author

 
 
 Kazuaki Nagata

Meta

Twitter

@kzinagata

Kazuaki Nagata
BUSINESS
Sep 19, 2021
Candidates to lead Japan say fiscal reconstruction target may have to be postponed
All four contenders in the LDP's presidential election said the government's goal may have to be delayed to prioritize resuscitating an economy ravaged by the pandemic.
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2021
What does each LDP contender have in store for Japan's economy?
The ruling party's leadership candidates stand apart on how to revive the nation's pandemic-hit economy.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 8, 2021
Fumio Kishida looks to address income disparities with shift from neoliberalism
The LDP presidential candidate has highlighted the need for wealth redistribution, a challenge to the deregulation and market-oriented policies Japan has adopted for two decades.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 3, 2021
Suga joins ranks of Japan's 'revolving-door' prime ministers
Prior to Shinzo Abe's second period as leader between 2012 and 2020, Japan's prime ministers were often known for their short tenures.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 1, 2021
Japan launches Digital Agency to push ahead with long-overdue reforms
The government is hoping employees hired from the private sector will boost the agency's impact, with an ex-McKinsey manager being given a top post.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Aug 30, 2021
Japan's new Digital Agency prepares for daunting task of overhauling tech policy
Past efforts have stumbled due to insufficient resources and bureaucratic divisions, and an ability to overcome these structural issues will make or break the new agency.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 20, 2021
Even amid a global inflation wave, Japan remains unlikely to hit its goal
Japan's core consumer prices dropped by 0.2% from a year earlier, highlighting a continuing challenge for the nation's policymakers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 16, 2021
Even after pandemic, Japan's labor market faces shortages and mismatches
The country's hospitality and tech sectors will face a number of crucial decisions in terms of their workforces once society returns to some semblance of normality, experts say.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Aug 1, 2021
Toshiba has a path to growth, but faces long road back to success
Despite having had to sell off core businesses in recent years, the firm still has a way back to prosperity through infrastructure services and renewables.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 31, 2021
As COVID-19 cases surge, Suga remains reluctant to impose strict lockdown
Countries that have implemented strict restrictions “saw a decline in infections due to lockdowns, but the cases surged again ... they had to rely on vaccines after all,” Suga said.
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2021
Rock festival's cancellation while Olympics go on spurs backlash
The organizers and some artists scheduled to take part in the Rock in Japan Festival, in Ibaraki Prefecture, have expressed frustration over the abrupt canceling of the event even though the prefecture is not under a state of emergency.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 5, 2021
Pandemic adds to uncertainty around Japan's minimum wage hikes
Suga is aiming to achieve an average u00a51,000 hourly minimum wage as soon as possible, but businesses, citing the coronavirus, are loudly opposing the move.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 25, 2021
In surprise decision, Toshiba shareholders vote to oust board chairman Nagayama
The move, a victory for activist investors, comes after corporate governance issues at the industrial conglomerate were brought to the fore by a government collusion scandal.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jun 24, 2021
Corporate governance issues haunt troubled Toshiba as it faces off with investors
Amid scandal, a shareholders meeting on Friday is set to be a showdown between Toshiba's board, who are pushing to retain Chairman Osamu Nagayama, and investors who want him out.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 18, 2021
Suga's first growth strategy met with calls to tackle Japan's chronic labor issues
Although much of the spotlight tends to gravitate toward hot economic issues, economists say that it is critical — and timely — for Japan to work on its more deeply rooted problems.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 12, 2021
Japan's older workers have fewer friends but more motivated to work than peers abroad
When asked whether they had close friends other than their family members, 31.3% of Japanese respondents said they did not, as the pandemic curtails social activities.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jun 10, 2021
A new focus for Suga’s growth strategy: Japan's economic security
With the pandemic having a significant impact on products' supply chains, Japan is scrambling to shore up measures to mitigate the risks to its economy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Jun 8, 2021
NFT interest growing in Japan, but legal worries persist
While the local NFT market is still in its infancy, there has already been a battle among businesses to team up with popular intellectual-property holders.
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2021
Wood shortage and soaring prices threaten lumber industry in Japan
With demand rising in the United States and China, where the national economies are picking up, lumber prices have skyrocketed and Japanese firms are struggling to procure material.
BUSINESS
May 30, 2021
Can a four-day workweek solve Japan’s labor market issues?
Polling shows a majority of workers have positive opinions on shorter workweeks, yet many have concerns over pay cuts.

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?