On September 12, the Fukushima City released a “No More Mega Solar” Declaration. The announcement came in response to the ongoing construction of mega solar power plants that damage the cityscape and increase the risk of disasters.   According to Mayor Hiroshi Kohata, the city’s aim was to clarify its stance on no further construction of mega solar power plants….Read more

HIROYUKI AKIYAMA, Nikkei staff writer   TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday announced the outline of an economic stimulus plan featuring tax breaks to spur domestic investment in such areas as semiconductors and batteries, along with measures to spur wage growth.   Kishida explained the five main points of the package: protecting people from the impact of….Read more

Osaka, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese economy is facing a critical moment to see whether a positive cycle between wages and prices can be achieved, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Monday.   “Japan’s economy has entered a critical phase in terms of realizing a virtuous cycle between wages and prices,” Ueda said in a speech in the western….Read more

All national dailies front-paged reports that Prime Minister Kishida announced on Monday five major pillars of the new economic measures to be finalized by the government by the end of next month: 1) easing the pain of inflation on households, 2) spurring more wage growth, 3) increasing domestic investment, 4) addressing challenges posed by the nation’s declining population, and 5)….Read more

Nikkei and Sankei reported on the finding on Monday that a senior member of Nomura Holdings’ Hong Kong arm has been barred from leaving China. The paper said that according to a Financial Times report, Charles Wang Zhonghe, chair of investment banking for China at the Hong Kong arm of Nomura Holdings, has only been barred from travelling outside mainland….Read more

BY ELIZABETH BEATTIE AND YUKANA INOUE, STAFF WRITERS   As the global semiconductor race continues, Mitsubishi Chemical Group is planning a new plant for semiconductor materials that will be operational by around March 2025, a spokesperson confirmed Monday.   Mitsubishi Chemical — which develops semiconductor materials as well as a wide variety of other materials — is yet to decide on….Read more

TOKYO — Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical Group plans to build a new domestic plant for semiconductor materials, Nikkei has learned, as investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and other players spark growth in the country’s chip industry supply chain.   The company aims to start operation of the new plant in the fiscal year ending March 2025. The facility will make polymer….Read more

By Inoue Ryo   SHANGHAI – Exactly one month passed on Sept. 24 after Tokyo Electric Power Co. released treated water from its Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant and China immediately responded to it with a total ban on Japanese seafood imports. In the North Pacific Ocean off the east coast of Japan, however, Chinese boats are still engaging in saury….Read more

HIROYUKI AKIYAMA, Nikkei staff writer   TOKYO — The Japanese government is considering tax breaks to lower production costs in such fields as semiconductors, batteries and biotechnology, part of measures to strengthen the ability of corporations to supply important goods.   It hopes to include long-term tax breaks in economic measures to be finalized next month. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida….Read more