Leading Japanese chip material maker Resonac Holdings Corp. said Monday it will form a consortium with nine other Japanese and U.S. firms to collaborate over the development of technologies deemed key in manufacturing state-of-the art semiconductors used for generative artificial intelligence. The consortium, called US-JOINT, will be based in Silicon Valley, setting its main focus on developing so-called back-end technologies of packaging semiconductors. Its facility is expected to become fully operational next year. "Today's rapidly expanding next-generation semiconductors for generative AI a...
Kyodo News
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and former Memphis Grizzlies swingman Yuta Watanabe are set to spearhead the Japanese men's basketball team at the Paris Olympics after being named to head coach Tom Hovasse's 12-man roster on Monday. The star pair is joined by 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup standouts Yuki Kawamura and Josh Hawkinson, as well as recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate Keisei Tominaga, a member of Japan's 3x3 team at the Tokyo Olympics. University of Hawaii forward Akira Jacobs is the youngest member at 20, while 33-year-old Utsunomiya Brex shooting guard Makoto H...
Kyodo News
Tokyo stocks ended lower Monday despite the Nikkei index briefly hitting an all-time intraday high, as investors locked in gains after the market's recent rally. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 131.67 points, or 0.32 percent, from Friday at 40,780.70, after rising as high as 41,112.24. The broader Topix index finished 16.57 points, or 0.57 percent, lower at 2,867.61. On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by marine transportation, electric power and gas, and insurance issues. The U.S. dollar fell to the lower 160 yen range before rebounding to the upper 160 yen level as...
Kyodo News
The Bank of Japan on Monday upgraded its evaluations of two of Japan's nine regions while maintaining that regional economies are recovering despite inflation and output disruptions in the scandal-hit auto sector. In its quarterly Sakura report, the assessments of quake-hit Hokuriku in central Japan and the Kinki region centering on Osaka were upgraded, while the evaluations for Hokkaido and Shikoku were lowered. The report came ahead of the BOJ's policy-setting meeting in late July.
Kyodo News
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry said he can see a bright future for Keisei Tominaga after the college basketball standout recently signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Indiana Pacers in the NBA. The four-time NBA champion Curry said Tominaga will find success by staying true to himself as he transitions to a professional career. "Just to be himself, have confidence in himself," Curry on Sunday advised Tominaga, who has a brand relationship with the two-time NBA MVP. Tominaga, a recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, is in line to make Japan's final 12-man Paris Olympic...
Kyodo News
The Nikkei stock index climbed Monday morning after U.S. shares advanced late last week, but gains were limited due to growing caution following the market's recent sharp rises. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 87.43 points, or 0.21 percent, from Friday to 40,999.80. The broader Topix index was down 3.86 points, or 0.13 percent, at 2,880.32. On the top-tier Prime Market, gainers were led by precision instrument and pharmaceutical issues, while marine transportation and insurance issues led decliners. The U.S. dollar dropped to the lower 160 yen zone, weighed down by prospects for early ...
Kyodo News
Chicago Cubs rookie Shota Imanaga made the All-Star team Sunday after Major League Baseball picked the southpaw for the National League roster. Imanaga, enjoying a strong year going 7-2 with a 3.16 ERA, joined fellow 30-year-old Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers as two representatives from Japan for the July 16 Midsummer Classic at Arlington's Globe Life Field. "I'm honored to have been picked. It'll be great if many people get to recognize my face and name," Imanaga said. "I was really happy to find myself named alongside many good players." MLB added pitchers and reserves, either as i...
Kyodo News
Tokyo stocks opened lower Monday as investors locked in recent gains, but declines were limited following advances on Wall Street late last week amid hopes for early interest rate cuts in the United States. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 64.57 points, or 0.16 percent, from Friday to 40,847.80. The broader Topix index was down 9.44 points, or 0.33 percent, at 2,874.74. On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by electric power and gas, marine transportation and insurance issues. At 9 a.m., the U.S. dollar fetched 160.63-66 yen compared with 1...
Kyodo News
Japan posted a current account surplus of 2.85 trillion yen ($18 billion) in May, the Finance Ministry said Monday. The current account balance is one of the widest gauges of international trade.
Kyodo News
Japan's real wages fell 1.4 percent from a year earlier in May, with the decline extending to a record 26th straight month as the highest pay hike in more than three decades has yet to outpace inflation, government figures showed Monday. The drop in May is larger than a revised 1.2 percent fall in April, with higher materials costs and a weakening yen pushing up import costs, data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare showed. The downward pressure continues even as the Japanese Trade Union Confederation said last Wednesday that Japanese companies agreed to raise wages by an average of...
Kyodo News
To continue enjoying content, please agree to our Terms of Use for Users that includes our collection and use of your browsing data, which is incorporated into our Privacy Policy.