By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Shopping malls and restaurants in Japan will miss out on a business boom, as Tokyo expects to hold the Olympics without overseas spectators, dealing another blow to industries already on the ropes from the coronavirus.Slideshow In the years leading up to the Games, developers have poured billions of dollars into shopping and dining complexes to serve an influx of foreigners, with major investments made in Tokyo’s central Shibuya district, iconic for its scramble crossing.But the number of foreign visitors has dropped from nearly 32 million in 2019 to almost zero,...…By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Shopping malls and restaurants in Japan will miss out on a business boom, as Tokyo expects to hold the Olympics without overseas spectators, dealing another blow to industries already on the ropes from the coronavirus.Slideshow In the years leading up to the Games, developers have poured billions of dollars into shopping and dining complexes to serve an influx of foreigners, with major investments made in Tokyo’s central Shibuya district, iconic for its scramble crossing.But the number of foreign visitors has dropped from nearly 32 million in 2019 to almost zero,...WW…

By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga instructed his cabinet on Tuesday to compile a package of stimulus measures to revitalise an economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s economy minister said.The package aims to cushion the blow from COVID-19, assist structural changes in the economy and boost productivity through digitalisation, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a news conference after a regular cabinet meeting.“We’ll want to consider government spending that will attract private investment,” Nishimura said, adding the government will compile...…By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga instructed his cabinet on Tuesday to compile a package of stimulus measures to revitalise an economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s economy minister said.The package aims to cushion the blow from COVID-19, assist structural changes in the economy and boost productivity through digitalisation, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a news conference after a regular cabinet meeting.“We’ll want to consider government spending that will attract private investment,” Nishimura said, adding the government will compile...WW…

By TOKYO (Reuters) - A key Japanese economic indicator improved for the fourth straight month in September, suggesting relief is at hand for an economy still feeling the drag from the coronavirus pandemic.The index of coincident economic indicators - calculated off a range of data including factory output, employment and retail sales numbers - rose a preliminary 1.4 points from the previous month to 80.8 in September, the Cabinet Office said on Monday.The government said that the index in September indicated economic activity had stopped contracting, leaving unchanged its August...…By TOKYO (Reuters) - A key Japanese economic indicator improved for the fourth straight month in September, suggesting relief is at hand for an economy still feeling the drag from the coronavirus pandemic.The index of coincident economic indicators - calculated off a range of data including factory output, employment and retail sales numbers - rose a preliminary 1.4 points from the previous month to 80.8 in September, the Cabinet Office said on Monday.The government said that the index in September indicated economic activity had stopped contracting, leaving unchanged its August...WW…

By TOKYO (Reuters) - The mayor of the western Japanese city Osaka came under fire on social media on Friday after saying women take longer than men shopping for groceries as he tried to promote social distancing to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the city.By Friday morning there were nearly 1,500 coronavirus cases in Osaka and the prefecture that surrounds it, making it the second hardest-hit after Tokyo, national broadcaster NHK said.Japan’s government has declared a nationwide state of emergency at least through May 6 in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus.In Osaka, Mayor...…By TOKYO (Reuters) - The mayor of the western Japanese city Osaka came under fire on social media on Friday after saying women take longer than men shopping for groceries as he tried to promote social distancing to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the city.By Friday morning there were nearly 1,500 coronavirus cases in Osaka and the prefecture that surrounds it, making it the second hardest-hit after Tokyo, national broadcaster NHK said.Japan’s government has declared a nationwide state of emergency at least through May 6 in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus.In Osaka, Mayor...WW…