Tokyo, 23 October, /AJMEDIA/
Tokyo Metro surges 47.3% on debut in Japan’s biggest IPO in 6 years
TOKYO – Tokyo Metro Co. made an impressive debut on the Tokyo stock market on Wednesday, briefly surging 47.3 percent above the offering price of 1,200 yen ($7.9) in Japan’s biggest initial public offering in six years.
The IPO put Tokyo Metro’s market capitalization at around 1.01 trillion yen, making it the seventh largest railway operator in the country in terms of total market value as of Wednesday.
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Japan court orders retrial of man over 1986 schoolgirl murder
KANAZAWA, Japan – A Japanese court decided Wednesday to order a retrial for a man who served a seven-year prison sentence over the 1986 murder of a junior high school girl in central Japan, questioning the credibility of the testimonies that led to his conviction.
In ordering a retrial for Shoshi Maekawa, 59, the Kanazawa branch of the Nagoya High Court cited the possibility that one of the statements was false and motivated by self-interest. Maekawa has maintained his innocence since he was arrested in 1987.
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Ohtani 50th home run ball sold for record $4.39 mil. at U.S. auction
NEW YORK – The ball hit out of the park by Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani in his historic 50th home run this season sold for a record $4,392,000 in an online auction, its organizer said early Wednesday.
The figure is the highest ever paid at auction for a game-used baseball, according to Goldin Auctions LLC, topping the $3,005,000 brought in by the 70th home run ball hit in 1998 by Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals when he set the single-season home run record.
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Japan’s 2 new astronauts show excitement, with Moon possibly in sight
TOKYO – Japan’s two newly approved astronauts expressed excitement on Wednesday about their upcoming space journey, amid expectations that they could be selected as the first Japanese astronauts to land on the Moon under the U.S.-led lunar exploration program.
“Space exploration has become an era of upheaval, targeting the Moon and Mars. I want to become an astronaut that can convey the fascination of space,” Ayu Yoneda, 29, told a press conference in Tokyo two days after she was officially certified as an astronaut by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, along with Makoto Suwa, 47.
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Chinese blockade would be act of war, Taiwan’s defense chief says
TAIPEI – Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo warned Wednesday that a blockade of the self-ruled island by China would be regarded as an “act of war,” with severe repercussions for global maritime trade, following Chinese military drills last week that simulated such a scenario.
“If you really carry out a so-called blockade, which according to international law is to prohibit all aircraft and ships entering the area, then according to United Nations resolutions, it is regarded as a form of war,” Koo told reporters.
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Japan Display fails to agree with Chinese city over organic EL plan
TOKYO – Japan Display Inc. said Wednesday it failed to reach an agreement with the Chinese city of Wuhu in Anhui Province over a project to build a factory there to produce next-generation organic electroluminescent display panels.
The Japanese company has been in talks with the municipality after a similar project with Chinese display maker HKC Corp. went awry late last year.
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North Korea sent 3,000 troops to help Russia in Ukraine war: S. Korea
SEOUL – North Korea has sent around 3,000 troops to help Russia in its war against Ukraine, South Korean lawmakers said Wednesday, after being briefed by South Korea’s spy agency.
The total number of North Korean troops sent to Russia is expected to reach 10,000 by December, the lawmakers said, citing the National Intelligence Service.
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Uniqlo operator unveils new Tokyo flagship store amid inbound boom
TOKYO – Fast Retailing Co. on Wednesday unveiled its fourth global flagship store for the Uniqlo clothing brand in Japan, returning to a major Tokyo shopping district where it had closed an outlet in 2022, amid a recent recovery in inbound tourism.
The new store, scheduled to open on Friday, is located in the heart of Shinjuku, one of the busiest commercial districts in the country. Shinjuku Station holds the Guinness World Record for the highest number of passengers boarding and departing.