author

 
 

Meta

Michio Watanabe
For Michio Watanabe's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2018
Vast, bioclean Kumamoto silkworm factory aims to revive Japan's sericulture sector
In an upland valley in Kumamoto Prefecture, a huge, dark-silver-colored flat building is home to silkworms that are raised all year round.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2017
Century-old Kanagawa inn deploys modern tech to come back from the brink of bankruptcy
A century-old Japanese-style inn in Kanagawa Prefecture that nearly went bust amid outdated management practices has made a recovery thanks to an injection of modern technology.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2017
Japan Inc. starting to embrace community-oriented 'creating shared value' concept
The concept of "creating shared value" is gradually but steadily finding its way into corporate Japan as an increasing number of managers recognize the importance of community-based business strategies.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 22, 2017
Tokyo Haneda Market flies in fresh fish, giving restaurants the 'catch of the day'
An innovative distribution method has made it possible to bring fish to consumers in Tokyo on the day they were caught, not via the controversy-mired Tsukiji or Toyosu markets, but through Haneda airport.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 22, 2017
Aichi firm eyes the fast lane as Asia's top race car seat maker
Though it only has 13 employees, an auto parts manufacturer in central Japan boasts a 50 percent share of the market for auto racing seats in Asia, and is regarded as one of the five biggest global brands.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 2, 2017
Small Shizuoka builder taps the ranks of college-educated carpenters
Heisei Corp., a small construction company in Shizuoka Prefecture, has a pool of 220 carpenters comprising many who finished graduate programs at the country's top schools, including the University of Tokyo.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 19, 2016
Seaplanes touted as tourism lifeline in regional Japan
Seaplanes used to be a common form of transport in the Japanese archipelago, with scheduled cargo and passenger flights operating mainly in western Japan until the mid-1960s.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2016
Big business creeps into agriculture as farmers dwindle
With traditional family farms on the wane, corporations are increasingly entering the agriculture sector, taking advantage of an updated law allowing them to lease farmland across the country.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 13, 2015
'Smallest whisky distiller' in Japan thinks big for the future
The "smallest distiller in Japan" operating on a mountainous site about 100 km northwest of Tokyo has won recognition from whisky lovers at home and abroad.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 8, 2015
Toyooka, home of storks, pushes for rural revival
Reviving Japan's once-extinct stork population is not just a story of conservation in the city of Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture. It is also the tale of a provincial region reinventing itself to prevent its population following the species into endangered status.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 6, 2015
Robotics rivalry in gear as Japan aims to lead fourth industrial revolution
Japan is set to accelerate its development of robots to secure a lead over rival nations, including the United States and Germany, as a new industrial revolution beckons.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2015
Forester says greater use of wood needed to help protect nation's forests
Toru Hayami does not conceal his excitement when he talks about his "forest of 400 years" in the town of Kihoku, Mie Prefecture.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 7, 2015
Changes behind the wheel for Tokyo's taxi industry
The taxi industry is looking at a range of initiatives to improve service for customers, ranging from training drivers as tour guides to adopting larger vehicles. One program already proving popular gives priority to pregnant women entering labor.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 7, 2015
Japan rediscovers joy of bonsai after tiny trees put down roots in global affections
After years of withering in obscurity, the art of creating carefully cultivated bonsai potted trees is starting to show green shoots of renewal.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 13, 2015
Farming of herbs, medicinal crops growing
Reflecting rising demand for herbal medicine, domestic cultivation of crops used to make such products is expanding.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2014
Haneda soon to be third-busiest airport
Tokyo's Haneda airport is accelerating its push to become an international hub and is expected to become the world's third-busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic this business year.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2008
Country warming again to solar power
Solar power is drawing renewed attention in resource-poor Japan in the runup to the annual Group of Eight summit, where global warming will be high on the agenda.

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