author

 
 

Meta

Takashi Amano
For Takashi Amano's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 24, 2019
Mario Kart Tour could be the monster mobile hit that Japan gaming giant Nintendo needs
More than four years after a much-ballyhooed entry into mobile gaming, industry giant Nintendo Co. remains bereft of a monster smartphone hit. But the wait may finally be over.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 9, 2017
Outspoken adviser to Abe urges regime change at BOJ
Amid strong expectations that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may reappoint Haruhiko Kuroda to another term as governor of the Bank of Japan, at least one key voice is calling for fresh blood at the top of the BOJ to lift the nation's flagging inflation rate.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 5, 2016
Sony time travel game bumps off 'Pokemon Go' in Japan
Nintendo Co. might have scored a hit with the explosive debut of "Pokemon Go" this year. On its home turf, however, Sony Corp. has quietly dispatched its rival with a popular mobile game called "Fate/Grand Order."
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 28, 2016
Mum Pepper's mood swings keep Son's robot dreams on hold
Japan's obsession with robots isn't just a cliche. Companies have been trying to drum up enthusiasm for them for years, with little success.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 26, 2016
Japanese billionaire who can do no wrong sets sights on VR
Naruatsu Baba, the 39-year old billionaire and founder of mobile game developer Colopl Inc. breaks the mold of your typical Japanese executive: he's completely immodest about his success.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 17, 2016
Apple's switch to OLED screens could make or break Japanese suppliers
Pick up a high-end smartphone these days and chances are it will have a crisp, energy-sipping organic LED display — unless it's an iPhone.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 30, 2016
Silicon Valley to Japan’s piecemeal startups: first global growth, then IPO
Trace the roots of most modern Japanese tech companies back far enough and there's a good chance you'll stumble across a little-known venture capital firm called Jafco Co.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 5, 2016
Another Son rises in Japan seeking to improve the world
When massive tsunami swept away entire towns in northeastern Japan five years ago, Taizo Son filled three shipping containers with emergency supplies and sent them to help the relief effort. Later, he bet almost $100 million of his own money on startups, seeking to transform everything from transportation and education to farming and medicine.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 25, 2016
Nintendo slumps by most since 1990 on dashed 'Pokemon Go' hopes
Nintendo Co. shares plunged by the most since 1990 after the company said late Friday that the financial impact from the worldwide hit "Pokemon Go" will be limited.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 21, 2016
Olympus seeks deals and redemption after 2011 scandal
Five years ago, Olympus Corp. was caught up in the oddest of corporate scandals. Its then-CEO, Michael Woodford, uncovered an accounting scandal at the company that went undetected for years, besmirching the name of a once-proud Japanese maker of digital cameras and medical equipment.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 11, 2016
Line’s two-year wait for IPO may have cost it $4 billion in valuation
Japanu2019s leading mobile messaging service finally pulls the trigger on its IPO after a two-year hiatus, the proceeds of which will go to spearhead its global expansion.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 3, 2016
Fujifilm's new chief aims to make drug operations profitable
Fujifilm Holdings Corp.'s new president, Kenji Sukeno, aims to make its pharmaceutical operations profitable and said the company will consider acquisitions to bolster growth in sectors where it has an existing presence.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
May 10, 2016
Son looks to listing to plug SoftBank's $22 billion valuation gap
Masayoshi Son's promises of a turnaround for his U.S. operations and a record share buyback have not been enough to erase SoftBank Group Corp.'s $22 billion valuation gap. The billionaire founder has at least one more card to play — listing the company's domestic telecommunications business.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 28, 2016
Nintendo disappoints without mobile Mario game and no new console
Nintendo Co. is easing into its newfound role as a mobile game publisher, but not fast enough for investors expecting a Mario-scale hit.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Apr 4, 2016
For Hon Hai, turning around Sharp will be tougher than takeover
Terry Gou has pledged to keep Sharp intact, respect its independence and try to preserve jobs. He will have a hard time keeping those agreements.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 24, 2016
Hon Hai lag raises Sharp liquidation risk, analyst says
Sharp Corp. is facing an increasing risk of liquidation if a rescue deal with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. is delayed further, according to a top-rated analyst tracking the electronics maker.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 21, 2016
Hon Hai-Sharp deal's nearly monthlong delay raises risk of rupture
Clock ticking as Taiwanese firm pours over information on deal for troubled Japanese company.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2016
How $5-a-night hostels led to Japan's first $1 billion startup
In 2012, Shintaro Yamada was 34 years old, single and frustrated with his job. So he quit a comfortable position in Tokyo and set out to see the world.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 9, 2016
INCJ said to argue its ¥1 trillion bid for Sharp tops Foxconn's
Innovation Network Corp. of Japan is making the case to Sharp Corp. that its rescue proposal for the electronics maker is worth more than an offer from Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., a sign the government fund is determined to keep fighting for victory in the takeover battle.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 3, 2016
Nintendo tries to convince investors to wait as profit dives
Nintendo Co. President Tatsumi Kimishima tried to assure investors the company's March mobile gaming debut is worth waiting for, even as a 36 percent plunge in quarterly profit highlighted a downward spiral in sales of Wii U and 3DS players.

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