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John Lippert
For John Lippert's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Dec 3, 2018
Nissan 'CEO whisperer' Greg Kelly ponders fate from Tokyo jail
Inside Nissan Motor Co. he was known as the "CEO whisperer": The chief of staff who would deliver the most delicate messages to Carlos Ghosn, and the man Ghosn would count on to enforce his directives.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 5, 2018
Toyota bets $1.1 billion on SUVs in Canada with Trudeau help
The investment will turn Canada into the automaker's main production site for the RAV4 and other hybrid vehicles, creating more than 400 jobs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 2, 2018
Mitsubishi Motors clings to Ghosn-led alliance as closer integration fuels revival
After helping Mitsubishi Motors Corp. get back on its feet, Carlos Ghosn is aiming to keep the automaker on stable ground — and benefit the two other carmakers he leads along the way.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2018
In spite of Tesla's full embrace of robots, Honda still relies on human touch
More than three decades after Honda Motor Co. first built an Accord sedan at its Marysville, Ohio, factory in 1982, humans are still an integral part of the assembly process — and that's unlikely to change anytime soon.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jan 11, 2018
With room to expand, giant Toyota-Mazda plant signals big win for U.S. Southeast
The prized $1.6 billion car factory awarded to Alabama by Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. could be an even bigger win than expected, as the site's size leaves plenty of room for future expansions.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 21, 2017
Toyota to U.S. workers: Made-in-Japan Camrys are more profitable
Toyota Motor Corp. issued an unsettling warning to Kentucky workers building its top-selling Camry sedan: Cut costs now or face an uncertain future.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2017
Mississippi shows promise as Toyota and Mazda seek U.S. location for new auto assembly plant
As Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. begin to scour the U.S. in search of a location for the first new auto assembly plant announced since President Donald Trump took power, one state looks like a front-runner: Mississippi.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 7, 2017
Toyota look to car rentals, fleet deliveries for boost amid slowing U.S. market
As automakers in the U.S. struggle to keep selling new cars to American consumers at a record clip, Toyota Motor Corp. plans to turn to rental car companies and other fleet operators for a boost.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 1, 2017
Nissan expands sales to rental companies, but analysts warn of risk
When his car needed weeks of transmission work and his dealer was out of loaners, Myles Arnett was sent to a nearby Hertz rental car lot. He had his pick of Nissan Altima and Sentra sedans to choose from — and little else.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 21, 2017
Shell to build California fueling stations to remain in step with Toyota's hydrogen program
Royal Dutch Shell will build seven fueling stations for hydrogen cars in California through a partnership with Toyota Motor, as the state eyes 100 retail sites by 2024.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2016
In Olympic campaign, Nissan bets on a Brazilian recovery
Like so many things in Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Ghosn's turn in the Olympic Torch Relay on Friday didn't go as planned. Ghosn, who is chief executive officer at both Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, was supposed to finish his 200-meter leg right in front of a Copacabana hotel covered bottom to top in advertisements for Nissan's newest car.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Dec 10, 2015
Lexus races to fill sports coupe gap a decade after SC's demise
What does 2+2 equal? If Lexus is doing the math, its newest model could be the answer.

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on