Executives at Japan`s Fuji TV and parent firm resign over a sex scandal linked to a former star

TOKYO (AP) — The president and chairperson of Japanese network Fuji Television have resigned over a widening sex assault scandal linked to one of Japan's top TV celebrities. The scandal centers on Masahiro Nakai, a former leader of Japan’s once-hugely popular boy band SMAP, and...

New player arrives in US Steel-Nippon takeover saga with the goal of quashing it

An asset manager is seeking to quash Nippon Steel's takeover of U.S. Steel and oust the leadership of the U.S. steelmaker after taking a stake in the company. Ancora Holdings Group, with $10 billion in assets, reported acquiring a 0.18% stake in the Pittsburgh company. It said...

Asset manager seeks to oust leadership of US Steel and quash deal with Nippon after acquiring a stake in US steelmaker

Sacai brings wild nostalgia to Paris Fashion Week

PARIS (AP) — Sacai, Japan’s biggest fashion powerhouse, brought the wild side to Paris Fashion Week with Sunday's collection that reimagined childhood nostalgia through a lens of cutting-edge design. Inspired by the 1963 children's picture book “Where the Wild Things Are” by...

Bank of Japan raises interest rate to about 0.5%, citing higher wages and inflation

TOKYO (AP) — The Bank of Japan raised its key interest rate to about 0.5% from 0.25% Friday, noting that inflation is holding at a desirable target level. “The economy is gradually recovering,” BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda told reporters after a two-day policy board meeting in Tokyo. ...

Japan's leader says he's preparing for tough negotiations with Trump on maintaining US presence

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, struggling to stabilize his minority government, said Friday he will seek to maintain regional security and prepare for tough negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump to win his commitment to maintain a strong American presence in the...

Masahiro Nakai, a TV host and former pop star in Japan, retires after sexual assault report

TOKYO (AP) — Masahiro Nakai, one of Japan’s top TV hosts and a former pop star, said Thursday he was retiring to take responsibility over sexual assault allegations that are part of a wave roiling Japan's entertainment industry and have triggered an avalanche of lost advertising at one of the...

Japan's exports hit record high, but trade deficit continues

TOKYO (AP) — Japan saw record-high exports last year, as its annual trade deficit declined 44% from the previous year, the Finance Ministry reported Thursday. The trade deficit, which measures the value of exports minus imports, totaled 5.3 trillion yen ($34 billion), according to...

Sunfish that got sick after aquarium closed has recovered — thanks to human cutouts

TOKYO (AP) — A solitary sunfish at an aquarium in southwestern Japan lost its appetite, began banging into the side of the fish tank and appeared unwell days after the facility closed last month for renovations. As a last-ditch measure to save the popular fish, its keepers hung their uniforms and...

1 person is killed and 2 injured in stabbing outside Nagano station in central Japan

TOKYO (AP) — One person died and two others were injured in a knife attack Wednesday night outside a train station in Nagano in central Japan, and police were looking for a suspect who fled, authorities said. Nagano police and fire department officials said a 49-year-old man was...