South Korea says won't stand by as weak yen hits competitiveness

(Reuters) - South Korean authorities won't sit on their hands while a tumbling yen undercuts the country's export competitiveness, the central bank chief said on Friday, but policymakers could be reluctant to reduce interest rates, and currency intervention offers limited relief.

BOJ's Kuroda, confident on inflation, urges government to raise tax again

(Reuters) - Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda urged the government to proceed with another sales tax hike to fix its finances and, despite acknowledging some weakness in the economy, remained confident the central bank would hit its inflation target.

Japan’s Export-Champ Days Are Left Behind, Chart Shows

Japan’s exports stagnated even as Germany, South Korea and the U.S. saw their shipments surpass levels registered from the 2008 credit crisis, showing how a cheaper yen hasn’t stopped the nation’s manufacturers from moving abroad.

Japanese firms near crisis point as labor shortage deepens

(Reuters) - Japan's labor shortage is nearing crisis in some key industries as it spreads from construction to services, curbing companies' operations, pushing up wages and potentially crimping a tentative recovery in the world's third-largest economy.

Japan Inflation Acceleration Risks Souring Public on Abenomics

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s bid to vault Japan out of 15 years of deflation risks losing public support by spurring too much inflation too quickly as companies add extra price increases to this month’s sales-tax bump.

Asia stocks mixed amid doubts about China growth

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets were mixed Thursday, hindered by falling commodity prices and worries about the extent of China's economic slowdown.

Japan steps up efforts to crack untapped Myanmar economic market

NAYPYIDAW, Japan _ Myanmar has been billed as "Asia's final frontier," and its rich resources and cheap wage levels are increasingly catching the eye of Japanese companies and the government.

Japan's industrial output dips 4% on yen and flooding

Japan's industrial production fell in November, pulled down by a strong yen, weak global demand, and after flooding in Thailand damaged many suppliers.

Minister: Japan corp governance on par with US

TOKYO (AP) — Economy Minister Yukio Edano defended Japan's corporate governance practices Friday amid an ongoing accounting scandal at Olympus Corp. that has tainted the country's image.

Japan's Ricoh to cut 10,000 jobs

Japan office equipment maker Ricoh has said it plans to cut its global workforce by about 10,000 people, in order to reduce costs.

The company currently has about 110,000 employees around the world.

Shares in Ricoh surged more than 7% on the news