Japan struggles to fill bullet trains running with empty seats

These days, the section of Tokyo Station serving regional destinations is a shadow of its former self. Gone are the usual crowds, and on a mid-week afternoon in late September, just a handful of commuters browsed bento-box stores.

“I see more cleaning staff getting off trains than passengers,” said Taro Aoki, who oversees 18 fast-food outlets in the capital’s main intercity rail terminal. “People used to swiftly pick which bento to buy and wait in line, but now, there’s hardly anyone around.” Source JapanTimes

Japan lines up Russian Arctic oil investment

Rosneft holds key meetings with METI and Jogmec over $157bn project. Participating in the project will help Japan diversify its energy supply away from the Middle East, from where it currently imports almost 90 per cent of its oil. Source: Financial Times

Japan approves high-tech exports to South Korea for first time under new controls

Japan has approved the export to South Korea of some key products (chemicals, chip materials) for the first time since introducing stricter trading rules amid an ongoing row between the two U.S. allies. Source: The Japan Times

Apple supplier Japan Display cannot promise return to profit, bailout worries stay

Cash-strapped Japan Display warned it cannot guarantee a return to profit this year as demand for smartphone screens stays weak, and turned in yet another quarterly loss, casting doubt over its proposed bailout deal with a Chinese-Taiwanese group. Source: Reuters

Key measure points to 1st Japan economic downturn in 6 years

The government said Monday its key composite index of economic indicators shows Japan’s economy “worsening” for the first time in more than six years, reinforcing the view that the world’s third-largest economy may have entered a recession. Source: Nikkei Asian Review

South Korean students flock to Japan as birthrate sinks and unemployment climbs

More and more highly educated young people from South Korea, which like Japan has a rapidly graying population and needs more foreign labor for its economy, are coming to Japan because it’s difficult to find work at home. Source: Japan Times

Surprise drop in factory output adds to warning signs for Japan’s economy

The nation’s factory output unexpectedly fell in March, the government said Friday, in a sign that gross domestic product is more likely to have shrunk during the first quarter. Source: The Japan Times