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Yuji Nakamura
For Yuji Nakamura's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / ANALYSIS
Jan 16, 2017
Nintendo takes big gamble with Switch's split personality
Nintendo Co.'s new Switch gaming console won't be in stores until March 3, but the machine is fully baked and ready to play. The press got a chance to try out the new machine at an event in Tokyo last week, and events will be held in Japan and North America to let people experience the product before its official debut.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 15, 2016
Nintendo jumps on app bandwagon with release of 'Super Mario Run' for iPhone
After almost two years of waiting, the big day is finally here for Nintendo Co. and its first game for smartphones, "Super Mario Run."
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 2, 2016
Robot inspired by 'Space Odyssey' to take on the burden of laundry
Hate doing laundry? Shin Sakane has a solution.
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
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 / Tech
Sep 29, 2016
Fove Inc. to debut VR goggles that track eyeball movements
Virtual reality is on the cusp of becoming mainstream, but one startup in Japan is betting the technology won't really succeed unless it cracks a critical piece of the puzzle: human eyeballs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 4, 2016
U.S. venture firm aims to break corporate hold on Japanese startups
When he worked in Silicon Valley, venture investor James Riney was used to aggressive entrepreneurs who pitched him for financing any time they got a two-minute opening. Now that he's in Tokyo, the culture is so different he's changed his ways. Startup founders are so timid about asking for money that he decided to open his office a few hours each week to let them stop by and chat.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 14, 2016
Tokyo's fiery day traders gear up for year's biggest tech IPO
Day traders in Tokyo are famous for their love of technology companies, new listings and volatility. So many expect fireworks when messaging app Line Corp., the biggest tech initial public offering of the year, makes its Japan trading debut on Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 16, 2016
Bank of Japan buying spree inflates world's priciest real estate investment trusts
Japan's real estate investment trusts have soared in value to become the priciest in the world. More purchases by one of the biggest investors in the landlord business — the Bank of Japan — may help propel prices even higher.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 11, 2016
Line’s two-year wait for IPO may have cost it $4 billion in valuation
Japan's 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 6, 2016
Line plans year's biggest tech IPO, pitching U.S. investors
Japan's Line Corp. is headed for what could be the biggest initial public offering for a technology company this year, including a major pitch to American investors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 14, 2016
Smartphone gamers blow small fortune on their obsession
Just before the New Year holiday in Japan, ads for a smartphone game called Granblue Fantasy began appearing on television and in magazines.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 19, 2016
Fastest-growing Airbnb market at risk as lodging-scarce Japan cracks down
Aileen Jeffery arrived in Tokyo two years ago and spotted what she thought was the best opportunity of her career: Hotel rooms in the capital were scarce and a boom in tourism was exacerbating the shortage.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 15, 2016
Japan's small-caps doing well while big exporters get a bruising
Amid the wreckage of Japan's stock market in 2016 lies a surprise: Smaller companies are posting their best relative performance on record.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 3, 2015
Japan Inc.'s record profit streak threatened as yen projections bottom
Japan Inc.'s currency cookie jar may be just about empty.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 10, 2015
Toilet seat makers, diamond sellers among Japan firms fearing China plunge
The plunge in China's stock market and concerns about its economic growth are having effects well beyond the nation's borders — with shares of Japanese companies that benefit from Chinese tourists also declining.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 8, 2015
Computers ousting human traders at TSE
The rise of high-frequency trading drew widespread attention in the United States, but the shift in Japan has gone largely unnoticed outside the financial community.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 29, 2014
94% plunge shows 'Abenomics' is losing global investors
Foreign investors have had just about enough of "Abenomics."
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Nov 26, 2014
Tabelog.com's customer-generated restaurant reviews prompt food fight
By getting diners to post over 5.9 million reviews of nearly 800,000 eateries, Tabelog has brought unprecedented transparency to one of the world's best dining scenes. It has also infuriated chefs and owners along the way.

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree