Tokyo  - Mitsubishi is showcasing a zero-emission i MIEV Sport Air concept car, built on the basis of the i MIEV minicar already available in Japan, at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March.

Teaser images released by the Japanese car maker show a two-door coupe-style vehicle with pronounced alloys emphasizing the sporty image.

Almost the entire roof is made of glass featuring integrated solar cells, giving the interior plenty of light and extra energy to the lithum-ion batteries positioned in the floor.

Tokyo  - The Tokyo market bounced back Wednesday, snapping a three-day losing streak thanks to overnight rises on Wall Street.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 168.58 points in morning trading, or 2.15 per cent, to 7,994.09.

The broader Topix index of all first section issues was also up 10.47 points, or 1.35 per cent, at 784.26.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 89.35-40 yen, down from Tuesday's 5 pm quote of 89.72-74 yen.

New York  - Japan gifted Seiko clocks to each of the UN Security Council members to ensure punctuality at meetings, a demand that has eluded the organization responsible for peace and security around the world.

As Ambassador Yukio Takasu on Tuesday handed the clocks to his 14 colleagues on the council, he assured them that the aim was not to promote Japanese products. The popular Seiko watches and clocks are appreciated for their accuracy and the name Seiko means precision and success.

Tokyo - Japanese workers put in an average of 1,792 hours in 2008, a fall of 0.9 per cent from a year before, the government said Tuesday.

The average work hours per employee at Japanese firms with at least five employees fell below 1,800 hours for the first time since 1990, when the government began taking data, the labour ministry said.

The average work hours shortened in the reporting year since the global recession slowed business operations, especially in the latter half of the year, the ministry said.

Tokyo - Hitachi Ltd on Tuesday said its net loss expanded in the third quarter and it also reiterated it would incur its worst annual loss for fiscal 2008 that ends in March.

The weak performance was attributed to sales declines in semiconductors, automotive devices, industrial machinery among other products as well as the yen's surge against other currencies.

Seoul - Running low on that moisturizer again? Time to stock up on cosmetics? If you are a woman and live in Japan, this may well mean a short trip to South Korea.

For many Japanese it is not so much South Korea's rugged outdoors and beautiful landscapes, but happy bargain hunting that has them hopping a plane for the one-hour flight from Tokyo to Seoul.

A beauty fad and lots of bargains place South Korea as the best place for many Japanese women to shop for cosmetics and beauty products.