TOKYO -- Ahead of what could be another brutally hot summer in Japan, discount store chain Don Quijote has unveiled clothing with built-in fans to help consumers cope with soaring temperatures.
In Laos, war still waits beneath the soil
LUANG PRABANG, Laos -- According to the Laotian Times, Laotian teams searching for unexploded ordnance (UXO) destroyed an American 500-pound MK82 bomb in a village near Luang Prabang on March 27. Three days earlier, another clearance team had destroyed a similar bomb in Xiengkhouang province. Both were enduring legacies of the American war in Indochina.
Majority of Tokyo Growth stocks below market cap cutoff as deadline nears
TOKYO -- About 60% of companies on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Growth section had an average market capitalization below 10 billion yen ($62.4 million) for January-March, as smaller businesses that have struggled to grow after going public face tighter listing standards taking effect in 2030.
K-fashion, K-pop merch gain presence in China as bilateral relations ease
SHANGHAI -- South Korean consumer brands are moving into China, aiming to gain a foothold by riding tailwinds from improving bilateral ties and growth in Chinese tourist traffic to South Korea.
Japan's naphtha imports recover to 80% of pre-Iran war levels
TOKYO -- Japanese companies have made progress in securing alternative sources of naphtha as the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz dries up the Middle Eastern supply, with imports in May reaching nearly 80% of levels before the Iran war.
Japan's Toray to build plastics facility in India, tapping into auto demand
TOKYO -- Toray Industries will build a processing facility in India for high-performance plastics used in autos and other products, the Japanese materials maker announced Friday.
Toyota to launch racing kart plant to hook new generation of fans
NAGOYA, Japan -- Toyota Motor plans to build a racing kart factory that will start producing the four-wheeled open vehicles by autumn, the Japanese automaker said Friday, hoping to expand the fan base with affordable models.
World Cup tests Lenovo’s ambitions to challenge AI champions
HONG KONG -- To the sorrow of millions of Chinese soccer fans, their national team will once again not be among the 48 sides taking the field when the World Cup kicks off next week in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. But for one leading Chinese technology company, the tournament will still be a make-or-break chance to show whether it has the skills to play for the highest stakes.
Toyota to debut superconducting hydrogen car in 24-hour endurance race
NAGOYA, Japan -- Toyota Motor will race a car that combines a superconducting motor with liquid hydrogen fuel at a 24-hour endurance contest beginning Saturday afternoon in central Japan's Shizuoka prefecture, achieving a world first if it finishes the event.
Japan's farmer-backed ruling party to support trade talks with Mercosur
TOKYO -- Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has decided to support trade talks with South American economic bloc Mercosur on the condition that the government works to achieve a pact that would expand Japanese farm exports.