Japan

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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...

Japan Sinks Into Recession
 Japan Sinks Into Recession 
Nov 17, 2008 2:39 AM CST

Japan Sinks Into Recession

Economic downturn could last a year

(Newser) - The financial crisis rippling through the global economy has claimed another casualty as Japan has slipped into its first recession in seven years, Reuters reports. Third quarter statistics reveal a 0.1% contraction in Japan's Gross Domestic Product. Japanese economists warn the nation could languish in recession for an entire...

New ID System Scans Finger's Veins, Not Prints

Hitachi system is faster, more secure than fingerprinting, retinal scans

(Newser) - A new technology that scans finger veins to authenticate identity claims to be quicker and more reliable than fingerprinting, retinal scans, or facial recognition, the Times of London reports. Japanese company Hitachi's system shines infrared light through the network of capillaries in the index finger, capturing a unique 3D “...

Japanese Stores Conquer Convenience

Hard times suit the country's ultra-handy 7-11 descendants

(Newser) - Japan's ultra-convenient convenience stores are one of the few bright spots in the nation's struggling economy, the Washington Post reports. Business is booming at the 40,000 stores nationwide, which offer everything from hot soup to cold beer to fresh sushi. Customers can pay their bills, book travel, and even...

Japan Struggles with Slacker Salarymen

Anti-ambitious young Japanese opt out of the career fast track

(Newser) - A new generation of Japanese salarymen is dropping out of the competition for raises, promotions, and managerial opportunities, the Wall Street Journal reports. Older Japanese are shocked at the attitudes of these ambition-shunning young workers who openly decline to climb the corporate ladder and switch jobs in pursuit of less-demanding...

'Stationmaster' Puts $10M in Town's Kitty

Japanese hamlet cashes in on calico's popularity

(Newser) - The Japanese hamlet of Kishikawa has hopped aboard the Tama express, CNN reports, with the local economy getting a $10 million boost as the calico-turned-hat-wearing-stationmaster gains popularity within and beyond the nation’s borders. Folks flock to the town for a break from city life, taking pictures with the feline...

Kim Calls Shots from Hospital: Japan

Leader is sick, but able to run the country

(Newser) - Kim Jong-Il is probably in the hospital but still calling the shots, Japanese PM Taro Aso says, citing intelligence reports and adding that if the North Korean leader were incoherent, "we would be seeing different developments." A Japanese professor returning from Pyongyang says North Koreans are calm, a...

Japan's Own Banking Crisis Informs Current Power Play

Segue to international market could bolster declining profits

(Newser) - Japanese banks, which just years ago needed US investors to save them from bankruptcy, are using the current crisis to scoop up low-priced international firms. The timing is perfect for the Asian banks, desperate to bolster profits limited by a saturated domestic sector, the Financial Times reports. Though expansion may...

Online Divorcee Jailed After Killing Virtual Hubby

Japanese woman charged with hacking

(Newser) - A 43-year-old Japanese woman whose sudden divorce in a virtual game world made her so angry that she killed her online husband's digital persona has been arrested on suspicion of hacking, police said today. The woman allegedly used her digital husband's identification and password to log onto popular interactive game...

Himalaya Adventurers Find 'Yeti Tracks'

Traces aren't animal, experts say, 'look human'

(Newser) - The legendary abominable snowman of the Himalayas remains camera-shy, but a Japanese team has made a breakthrough, discovering what the lead researcher says are yeti footprints. "Myself and other team members have been coming to the Himalayas for years and we can recognize bear, deer, wolf and snow leopard...

Fad Banana Diet Finds Mass A Peel in Japan

Regimen claims to fuel weight loss with just banana, water for breakfast

(Newser) - A penchant for fad dieting is making Japanese consumers ripe for a new weight-loss scheme starring bananas, Time reports. Since a popular actress lost 26 pounds on the Morning Banana Diet, the fruit has been hard to come by. “There are no bananas on the shelves,” complained one...

Japan's Seniors Turn to Crime
 Japan's Seniors Turn to Crime 
Oct 17, 2008 9:10 AM CDT

Japan's Seniors Turn to Crime

Violence surges among over-65s

(Newser) - It's not the kids who are causing hand-wringing in Japan these days, but the elderly, who are responsible for a crime wave, the Daily Telegraph reports. With some 49,000 people over the age of 65 convicted of crimes ranging from petty theft to murder last year—more than triple...

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