japan

Yahoo's board of directors is considering a deal to sell its Asian assets back to their majority holders in a tax-free deal worth $17 billion, according to a report in The New York Times.

The Web pioneer's board is expected to meet tomorrow to discuss selling its stakes in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan, people familiar with the matter told the newspaper. If the company decides to pursue the deal, it could elect to reject investment proposals by Silver Lake and TPG Capital, these people said.

Alibaba and Softbank, Yahoo Japan's majority holder, would … Read more

I got my Japanese Vita a few days ago, but my order was incomplete.

I received a Wi-Fi Vita with three games, but the 4GB Vita memory card I ordered is taking a bit longer to ship. Little did I know that without a Vita memory card, my new handheld would be rendered mostly useless.

You read correctly: a sizable number of PlayStation Vita games will not even boot up unless a Vita memory card is installed in the unit (including the ones I bought: Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Ridge Racer, and Everybody's Golf 6). There are also a number of Vita apps that require a card to run, all of which I cover in my First Look video. It's not that I'm upset that the Vita requires a memory card to play games, it's the fact that Sony has chosen not to include one in the box. CNET has already confirmed with Sony that none of the U.S. Vita SKUs will ship with a card either, save for the $350 First Edition Bundle.… Read more

TOKYO--The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has finally been stabilized after it was crippled by a tsunami in March, the Japanese government said yesterday.

Engineers working under operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) have brought the plant to a state of "cold shutdown," meaning the reactors can be safely kept cool and that radiation exposure is limited to 1 millisievert per year at the site's boundary.

"We are now moving from trying to stabilize the reactors to decommissioning them," Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda told reporters, emphasizing the importance of the achievement.

"This is a challenge to not only our nation, but also the whole of humanity. I believe there will come a day when Fukushima will be remembered as the place where our future was founded by the bravery, the commitment, and resourcefulness of all our people."

Explosions occurred at four of the six reactors when cooling systems failed. They released massive amounts of radiation into the environment, forcing the evacuation of an estimated 88,000 people from a zone roughly 150 miles north of Tokyo. … Read more

TOKYO--Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but crystals are clearly for asses.

That's what Japanese interior-fixtures maker Lixil believes, and it's proving it with this awesomely blinged-out toilet under its Inax brand.

The Satis loo is decked out in 72,000 Swarovski crystals and is valued at $130,000, according to Lixil. It's on display at the company's showroom just outside Tokyo's tony Ginza district.

"2011 was a really tough year for Japan, with the earthquake and tsunami disasters," says Lixil's Shintaro Kaai. "We wanted to do this to cheer everybody up just before Christmas." … Read more

Rewind to E3, June 2011: we saw the PlayStation Vita. We marveled at its capabilities and its price. For $250--at the time, the same price as a Nintendo 3DS--Sony offered a far superior piece of hardware. We looked forward to its release at the end of the year.

Of course, that was then, and this is now. The Nintendo 3DS dropped its price to $170, still expensive but more sensible. The Vita will release in Japan on December 17, but in the U.S. the release has been delayed until February 22, 2012. Sony has been keen to make a comeback and make a new handheld game system to revive the flailing world of the PSP. Can it succeed?

Regardless of the hype and demand the Vita is able generate in the U.S., there's still a general sentiment of disappointment sweeping through the gaming community on this side of the world. As the Vita misses the 2011 holiday season, a huge loss of momentum follows. Instead of cashing in on becoming what would likely be the toy to get this year, the Vita will see a late February release, just in time to coincide with paying off bank-breaking gift-giving expenditures from a few weeks prior.

It's easy to make lofty accusations about missing golden opportunities and of course we don't know what truly influenced this decision made by Sony, but it's impossible to ignore the potential impact the Vita could have had in the U.S. before 2012 sets in.… Read more

Visually impaired people can soon start taking readings of radiation levels in Japan with a Geiger counter that announces its readings with a computer voice.

The Fukushima Prefectural Association of the Blind, based in the same prefecture as the leaking Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, helped create the Talking Geiger Counter based on the Geiger Fukushima from Sanwa Manufacturing.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is set to declare Friday that the Fukushima plant has been brought to a state of cold shutdown, meaning it has been cooled enough so nuclear reactions are not occurring and little radiation is being emitted.

But the … Read more

If you can't bear to go beddy-byes without a goodnight from your sweetheart, or if the person on the other end of the line simply bores you to sleep, lay your weary head on the Hanashicom pillow.

The star-shaped headsets are fluffy pillows with embedded microphones and speakers that link to your phone.

Softbank group company Willcom is offering the pillows to new subscribers to its flat-rate Personal Handy Phone (PHS) service through the end of February. … Read more

Fifteen years is a pretty good life span for many pets. Tamagotchi is celebrating the birth of its digital critters with a limited-edition anniversary model.

In case you missed the Tamagotchi craze, they are little egg-shaped gadgets with small screens that house electronic pets. Each one starts from an egg, and has to be fed, cleaned up after, and disciplined as it goes through its virtual lifecycle.

Bandai's Tamagotchi spawned the sale of 78 million units and taught a lot of kids about the virtual joys, tribulations, and sorrows of digital parenthood.

Tamagotchi may be 105 in dog years, but it has learned a few new tricks along the way. The Tamagotchi iD L 15th Anniversary Model features a full-color screen with new characters and games.… Read more

If you've had one too many flats, take a look at these small airless tires that Bridgestone is showing off at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.

The Airfree concept tires have resin spokes that radiate from the rim to the tread, curving to the left and right to better support vehicle loads.

They're only 9 inches across, but have been successfully tested on single-seater electric carts in Japan that are often used by elderly people.

While the tire won't suffer punctures, it's also completely recyclable. The spokes are made of thermoplastic resin, which can be reused along with the tread rubber. … Read more