KKR & Co. is stepping up investments in Japan. That’s a wise geographical choice. The US private-equity firm, which said it has raised a record $9.3 billion Asia fund, has made considerable strides in a country once hostile toward corporate takeovers. Of its top five deals in the region, three have been in Japan. Toshiba Corp.’s chip unit would be …

The notion that Donald Trump would ‘drain the swamp’ was always suspect. The then-candidate himself confessed to second thoughts about his pledge shortly after making it. Still, the speed and extent of his abandonment are stunning. Not only did Trump hire people with real or potential conflicts of interest, he at first refused to divulge how many or to whom …

It’s a common sight in rural China: rows and rows of low-rise apartment buildings, often topped by solar water heaters the size of kitchen tables. By one estimate, 30 million Chinese households rely upon the devices for hot water. They’re served by 3,000 companies that sell around one million of the devices annually. Neither subsidies nor environmental guilt account for …