Kyodo Industry Brief (July 9) -1-

TOKYO, July 9 -- (Kyodo) _ ---------- ABC-Mart to buy LaCrosse Footwear by mid-August

TOKYO - Japanese shoe store chain operator ABC-Mart Inc. said Friday it will purchase U.S. boot maker LaCrosse Footwear Inc. for some $138 million, or about 11 billion yen, by mid-August as part of its efforts to expand its business in North America and Europe.

---------- FIFA approves use of Sony's Hawk-Eye goal-line technology

TOKYO - Sony Corp. said Friday the world soccer's governing body FIFA officially approved the use of a goal-line technology system provided by its British affiliated firm Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd.

---------- INCJ, 2 Japanese firms acquire U.S. optical products venture

TOKYO - The government-backed Innovation Network Corp. of Japan and two Japanese firms, Fujikura Ltd. and NTT Electronics Corp., have acquired U.S. optical products venture Nistica based in the state of New Jersey, INCJ said Friday.

---------- Japan's 1st test drilling of shale oil to begin in Akita next year

TOKYO - Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. will begin test-drilling for shale oil in Akita Prefecture next year, raising hopes the first full-scale exploration of its kind in Japan will help improve the nation's self-sufficiency in energy, company officials said Friday.

---------- NTT Docomo logs lowest net subscription gain in 5 years

TOKYO - Japanese mobile phone industry leader NTT Docomo Inc. on Friday reported its net gain in mobile phone subscriptions in June at 11,300, the lowest since it posted a net loss in August 2007.

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