Latest Japan Headlines

All the headlines from our Japan Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Best Affirms NIPPONKOA ‘A’ Rating

Sep 5 2005 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has affirmed the financial strength rating of “A” (Excellent) of Japan’s NIPPONKOA Insurance Company Limited with a stable outlook. “The rating reflects...

Typhoon Mawar Nears Japan

Aug 25 2005 // Typhoon Mawar is reported to be nearing Japan’s main island of Honshu. It is currently a category 2 storm with sustained winds of 105 mph (168 kph). Mawar’s path has been erratic and it’s still unclear...

Pet Insurance Coming to Japan

Aug 23 2005 // According to a report from Japan’s Kyodo news agency, the country’s pet owners may soon be able to take out insurance coverage for the cost of medical treatment for injured or ill pets. Pet coverage, while...

Japanese Quake Injures Dozens

Aug 16 2005 // A reported 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan on Tuesday, injuring nearly 60 people, creating landslides and disrupting power to thousands of homes. A number of the reported injuries were children, who were...

U.S. and Japan Insurers Propose International Accounting Standards

Jul 25 2005 // Leading U.S. life and property/casualty insurance and reinsurance companies and the four largest life insurance companies in Japan have jointly advanced a draft of basic insurance accounting principles that recognize the...

Best Affirms Mitsui Sumitomo ‘A+’ Rating

Jun 24 2005 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has affirmed the financial strength rating of “A+” (Superior) of Japan’s Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company Limited with a stable outlook. “The rating reflects Mitsui...

Best Affirms Rating for Fuji Fire & Marine Insurance

Jun 23 2005 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of B++ (Very Good) of The Fuji Fire & Marine Insurance Company Limited (Fuji Fire) (Japan). The rating outlook has been revised to positive from stable. The...

Excess Capital: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Jun 6 2005 // As capital accumulates on insurers’ balance sheets, carriers are figuring out what to do with it if anything at all. The industry is flush with cash after a long hard market and lower corporate bond defaults....

Excess Capital: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Jun 6 2005 // As capital accumulates on insurers’ balance sheets, carriers are figuring out what to do with it if anything at all. The industry is flush with cash after a long hard market and lower corporate bond defaults....

Excess Capital: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Jun 6 2005 // As capital accumulates on insurers’ balance sheets, carriers are figuring out what to do with it if anything at all. The industry is flush with cash after a long hard market and lower corporate bond defaults....

Best Affirms Aioi ‘A’ Rating

May 25 2005 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has affirmed the financial strength rating of “A” (Excellent) of Japan’s Aioi Insurance Company Ltd. with a stable outlook. “The rating reflects Aioi’s...

Excess Capital: Too Much of a Good Thing?

May 23 2005 // As capital accumulates on insurers’ balance sheets, carriers are figuring out what to do with it–if anything at all. The industry is flush with cash after a long hard market and lower corporate bond defaults....

Excess Capital: Too Much of a Good Thing?

May 23 2005 // As capital accumulates on insurers’ balance sheets, carriers are figuring out what to do with it-if anything at all. The industry is flush with cash after a long hard market and lower corporate bond defaults....

Japan Rail Crash Raises Questions

Apr 29 2005 // The death toll from Monday’s commuter train crash in Japan has reached 106 with the discovery of three more bodies on Thursday, including the 23-year old driver. In addition to the dead more 450 people were injured...

S&P Raises Japan’s Fuji Fire Ratings to ‘BBB+’

Apr 27 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has raised its financial strength and long-term counterparty ratings on Japan’s Fuji Fire & Marine Insurance Co. to “BBB+” from...

Japan Train Crash Death Toll Rises to 73

Apr 26 2005 // The loss of life from yesterday’s train wreck in Japan has risen to 73. Over 450 were injured, and many remain in a serious condition. Rescue workers labored throughout the night to extract survivors from the mangled...

50 Reported Dead in Japan Train Crash

Apr 25 2005 // A Japanese commuter train came off the tracks at Amagasaki, a suburb of Osaka, about 400 kms (255 miles) west of Tokyo, and rammed into a building at about 9:20 a.m. local time. News reports have put the death toll at 50...

Report Tokio Marine in Talks to Acquire ABN AMRO’s Brazilian Insurance Unit

Apr 22 2005 // With a saturated and highly competitive home market, Japanese insurers are increasingly looking abroad for opportunities to expand. According to a report from the Japanese business newspaper Nihon Keizai, as reported by...

Japan Using New Marine Insurance Law to Apply Pressure on North Korea

Mar 3 2005 // North Korean ships seeking to enter Japanese ports faced a new hurdle this week as a law took effect requiring large vessels visiting the country to have insurance against oil spills and other accidents. Japanese lawmakers...

Study: About 11,000 Would Die in Tokyo Quake

Mar 1 2005 // About 11,000 people would die and Japan as a whole would suffer about $1.06 trillion in economic damage if a major earthquake were to strike Tokyo, a government disaster prevention panel said. The panel made its estimates...