Record year for Australian beef exports to Japan
January 4, 2006Australian beef exports to Japan in 2005 were at their highest level ever, despite a slide in exports in the middle of the year, an analyst for a major Australian meat organization said Wednesday. Peter Weeks, the chief market analyst for Meat and Livestock Australia, told Kyodo News that with 405,084 tons of Australian beef exported to Japan in 2005, annual exports were up 3 percent over the previous year.
Softbank to establish 'cyber college' in Fukuoka
January 4, 2006Softbank Corp. and business circles in the Kyushu region are considering the establishment of a ''cyber college'' that would provide lectures via the Internet for undergraduates studying for a degree, informed sources said Wednesday. They aim to launch the college, the first of its kind in Japan, in April next year in the city of Fukuoka, the sources said.
Japan, India agree to promote strategic dialogues
January 4, 2006Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso agreed with Indian Minister of External Affairs E. Ahamed on Wednesday to promote bilateral strategic dialogues in security and other fields in order to strengthen ties, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said. The two countries are also expected to hold further talks on reform of the United Nations and the creation of an East Asian community, in an apparent move to check the recent rise of China in both political and economic fields.
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ begins operating after 3-month delay
January 4, 2006The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ began operating Wednesday as the core unit of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., the world's largest financial group in terms of assets. The new bank debuted Sunday, three months after the initially scheduled Oct. 1, when the financial group was created through the merger of Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group Inc. and UFJ Holdings Inc.