author

 
 

Meta

Takashi Mochizuki
For Takashi Mochizuki's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 15, 2021
Nintendo’s higher-priced Switch tests demand for bigger OLED screen
In an industry where consoles typically get mid-life price cuts, the Switch is moving into a higher tier — largely on the strength of a larger and better display and some added storage.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 7, 2021
Secret Nintendo cafe in Tokyo opens doors to the public
The establishment named 84 is the brainchild of Toru Hashimoto, who initially conceived it as a sanctuary for game developers to nerd out and relax in.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 7, 2021
Nintendo unveils new Switch with bigger screen for ¥37,980
The first challenge for Nintendo ahead of the new console's debut will be to ensure it has adequate inventory amid a global semiconductor shortage.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 16, 2021
Japan Display, a fading iPhone LCD screen-maker, pivots to virtual reality
The Tokyo-based LCD specialist expects its favored display technology to become the standard for VR because it can achieve higher resolution than OLED.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 14, 2021
Toshiba to drop two board members as shareholders demand action
An advisory firm has recommended voting against five board members, including the dropped pair, after a probe found the firm colluded with the government to fix a key shareholder vote.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 10, 2021
Sony warns tight PlayStation 5 supply to extend into next year
The conglomerate said it had sold 7.8 million units of the console through March 31, and it is aiming to sell at least 14.8 million units in the current fiscal year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 6, 2021
Nintendo warns chip crunch may hit Switch amid gaming boom
Nintendo's better-than-expected results, released Thursday, suggest the COVID-19-era growth in gaming that turned Animal Crossing into the world's online town hall has legs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 28, 2021
Sony plans $1.8 billion buyback as profit misses estimates
Sony's shares have surged since a trough in March 2020, propelled by the increase in gaming and mobile activity.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 19, 2021
Renesas aims for full return of fire-hit chip plant by July
The Japanese chipmaker restarted partial production at the plant over the weekend, two days ahead of its original schedule.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 14, 2021
Toshiba CEO's exit raises doubts over buyout offers
The decision came as factions within the firm mounted resistance to a preliminary buyout offer from CVC Capital Partners — where outgoing chief Nobuaki Kurumatani previously worked.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Apr 6, 2021
Why shortages of a $1 chip sparked crisis in the global economy
The trouble for the chip industry — and increasingly companies beyond tech, like automakers — is that there aren't enough display drivers to go around.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2021
Kioxia is said to focus on IPO in next few months
Kioxia could be valued at u00a53.32 trillion in the current market, said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 24, 2021
Nintendo to use faster Nvidia chips in new 2021 Switch model
The new version will support Deep Learning Super Sampling, a novel rendering technology that uses AI to deliver higher-fidelity graphics more efficiently.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 23, 2021
Nintendo teams up with Pokemon Go studio Niantic on AR apps
They will start by releasing a Pikmin app in 2021, based on the puzzle-solving series created by Nintendo's creative fellow Shigeru Miyamoto in 2001.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 15, 2021
Nintendo targets a record year in Switch and game sales
A series of marquee game releases is expected to drive software sales next fiscal year to 250 million units.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 3, 2021
Twin sisters score Japan’s hottest IPO by making mobile games for women
To the growing list of things that make gaming startup Coly Inc. unusual, it can add one of the best market debuts in recent Japanese history.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 1, 2021
Nintendo raises outlook after surpassing high expectations
Nintendo shares outperformed console rivals Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. in 2020 and the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have faced production and logistics setbacks.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 17, 2020
How scalper bots are undercutting Sony's PlayStation 5
The problem is particularly acute this year because the coronavirus has squeezed production and pushed more console sales online.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 30, 2020
Universal Studios Japan to open Nintendo theme park in February
Set to open Feb. 4, the attraction is part of a long-delayed, u00a560 billion effort to introduce Mario and other beloved characters to real-world theme park visitors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 26, 2020
Nintendo adds Sharp as assembler of popular Switch game console
Nintendo is expected to raise its fiscal-year sales target from the current 24 million when it next reports quarterly results.

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