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May 03, 2024
 

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Kazuaki Nagata

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Kazuaki Nagata
For Kazuaki Nagata's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
People use smartphones on the street in Tokyo in January 2019.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Nov 20, 2023
The NTT Law — a guard against monopoly, or barrier to innovation?
Some say the law regulating the telecom giant stops it from competing against the likes of Google, but others say it contains vital market protections.
Haneda Innovation City, a new business hub near Tokyo's Haneda Airport, held its grand opening on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 16, 2023
Haneda’s new business hub holds grand opening
While Tokyo has a number of business hub facilities, Haneda Innovation City's proximity to an airport makes it unique.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Sanae Takaichi, the minister in charge of economic security, attend a Cabinet meeting in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 10, 2023
Cabinet approves ¥13.1 trillion extra budget to finance fresh stimulus
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida appears to be eager to regain popularity with the relief package, but voters aren't convinced.
Digital Minister Taro Kono looks at a nursing robot in a day care facility in Tokyo on Oct.18.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 7, 2023
Japan’s aging population to increase burden on nursing care costs
The average annual nursing care cost per capita is estimated to increase 75% to ¥235,000 in 2050 compared to 2019 levels, according to government data.
SkyDrive displays its eVTOL flying car at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 25, 2023
Japan’s largest auto show returns with focus on mobility
The organizer has renamed the event for the first time since 1964, with the Japan Mobility Show replacing the Tokyo Motor Show.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe (left) and Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt shake hands in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 19, 2023
Self-driving taxi service set to be launched in Tokyo in 2026
Honda, GM and the American automaker’s autonomous driving unit, Cruise, will establish a joint venture next year to prepare for the robotaxi service.
An attendee tries out the XR Catch game at the Sony Group booth at CEATEC in Chiba on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 17, 2023
Major Japan tech show opens with focus on sustainability
The major trade show kicked off on Tuesday, with firms keen to showcase how their latest technologies could contribute to creating a sustainable society.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters on Tuesday in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Oct 12, 2023
Why are ruling party lawmakers calling for tax cuts?
As the prime minister prepares for a new economic stimulus package, it's members of his own party who are raising a fuss.
Since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida launched his administration in 2021, he has vowed to boost spending by trillions of yen to tackle some deep-rooted issues. But how exactly the government will fund such efforts remains unclear.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 8, 2023
Private group calls for independent body to monitor long-term fiscal policy
The proposal suggests future projections can help citizens think more seriously about how fiscal matters could affect future generations.
An image of an immersive attraction at Immersive Fort Tokyo slated to open next spring in Tokyo's Odaiba area.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 5, 2023
New immersive theme park to open in Tokyo’s Odaiba
The new facility, to be called Immersive Fort Tokyo, will feature 12 immersive attractions along with six shops and restaurants.
An office lobby floor inside the new high-rise building Station Tower at Toranomon Hills
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 4, 2023
Toranomon area continues to rise as Tokyo’s business hub
The massive Toranomon Hills project has helped the area become one of Tokyo's major business centers.
With the aim of bolstering its customer base, SBI Holdings introduced a commission-free service starting Saturday amid growing interest in investing thanks to government efforts to persuade people to shift household assets from cash and savings to investments.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 2, 2023
Zero-commission services intensify brokerage competition in Japan
SBI Holding's decision to scrap commission fees for domestic stock trading threatens to undercut the brokerage industry's profitability.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in New York on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 25, 2023
Kishida outlines new economic measures for 'sustainable wage growth'
Some of the measures are intended to raise earnings by easing workers’ concerns about so-called annual income barriers.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda during a news conference at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo on Friday
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 22, 2023
BOJ maintains its dovish monetary easing amid policy speculation
Comments by Gov. Kazuo Ueda in an interview earlier this month had sparked speculation that the BOJ might move to change policy at an earlier date.
Toshiba said the Japan Industrial Partners-led consortium had gained 78.65% of Toshiba’s outstanding shares through the bid, which began Aug. 8, paying ¥4,620 per share.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 21, 2023
Toshiba to go private after success of ¥2 trillion takeover bid
The Japan Industrial Partners-led consortium has gained 78.65% of outstanding shares, paying ¥4,620 per share.
Financial Services Agency officials enter Bigmotor's Tama outlet in western Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 19, 2023
Watchdog starts on-site probe of Bigmotor and Sompo Japan
The investigation aims to dig deeper into the insurance fraud scandal by the leading used-car dealer. The probe is likely to take several months.
Delivery trucks at a parking area along the highway in Chiba Prefecture in April
JAPAN / Society
Sep 14, 2023
Japan set to expand visa framework to tackle driver shortage
The planned expansion of the visa framework is to attract foreign nationals to the logistics industries and to address the driver shortage problem.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at a government meeting on his concept of "new capitalism" in Tokyo on Aug. 31.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 11, 2023
Economists question the wisdom of Kishida's new minimum wage target
Japan aims to lift the minimum wage to ¥1,500 by the mid-2030s, but macroeconomic factors could undermine that target.
The price for regular gasoline is ¥192 per liter at a gas station in the city of Nagano on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Sep 1, 2023
Extended gasoline subsidy risks harming Japan's net-zero efforts
The politically tricky decision on ending the program could hamper the shift to EVs and efforts to reach climate change goals.
Union workers of Sogo & Seibu hold banners which read 'on strike' in front of the company's flagship Seibu Ikebukuro store in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 31, 2023
Sogo & Seibu labor union begins strike at flagship Ikebukuro store
While the labor union made a strong effort to prevent Seven & I from proceeding with the deal, a decision was made to sell the department store unit.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
Saudi Arabia steps up Gaza-related arrests as Israel ties edge closer
The arrests for Gaza-related posts indicate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s regime will take a hard line against citizens not toeing the line when it comes to normalizing ties with Israel.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
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.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.

Podcast

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[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

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By Alex K.T. Martin

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