By Yoshifumi Takemoto and Daniel LeussinkTOKYO( Reuters)-Japanese retail sales beat expectations in

TOKYO( Reuters)-Japan's vaccine minister Taro Kono, a contender to replace Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, said on Thursday any new economic stimulus measures should prioritise spending on renewable energy and expansion of 5G networks nationwide.In a group interview, Kono also said it was hard to change monetary policy abruptly now given the strain the coronavirus pandemic is inflicting on the economy. Kono is running to replace Suga, who is stepping down as leader of the ruling Liberal Democrati

TOKYO( Reuters)-Japan is considering imposing economic sanctions on Belarus, in line with the United States, for its support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, two government officials with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Saturday.It was not immediately clear which individuals or entities would be targeted by such sanctions.... The officials told Reuters Tokyo will coordinate with other members of the Group of Seven industrial powers.A Foreign Ministry spokesman declined comment.... The

Kazuhiro Nogi/ Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo Domestic media reported this week that he intended to dissolve the lower house of parliament in mid-September and was considering holding the general election on Oct.... 21, Suga avoided a direct answer.“ There are no plans to push back the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, and we will work around the dates available for the general election, ” he said.... 29.A senior LDP official told Reuters that Suga was weighing a party executive and

Japan cut its view on economic conditions for the first time in more than two years after the coincident indicator index extended its decline in September, falling to the lowest in a year. The index showing current economic conditions, compiled from data including factory output, employment and retail sales, slipped a preliminary 3.8 points from the previous month to 87.5, the Cabinet Office said, marking the third consecutive month of decline.... The fall was biggest since May 2020. The govern

TOKYO( Reuters)-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling Liberal Democratic Party( LDP) made no mention of reviewing financial income tax in its campaign platform for the Oct.31 general elections, a draft obtained by Reuters showed. Kishida, who has vowed to rectify wealth disparities, had previously said reviewing financial income tax would be an option in addressing income gaps. The absence of the financial income tax in its campaign platform may indicate a tug of war within the LDP betw

The case for supporting Japan's economy is urgent as supply disruptions hurt mainstay exports for the world's third-biggest economy even as consumption has yet to accelerate after the Sept.... The extra budget must pass through parliament next month to avoid a delay in enacting next year's budget by the March end of this fiscal year. DELAY RISKS?... In a potential signal of resistance, the ministry's top bureaucrat, Koji Yano, recently issued a rare criticism of politicians engaging in pork-ba

TOKYO( Reuters)-The ruling party's solid victory in Japan's parliamentary election on Sunday will likely take pressure off Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to inflate the size of a pandemic-relief stimulus package, easing market fears of massive bond issuance. Kishida has pledged to compile a fresh stimulus package worth" several tens of trillion yen" to cushion the economic blow from the COVID-19 crisis, but so far offered few details including the exact size of spending and how to pay for it. Duri

Before that, Japan went through six prime ministers in as many years, including Abe's own troubled first one-year tenure. Suga's dream scenario was to contain the virus outbreak, preside over a successful Games and call a general election.... " All they need is an alternative." New infections in Tokyo surged to a nearly six-month high of 1, 308 on Thursday and medical experts have sounded the alarm.... Japan's mostly voluntary restrictions have failed to curb the movement of people that can sp

" For Rent" signs are common.A few years ago, major supermarket chain Ito-Yokado pulled out after decades, dealing the town what residents said was a big blow.... Three multi-storey hotels face the main train station but their rooms are mostly empty. The city's population has shrunk by 12% since the nuclear plant was switched off to fewer than 80, 000.... Nuclear regulators last year objected to a Tepco plan for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa's restart after identifying inadequate security safeguards incl