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Naoko Fujimura
For Naoko Fujimura's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 21, 2013
Shift to mobile services to up ad growth: Yahoo Japan
Yahoo Japan Corp. expects economic growth and a consumer shift to mobile services to spur revenue gains as it targets advertising growth of at least 10 percent.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 26, 2013
Young Gree chief loses $2.6 billion to smartphone boom
In five years, Yoshikazu Tanaka became Japan's youngest billionaire as investors piled into Gree Inc., valuing his controlling stake in the early maker of phone-based games at $4 billion. Just 18 months later, that has shriveled to about $1.4 billion.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 6, 2013
Sushi machine maker upbeat about yen's fall, high overseas demand
The global popularity of sushi, coupled with the yen's 18 percent decline in the past six months, is proving to be a sweet spot for Suzumo Machinery Co., Japan's biggest producer of automatic sushi-making machines.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 16, 2012
Softbank shares dive as Son the 'gambler' bets on Sprint
Softbank Corp.'s Masayoshi Son has a history of picking winners. Investors say his latest choice may not be a repeat performance.
BUSINESS
Mar 31, 2012
Toshiba mulling investment in select segments of bankrupt Elpida: exec
A senior Toshiba Corp. executive said the company may invest in chip-maker Elpida Memory Inc., which filed for bankruptcy protection in February.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 14, 2011
Sanrio to cut reliance on Hello Kitty
Sanrio Co. aims to spend as much as ¥30 billion to buy the rights to a character for the first time and cut its reliance on Hello Kitty.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2010
Uniqlo billionaire Yanai goes back to the basics
Tadashi Yanai, Japan's richest man, used advice from management guru Peter Drucker to build his Uniqlo clothing empire. To pull out of a slump that's hammered profits and shares, the billionaire is revisiting the lessons.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 9, 2010
Miniskirts hit Mount Fuji as 'yama girls' take on trekking
Forget the ice ax and ¥50,000 climbing boots. The "mode du jour" for today's mountain hikers is the miniskirt and leggings.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2010
CEOs learning 'globish' to expand overseas
Oki Matsumoto, chief executive officer of online trader Monex Group Inc. and a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. partner, has a solution to the stagnant economy: Learn "globish."
MULTIMEDIA
May 14, 2010
Firms battle back to profit on cost cuts
Japanese companies including Toyota Motor Corp. and Panasonic Corp. forecast profit will surge this year as exports and cost-cutting power a recovery from the worst postwar recession.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2009
Hawaii holidays, Tiffany jewelry get yen boost
Mika Ueda, a 27-year-old office worker in Tokyo, and her friends had planned on spending the holidays in Japan. After the yen hit a 14-year high against the dollar last week, they set their sights on Guam or Hawaii.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 13, 2009
Luxury a poor fit in today's Japan
Akiko Sayama re-examined her spending habits when the Tokyo staffing agency where she works cut its overtime budget. She lost around ¥1 million in annual pay, so one of the first things she did was curb her tastes for Louis Vuitton and Gucci.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 17, 2009
Recession can't slow Uniqlo
While celebrities watched models strut down catwalks during fashion week in Paris, dozens of people lined up in the rain to buy 40 euro cashmere sweaters at the newly opened Uniqlo store in the city's Opera district.
BUSINESS
May 2, 2009
Chrysler Chapter 11 threatens Nissan vehicle supply deal
Nissan Motor Co. will review its vehicle supply agreement with Chrysler LLC following the U.S. company's bankruptcy filing.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 15, 2009
Grandson to inherit a carmaker in decline
Akio Toyoda, grandson of Toyota Motor Corp.'s founder and the company's next president, will confront a challenge largely unknown to his ancestors — decline.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 8, 2008
Free loans give Toyota edge in U.S.
Toyota Motor Corp., rocked by a sales slump that led it to project the biggest annual earnings drop in at least 18 years, may win market share with its ability to fund car loans as cash-strapped U.S. competitors seek government aid.

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