Japan | featured news

The Japanese insurer will seek $11.8 billion in what would be the world's largest initial public offering in nearly two years, in a move that will test renewed investor confidence in Japan's equity markets.

Australia tells Japan to stop whaling in the Southern Ocean by November this year or face international legal action.

U.S. regulators launched a preliminary investigation into reported steering problems on the Corolla sedan on Wednesday as Toyota Motor Corp faced questions from U.S. lawmakers on whether it had ignored red flags on safety before a wave of vehicle recalls.

China gave up its title to Japan as the largest holder of U.S. Treasury securities in December as foreigners bought U.S. assets at a brisk pace.

Japan's economy grew at a faster than expected pace last quarter, as steady exports to Asia and support from government stimulus measures prevent another downturn in the region's largest economy.

Concerns over China's lending and Japan's debt eased by midday in New York as Wall Street moved out to session highs.

Japanese opposition parties vowed on Sunday to pursue a funding scandal that has ensnared a ruling party kingpin ahead of a mid-year election, but stopped short of threatening to delay a budget debate in parliament.

If China keeps up a 8.7 growth rate, it will likely replace Japan as the world’s second-largest economy this year.

JAL will shrink dramatically under a government-led restructuring plan, cutting significantly its work force, its routes, and the number of affiliated companies launched when the airline tried to diversify into a broad-based service firm.

Japan's aged finance minister is to quit due to poor health after weeks of exhausting wrangling over the budget, the Nikkei news agency said on Tuesday, a fresh blow for Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama as he struggles with a frail economy and huge public debt.