Economy — 1,112 insights
Japanese travel agency JTB bets on boom in inbound business travel
Economy

Japanese travel agency JTB bets on boom in inbound business travel

Company leverages know-how hosting VIPs with strong domestic corporate customer base A JTB event for corporate representatives responsible for hosting clients from overseas takes place at Happo-en, a venue in Tokyo, on July 7. The travel agency shared its expertise on planning business travel to Japan by highlighting activities such as a tea ceremony. (Photo by Mayuko Kurihara) TOKYO -- Major Japanese travel agency JTB is strengthening lucrative inbound business travel services for Japanese companies that host large numbers of partners and employees from overseas.

July 13, 2026
Filipino workers locked in bitter labor dispute with Taiwanese manufacturer
Economy

Filipino workers locked in bitter labor dispute with Taiwanese manufacturer

Migrants accuse Taipei-based company of long-standing abuses and harassing union A sign at the entrance to a facility in Taiwan run by TaiDoc, a Taiwanese medical devices manufacturer that is mired in a long-running dispute with scores of its employees over working conditions. (Photo provided by Michael Beltran) NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan -- On a rainy day in June, Elizabeth Basas, 34, used her time off from working at Taiwanese medical device manufacturer TaiDoc Technology to have a mental health checkup.

July 13, 2026
Honda, other Japan companies pay workers to spearhead AI use
Economy

Honda, other Japan companies pay workers to spearhead AI use

ANA and FamilyMart factor initiatives into employee evaluations Honda Motor employees use AI in a wide range of activities. (Photo by Nikkei) TOKYO -- Employers in Japan are trying new ways of encouraging workers to use artificial intelligence on the job, in some cases rewarding them with cash as AI adoption spreads more slowly than in other economies.

July 12, 2026
Pasona’s Awaji Island bet: Longer lives and deeper pockets
Economy

Pasona’s Awaji Island bet: Longer lives and deeper pockets

Japanese temp agency wades further into tourism sector with luxury long-stay lodging Yoga lessons are offered at Pasona's new accommodation on Awaji Island, which, according to Japanese legend, is the very first island created by the gods. (Photos by Yo Inoue) TOKYO -- A temporary employment agency intends to turn the largest island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea into a premier wellness destination and is getting the ball rolling with a long-stay retreat designed to attract affluent health-conscious travelers.

July 12, 2026
Tokyo becomes as hot, humid as cities in Southeast Asia
Economy

Tokyo becomes as hot, humid as cities in Southeast Asia

Temperature and humidity in Tokyo have risen to levels matching Southeast Asian cities. Incidents of heatstroke in workers poses challenges not only for outside work but also for jobs inside buildings. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Toshiki Sasazu) Work time lost due to heat rises to 2.8 billion hours a year in Japan TOKYO -- Scorching summers in Japan are forcing changes in how people work. Summertime temperatures and humidity in Tokyo now often reach levels seen in cities in Southeast Asia. In the whole of Japan, work time lost due to heat has surpassed 2.8 billion hours per year.

July 12, 2026
World AI Conference, South Korea monetary policy, China economic data
Economy

World AI Conference, South Korea monetary policy, China economic data

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events People visit the World Artificial Intelligence Conference at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai on July 26, 2025. © Reuters The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, now in its ninth year, is set to showcase China's advances in AI as its low-cost models gain traction globally. The conference comes on the heels of a United Nations meeting in Geneva on AI governance, which highlighted the contrasting attitudes of the U.S. and China. With inflation above the Bank of Korea's target and robust growth fueled by the semiconductor sector, the South Korean central bank is expected to begin a cycle of rate hiking. The monetary policy meeting also comes amid weakness in the won. Get the best of our coverage of Asia and much more by following us on X, where our handle is @NikkeiAsia. We are also on Bluesky with the handle @asia.nikkei.com. China releases closely watched economic statistics, including trade data, on Tuesday, followed by its gross domestic product growth on Wednesday. Analysts in a Nikkei survey estimated that the world's No.

July 12, 2026
China’s ‘digital kids’ drive surging popularity of 3D printers
Economy

China’s ‘digital kids’ drive surging popularity of 3D printers

Startup Bambu Lab offers design downloads, creator points on in-house platform A Bambu Lab store, where customers can play with items created using 3D printers. (Photo by Itsuro Fujino) GUANGZHOU -- Consumer 3D printers are increasingly popular in China, thanks partly to the country's digitally minded younger generation.

July 12, 2026
ASEAN offers Myanmar diplomatic olive branch but no concessions
Economy

ASEAN offers Myanmar diplomatic olive branch but no concessions

Bloc's foreign ministers hold informal meeting with military-backed government The foreign minister of Myanmar’s military-backed government, Tin Maung Swe, right, poses with ASEAN foreign ministers during an informal meeting in Bangkok on July 12 to discuss the crisis in the civil-war-ravaged country. (Photo by Thai Foreign Ministry) BANGKOK -- Myanmar's Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe received a diplomatic shot in the arm from his ASEAN counterparts on Sunday when he met with them informally in Bangkok, the first such gathering since the military seized power in the nation in 2021.

July 12, 2026
Toyota group unloads shares in dozens of companies
Economy

Toyota group unloads shares in dozens of companies

Automaker and suppliers unwind ties with Panasonic, Renesas in latest divestments Toyota Motor's Motomachi factory in Japan. The automaker and its big suppliers sold off shares in dozens of companies last fiscal year. (Toyota Motor) NAGOYA, Japan -- Toyota Motor and its major affiliates have sold off billions of dollars worth of shares in other companies, part of an unwinding that increases the liquidity of Japan's stock market.

July 12, 2026
Anwar coalition suffers heavy defeat to ally in Malaysia’s Johor vote
Economy

Anwar coalition suffers heavy defeat to ally in Malaysia’s Johor vote

Barisan Nasional wins over 85% of seats, pledges continued federal cooperation Barisan Nasional executives cheer as the coalition wins the Johor state assembly election in a landslide on July 11. (Photo by Norman Goh) JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia -- Malaysia's Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition won by a landslide in Johor's state assembly vote on Saturday, beating Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan (PH) in a closely watched contest that would gauge the country's political landscape ahead of the next general election.

July 12, 2026
Japan to help universities pool investments as smaller schools struggle
Economy

Japan to help universities pool investments as smaller schools struggle

Bigger endowments seen as cushion against enrollment decline and inflation Japanese universities are under pressure from rising costs, even as student numbers are set to shrink. (Nikkei montage) TOKYO -- Japan's government is poised to allow national universities to jointly invest in stocks, real estate and other assets, giving smaller schools a way to build wealth as falling enrollment puts strain on budgets.

July 12, 2026
Honda, other Japan companies in pay workers to spearhead AI use
Economy

Honda, other Japan companies in pay workers to spearhead AI use

ANA and FamilyMart factor initiatives into employee evaluations Honda Motor employees use AI in a wide range of activities. (Photo by Nikkei) TOKYO -- Employers in Japan are trying new ways of encouraging workers to use artificial intelligence on the job, in some cases rewarding them with cash as AI adoption spreads more slowly than in other economies.

July 12, 2026