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 Cory Baird

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Cory Baird
Cory Baird is an economics and business staff writer who regularly covers the Bank of Japan and trade issues. He completed his Master's in Public Policy at The University of Tokyo, where he focused on central bank policy. He is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
For Cory Baird's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / IDEAS IN ACTION
Oct 5, 2018
Company stumbles upon new software to build healthy work environment
Haruki Atarashi never thought his company's flagship software, Recog, which fosters communication between employees within companies, would ever evolve beyond just an internal project.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 4, 2018
Toyota and SoftBank to integrate mobility and AI in new venture
The two industry titans said they are setting up a new joint venture to develop autonomous driving technologies and other on-demand services.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 28, 2018
Meet the new breed of Japanese entrepreneurs who are venturing into frontier markets
Even as Japan Inc.'s influence has diminished under a series of internal scandals and international competition, the prevailing image of Japanese business remains tied to massive corporate conglomerates rather than innovative startups.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Sep 27, 2018
Japan-U.S. trade talks may be less of a concession than they appear
At a glance, it may appear U.S. President Donald Trump has scored a significant victory after his latest talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in New York.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Sep 19, 2018
What does Japan's Nationality Act really mean for its dual citizens?
Given the present 'don't ask, don't tell' attitude of the Justice Ministry, it would be highly unusual if Naomi Osaka was forced to relinquish her U.S. citizenship at the age of 22.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 18, 2018
Worst fears avoided as U.S. slaps new tariffs on China, sparing Japanese businesses — for now
The additional 10 percent in tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports eased the market's worst fear that Trump would follow through with more punitive measures.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Taking the Lead
Sep 17, 2018
For Lifull president Takashi Inoue, emerging tech and a touch of altruism are key to success
Takashi Inoue wants to transform his company, Lifull Co., into a one-stop shop for important lifestyle goods and services, where customers don't just make purchases but are able to get information about what they are buying as well.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Sep 14, 2018
A decade after Lehman's collapse: Is history repeating itself?
Greed on Wall Street, malfeasance among mortgage lenders, ineffective regulators, profligate American home buyers, overregulation, underregulation — the list of potential causes of the 2008 financial crisis is both exhaustive and contradictory.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2018
Accounts of those who were left stranded by Typhoon Jebi in Japan
Typhoon Jebi tore through western Japan on Tuesday, leaving residents and tourists stranded throughout the Kansai region.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Aug 24, 2018
Japanese firms face tough choices as U.S.-China trade war drags on
The companies must either make massive changes to how their products are assembled or bide their time until a compromise is reached.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 9, 2018
Trunk (Hotel) banks on lodging experience that goes beyond the room
In the morning, two millennial-age men sit at a table together sipping coffee while typing away on their computers. As lunch time approaches, office workers file in for a bite to eat. At dusk, fashionable crowds sip on swanky cocktails and listen to local DJs spin their latest tunes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Jul 31, 2018
Walmart may be on the cusp of making its final checkout from the Japanese retail market
With speculation rife that Walmart Inc. is seeking to offload Seiyu, its Japanese subsidiary, the U.S. retail behemoth's possible failure may be interpreted as the result of this country's ultracompetitive retail market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 31, 2018
Bank of Japan tweaks ultraloose monetary policy in bid for flexibility
The BOJ announced a rare set of monetary policy changes Tuesday, outlining a more flexible blueprint designed to let long-term interest rates “move upward and downward”.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Deep Dive
Jul 26, 2018
Sushi's balancing act: Tradition versus adaptation
For leading food critic Masuhiro Yamamoto, sushi is part food, part theater, a dining experience unique among Japanese culinary traditions. From the closed-off tuna auctions of Tsukiji to the chefs who meticulously craft morsels of fish for loyal customers, each player has a role to play in this carefully scripted world.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Deep Dive
Jul 26, 2018
Social-media influencers exert formidable impact on sushi scene
Social-media influencers are quickly becoming one of the largest forces in Japan's sushi industry, driving customer traffic at some of the country's most renowned restaurants with the tap of a screen.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 19, 2018
Seven-Eleven aborts plan to serve draft beer after viral reaction overwhelms
Convenience store chains in Japan are well known for stocking everything from boxed lunches to dress shirts, often living up to their name by offering myriad services ranging from dry-cleaning and bill payment to parcel pickup.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 11, 2018
Tokyo expresses concern as U.S. announces fresh tariffs on China in escalating trade war
An extra $200 billion in levies on goods were proposed Tuesday, rattling financial markets and setting off fears across the globe that the worst may be yet to come.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 6, 2018
Japanese have mixed opinions on execution of Aum leader Shoko Asahara and six accomplices
A wide-range of reactions were heard Friday to news of the executions of Shoko Asahara and six former senior members of the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo — which carried out the deadly 1995 sarin nerve gas attack in the Tokyo subway system — with some saying it was good the sentences were finally carried out and others recalling the devastation inflicted by the group.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Jul 5, 2018
Government tax revenues near historical high in FY 2017, belying Japan's precarious economic balancing act
Some economists see the upcoming 2019 consumption tax increase as a potential step toward repeating mistakes of the past.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 29, 2018
Businesses cash in as Japan follows World Cup kick by kick
Although the overall impact is difficult to measure, some predict that it has already increased consumption on a scale of billions of yen.

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