The Tokyo District Court has ruled against Nippon Paper Crecia, rejecting its claim of patent infringement by Daio Paper in a lawsuit over a specific type of toilet paper technology. Nippon Paper Crecia, known for its 'Scottie' brand, had filed the lawsuit against Daio Paper, the company behind the 'Elleair' brand, seeking to halt the production of certain products. (News On Japan)

Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) has announced its acquisition of major U.S. tobacco company, Vector Group. The acquisition cost is expected to be approximately $2.4 billion, equivalent to around 378 billion yen, leading to the full subsidiarization of Vector Group. (News On Japan)

Kobe City has implemented a policy that effectively bans the construction of new tower mansions in the city center. This decision was made to prevent potential urban imbalances that could arise from a population shift from the suburbs to the city center, which would accelerate suburban decline. (News On Japan)

Japan's trade balance swung back into deficit in July for the first time in two months, with the deficit amount exceeding last year's figure by more than tenfold. The sharp increase is attributed to the depreciation of the yen, which led to substantial growth in both exports and imports. (News On Japan)

Dojima Commodity Exchange officially launched the trading of the "Dojima Rice Average" index futures, which track the price movements of rice, starting on the 20th. A listing ceremony was held in Osaka to mark the occasion. (News On Japan)

JR East and other operators announced on Tuesday that they will resume sales of personalized Suica and PASMO cards on September 1. Sales had been suspended since August 2023 due to a shortage of semiconductors necessary for the production of these cards. (News On Japan)

With scorching temperatures continuing to grip Japan, some companies are taking bold steps to protect their employees by allowing remote work on days deemed too hot to safely commute. (News On Japan)

The ongoing scarcity of rice in supermarkets across Japan has left many wondering why shelves are bare despite government assurances that there is no overall supply crisis. (News On Japan)

Japan’s housing demand is on a declining trend due to population decrease and a reduction in the number of households. This is evident in the consistent decrease in new housing starts since the peak in the late 1990s. In this environment, the strategies of major companies can be broadly categorized into three areas: diversification within the housing business, diversification into non-housing businesses, and overseas expansion. (News On Japan)

Subaru is one of those brands that is revered among the car loving community. (News On Japan)

The benchmark index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange recovered to the 36,000 mark on Tuesday, rising more than 1,200 points from the previous close. (NHK)

Corporate tours such as those offered by Kirin Brewery and Hakutsuru Sake Brewery, where participants can observe behind-the-scenes operations, are gaining popularity. The appeal lies in consumers' desire to see the inner workings of well-known brands and the learning opportunities that these tours provide. Companies, in turn, aim to gain core users and brand advocates through these facility tours. (News On Japan)