Japan

Australian convict pirates in Japan

By Kahu, May 29 2017

An amateur historian has unearthed compelling evidence that the first Australian maritime foray into Japanese waters was by convict pirates on an audacious escape from Tasmania almost two centuries ago.

Fresh translations of samurai accounts of a “barbarian” ship in 1830 give startling corroboration to a story modern scholars had long dismissed as convict fantasy: that a ragtag crew of criminals encountered a forbidden Japan at the height of its feudal isolation.

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Australian convict pirates in Japan

History

Australia

Japan

Premium Fridays in Japan

By Matthew, May 26 2017

Faced with slack consumption and soul-searching over Japan’s notoriously poor work-life balance, the government is asking companies to allow their workers to leave at 3pm on the last Friday of the month.

The hope is that they will use those extra hours of freedom to shop, make an early start to their Friday libations or go on a weekend break.

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Premium Fridays: Japan gives its workers a break – to go shopping

Toshiba loses "billions of dollars"

By Matthew, May 04 2017

Toshiba Corp said it may have to book several billion dollars in charges related to a U.S. nuclear power plant construction company acquisition, sending its stock tumbling 12 percent and rekindling concerns about its accounting acumen.

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Toshiba flags hit of 'billions of dollars' on U.S. nuclear acquisition