...

World Bids 2008 Good Riddance
 World Bids 2008 Good Riddance 
Dec 31, 2008 9:57 AM CST

World Bids 2008 Good Riddance

Revelers hope 2009 will bring better luck

(Newser) - Fireworks exploded over Sydney's shimmering harbor today, as the world's first major city to ring in 2009 celebrated the end of a rocky year with cheers, beers, and a sense of relief. "I'm looking forward to 2009," said a spectator. "Because it can't get much worse."...

Rivals Wary of China's New Sea Power

(Newser) - China's decision to flex its burgeoning naval muscles by sending two warships to patrol Somalia's pirate-infested waters has been met with equal parts thanks and worry from the international community, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The mission is China’s first outside of its own waters, and many are wondering...

Placenta Drip: Fad or Fantastic?

Afterbirth consumption risky, unproven to boost health

(Newser) - Feeling tired? A Tokyo clinic offers relaxation drips containing human placental extract as a pick-me-up. Long used by the Japanese to treat liver disease and menopause symptoms, placenta—with its immune molecules and nutrients that sustain the fetus during pregnancy—is symbolic, if not utterly scientific. The idea of a...

World's Oddest New Year Rituals

Grapes, bonfires, effigies are some nations' traditions for a lucky 2009

(Newser) - While much of the world indulges in the traditional New Year's Eve fare of glittery balls and fireworks, other countries have more unusual ways of shepherding in the next year, reports Travel and Leisure. For example: 
  • Spain: Gobbling a grape for each clock stroke is considered a fruity down
...

Mighty Toyota Posts Its First Loss Ever

Even Prius can't overcome flagging demand, soaring yen

(Newser) - Toyota will post a loss for the first time in its history, the victim of plummeting sales and multi-year highs in the value of the yen, the company warned today. The Japanese automaker, which has enjoyed a reputation for profits even in bad times, announced that it would suspend executive...

Japan Fetes Genji , World's First Novel, at 1,000
Japan Fetes Genji, World's
First Novel, at 1,000
Glossies
Dec 20, 2008 6:39 AM CST

Japan Fetes Genji, World's First Novel, at 1,000

Three very different English translations available to get you caught up

(Newser) - Japan is celebrating the 1,000th birthday of The Tale of Genji, a story penned by a woman in an imperial court that is widely regarded as the first modern novel, the Economist reports. The chronicle of an aristocratic aesthete’s sexual adventures is many things to many readers, including...

Panasonic, Sanyo Merging Into Electronics Dynamo

(Newser) - Panasonic has begun a $9 billion takeover of Japanese rival Sanyo, hoping that transforming into one of the world's biggest electronics companies will help it weather the toughest business conditions in a century. Top shareholders, including Goldman Sachs, had been haggling over the price with Panasonic since last month, but...

Bank of Japan Follows Fed, Cuts Rates to Near Zero

It drops key interest rate to 0.1%

(Newser) - The Bank of Japan cut interest rates from 0.3% to to 0.1%, within the historic zero- to quarter-percent range that the Fed chose earlier this week. Central bankers were responding to a deep recession as well as a soaring yen, which recently hit a 13-year high against the...

China May Launch Pirate Patrol
 China May Launch Pirate Patrol 
Dec 18, 2008 2:09 AM CST

China May Launch Pirate Patrol

Officials weigh Chinese naval mission in 500 years

(Newser) - China is poised to embark on its first naval combat mission in 500 years—to take on pirates off the coast of Somalia, reports the Financial Times. Any patrols launched would be closely monitored by the US, Russian and British navies, concerned about China's growing  military power. 

In-Laws Pose Health Hazard for Japanese Women: Study

Heart attack risk triples when under same roof

(Newser) - Japanese women who live with their in-laws face three times the risk of a heart attack than those living only with their husbands, a study finds. “This is the first epidemiological study to show that these traditional living arrangements in Japan are rather harmful for women,” one of...

Japan, EU Boost Economies as Bailout Dies

New stimulus packages announced to avert global paralysis

(Newser) - Japan and the European Union announced new measures to bolster their economies in the wake of the collapse of the US auto industry bailout. The Japanese government multiplied its bank recapitalization fund sixfold, to $131 billion, and announced an $11 billion package to save jobs. "We are working at...

Sony Slashes 8,000 Jobs



 Sony Slashes 8,000 Jobs 
Dec 9, 2008 6:25 AM CST

Sony Slashes 8,000 Jobs

(Newser) - Sony is slashing 8,000 jobs, or 4%of its global work force, aiming to cut costs by $1.1 billion a year as a global downturn and stronger yen batters profits at the Japanese electronics maker. Sony, which has 185,000 employees worldwide, said today it will complete the layoffs...

Japanese Told to Work Less, Have More Sex

More kids needed

(Newser) - Japan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, thanks, health experts say, to an overworked populace too tired to have much sex. Surveys show that married Japanese couples under 50 have sex an average of 45 times a year, less than half the global average. Now some...

Aha! Zoo Bears Won't Mate Because Both Are Female

Japan park figures out why polar bears don't have much chemistry

(Newser) - A Japanese zoo is learning it might want to check the plumbing more closely the next time it acquires a polar bear cub, CNN reports. Tsuyoshi was brought to the Kushiro Zoo to breed with 11-year-old Kurumi. But when the cub reached reproductive age, he turned out to be she,...

Find Your Tipping Point Abroad
 Find Your Tipping Point Abroad 
TRAVEL
Nov 20, 2008 2:26 PM CST

Find Your Tipping Point Abroad

With gratuity varying by country, it's important not to offend

(Newser) - Knowing the appropriate level of gratuity can be tricky, and it gets even more difficult abroad, where tipping practices widely vary. Forbes offers some help, noting, for instance, that for a cab ride in South America, rounding up the fare to the next dollar is an acceptable tip, while in...

Ford Sells 20% Stake in Mazda to Raise Cash

The sale should net Ford about $540 million

(Newser) - Ford is slashing its stake in Mazda by nearly two-thirds, joining other struggling US automakers in a fire-sale of prized assets to stay afloat. Ford, which owns 33.4% of Mazda, will sell about a 20% stake, the companies said. The sale would net Ford $540 million based on Mazda's...

Dow Off 223 on Japan, Retail Woes
 Dow Off 223 on Japan, 
 Retail Woes 
MARKETS
Nov 17, 2008 3:15 PM CST

Dow Off 223 on Japan, Retail Woes

Manufacturing rises, but it's likely a mirage

(Newser) - Stocks seesawed to losses today as investors absorbed bad retailer reports and news that Japan’s economy had entered a recession, MarketWatch reports. The Dow fell 223.73 to close at 8,273.58. The Nasdaq lost 34.80, closing at 1,482.05, while the S&P 500 shed...

Stories 1301 - 1320 | << Prev   Next >>