Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Business | BALANCING INTERESTS Jul 24, 2013
High-end grape grower has no TPP gripe, just sees green
by Jun Hongo
Grapes grown on Takanobu Watanabe’s farm in Tomi, Nagano Prefecture, are still chartreuse this time of the year, as the summer heat boosts the berries’ sugar content before veraison, the onset of ripening. “It gets chilly during the night in this region. But the ...
Business | BALANCING INTERESTS Jul 24, 2013
Students getting down and dirty
by Jun Hongo
School’s out for summer — and students are leaving their books behind to hit the beach under the sun. But for Shogo Takano, it’s a long-awaited chance to hit the farm and get his hands dirty. “There is something instinctive about the joy of ...
Business | BALANCING INTERESTS Jul 23, 2013
Food looms large as trading houses plot overseas forays under new pact
by Hiroko Nakata
Second in a series When Marubeni Corp. announced in May it plans to launch services that will make it possible for people in Asia to purchase Japanese fruit and vegetables with just one click, it received dozens of phone calls from potential domestic partners, ...
Business | BALANCING INTERESTS Jul 22, 2013
Japan may be latecomer but TPP trade party has just begun
by Kazuaki Nagata
Japan only has three days in Malaysia for the TPP negotiations, but experts say it has a solid chance to lead the revamp of trade in the Asia-Pacific region.
Business | BALANCING INTERESTS Jul 22, 2013
Farmers stealing TPP spotlight from other key issues
by Eric Johnston
While a great deal of political and media attention is focusing on what the Trans-Pacific Partnership might mean for Japan’s agricultural sector, less is being devoted to how it could impact investor-state disputes and copyright laws, two controversial areas that present a growing challenge ...