The world's largest Internet search engine operator, Google, says it is opening a research and development center in Tokyo.
Company co-founder Sergey Brin told TV Tokyo that Google will develop exclusive content for the Japanese market rather than just translating English services. "There are a whole range of products that you could imagine creating in Japan that just wouldn't work in other parts of the world," he said.
Google employs some 10,000 translators for 100 languages, but, until now, had a staff of only 40 people in Japan.
Japan's finance ministry says steady demand helped the merchandise trade surplus expand by nearly 13-percent in September. That is a turnaround from August, when economists were surprised by a 26 percent contraction, the first drop in more than a year.
Also, Japan's second quarter trade surplus with other countries in Asia surged 45 percent year on year to a record of about $37 billion. The trade surplus with Asia has exceeded Japan's surplus with the United States for the second six months in a row, making Asia Japan's biggest trade partner.
Three Japanese companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to help develop and produce the new Boeing 7E7 passenger jet.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries say they will be in charge of more than one-third of the production for the midsized twin-engine airplane.
Mitsubishi Heavy will develop and produce the main wing assembly. Kawasaki Heavy will be responsible for the front of the fuselage, while Fuji Heavy will build the central wing.
Total development costs for the project are estimated at around $8 billion.