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May 05, 2024
 

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Shusuke Murai

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Shusuke Murai
Shusuke Murai was born in Japan and spent his teen years in central Ohio. He graduated from New York University with a M.A. in Communication. His interests include the activities of virtual communities, intercultural interactions in the information society and futuristic gadgets.
For Shusuke Murai's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 22, 2017
While agile startups blaze a trail, Japan remains ambivalent on electric vehicles
Despite growing interest in electric vehicles amid stricter curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, globally renowned Japanese carmakers have yet to totally embrace the challenge — raising concerns they may fall behind emerging rivals.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 13, 2017
Toyota and Panasonic boost alliance to develop batteries for electric vehicles and other green cars
Toyota Motor Corp. and Panasonic Corp. announced Wednesday that they will strengthen their alliance for developing batteries used in environmentally friendly cars, targeting the market for all-electric vehicles.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Taking the Lead
Dec 3, 2017
Uuum CEO thrives helping YouTubers focus on what they do best
Kazuki Kamada lives the life he loves — just like the over 4,000 fellow YouTube creators he works with.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 20, 2017
Flawed Nissan and Subaru vehicle inspections seen as an issue of compliance rather than quality
People's trust in Japanese cars has been questioned following revelations that two domestic automakers that enjoyed strong reputations — Nissan Motor Co. and Subaru Corp. — allowed unauthorized employees to conduct final quality checks on finished vehicles.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 17, 2017
Nissan cites poor communication in safety check malpractice, acknowledged to have started as early as 1979
Nissan Motor chief Hiroto Saikawa blames a lack of communication between workers and managers as a root cause of its decades of improper vehicle checks.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 16, 2017
Japan placed 10th in global ranking for information and communication technology, up one spot from 2016
Japan was placed 10th in a global ranking that assesses nations on their level of development in information and communication technology, moving up one spot from last year, according to an annual United Nations report.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 9, 2017
Toshiba rides memory chip unit to 28-year high in operating profit
The electronics giant posts a half-year operating profit that topped a 28-year high, driven by performance from its memory chip business.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2017
Tokyo beefs up security ahead of Trump's visit
More than 10,000 police officers will be on duty in the capital during the president's visit — one of Japan's largest-ever mobilizations of security personnel.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 27, 2017
Subaru reveals unauthorized staff vehicle inspections in echo of Nissan scandal
Adding to Japan's list of corporate scandals, Subaru Corp. says it also let uncertified staff perform final quality checks on finished vehicles.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 25, 2017
Eco-friendly and self-driving cars showcased at Tokyo Motor Show
Green-energy vehicles, self-driving technologies and internet connectivity are expected to be the rage at this year's Tokyo Motor Show slated to open to the public Saturday at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center in Koto Ward.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 20, 2017
Nissan says unauthorized checks continued at four plants
Nissan Motor Co.'s latest revelation that improper quality checks performed by unauthorized staff continued at its factories after initial claims it had resolved the issue shows that the car manufacturer has a long way to go to clear up its compliance problems.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 18, 2017
Nissan admits improper safety inspections continued after president's public apology
Nissan Motor says that improper safety inspections performed by unauthorized staff continued at one of its assembly plants even after the scandal came to light last month.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 15, 2017
How Japan's service industry is trying to adapt to the worst labor crunch in 25 years
Before Hisashi Kanbe in 2013 introduced BakeryScan, the world's first image recognition checkout system designed specifically for bread, it was the job of every bakery worker in Japan to memorize the assorted prices of each baked good — from baguettes back to bagels.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 12, 2017
Tokyo still top 'global power city' in Asia, and takes third spot in the rankings worldwide
Tokyo remains the top city in Asia for attracting global talent and in third place worldwide, standing a strong chance of overtaking New York soon to clinch the No. 2 spot, according to the latest Global Power City Index ranking released Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 7, 2017
Japan Times' 120th anniversary exhibition kicks off in Yokohama
An exhibition showcasing The Japan Times' 120 years of reporting on the nation's most important historical moments opened Saturday in Yokohama.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 3, 2017
New entrants flock to Tokyo's cutting-edge technology trade show
A robot, remote controlled by motion capture, moves in perfect sync with a person in the distance. A device passes an infrared scan over some food and supplies complete nutritional information about the fare. These are among the array of cutting-edge technologies on display as Japan's largest electronics trade show kicked off Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2017
Thailand courts Japanese businesses with grand tour of key industrial zone
In the coastal area east of bustling Bangkok lies Thailand's largest industrial zone, a production hub where hundreds of Japanese car- and auto parts makers had once rushed to gain a foothold in Southeast Asia.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 19, 2017
Inspired by racing, Toyota roars ahead with GR sports car brand
Amid heated global competition over developing next-generation cars such as self-driving automobiles and electric vehicles, Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled Tuesday a new sports car brand inspired by its expertise in motor sports.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 31, 2017
Toshiba chip deal stalls amid counteroffers; Apple joins fray
Western Digital deal with Toshiba stalls as the Japan tech giant fielded last-minute new offers for its flash memory business.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 25, 2017
Government opens multilingual web portal to unify disaster information ahead of Olympics
Accessing reliable information in the aftermath of a disaster is not easy, especially in an era where vast quantities of information are scattered across the internet.
Japan says Biden's description of nation as xenophobic is 'unfortunate'
The National Diet building in Tokyo
With eye on China, defense chiefs agree to bolster interoperability
From left: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Australian defense chief Richard Marles, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro hold a joint news conference in Honolulu on Thursday.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces
Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
Japan drops to 70th in press freedom rankings
A businessman reads a newspaper outside a train station in Tokyo.
Traders spooked by intervention risk trim record yen shorts
Traders edged back from record bets on yen weakness this past week, in a period that included a likely bout of intervention by Japan to prop up the currency.
'Monster' Inoue ready to tear down Luis Nery in title defense at Tokyo Dome
Naoya Inoue (left) and Luis Nery following a pre-fight news conference in Yokohama on Saturday, two days ahead of their super bantamweight title fight.
Debate on constitutional revision at a standstill despite Kishida's pledges
With less than two months left before the conclusion of the current session of parliament, any possibility that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida can deliver constitutional reform before the end of his term as Liberal Democratic Party president in late September, as he has promised, appears remote.
Sapporo court ruling on Ainu fishing rights presents tough questions
A traditional Ainu preserved food called <i>satchep</i> (dried fish) being made at the government-run National Ainu Museum and Park, nicknamed Upopoy, in the town of Shiraoi, Hokkaido, on Dec. 25. The Sapporo District Court ruled last month that the Raporo Ainu Nation's rights as an Indigenous people did not extend to having an inherent right to fish for commercial reasons.
With eye on China, defense chiefs agree to bolster interoperability
From left: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Australian defense chief Richard Marles, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro hold a joint news conference in Honolulu on Thursday.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.

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

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces
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