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Tokyo most expensive city for expats in Asia: survey

by Reuters

Tokyo remains the most expensive city in Asia for expatriates, while Singapore overtook Hong Kong to become the costliest place in the region outside of Japan, according to a survey by human resources consultancy Mercer. Tokyo retained its status as the second most expensive city in the world for expatriates after Luanda in Angola, which topped the list for the second year in a row. Osaka in western Japan was the next most expensive Asian city, ranked sixth in the world, followed by Singapore at the world's number eight and Hong Kong at number nine. (Reuters)

Makeshift malls slow to open

by Japan Times

The slow construction of makeshift malls undertaken by a government-linked group has frustrated shopkeepers and restaurateurs who are still unable to reopen their businesses four months after the March disasters. Construction has begun at two locations, but none has been completed, due largely to the difficulties the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation has had in finding suitable locations. About 270 business operators in 40 municipalities have submitted requests to the group for makeshift facilities, including offices and factories, to resume their businesses. (Japan Times)