Yoshinoya puts off 'gyudon' restart as U.S. beef banned again
January 20, 2006Yoshinoya D&C Co. said Saturday it will delay putting ''gyudon'' beef-on-rice dishes back on the menu after the Japanese government again banned U.S. beef imports Friday. ''It's really regrettable,'' said Yoshinoya, which had planned to restart serving gyudon at its restaurants next month after Japan lifted the two-year-old import ban last month. The postponement will last for the time being.
Matsushita targets group sales of 10 tril. yen in FY 2010
January 20, 2006Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. plans to set its group sales goal for fiscal 2010 at 10 trillion yen, against 8.71 trillion yen for fiscal 2004, company officials said Saturday. The maker of Panasonic-brand consumer electronics will also seek to raise its operating margin to more than 10 percent from 3.5 percent for fiscal 2004 ended last March, the officials said.
Oil closes above $68 in New York
January 20, 2006Crude oil futures closed above the $68 range on Friday in New York, lifted by growing uncertainties in Nigeria and Iran as well as news reports Thursday that an audiotape that threatens new al-Qaida attacks on the United States was aired by Arabic-language satellite TV network Al-Jazeera. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude for February delivery ended the week at $68.35 a barrel, up $1.52 from Thursday's close, the highest level in about four and a half months.
Accounting firm may have been involved in fixing Livedoor's books
January 20, 2006Prosecutors suspect that General Consulting Firm Co., a consulting and accounting firm based in Yokohama which does accounting work for Livedoor Co., may have been involved in the Internet firm's alleged falsifying of earnings results, sources close to the matter said Saturday. The managing director involved in handling the work related to Livedoor joined the company as a director in July 2003, together with Ryoji Miyauchi, who now serves as Livedoor's chief financial officer, the sources said.
Livedoor execs grilled over alleged financial scam
January 20, 2006Japanese prosecutors questioned two Livedoor Co. executives and an executive of the Internet firm's affiliated company on Friday afternoon on suspicion of spreading false financial information to deceive investors, investigative sources said. This is the first time prosecutors have questioned Livedoor executives, who include Chief Financial Officer Ryoji Miyauchi, 38, and Director Fumito Kumagai, 28, since they raided the head office of the fast-growing Internet firm Monday over alleged securities exchange law violations.
Livedoor execs apparently grilled over alleged financial scam
January 20, 2006Prosecutors apparently questioned Livedoor Co. executives Friday on suspicion they have spread false financial information to deceive investors, investigative sources said. This is the first time prosecutors have questioned Livedoor executives -- among them Chief Financial Officer Ryoji Miyauchi and Director Fumito Kumagai -- since they raided the head office of the fast-growing Internet firm Monday over alleged securities exchange law violations.
TSE to beef up capacity of trading system next week
January 20, 2006The Tokyo Stock Exchange plans to beef up the capacity of its computerized trading system next week, TSE President Taizo Nishimuro said Friday. Nishimuro unveiled the plan to raise the number of stock trades the TSE can execute each day to 5 million from the current 4.5 million in a meeting with Financial Services Minister Kaoru Yosano and Yoshimasa Yamashita, president of Japan Securities Clearing Corp.
Prosecutors grill Livedoor's No. 2 man Miyauchi
January 20, 2006Prosecutors apparently questioned three Livedoor Co. executives, including Chief Financial Officer Ryoji Miyauchi and Director Fumito Kumagai, on Friday over alleged securities law violations by the Internet services company, investigative sources said Friday. The questioning started on a voluntary basis in the latest development of the probe into Livedoor.
U.S. beef with BSE risk materials could have been imported to Japan
January 20, 2006A U.S. meat-processing facility is suspected of having shipped to Japan beef with backbone, which is among the bovine body parts designated as risk materials for mad cow disease, farm minister Shoichi Nakagawa said Friday. Accordingly, Japan may ban imports from the U.S. facility, Nakagawa said.