Latest Japan Headlines

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

China’s Coronavirus Deaths, Infections Rise; Supply Chains, Production, Travel Disrupted

Feb 6 2020 // China’s fast-moving coronavirus spread among passengers of a quarantined Japanese cruise liner on Thursday and dragged down production at more global businesses, as scientists across the world searched for a...

Roundup: Nations Stepping Up Scrutiny of Vessels, Trains Shipping from China

Feb 5 2020 // Vessels and trains coming from China are in focus as nations take steps to halt the spread of a deadly coronavirus that originated in the world’s second-biggest economy. Here’s a roundup of some of the latest...

Global Coronavirus Cases Soar to 10,000 as WHO Declares Health Emergency

Jan 31 2020 // The U.K. confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus on Friday, while the U.S. and Japan advised citizens to avoid traveling to China. Singapore suspended visas issued to Chinese citizens. Stocks fell in Europe and Asia...

Coronavirus Impact: Growing List of Global Firms Cut Back on China Business Activities

Jan 29 2020 // Starbucks Corp. has closed more than half of its coffee shops in mainland China — about 2,000 of them — and Toyota Motor Corp. is halting production in the country, as global corporations grapple with a...

Pandemic Fears Grow as China Steps Up Efforts to Control New Flu-Like Coronavirus

Jan 22 2020 // Deaths from China’s new flu-like virus rose to nine on Wednesday with more than 470 confirmed cases, heightening global fears of contagion from an infection suspected to have come from animals.The previously unknown...

Japan Firms Have Done Little to Build Resilience Against Increasing Floods: Reuters Poll

Jan 17 2020 // Japanese companies have contingency plans for the floods that increasingly drench this island nation, but most have done little to fortify facilities, relying instead on insurance and securing alternative supply sources, a...

Natural Catastrophes Cost $150B in 2019, with Insurers Paying $52B: Munich Re

Jan 8 2020 // Natural catastrophes caused overall losses of US$150 billion during 2019, including insured losses of about US$52 billion, which matches the average of the past 30 years, according to Munich Re’s catastrophe...

Japan Post’s Insurance Sales Suspended by Regulator; Top Executives Resign

Dec 27 2019 // The heads of Japan Post Holdings Co Ltd and two affiliates said on Friday they will resign over the improper sales of insurance policies, after the regulator announced administrative punishments against the companies.Japan...

Japan Post’s Share Sale Faces Delays After Scandals at Insurance Unit: Sources

Dec 24 2019 // Japan’s government is considering holding off on its plan to sell about $10 billion worth of shares in Japan Post Holdings Co. through this fiscal year following scandals involving its insurance unit, according to...

Catholic Church Abuse Allegations Being Raised in Japan

Dec 16 2019 // During Pope Francis’ recent visit to Japan, Harumi Suzuki stood where his motorcade passed by holding a sign that read: “I am a survivor.”Katsumi Takenaka stood at another spot, on another day, holding up...

Regulator Weighs Halting Japan Post Insurance Sales – Nikkei

Dec 16 2019 // Japan’s financial regulator is considering ordering Japan Post and Japan Post Insurance to suspend sales of insurance policies, the Nikkei Shimbun reported Monday.The Financial Services Agency (FSA) will also seek...

New Zealand Tragedy Raising Questions About Live Volcano Tourism

Dec 11 2019 // Tourists caught in the deadly blast at New Zealand’s White Island were there despite a recent increase in volcanic activity, although experts said precise predictions on eruptions were all but impossible.Five people...

AXIS Capital’s Losses from Japan’s Typhoon Hagibis Estimated at $90M-$110M

Nov 26 2019 // AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. announced a preliminary pre-tax loss estimate for Japanese Typhoon Hagibis in the range of $90 million to $110 million, net of estimated recoveries from reinsurance and retrocessional covers, and...

Japan’s Largest Insurers Take Another Hit from Typhoon Losses

Nov 19 2019 // A string of powerful typhoons that struck Japan has left scars on the country’s non-life insurers, with industry giants likely forced to pay a combined $8 billion in insurance payments in the current fiscal year that...

Data Firm Palantir’s Partnership with Japan’s Sompo Insurance Targets Health, Cyber

Nov 18 2019 // Silicon Valley data analytics company Palantir Technologies Inc. has established a joint venture with Japanese insurance holding company Sompo Holdings Inc. that will initially focus on health and cybersecurity clients,...

Typhoon Hagibis to Cost Japan’s Economy $10B, with Insured Losses in Billions: Aon

Nov 8 2019 // Typhoon Hagibis is likely to become one of 2019’s costliest events, with economic costs of more than US$10 billion and insured losses minimally in the billions, according to Aon’s monthly catastrophe report.The...

Insured Losses from Typhoon Hagibis Estimated at $7B-$11B: RMS

Nov 1 2019 // Insured losses stemming from Typhoon Hagibis in Japan are estimated to range between US$$7 billion and $11 billion, according to Newark, Calif.-based catastrophe modeling firm RMS.While last month’s Typhoon Faxai was...

PCS Extends Catastrophe Loss Methodology to Australia, N. Zealand, SE Asia

Oct 30 2019 // Property Claims Services (PCS), a Verisk subsidiary, has extended the catastrophe loss aggregation methodology, previously developed for use in Japan, to cover more territories in the region.Starting Jan. 1, 2020, PCS will...

Typhoon Hagibis Likely to Cause Earnings Event for Japan’s Insurers: Fitch

Oct 29 2019 // Typhoon Hagibis is likely to be an earnings event for Japan’s three main non-life insurance groups, MS&AD Insurance Groups Holdings, Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance...

Torrential Rain Causes Flooding, Mudslides in Japan, Killing at Least 10

Oct 28 2019 // Torrential rain that caused flooding and mudslides in towns east of Tokyo left at least 10 people dead and added fresh damage in areas still recovering from recent typhoons, officials said Saturday.Rescue workers found the...