Tokyo - Demanding better job and housing security, a demonstration by 300 Brazilians and their supporters in Tokyo Sunday is just the latest sign of the impact that the global economic slowdown is having on Japan's Brazilian-based workforce.
Waving their national flags across the busy streets of central Tokyo, the demonstrators called out, "Give us a chance of employment," "Stop abandoning us" and "We don't have secured housing."
Many temporary Brazilian workers have lost jobs recently, primarily in the car and electronics industries, as Japanese exports have slumped due to the sluggish economy and the Japanese yen's gains against other currencies. Others have been informed of planned layoffs in the spring.
Tokyo - Demanding better job and housing security, a demonstration by 300 Brazilians and their supporters in Tokyo Sunday is just the latest sign of the impact that the global economic slowdown is having on Japan's Brazilian-based workforce.
Waving their national flags across the busy streets of central Tokyo, the demonstrators called out, "Give us a chance of employment," "Stop abandoning us" and "We don't have secured housing."
Many temporary Brazilian workers have lost jobs recently, primarily in the car and electronics industries, as Japanese exports have slumped due to the sluggish economy and the Japanese yen's gains against other currencies. Others have been informed of planned layoffs in the spring.
Dusseldorf - Fujifilm, the Japanese group, said Friday its total sales in Europe had been steady last year, slightly increasing to 2.8 billion euros (3.7 billion dollars).
Fujifilm offers its products in 20 European nations. A Fujifilm spokeswoman said European sales made up 16 per cent of Fujifilm's world sales and this proportion was tending upwards.
Fujifilm Europe chief executive Shigehiro Nakajima said he was "cautiously optimistic" about sales, despite a difficult market environment and the recession.
Tokyo - Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa expressed concerns on Friday that "the nation's economic conditions have been deteriorating" and its financial conditions are getting "rapidly severe" in a quarterly report.
Companies have reduced production, reported lower earnings and cut capital investments as exports slowed down and yen gained strength against major foreign currencies, the bank's report said after Shirakawa met with nation's regional branch managers.
Tokyo - Fuji Heavy Industries said on Friday it expected to incur its first loss in 15 years due to the yen's advance and declining auto sales amid the slowdown of the global economy.
The automaker of the Subaru brand was to suffer a net loss of 19 billion yen (213.12 million dollars) for fiscal year 2008 that ends in March, compared to an earlier projection of 10 billion yen in profit.
Tokyo - Nissan Motor Co plans to shift production of its March subcompact car to Thailand as a way to reduce cost amid the business slowdown, a Japanese business daily said Friday.
Nissan would be the first Japanese automaker to transfer production of a top-selling car to overseas operations.
The Japanese automaker was expected to incur an operating loss for the 2008-09 fiscal year that ends March 31 due to the slowdown of global car sales and a stronger yen.
Dusseldorf - Fujifilm, the Japanese group, said Friday its total sales in Europe had been steady last year, slightly increasing to 2.8 billion euros (3.7 billion dollars).
Tokyo - Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa expressed concerns on Friday that "the nation's economic conditions have been deteriorating" and its financial conditions are getting "rapidly severe" in a quarterly report.
Tokyo - Fuji Heavy Industries said on Friday it expected to incur its first loss in 15 years due to the yen's advance and declining auto sales amid the slowdown of the global economy.
Tokyo - Nissan Motor Co plans to shift production of its March subcompact car to Thailand as a way to reduce cost amid the business slowdown, a Japanese business daily said Friday.
