The number of bankrupt Japanese businesses in 2024 is estimated to exceed 10,000, reaching the highest level since 2013, according to survey data released on Saturday.
During the January-November period, a total of 9,164 companies went bankrupt in Japan, as was shown by data from the Japanese corporate credit survey institution Tokyo Shoko Research (TSR).
In the first 11 months of the year, bankruptcies in Japan increased by 16.2 percent compared with the same period last year, with total debt nearing 2.15 trillion yen (about 13.6 billion U.S. dollars), the TSR data said.
The number of bankrupt companies in the country was 10,855 in 2013, but has been staying below 10,000 since then.
In addition, over 70 percent of the companies that went bankrupt have debts of less than 100 million yen (633,416 U.S. dollars), and most of the bankruptcies this year have been among small and micro businesses.
The slow recovery in domestic demand and rising prices, along with increased debt and labor shortages, are placing heavy burdens on these businesses, TSR's survey report suggested.
Japan's bankrupt businesses estimated to hit 11-year high in 2024
Russia's Ministry of Defense on Sunday said that its forces had attacked Ukraine's artillery base, while the Ukrainian side claimed it repelled multiple Russian offensives in several directions on the same day.
In its daily briefing, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that its military struck Ukrainian artillery base and drone factory with precision-guided munition and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Russian forces also controlled Basovka settlement in Ukraine's Sumy region.
Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine launched seven rounds of attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, damaging power supply units which left several places without electricity.
On the same day, Ukraine's Armed Forces General Staff said that 75 combat engagements occurred in the frontline areas, with a number of settlements across Sumy region being attacked by Russian artilleries.
In addition, Ukrainian forces repelled dozens of Russian attacks in Lyman, Pokrovsk and other directions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Russian troops fired missiles from the Black Sea into Ukraine, while calling on the international community to continue pressuring Russia to end the conflict.
Russia claims attacking Ukrainian artillery base; Ukraine reports repelling Russian offensives
