Japan's Toyota Motor says it will start making its Lexus luxury cars in the United States in 2015. (NHK)

Yoshinoya Holdings Co. on Thursday cut prices for its mainstay "gyudon" beef-on-rice bowls to take advantage of eased restrictions on beef imports from the United States. (Japan Times)

The Kamakura municipal government in Kanagawa Prefecture is selling the naming rights of three beaches in the city to cover the cost of their maintenance. (Yomiuri)

Japan's Toyota Motor says global sales of its hybrid vehicles topped 5-million units. That's in cumulative terms since its first hybrid model, the Prius, was launched back in 1997. (NHK)

The president and chief executive of Japanese electronics giant Panasonic will have their salaries halved as part of a move to take the blame for the firm's financial woes, the company said Wednesday. (Global Post)

Luxury brands are in danger of neglecting prospects in Japan as they chase consumers in China, a new study from L2, the thinktank, has warned. (warc.com)

The chief of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in congressional testimony Tuesday that the agency has finished all necessary testing for approving a redesigned battery system for the troubled Boeing 787 Dreamliner. (Kyodo)

Shinjuku and Yokohama have received a healthy boost of visitors. Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture not so much. (Yomiuri)

Italian authorities have seized 1.8 billion euro ($2.35 billion) from Japan's Nomura bank and placed its former European CEO under investigation as part of its probe into the trading scandal at Monte Paschi di Siena bank. (foxnews.com)

Dish Network has submitted a merger proposal for Sprint Nextel valued at $25.5 billion, putting itself into competition with Japan's Softbank to take over the wireless carrier. (CNET)

Japan consumed a record amount of liquid natural gas during the last fiscal year. (NHK)

The demand for copies of a new novel by best-selling author Haruki Murakami is having a ripple effect on the music industry. (Yomiuri)

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld high court rulings that the Japanese unit of British drugmaker AstraZeneca PLC bore no liability over fatal side effects caused by the lung cancer drug Iressa. (Japan Times)

For the second time in seven months, Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. both claim to produce the world's top-selling car. The clash shows how counting in the global automotive industry is complicated. (Japan Times)

Four Japanese automakers, including Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co, are recalling 3.4 million vehicles sold around the world because airbags supplied by Takata Corp are at risk of catching fire or injuring passengers. (Reuters)

Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada and his companies are being investigated in the United States for potential violations of anti-bribery laws in relation to a $2 billion casino project in the Philippines, according to a court filing. (Reuters)

Beer and quasi-beer shipments in Japan from January to March dropped to their lowest level for the quarter, according to major brewers' reports. (Yomiuri)

Despite the weaker yen forcing many Japanese companies to begin raising prices, the country's iconic beef bowl chain, Yoshinoya Holdings Co., threw the prevailing convention to the wind Wednesday, announcing it would cut the price of its signature dish to the lowest in nearly a decade. (Wall Street Journal)

Japan and Taiwan will conclude a long-awaited fisheries agreement Wednesday in Taipei after their officials formally resume negotiations for the first time in four years, according to sources close to the talks. (Kyodo)

The weak yen has triggered a gold rush, literally, among Japanese households, reflecting how bold new economic policies are shaking up long-entrenched deflationary attitudes, freeing up dormant assets, and sparking new economic activity. (Wall Street Journal)