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Ma Jie
For Ma Jie's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 22, 2019
Toyota tests car covered in solar panels to make charging stations redundant
Put together the best solar panels money can buy, superefficient batteries and decades of carmaking know-how and, theoretically, a vehicle might run forever.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 15, 2019
How Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa went from defiant to fired in 24 hours
Hiroto Saikawa's tone bordered on defiant on Sept. 8 when discussing his future as chief executive officer of Nissan Motor Co. He accepted responsibility for the Carlos Ghosn scandals and said he'd resign after a successor was found, but he wasn't taking the fall for a burgeoning controversy over his pay.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 6, 2019
Betting on the future of mobility, Toyota pours billions into variety of deals and partnerships
Everywhere you turn in the transportation industry these days, Toyota Motor Corp. already seems to be there.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 1, 2019
Japan parts makers literally reinventing the wheel to keep up with shift to autonomous cars
The car industry is reinventing the wheel to prepare for autonomous vehicles.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Jul 22, 2019
Nissan bets the humble sedan will be the next big thing in auto sales
At a time when younger people drive less and hail more rides, while SUVs reign supreme thanks to low gas prices, Nissan Motor Co. is betting on the humble sedan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 16, 2019
Nissan releases hybrid version of Skyline as part of effort to recover from scandals
Nissan Motor Co. on Tuesday unveiled a new version of its Skyline sports sedan, adding the carmaker's most advanced autonomous driving technology, as well as design elements shared with models like the GT-R sports coupe.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
May 27, 2019
Nissan, tied to a Renault-Fiat merger, would face a much less independent future
The carmaker may find itself tied to an even bigger gorilla.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2019
Nissan pushes back on Renault's renewed efforts to merge
Nissan Motor Co. is opposing renewed efforts by alliance partner Renault SA to merge under a holding company because such a structure won't help turn it around, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
May 12, 2019
Carlos Ghosn's successor, Hiroto Saikawa, under siege from within as Nissan profit sinks
Nissan chief Hiroto Saikawa finds himself under pressure from several angles, including a drop in company profits and slumping U.S. sales.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2019
Carlos Ghosn and Nissan CEO Saikawa considered adding fourth partner to alliance, email shows
Last September, two months before his arrest in Tokyo, then-Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn and the carmaker's chief executive officer considered bringing in a new partner for the alliance with Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., according to an email.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 25, 2019
With Ghosn still under lock and key in Tokyo, foreign execs are getting spooked about taking jobs in Japan
The stunning arrest, indictments and long incarceration of former Nissan Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn have given pause to foreign executives considering taking on senior jobs at Japanese companies.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Nov 27, 2018
The big winner from Carlos Ghosn's arrest? His protege at Nissan
Long before the downfall of his mentor Carlos Ghosn, Nissan Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa had pushed to win more power for the Japanese carmaker in its strained alliance with Renault SA. Now he has a chance to do just that.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 16, 2018
Toyota gives top-selling Corolla a new look as it increases efforts in China
For Toyota Motor Corp., China wasn't always the first pit stop when it came to unveiling key car models. But this time, it's different.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 26, 2018
Meet the Japanese tech guru who is betting big on the future of drones
The only person in kimono at a recent government meeting on flying cars was Kotaro Chiba, a former online-game executive turned financier of a very specific kind.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 26, 2018
Carlos Ghosn vows to stay as Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance nears a crossroads
Carlos Ghosn, who built the three-way union of Renault, Nissan. and Mitsubishi Motors, said overseeing the group is a job he isnu2019t looking to relinquish.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2018
Having lost the smartphone battle, Japan now lags on connected cars
In the race to build cars with digitally connected services — such as the ability to order coffee via a dashboard display — Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. risk being held back by their home market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 5, 2018
Brain waves will make Nissan's car of the future a better ride
The world's biggest carmakers and technology companies are spending billions of dollars to perfect your ability to drive without thinking. But Nissan Motor Co. is taking a different direction — trying to "decode" your thinking so that hands-on driving is more fun.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 27, 2017
Nissan has conducted faulty quality checks since 1979: source
Nissan Motor Co. had been conducting its current inspection process for vehicles sold in Japan—deemed faulty by the government last month — since at least 1979, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Oct 5, 2017
Carlos Ghosn's protege faces first crisis with 'shocking' Nissan Japan recall
Carlos Ghosn, one of the auto industry's most celebrated turnaround artists, saved Nissan Motor Co. by managing himself out of numerous tight spots. Now his hand-picked successor faces a big test of his own, just six-months into his tenure as Nissan's chief executive officer.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 26, 2017
Toyota invests in Japanese startups to catch up in autonomous car race
When it comes to cracking the code for self-driving cars, startups have an edge on big businesses, says computer scientist Katsuya Uenoyama.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world