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April 18, 2024
 

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Shoko Oda
For Shoko Oda's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Yukio Kani, chairman and global CEO of Jera
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 15, 2024
Japan’s top power producer Jera considers IPO to fund green push
The Tokyo-based company plans to develop 20 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity by fiscal 2035.
Japan will need new nuclear power plants to meet its 2050 net zero goal.
BUSINESS
Apr 9, 2024
Japan needs new nuclear to hit green goals, power sector says
New reactors are needed to help reduce dependence on costly fossil fuel imports and to help boost economic competitiveness.
Mercuria Energy Group is gearing up to engage in physical power trading in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 5, 2024
Mercuria joins trader push into Japan’s spot electricity market
That follows moves by other European energy companies, including BP and Engie, to expand in one of the biggest power-consuming nations.
Japan’s power supply is expected to be sufficient for both the upcoming summer and winter, according to government forecasts.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 2, 2024
Japan forecasts sufficient power for upcoming summer and winter
Japan’s grid has proven fragile in the past, which has sometimes forced the government to ask households and businesses to conserve electricity.
U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday that United States Steel should be domestically owned, coming out against Nippon Steel's plan to acquire the company as support from labor unions is becoming more significant for his re-election bid.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 15, 2024
Nippon Steel determined to complete U.S. Steel deal
The firm has promised no layoffs or plant closures until at least September 2026.
Vitol, the world's largest independent oil trader, is considering opening an office in Tokyo to trade electricity, sources said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 16, 2024
Vitol considers entering Japan power market with Tokyo office
Japan's power market is attracting more overseas firms due to increased volatility amid shifts away from fossil fuels
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida prepares to speak at a COP28 session in Dubai on Friday.
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2023
Japan pledges to end construction of new unabated coal plants
The pledge comes after some nations called on attendees at COP28 to agree to immediately end new unabated coal-fired power generation.
Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says Japanese firms' clean energy technology can speed up the country’s efforts to curb emissions.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 27, 2023
Japan’s tech leaders accelerate its climate actions, ex-PM says
Japan’s companies were once at the cutting edge of green technology but have been surpassed by Chinese producers.
A hydrogen storage tank and loading system at a liquefied hydrogen receiving terminal in Kobe
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 27, 2023
U.K. concerned about Japan’s co-firing plans to curb emissions
The move 'prolongs the life of coal plants and leads to emissions,' said the head of climate change and energy at the British Embassy in Tokyo.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been meeting with Japanese buyers, as well as overseas suppliers, to urge the signing of more long-term LNG contracts.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 21, 2023
Japan urges LNG buyers to sign long-term deals for fuel security
The push is meant to insulate Japan from future supply shocks, as well as potentially harsher sanctions against Russian fuel exports.
A Jera thermal power plant
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 6, 2023
Japan climate group calls for ban on top power firm's emission claims
The group says the ads may mislead consumers as Jera fails to mention that the ammonia the utility plans to use would emit CO2 during production.
A liquefied natural gas tanker is tugged toward a thermal power station in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, in November 2017
BUSINESS
Sep 20, 2023
Japan’s dwindling LNG inventories could prompt new purchases
Storage held by Japan’s power suppliers fell to 1.62 million tons as of Sept. 17, according to data compiled by the trade ministry.
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway in June raised its stake in Japan's five major trading firms. All of them beat net-income estimates for the first quarter of the fiscal year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 4, 2023
Buffett’s favored Japan trading firms post solid earnings
The five major trading firms all beat net-income estimates for the first quarter of the fiscal year in reports issued this week.
A Toyo Safety Industrial helmet with a built-in fan is showcased at Extreme Heat Countermeasures Exhibition in Tokyo in July.
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2023
Fan-cooled beds and baby carriers among new gadgets to beat heat
At Tokyo’s annual trade show last week the focus was on how to keep workers in high-temperature environments cool and reduce the risk of heatstroke.
A wind turbine stands next to solar panels at a Banpu Power solar plant in Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Jul 25, 2023
Wind, solar and EVs offer Japan cheapest net zero climate path
In contrast to its G7 peers, Japan is still considering climate policies that extend the life of coal and gas-fired plants.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 6, 2023
Seafood and beauty exports at risk over Fukushima waste disposal plan
China and Hong Kong, both major importers of Japanese goods, have reiterated concerns over the plan even after the International Atomic Energy Agency said the disposal strategy is safe.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2023
Japan set to release Fukushima water into Pacific, angering China
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Director-General Rafael Grossi will visit Japan from Tuesday to deliver a final report on the safety of the process.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 28, 2023
A small Japanese town sets new precedent for women in politics
Among the country’s city councils and assemblies, men held more than 80% of the total seats as of 2021. But in Ebetsu, more than 40% of the city council members are women.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 10, 2023
Japan says no decision yet on chip export restrictions
Many U.S. allies are struggling to balance Washington’s concerns about China’s access to leading-edge technology with their reliance on the world’s biggest manufacturer.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 8, 2023
Hold the mayo as Japan egg shortage hits McDonald’s to 7-Eleven
McDonald’s Japan’s Teritama Muffin — a breakfast sandwich that combines egg, sausage and teriyaki sauce — is now off the menu.
Magnitude 6.6 quake strikes off Shikoku
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck southern Japan on Wednesday. The area marked in red recorded a weak 6 on Japan's seismic intensity scale.
Why hasn't Japan moved to prop up the weak yen?
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday.
U.S. deploys midrange missile system in Indo-Pacific for first time
A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher arrives as part of the capability’s first deployment into theater on Northern Luzon, Philippines, April 8.
Snake on a train: Discovery of serpent delays Tokyo-Nagoya shinkansen
A Tokaido shinkansen. It is unclear whether the snake was venomous or how it ended up on the train, and there was no injury or panic among passengers.
Unpacking the chaotic by-election in a scandal-hit Tokyo district
People listen to a campaign speech in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Tuesday.
Kyoto’s demon night parade lives to haunt another day
In a Kyoto long past, the "hyakki yagyō" (100 demon night parade) haunted a sleepy corner of Kyoto. Now, one enterprising monster enthusiast has won a small batttle to keep the march alive.
Japan’s best and brightest designers set to shine in Milan
Adal’s Look into Nature brand, on show at Salon del Mobile 2024, rethinks "igusa" (Japanese rush grass), traditionally used for tatami, as a sustainable material for furniture.
U.S. deploys midrange missile system in Indo-Pacific for first time
A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher arrives as part of the capability’s first deployment into theater on Northern Luzon, Philippines, April 8.
Unpacking the chaotic by-election in a scandal-hit Tokyo district
People listen to a campaign speech in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Tuesday.
For Modi, the Indian election is less about winning and more about by how much
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses supporters during an election campaign rally in Pushkar, India, on April 6, ahead of the country's upcoming general election starting Friday.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

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
By Lance Henderstein

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