Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened lower Monday after new data showed Japan's economy contracted sharply in the final quarter of 2008 and the yen rose against the dollar, dampening hopes for export recovery.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped about 1 per cent to 7,701.65 points, while the broader Topix index slid 0.2 per cent, to 763.35 52.80 points.
Japan's GDP shrank 3.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, the steepest drop in more than 30 years, as the world's second-largest economy is mired in recession after three straight negative quarters.
Tokyo - Amidst an unprecedented decline in exports, Japan's economy shrank drastically in the most recent quarter at an annualized rate of 12.7 per cent, the hardest drop in 35 years.
The government released the information as part of its initial estimate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth between October and December 2008.
Exports dropped 13.9 per cent, pulled down by the global economic crisis and plunging demand for Japanese cars and electronics.
Tokyo - Amidst an unprecedented decline in exports, Japan's economy shrank drastically in the most recent quarter at an annualized rate of 12.7 per cent, the hardest drop in 35 years.
The government released the information as part of its initial estimate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth between October and December 2008.
Exports dropped 13.9 per cent, pulled down by the global economic crisis and plunging demand for Japanese cars and electronics.
Vienna - In the race to succeed Mohamed ElBaradei at the helm of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Japanese ambassador Yukiya Amano has secured a clear lead over South African diplomat Abdul Samad Minty, according to diplomats in Vienna.
Both contenders indicated in interviews with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that if elected, they planned to look beyond the Iran nuclear issue and focus on the effects of the expected global rise in nuclear power use.
Tokyo - Japanese household spending fell 1.9 per cent in 2008 from a year before to 296,932 yen (3,291 dollars) per month, the government said Friday.
Spending for food dropped 1.9 per cent from the previous year while utility expenditure declined 1.3 per cent in 2008, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said.
The average monthly income of salaried households dipped 0.6 per cent in 2008 to 534,235 yen from a year before.
Tokyo - Tokyo may be one of the world's greatest metropolises but Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) members said Friday that the city intends presenting itself as the world's most compact stage in its effort to host the 2016 Olympics.
As the IOC emphasizes legacy, Tokyo says it will limit the use of taxpayers money by recycling existing facilities and stadiums used when the city hosted the Games in
1964.
The JOC submitted its candidature file at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne overnight, and faces competition to host the event from Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Chicago.
Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened lower Monday after new data showed Japan's economy contracted sharply in the final quarter of 2008 and the yen rose against the dollar, dampening hopes for export recovery.
Tokyo - Amidst an unprecedented decline in exports, Japan's economy shrank drastically in the most recent quarter at an annualized rate of 12.7 per cent, the hardest drop in 35 years.
Tokyo - Amidst an unprecedented decline in exports, Japan's economy shrank drastically in the most recent quarter at an annualized rate of 12.7 per cent, the hardest drop in 35 years.
Vienna - In the race to succeed Mohamed ElBaradei at the helm of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Japanese ambassador Yukiya Amano has secured a clear lead over South African diplomat Abdul Samad Minty, according to diplomats in Vienna.
Tokyo - Japanese household spending fell 1.9 per cent in 2008 from a year before to 296,932 yen (3,291 dollars) per month, the government said Friday.
