Latest news with #Hasegawa
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
JGBs inch down amid caution for US inflation data
TOKYO: Japanese government bonds inched lower on Tuesday as investors awaited a key U.S. consumer inflation report later in the day to assess the outlook for interest rates. The two-year JGB yield rose 0.5 basis point (bp) to 0.77% and the five-year yield rose 1 bp to to 1.045%. Yields move inversely to bond prices. 'Investors cannot make active bets as they are not sure in which way the price data will move,' said Naoya Hasegawa, chief bond strategist at Okasan Securities. The market also awaited an auction for five-year bonds in the next session, which may witness a stable outcome. 'The auction will not receive strong demand given the current level of the five-year bond yield. But there is little upward pressure on the yields, so there will not be any negative surprise,' Hasegawa said. Also, the auction may be supported by demand from pension funds, which need to rebalance their portfolios amid a sharp recent rally in Japanese stocks. Pension funds, such as the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), have allocation targets for each asset in their portfolios. When stocks rise, they need to boost bond holdings to maintain that composition. Both Japan's Nikkei share average and the broader Topix rose to a record high on Tuesday. The 10-year JGBs have not been traded as of 0450 GMT. The 20-year JGB yield rose 1 bp to 2.52%. The 30-year JGB yield rose 2 bps to 3.090%.
The Herald Scotland
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Shetland's first Japanese cafe relocates to Glasgow
It's no doubt warmer still working behind the coffee machine, yet Tsao is all smiles as he prepares a couple of iced coffees for takeaway customers in Shawlands. They've unfortunately sold out of the Ongiri croissants, which have been causing a stir on Instagram in the run-up to opening, I'll hear him repeat a few times throughout my visit, but not to worry, there's still plenty of cream-filled matcha cake to go around. On top of that, there's a pastel-toned menu on each of the tables, listing fluffy pancake dishes for breakfast, sandos and salad prepared in the kitchen by Hasegawa. I'd imagine there's not much room to spare in the prep area of this small unit on Minard Road, once occupied by Silk Road Deli, but they're coping well with a steady stream of orders. Struggling in the heat, I decide to investigate the Kagigori shaved ice desserts, which come in a choice of three different flavours with toppings like red bean and matcha, or fresh strawberry and crushed Oreos. Only available to sit in, these cartoonish, colourful creations are heaps of fun and sure to appeal to any young visitors. My choice is inspired by Mount Fuji, with a blue raspberry base that's topped with homemade ice cream to emulate a snowy peak and a scattering of dainty mini mochi balls to finish the whole thing off. Heed my advice and get stuck in fast, as the delicate ice quickly melts into a pool of slush. Still enjoyable, just an awful lot harder to scoop. Not wanting to take up a seat for too long on opening week, I ask for my sando to go, leaving a little time to browse a small but brilliant selection of branded Showa merch like t-shirts, tote bags and coffee beans as I wait. The team clearly have an eye for design, echoed in the shop interior that's been kitted out with retro figurines and bold, graphic prints. "It's a place we've made with care, and we hope you'll feel it the moment you step inside," they previously said after announcing plans to move Showa from Shetland to Glasgow late last year, and they've very much succeeded in this. Pictured: A takeaway sando from Showa Coffee House in Shawlands (Image: Newsquest) Resisting the urge to splurge, for now, I walk back out into the sunshine with a takeaway box containing the 'Onsen Egg Hamu Sando'. Thin slices of doughy white bread hold together layers of cheese, ham and a soy-marinated soft-boiled egg sliced through the middle so that its gooey, yellow centre oozes slowly when pressed. With lashings of kewpie mayo and a little crunch from thinly shredded lettuce, it's a solid lunch offering. I've got my eye on the chicken katsu version for future visits, though the 'beef and egg wee group pancakes' with square sausage, cheese omelette, a touch of golden syrup and a spoonful of beans is hard to ignore. I can safely say that's the first time I've seen this combination of breakfast items on a menu, and it begs to be investigated. Read more: In Shawlands, where a high concentration of independent coffee shops and cafes can make it difficult to stand out from the crowd, the wonderfully quirky Showa is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. Showa Coffee House is located at 34 Minard Road. Find them on social media @showacoffeehouse.
Business Recorder
16-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
JGB falls to track US Treasury declines; investors eye BOJ's tapering plans
TOKYO: Japanese government bonds (JGBs) fell on Monday, tracking declines in US Treasuries on Friday, as investors awaited market-moving cues such as the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) decision on its bond tapering. The five-year JGB yield and the 10-year JGB yield rose four basis points (bps) to 1.005% and 1.44%, respectively. Yields and prices of bonds move inversely. The BOJ is expected to announce a slower pace of reductions in its bond purchases from the next fiscal year at the end of a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday. In addition to the BOJ's decision, the market awaits a five-year bond auction, as well as a meeting of primary dealers, which would affect demand for JGBs, said Naoya Hasegawa, chief bond strategist at Okasan Securities. The BOJ is under pressure from JGB investors to slow the pace of its tapering following a surge in yields on super-long-dated bonds. The market also expects the Ministry of Finance to cut the sale of such bonds after it gauges opinions from bond dealers, strategists said. 'We can say the JGB yields rebounded from their declines last week, after the market saw rises in US Treasury yields,' Hasegawa said. US Treasury yields rose Friday after Israel's strike on Iran shocked markets, pushing oil prices higher and pressuring stocks. The 20-year JGB yield rose 3 bps to 2.375% and the 30-year JGB yield rose 2.5 bps to 2.905%.
The Mainichi
15-06-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Where's the octopus? Japan 'takoyaki' shops sub in sausage, hike prices amid rising costs
TOKYO -- Rising costs in Japan have impacted even the popular delicacy, "takoyaki" fried octopus balls, with chains hiking prices and some shops in the Tokyo area even replacing octopus with sausage as food makers look to other ingredients like "kamaboko" fish paste and konjac (a firm, jellylike food made from konjac yam) as substitutes. Will we no longer be able to casually enjoy the unique texture and flavor of octopus? Prices rise even after replacing octopus "Does not contain octopus" reads a sign this reporter noticed outside one takoyaki shop called Horaiya, near the Tokyo Sakura Tram's Machiya-ekimae Station in Tokyo's Arakawa Ward. I asked the store's owner, 77-year-old Masako Hasegawa, about the reasoning. "Post-coronavirus price increases have driven up costs too much to continue using octopus," she explained. Formerly, the store sold takoyaki containing octopus at 180 yen (around $1.25) for five pieces. It started replacing octopus with sausage in November 2023, but since then, the cost of wheat flour and other ingredients has gone up, leading to a price increase of 20 yen to 200 yen. While the items are "sausage-yaki," the taste holds up well, being served hot, freshly prepared with cabbage, red pickled ginger, "agetama" fried batter and a "dashi" broth and topped with a Japanese version of Worcestershire sauce. "After switching to sausages, some customers drifted away, saying, 'I prefer octopus,' but the sausages are more popular with children and customers with bad teeth, as they are softer and easier to eat. Many patrons come in after work or school, so we want to continue to offer good food at an affordable price," said Hasegawa with a smile. Costlier wheat flour and eggs, labor, electricity ... Tokyo-based research firm Teikoku Databank Ltd. in December 2024 released a report citing how business was getting tricky for stores selling floury delicacies like okonomiyaki and yakisoba due to increases in the cost of raw materials such as flour and eggs, as well as operating costs such as labor and electricity. But above all, the rising cost of octopus had hit stores specializing in takoyaki. When the firm estimated the cost of preparing takoyaki at home, it found that in 2015 the average price per 12 pieces was about 170 yen, but in 2024 this was more than 250 yen (approx. $1.70). The data for Tokyo's 23 special wards in the Retail Price Survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications also shows that the average price of octopus was 277 yen per 100 grams in 2014, but by mid-May of this year, it had jumped to 528 yen -- almost double, and even pricier than tuna. Takoyaki shops are challenged in part by the difficulty of passing price hikes onto customers given the snack's reputation as affordable street food. At least one major nationwide takoyaki chain raised prices by about 8% late last year. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more people have been enjoying takoyaki parties -- known as 'tako-pa' -- at home, but on social media, users report substituting traditional octopus with ingredients such as "chikuwa" fish paste, cheese and cod roe. Posts could be seen to the effect of, "Octopus is expensive, flour is expensive, and cabbage broke my spirit," expressing frustration over the rising cost of ingredients. To cater to this rise in demand for substitutes, a kamaboko fish cake manufacturer in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, suggested in April on social media that its products have "chewiness that won't lose to octopus!" Meanwhile, a producer in Gunma Prefecture, a region known for konjac, has started developing chewy products that could be used in takoyaki. Can 'takoyaki culture' be saved? Is takoyaki destined to shift from an affordable treat to a luxury food? When this question was posed to Mana Kumagai, president of the Japan Konamon Association -- an organization that promotes flour-based foods -- she gave a measured answer. "Originally, 'radio-yaki' -- the predecessor to takoyaki -- included fillings like konjac and green peas, and it has never been rare to use various ingredients during home takoyaki parties," she said. Radio-yaki and "chobo-yaki" -- which involved baking wheat flour dissolved in dashi broth and adding ingredients like beef tendon and konjac -- were developed in Osaka in the 1930s. In nearby Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, a type of egg omelet containing octopus was popular, which later led to adding octopus to radio-yaki, creating what became known as takoyaki. According to Kumagai, octopus prices began to surge around 40 years ago, causing takoyaki shop owners' ongoing concern. Octopus used for the item in Japan is mainly imported from around Africa. While octopus was once called the "devil fish" in inland regions of Europe and the United States, it has become popular worldwide, and growing demand has driven prices up. Kumagai commented, "Some restaurants continue to try to keep their focus on octopus by replacing the 'madako' common octopus with other species, such as North Pacific giant octopus. While enjoying the different types of takoyaki, we'd like to preserve the original taste of takoyaki so that it can be passed on to the rest of the world."
Business Insider
01-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
New Buy Rating for Tri Chemical Laboratories Inc. (4369), the Basic Materials Giant
In a report released on May 29, Yoshihito Hasegawa from Morgan Stanley maintained a Buy rating on Tri Chemical Laboratories Inc. (4369 – Research Report), with a price target of Yen3,300.00. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter According to TipRanks, Hasegawa is ranked #7510 out of 9552 analysts. Tri Chemical Laboratories Inc. has an analyst consensus of Hold. Based on Tri Chemical Laboratories Inc.'s latest earnings release for the quarter ending January 31, the company reported a quarterly revenue of Yen5.8 billion and a net profit of Yen1.74 billion. In comparison, last year the company earned a revenue of Yen3.03 billion and had a net profit of Yen622.3 million
