author

 
 

Meta

Yuki Furukawa
For Yuki Furukawa's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 20, 2023
TSMC’s container maker is the hidden jewel of Japan’s chip industry
Valqua makes specialized, superclean containers for storing essential chipmaking chemicals, and it expects to hit its highest sales ever this fiscal year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 9, 2023
Tokyo Electron raises outlook on stronger-than-expected demand
The Tokyo-based supplier to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Intel lifted its forecast for the year to March above expectations to ¥580 billion ($4.4 billion).
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 7, 2023
Nintendo cuts outlook on Switch but raises salaries as Japan inflation climbs
Nintendo has sat out the rally in tech stocks this year and may remain stuck in the doldrums until it unveils a successor to its Switch game console.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 2, 2023
Sony to promote veteran CFO to role overseeing global operations
Hiroki Totoki will become president and chief operating officer of Sony on April 1, the company said Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 11, 2023
Fujitsu to divest entire ¥140 billion stake in air-conditioning unit
The firm, which in its heyday made everything from supercomputers to chips, has hived off much of its consumer product lineup to focus on communications and information technology systems.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 22, 2022
No sign of smartphone recovery until late 2023, TDK CEO warns
Tokyo-based TDK sees little indication of a rebound following major declines in handset sales, especially in the key market of China.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 8, 2022
Key iPhone supplier expects orders to drop on weak tech demand
Apple has trimmed iPhone output on softening demand and may slash production further.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 7, 2022
EV battery-makers face emissions challenge, Panasonic unit head says
Customers are now adding carbon footprints as a measurement when assessing batteries, the senior executive said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 2, 2022
Sony bumps up profit outlook as weak yen juices sales
A boost in streaming sales from its music publishing business helped fuel the earnings revision, making up for lackluster momentum in its games and image sensor businesses.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 20, 2022
Key iPhone supplier warns smartphone demand will continue to fall
Kyoto-based Murata Manufacturing expects this year's drop in smartphone sales to keep going well into 2023, led by a sharp downturn in China.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 5, 2022
Canon plans ¥50 billion plant in Tochigi to produce more chipmaking equipment
Construction will begin in Utsunomiya in 2023 and the plant will begin operations in 2025, a spokesman said Wednesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 29, 2022
Top AI guru is helping retool popular Japanese snacks for Ezaki Glico
Junichi Hasegawa's primary job at the firm is to help find the perfect blend of taste and nutrition through massive data harvesting and machine learning.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 2, 2022
Japan’s 'King of Deals' preps his biggest buy in yen headwinds
Yoshihisa Kainuma of Minebea Mitsumi says his company is keen to buy makers of machine components to beef up its product offerings.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 30, 2022
A startup offers Japan's aging CEOs a worry-free succession plan
Every year, tens of thousands of businesses that help support Japan's deep industrial base close shop, unable to cope when company heads retire or fall ill.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 25, 2022
Nidec’s COO to resign after being sidelined by founder Shigenobu Nagamori
The move underscores the Japanese company's struggles to put a succession plan for its aging founder in place.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 29, 2022
Sony cuts profit outlook on weaker PlayStation prospects
The Tokyo-based entertainment conglomerate said Friday that it now expects u00a51.11 trillion ($8.3 billion) in operating profit, down from u00a51.16 trillion previously.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 5, 2022
Vital TSMC supplier warns of chip material price hikes into 2023
Showa Denko, which supplies chip fabrication materials to the likes of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Infineon Technologies AG has been forced to increase prices, the firm says.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 28, 2022
Sony's next big thing in tech is helping Honda take on Tesla
Of all Japan's carmakers, Honda had thrown itself most aggressively into EVs, targeting a full phase-out of combustion-engine vehicle sales by 2040.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 8, 2022
Toshiba CEO says staying public is still an option as equity firms circle
The comments serve as a reminder that the next step is far from certain for the firm, where shareholders and management have been at loggerheads for years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 6, 2022
Toshiba’s dissenting director speaks out over activist nominees
The opposition highlights the tensions that exist within Toshiba as the conglomerate considers its future, including whether to sell itself to private equity and go private.

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