J-CAST Business News http://en.j-cast.com/ Japan's leading business news website, provided in English and Japanese. Full of useful, practical business tips and know-hows. Chinese site to be launched soon. ja Copyright(c) 2006 J-CAST, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 09 May 2008 15:14:38 +0900 Fuji Heavy Industries’ flat engine FR cars. Can they answer worldwide expectations?    Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. decided to stop developing and producing mini cars this year that marks the 50th anniversary of the sale of "Subaru 360" cars. As a reason for the decision, Kunio Mori, president of the company, told reporters that the company was determined to concentrate all its resources on its core business. What he meant by the core business was the horizontally opposed engines (flat engines) and cars by powered by them. To protect such models of cars as the "Legacy" and "Impressa" that would lose the characteristics as the company's cars unless they are powered by the flat engines, the company seems to have had no choice but give up mini cars.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/05/02019792.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/05/02019792.html Automotive & Machinery Fri, 02 May 2008 20:14:09 +0900 Information on Chinese stocks strengthened: MSN Money    The online business group of Microsoft will strengthen the information on Chinese stocks on the website to provide financial information MSN (R) Money. It began a special article, "Beijing 2008 Special Report - Following the Yuan and Chinese stocks," on April 15, 2008 jointly with Xinhua Finance Japan Ltd.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/25019497.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/25019497.html Technology & Electronics Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:51:17 +0900 Audi A4 Avant with special specifications on market “A4 Avant 2.0 TFSI Quattro Dynamic Line Black Limited/White Limited” sold by Audi Japan
“A4 Avant 2.0 TFSI Quattro Dynamic Line Black Limited/White Limited” sold by Audi Japan

   Audi Japan KK has been selling the "A4 Avant 2.0 TFSI Quattro Dynamic Line Black Limited/White Limited," which is an "A4 Avant" car with special specifications, since April 15, 2008.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/24019460.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/24019460.html Retail & Logistics Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:58:52 +0900 About 90% of women in teens and 20’s surf or handle cell phones while watching TV    More women than men and more young people than old ones answered that they "very often" or "sometimes" do to a question, "do you surf on the internet or use cell phones while watching TV?" in a survey on "access to information and media" conducted by NTT Advertising, Inc. and announced on Aprils 16, 2008.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/23019369.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/23019369.html Others Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:32:20 +0900 Tokyo accounts for 10% of Japan's total population. Population concentrating on greater metropolitan areas    Japan's population stood at an estimated 127,771,000, more or less levelling off from the previous year, according to Japan's population estimate (as of Oct. 1, 2007) announced by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry on April 15, 2008. By the prefectures, the population of Tokyo, the most populated area in the country, increased 0.78% over the previous year to 12,758,000, accounting for 10% of the total. The increase rate of the Tokyo population was highest across the country. It was for the first time in 28 years that Tokyo's population accounted for 10% of the total.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/22019314.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/22019314.html Others Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:53:00 +0900 What happened to Docomo? Market share plummeted under its own weight to below 50%    The market share of the leading mobile phone company NTT DoCoMo has reportedly dipped below 50% for the first time in 11 years. Many new companies have joined in the mobile phone industry, and the "tycoon" DoCoMo has been cornered as the new companies have introduced a wide variety of payment plans for their customers.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/21019256.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/21019256.html Technology & Electronics Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:19:44 +0900 Nissan to begin selling 5-seat, sports-type “Livina C-Gear” in China Nissan Livina C-Gear
Nissan Livina C-Gear

   Nissan Motor Co. will begin selling the "Livina C-Gear," the third model in the Livina series designed primarily for global market, in China to start with before the new car will be put on the markets of other countries, the company announced on April 7, 2008.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/18019200.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/18019200.html Retail & Logistics Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:38:28 +0900 Bankruptcies in FY07 up 18%. Biggest since FY01: Teikoku Databank    Corporate bankruptcies in Japan totalled 11,333 cases in fiscal 2007with debt of 10 million yen or more each, up 18.4% over the previous year and largest since fiscal 2001, the private credit research company Teikoku Databank announced on April 8, 2008. The total debt of the bankrupt companies also turned to an uptrend at 5,532,286 million yen, up 5.2% over the previous year.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/17019151.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/17019151.html Management & Eco-businesses Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:28:27 +0900 New “mobile-net” bank to be called “Jibun Bank”    The "mobile-net" bank to accommodate clients over the internet through mobile phones, to be established jointly by the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and KDDI Corp., will be named "Jibun Bank," it was disclosed on April 11. Preparations are being made to open the new bank in July 2008 at earliest after obtaining the approval from the Financial Services Agency.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/16019098.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/16019098.html Financial services & Securities Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:19:47 +0900 BBC to broadcast iPlayher on-demand service for Wii in tie-up with Nintendo    The British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) will broadcast its "BBC iPlayer" on-demand service for reception by the home game machine "Wii" in collaboration with Nintendo, UK. This was disclosed by the person in charge of the future media technology of the BBC group in a lecture delivered on April 9.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/15019009.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/15019009.html Technology & Electronics Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:42:06 +0900 Rush of advance orders for Crown Hybrid cars makes dealers worried    The Toyota car dealers across Japan, including Tokyo Toyota and Tokyo Toyopet for the Tokyo area, have some worries about the sale of the hybrid version of the cars to be marketed by Toyota Motor as the 13th model of the Crown. The sales of the Crown hybrid cars are to begin on May 6, 2008, but the cars are already so popular that their deliveries are booked until after July. If advance orders for the cars continue to come in, the deliveries would have to be delayed further. The dealers are wracking their brains to find ways to deal with new orders that seem to continue to rush in. They are worried if their customers would be patient enough to wait.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/14018945.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/14018945.html Automotive & Machinery Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:43:08 +0900 Corolla Fielder compatible with bio-ethanol to test-run in Osaka

   Toyota Motor Corp. is now offering its "Corolla Fielder 1.8l 2WF (CVT)" cars that can run on gasoline mixed 10% with bio-methanol (E10) for test runs on the public roads in Osaka as the cars have been approved of by the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/11018891.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/11018891.html Automotive & Machinery Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:33:28 +0900 Market expands biggest ever for game machines, software: Enterbrain    The sales of home game machines and software in Japan in fiscal 2007 rose 3.8% over the previous year to 676,950 million yen in value, according to a survey by Enterbain, Inc. The figure was the largest since the company began to conduct survey on the game market in fiscal 1997. The company announced the survey result on April 3, 2008.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/10018859.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/10018859.html Technology & Electronics Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:52:09 +0900 Mitsubishi Fuso markets improved model of double-decker bus for expressways    Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. began selling on April 2, 2008 the revised model of the double-decker bus "Aero King Highway Liner." The old model was withdrawn from the market in 2005 mainly because of the stricter control over the gas emission. The bus was revived after three years after it was improved to meet stricter environmental and economic requirements. Priced at 72.66 million yen, the new model is designed to run on expressways connecting big cities.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/09018788.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/09018788.html Automotive & Machinery Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:51:46 +0900 Mazda to recall 52,513 MPV cars    Mazda Motor announced on April 4, 2008 that it will recall 52,513 units of its MPV passenger cars. The carmaker said the low oil pressure hoses of the pressure-type power steering system of these cars were found to be malformed. It said defects were also found in the shift cable in automatic gear change system. In worst case, these defects could cause fire or loss of control as a result of leakage of the fluid in the brake system. The cars subjected to the recall were produced between Dec. 15, 2005 and March 14, 2008.

]]> http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/08018728.html http://en.j-cast.com/2008/04/08018728.html Automotive & Machinery Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:39:12 +0900