Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday becomes the first Japanese leader to visit Myanmar in 36 years as his nation's companies seek to invest in the former dictatorship, which has some of the cheapest labor in Asia. (livemint.com)

Japan's largest bread maker will raise the prices of some of its products from July. (NHK)

At a press event in Tokyo today, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey announced the long-awaited Japanese debut of Square, the smartphone credit card processing service with the iconic white dongle. (theverge.com)

With Japan's Nikkei index continuing its upward momentum this month, the term "Abenomics" has been commonly included in articles by just about any major financial newspaper or magazine one might care to name. This week is no exception — and it might signal that the days of cheap sex in Tokyo are over. (Tokyo Reporter)

Sony Corp.'s curt dismissal of a foreigner's advice last week didn't shock Michael Woodford, the former chief executive officer of Olympus Corp. (Bloomberg)

The US Energy Department has for the first time approved exports of liquefied natural gas to Japan. (NHK)

Yahoo Japan Corp said on Friday night it suspected that up to 22 million of its user IDs may have been "leaked" and it detected an unauthorized attempt to access the administrative system of its web portal Yahoo Japan, the Kyodo news agency reported. (Reuters)

Watermelon farmers in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, have been briefed on how their produce will be classified before it's sent to the market. (NHK)

NTT Docomo Inc. said Wednesday it will set the prices of upcoming new models of its popular smartphones lower than for existing models. (Yomiuri)

The government and Australia are set to reach an agreement in principle as early as early as next month to lower the tariff on frozen beef from Down Under, according to officials in Tokyo. (Japan Times)

Struggling Japanese electronics maker Sharp has posted a record net loss for the business year that ended in March. (NHK)

Softbank Corp., bidding to take over Sprint Nextel Corp. in a $20.1 billion deal, is planning a new Silicon Valley office for the U.S. carrier that would employ as many as 1,000 people. (Japan Times)

A group of fishermen in Fukushima Prefecture on Monday postponed a conclusion on whether to approve Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s plan to release groundwater at its severely damaged Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean. (Jiji Press)

Two Japanese companies said Monday they will build Mongolia's second international airport as Tokyo steps up business ties with the mineral-rich country. (Global Post)

Japanese electronics giant Sharp will name a new president at its June shareholders' meeting, replacing its current chief after only a year in the job, the Nikkei business daily said Monday. (france24.com)

More than 1,500 people from across Japan showed up for a jam-packed meeting Sunday organized by lawyers who accuse U.S asset manager MRI International Inc. of conducting a ¥130 billion fraud. (Japan Times)

After nearly 17 years in Japan, Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX ) is on track to open its 1,000th store this summer. Chairman, President, and CEO Howard Schultz reaffirmed his confidence in the nation as an area for growth in a visit to the opening of its new Meguro store in Tokyo. (Motley Fool)

Panasonic said Friday it logged an eye-watering ¥754.2 billion net loss in the fiscal year to March 31 but pledged to turn a profit in the next 12 months. (Japan Times)

Mazda Motor Corp., which relies on exports more than any other Japanese carmaker, said Thursday that Takashi Yamanouchi will step down as president next month to make way for younger managers now that it has returned to profitability. (Japan Times)

MRI International Inc. frequently entertained its customers with drinks and dinners at luxury hotels in an apparent effort to maintain their trust even after their dividend payments became irregular or stopped, it has been learned. (Yomiuri)