Japanese retail sales rose 2.3 percent in September from a year earlier, government data showed on Tuesday, suggesting consumer spending is gradually picking up.
Japan
Nintendo to develop 'quality of life' device to track sleep, fatigue: CEO
Japanese video game maker Nintendo Co Ltd will develop a device to measure a user's fatigue and map their sleep, Chief Executive Satoru Iwata said on Thursday, the first offering from the company's newly created healthcare division.
SoftBank's humanoid robot lands job as Nescafe salesman
Nestle SA will enlist a thousand humanoid robots to help sell its coffee makers at electronics stores across Japan, becoming the first corporate customer for the chatty, bug-eyed androids unveiled in June by tech conglomerate SoftBank Corp.
Japan's Rakuten Inc launches cheap smartphone service
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten Inc said it will offer a cut-rate smartphone service for about a third of the monthly fees charged by the country's three dominant operators, adding to increasing price competition in the sector.
Asian shares rise on earnings optimism, dovish Fed
Asian shares advanced to one-month highs on Wednesday, helped by Wall Street which gained on optimism over corporate earnings and prospects the U.S. Federal Reserve will reaffirm its willingness to wait longer before raising interest rates.
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Japan's new trade and industry minister received contributions from a firm in which foreign investors held a majority stake, but was not aware of the possible violation of the political funds law at the time and has returned the money, an aide said on Monday.
"Super Mario Bros" creator Shigeru Miyamoto has produced some of the world's biggest video game hits over the past three decades, and now he has added film producer to his long list of credits.
Japan's Fujifilm Holdings Corp said on Monday it would buy 49 percent of Texas-based Kalon Biotherapeutics LLC, which has expertise in manufacturing vaccines used against pandemic influenza, Ebola and other public-health threats.
Asian equities rose on Monday, taking heart from upbeat earnings and economic data that eased recent global growth fears and sharpened risk appetite, while the dollar advanced to a three-week high against the yen.
A top Japanese government official said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should delay a planned sales-tax increase, the strongest sign yet that economic weakness is causing concern among those close to the premier ahead of the difficult tax decision.
Panasonic Corp (6752.T) plans to sell its Sanyo television unit in the U.S., which supplies sets to Wal-Mart Stores (WMT.N), to Funai Electric (6839.T) as it steps back from unprofitable businesses, the Nihon Keizai newspaper reported.
Panasonic Corp plans to sell its Sanyo television unit in the U.S., which supplies sets to Wal-Mart Stores, to Funai Electric as it steps back from unprofitable businesses, the Nihon Keizai newspaper reported.
Japan's cabinet approved changes on Friday to a 66-year-old law that bans late-night dancing in clubs, a decision that will help businesses cash in on an expected influx of tourists ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The yen languished at two-week lows against the dollar early on Friday, having come under renewed pressure overnight after an encouraging rally on Wall Street dampened demand for the safe haven currency.
