For Kazuaki Nagata's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
A bitcoin startup plans to join Japan’s growing ranks of power utilities and accept the cryptocurrency as payment for electricity charges, promising bills four to six percent cheaper than the competition. ResuPress Inc., a Tokyo-based startup that runs a bitcoin exchange and storage service ...
Sony Corp. will on Saturday open the doors to its new store in Tokyo’s bustling Ginza district. After closing its flagship store in the Sony Building last month to make way for a rebuild, the new store forms part of the newly completed Ginza ...
The Mitsubishi Regional Jet is back in the spotlight after flights to the United States were canceled last month because of problems with the air-conditioning system. The MRJ has been delayed four times so far. With hopes for a manufacturing revival resting on Japan’s ...
The Tokyo Game Show kicked off Thursday, with virtual reality products grabbing the lion’s share of attention at one of the central fixtures in the global gaming calendar. At Chiba’s massive Makuhari Messe venue on Thursday, industry insiders and journalists lined up to try ...
TransferWise Ltd., a British peer-to-peer money transfer startup launched last week on the promise of cheaper prices, is betting its service will change the way Japanese and foreign residents send and receive money overseas. “We are very honored to have finally made it to ...
In an apparent bid to prevent customers from jumping ship to budget mobile phone services, SoftBank Corp. said Thursday it will cut monthly rates for its smartphone data plans. A new plan dubbed the “Giga Monster” will offer 20 GB a month for ¥6,000 ...
Sudden storms called “guerrilla downpours” have been hitting with increasing frequency over the past five decades and are now considered a growing disaster threat. As municipalities struggle to deal with the increase in floods, companies are proposing new technology based on what they say ...
Internet giant Line Corp. on Monday made its foray into mobile phone services, launching low-cost smartphone and SIM card packages that offer subscribers free use of its messaging app. Branded Line Mobile, the service, excluding the cost of handsets, will cost between ¥500 and ...
In 2009, anime fans were delighted when a life-size statue of a Gundam robot was unveiled in Tokyo’s Odaiba district. The statue has now become a landmark attraction in the shopping and entertainment area. And this year, there’s finally some action as Gundam fights ...
Tightly traditional noh drama is loosening up, with theater groups trying out tablet computers to help baffled audiences understand what’s going on. The devices show the actors’ lines and help to explain plot twists in real time. “Noh groups are trying to get more ...
