from Nikkei ( January 29 )

イオン、外国人採用１５００人　来年度　アジア展開にらむ　２０年度の日本本社　正社員の５割に

According to sources concerened, Aeon Co.,Ltd. will increase foerein employees in its recruits in fiscal 2013. The number of foreing workers newly employed is expected to be about 1,500 people now, which will be the highest ever. Conventionally, the company has hired most of forein workers at its overseas locations, not at its headquarters. However, Aeon has changed its policy so that more foreign employees should be placed at the headquarters from now on at the backdrop of the situation that the company intends to expand its overseas business, espacially in Asian markets. According to the present draft,Aeon will gradually have enhanced the ration of foreign employees to regular workers at its headquarters to 50 percent by the year fiscal 2020.

from today's Nikkei

ミャンマーで米事業　三井物産　世界需要にらむ　輸出拡大へ生産性向上

According to the sources concerened, Mitsui& Co,Ltd. likely will participate in the rice business in Myanmar. Specifically, it will newly build large-scale rice-polishing factories at three locations, including Yangon, in cooperation with a local major agricultutal firm , in order to help the country, which aims at enhancing the productivity in the rice business, expand exports of rice for acquiring foreign currency.

from Nikkei (January 28)

内閣支持率６８％に上昇　金融緩和推進に評価　危機管理「適切」６１％　国債増発　懸念も

According to the opinion poll conducted by The Nihon Keizai Shimbun and TV Tokyo during the period of January 25 to 27, the rate of approval among people surveyed for the second Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe logged 68%, up 6 percentage points from the previous poll conducted just immediately after its administration got started in the end of last year.It is believed that factors, such as recent weaker yen and sharp increase in the Nikkei Stock Average, have contributed to such a high rate. Furthermore, there are other factors serving as favorable ones;the adminstration's positive attitude in the economic startegy of urging the Bank of Japan to take a further monetary easing measures and crisis management shown at the recent hostage incident in Algeria. However, there is a concern among people about the increase in issuance of the national bonds in connection with an emergency stimulus package of measures for economy.

As to the government's risk management, 61% of respondents said it is appropriate.

from today's Nikkei

電力、事業別に免許制　発電・送電・小売り　参入促す　経産省報告書案　発送電分離「４～６年後」

The Economy,Trade and Industry Ministry's panel of experts has been discussing how to reform the electric power services in the country,and is going to compile its reform draft, whose outline has been made known to us, the media. According to the draft, they intend to encourage competition and new entries into the electricity market by establishing the horizontal license system for threee divided areas of generation, distribution and retail of electricity. Specifically, the draft stipulates each of the current utilities, which hold both two busiinesses of generation and distribution, should be divided into two entities in four to six years.