author

 
Menu
Search
 
July 05, 2025
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Taiga Uranaka
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 4, 2003
Service firms in Darwinian struggle to get to top of food chain
Global food service giants are making inroads into the nation's office and hospital cafeterias, triggering mergers and acquisitions in the world's second-largest institutional meal market.
BUSINESS
Jan 28, 2003
Brewers bank on heady days for nonalcoholic beer
Some of the nation's major breweries have started producing nonalcoholic beer in the hope of boosting a fledgling market helped by heightened health consciousness and steeper penalties for drunken driving.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2003
Snow's successor hopes red cartons gain consumers' blessing
On Jan. 7, red milk cartons debuted at stores nationwide, with dairy farmers and retailers hoping the new brand will boost consumption, which has been down since contaminated milk products sickened thousands of people three years ago.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2003
Maker of stylus-free record player has got his groove back
SAITAMA -- His friends backed him up 15 years ago when he left his lofty position at one of the world's largest electronics makers and ended up at a small audio manufacturer. But when he decided to pursue a piece of analog equipment seemingly destined to die in an increasingly digital world, they wrote...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 1, 2003
Humanoid robots: companions or just costly toys?
In the 1950s, Astro Boy drew on his 100,000 horsepower and hip-mounted machineguns to fight evil-doers. Despite his supposed April 7, 2003, birthday, however, the creation of robots the likes of Astro will probably remain a superhero pipe dream forever.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Nov 29, 2002
Department stores gear up for yearend gift season
Department stores nationwide go into full swing this weekend for the all-important yearend gift-shopping season, hoping to finish on a high note a year marked by battered sales.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Nov 16, 2002
'Oden' is secret weapon in 24-hour stores' war for customers
For many modern urban residents, the typical harbinger of winter is the smell of "oden" steaming on the convenience store counter.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 9, 2002
Bar code's replacement packs data into a series of squares
A seemingly random collection of black-and-white blocks will become an increasingly common sight when we buy soda out of a vending machine, bet on a horse race or purchase items at a store.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 18, 2002
Soap maker gets healthy dose of mayo market
Some consumers unwittingly used mayonnaise to style their hair when, in the 1920s, this exotic condiment was first introduced in Japan.
BUSINESS
Sep 24, 2002
Rival DVD formats jockey for position
Speculation is rampant these days over which DVD format will follow the path of the Betamax.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Sep 6, 2002
Demographic shift prompts toy makers to reach out to adults
Faced with an ever declining number of children, Japan's toy makers have started courting their parents, alluring them with frothy beer dispensers and matchbox luxury sedans.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 29, 2002
Shangri-La banks on China's future
The growth potential of China's markets is well known, but if there is any concern, it's that growth may come too fast, according to Al Wymann, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts group director of operations in China.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Aug 24, 2002
Steep costs seen stifling market for Internet ice boxes
Imagine the convenience of a microwave oven that can download 1,000 recipes and automatically set the optimal cooking temperature for each dish, or a refrigerator whose contents you check via your cell phone.
Japan Times
JAPAN / WEEKEND WISDOM
Aug 18, 2002
Veteran voyeur gives the skinny on Hibiya Park lovebirds
In Tokyo's Hibiya Park, just by the Hibiya gate entrance, couples can often be seen laying claim to benches surrounding a large fountain.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Aug 17, 2002
Photo processors bet livelihoods on digital age
For photo shops, the increasing use of digital cameras among consumers means fewer people dropping off rolls of film to be developed and printed.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Aug 9, 2002
New diet for sports club chains: yen supplements
Japan's major sports club chains have been flexing their muscle in recent years, expanding their businesses through aggressive mergers and acquisitions as well as by opening new outlets.
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2002
As plasma-display TVs come down in price, sales go up
After an inauspicious debut just a few years ago, plasma-display TVs have become one of the hottest home appliances around.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDUSTRY TRENDS
Jul 11, 2002
'Happoshu' price war seen taking toll on brewers
It was just a regular Friday, but lovers of beerlike beverages found an excuse for another round as the country's major breweries marked down their versions of "happoshu."
BUSINESS
Jul 8, 2002
India now ripe for foreign investment, expert says
Conventional wisdom says that doing business in India is a difficult proposition, given its unstable politics and restrictive investment environment.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 5, 2002
Adidas cashes in on Japan's World Cup exploits
Philippe Troussier was not the only Frenchman elated with the surprisingly good performance of the Japanese squad in the FIFA World Cup.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027
Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER