Latest Japan Headlines

All the headlines from our Japan Topic Page, ordered by recency.

UPDATE: Japan Lower House Passes Bill to Insure Iran Oil Imports

Jun 15 2012 //

Report: Japan to Pass Bill to Insure Iran Oil Imports

Jun 14 2012 // Japan’s lower house is set to pass a bill on Friday to provide government guarantees on insurance for Iranian crude cargoes, making it the first of Iran’s big Asian buyers to find a way to keep the oil flowing...

U.S. Exempts India, Other Countries, Not China, from Iran Sanctions

Jun 12 2012 // The United States extended exemptions from its tough, new sanctions on Iran’s oil trade to seven more economies on Monday, leaving China the last remaining major importer exposed to possible penalties at the end of...

U.S. to Issue More Waivers on Iran Sanctions Next Week

Jun 8 2012 // The United States will announce a new list of countries that will receive exceptions to financial sanctions on oil trade with Iran as soon as early next week, a government official said on Thursday.Not all of Iran’s...

Olympus Whistleblower CEO Woodford Wins Unfair Dismissal Settlement

May 29 2012 // Michael Woodford, ousted as head of Japanese camera-to-endoscope maker Olympus after blowing the whistle on one of Japan’s biggest corporate frauds, on Tuesday won a likely multi-million dollar settlement of his...

OECD Sees Euro Zone Crisis Threatening Global Economic Recovery

May 22 2012 // The United States and Japan are leading a fragile economic recovery among developed countries that could yet be blown off course if the euro zone fails to contain its flaring growth crisis, the OECD said on Tuesday.In its...

UK Seeking Delay to EU’s Iran Ship Insurance Ban

May 9 2012 // The UK is seeking to persuade fellow European Union members to postpone by up to six months a ban on providing insurance for tankers carrying Iranian oil, arguing that it could lead to a damaging spike in oil prices,...

UK’s FSA Fines Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (Europe) $5.4 Million; Bans Exec

May 9 2012 // The UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) announced that it has fined Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company (Europe) Ltd (MSIEu) £3.345 million [$5.4 million] “for serious corporate governance failings, and...

Willis Re Names Beedle to Head Asian Operations

Apr 18 2012 // Willis Re, the reinsurance arm of Willis Group Holdings has announced the appointment of James Beedle as CEO of its Asian operations. He has been a member of the Willis Re team since 1998 and has worked with numerous...

Is Marine Insurance the Stranglehold on Iran?

Apr 18 2012 // Marine insurance, or lack of it, may yet turn out to be the most effective sanction used by Western nations in 17 years of tightening the screws on Iran’s nuclear program.A European Union oil embargo on Iran, set to...

Japanese Insurers to Limit Iran Oil Voyages in Mideast Gulf – Sources

Apr 13 2012 // Japanese insurers are warning ship owners that they will only cover one tanker at a time carrying Iranian crude oil through the Middle East Gulf due to tightening Western sanctions against OPEC’s second biggest...

Japan P&I Club Ship Insurer Sets New Rules on Iran Oil Transport

Apr 11 2012 // Ship owners covered by Japan P&I club must alert the maritime insurer in advance of any plans to transport Iranian oil and petrochemicals that could fall foul of Western sanctions, the insurer said.The United States...

Willis Japan Appoints Enomoto New Retail CEO

Apr 5 2012 // Willis Group Holdings has appointed Yoshihide ‘Dean’ Enomoto as President and CEO of its retail brokerage business in Japan. The announcement coincides with news that the global insurance broker has opened a...

China P&I Club to Stop Indemnity Coverage for Tankers with Iran Oil

Apr 5 2012 // Key ship insurer, China P&I Club, will halt indemnity coverage for tankers carrying Iranian oil as of July amid tightening Western sanctions against OPEC’s second largest oil producer, two club officials told...

Starr Indemnity Receives Foreign, Non-Life Insurance License in Japan

Apr 3 2012 // Starr Indemnity & Liability Company announced that the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) has granted it a foreign, non-life insurance business license in Japan.The license allows Starr to offer approved accident...

Marsh Acquires Cosmos Services, a U.S. Brokerage Unit of Itochu Corp.

Apr 2 2012 // Marsh, a wholly-owned subsidiary of New York-based Marsh & McLennan Companies, acquired Cosmos Services (America) Inc., the U.S. insurance brokerage subsidiary of global trading firm Itochu Corporation. Terms of the...

Iran Oil Costs to Surge with EU Ship Insurance Ban

Mar 29 2012 // A widely expected ban on European insurance cover for Iranian oil exports from July 1 is threatening to curtail shipments and raise costs for major buyers such as Japan and South Korea, insurance industry sources say.Last...

$370 Billion Econ. Losses for 2011; $116 Billion Insured, Says Swiss Re

Mar 28 2012 // Although everyone is more or less aware that 2011 was a very bad year for losses from natural catastrophes, the figures compiled by Swiss Re evince just how bad they actually were. In its latest sigma study the reinsurer...

EU Agrees to Some Iran Oil Insurance Exemptions – Until July

Mar 23 2012 // The European Union will allow some insurance on Iranian oil shipments before its full embargo starts on July 1, member states agreed on Thursday, responding to concerns from Asian importers heavily reliant on the EU for...

U.S. Exempts 11 Countries from Iran Oil Sanctions; China, India Exposed

Mar 21 2012 // The United States exempted Japan and 10 EU nations from financial sanctions because they have significantly cut purchases of Iranian oil, but left Iran’s top customers China and India exposed to the possibility of...