Tokyo, 1 July, /AJMEDIA/
Japan business mood improves as auto woes ease but inflation weighs
TOKYO – The business sentiment index for major Japanese manufacturers rose two points to 13 in June, marking the first improvement in two quarters as the impact of an auto safety data-rigging scandal eased, but rising costs cast a shadow over the outlook, Bank of Japan data showed Monday.
The index among nonmanufacturers, including service providers such as hotel operators, worsened to 33 in June from 34, the first fall in 16 quarters after a strong run of improvement mainly driven by a revival of inbound tourism. Many companies now cite concerns about inflation and labor shortages, according to the Tankan quarterly survey.
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Japan successfully launches new H3 rocket with observation satellite
TOKYO – Japan successfully launched Monday its new flagship H3 rocket carrying an Earth observation satellite from a space center on a southwestern island, in a boost to the country’s space aspirations following the vehicle’s failed debut last year.
The domestically manufactured H3 rocket No. 3 lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, releasing its first stage about 5 minutes later and separating the satellite about 17 minutes later as planned.
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Mt. Fuji climbing season starts with new fees, control on numbers
KOFU, Japan – Mt. Fuji’s climbing season started Monday when one of the four main hiking trails opened, with local authorities for the first time charging entrance fees and restricting numbers of climbers to ease congestion.
Yamanashi Prefecture now accepts a maximum of 4,000 climbers per day on the Yoshida Trail, the most commonly used route up the 3,776-meter mountain, and charges 2,000 yen ($12). The route to the summit is expected to remain open through Sept. 10.
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Official of Japanese supermarket chain Aeon detained in Myanmar
TOKYO/YANGON – Japanese supermarket chain operator Aeon Co. said Monday that a senior official of a joint venture in Myanmar has been detained, with the military junta saying he was held along with 10 others for allegedly violating rules on the selling price of rice.
Aeon named the official as Hiroshi Kasamatsu, 53, an employee of Aeon Orange Co., adding it would cooperate with local authorities’ investigations while seeking support from the Japanese Embassy in Myanmar.
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PM Kishida vows travel aid program 6 months after central Japan quake
NANAO, Japan – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Monday to launch a specialized tourism subsidy program to support the Noto Peninsula on the Sea of Japan coast, which was hardest hit by a powerful earthquake just six months after the disaster on Jan. 1.
In Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, Kishida told reporters that the central government is preparing to introduce a project involving a 70 percent discount for visitors to the Noto area, the epicenter of the New Year’s Day disaster.
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North Korea fires 2 ballistic missiles: South Korean military
SEOUL – North Korea fired two ballistic missiles on Monday, including one short-range projectile, South Korea’s military said, with the launch Pyongyang’s second in less than a week.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the short-range missile was fired in a northeast direction at around 5:05 a.m. from western North Korea, with an additional unidentified ballistic missile fired at around 5:15 a.m.
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Japan Jan.-March economic contraction revised to annualized real 2.9%
TOKYO – Japan’s economy shrank an annualized real 2.9 percent in the January-March period for the first contraction in two quarters, revised down from a 1.8 percent decline reflecting recent corrections in construction statistics, government data showed Monday.
The figure for the October-December quarter last year was also lowered to an annualized 0.1 percent growth from the previous 0.4 percent expansion, the Cabinet Office said, showing the economy narrowly avoided three consecutive quarters of contraction.
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Football: Japan attacker Daichi Kamada signs with England’s Crystal Palace
LONDON – Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada has signed a two-year deal with Crystal Palace, subject to international clearance, the English Premier League club announced Monday.
The 27-year-old joins the south London side on a free transfer after departing Lazio in the Italian top flight.
