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Yuki Furukawa
For Yuki Furukawa's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 25, 2020
Xbox targets mobile gamers with new cloud service in Japan
Microsoft is also engaging creators in the country, distributing development kits to more than 100 of them.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 15, 2020
Japan’s 'king of deals' preparing to pounce once valuations dip in pandemic aftermath
Minebea Mitsumi Inc. Chief Executive Officer Yoshihisa Kainuma is preparing to resume acquisitions once the coronavirus pandemic is done gutting corporate finances and valuations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 11, 2020
Founder of software company who turned down SoftBank joins ranks of Japan’s billionaires
Masayoshi Son had offered to buy Shunji Sugaya's business idea for $2.8 million.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 18, 2020
Toshiba CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani to be given additional title of president in April
Toshiba Corp. Chief Executive Officer Nobuaki Kurumatani will add the title of president effective April, part of a revamp among top management aimed at speeding up decision-making.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 2, 2020
Sony cranking out image sensors round the clock to meet smartphone-fueled demand
Sony Corp. is working around the clock to manufacture its in-demand image sensors, but even a 24-hour operation hasn't been enough.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2019
Nintendo out to prove Switch's longevity this holiday season
Nintendo Co.'s Switch console is poised for its best holiday shopping season yet.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Sep 22, 2019
How virtual streamers like Kizuna Ai became Japan's biggest YouTube attraction
Kizuna Ai, the most popular streamer in Japan, is an anatomically exaggerated, perpetually adolescent girl in frilly thigh-high socks and a pink hair ribbon. She's also an entirely virtual character, given life by the actions and voice of an invisible actress.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 5, 2019
Elite Ushio lights the way to next-gen computer chips in Japan
Chipmakers have spent two decades pouring investment into a revolutionary new technique to push the limits of physics and cram more transistors onto slices of silicon. Now that technology is on the cusp of going mainstream, thanks to a secretive Japanese company that's mastered the skill of manipulating light for applications from squid fishing to cinema projection.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 20, 2019
How an obscure rubber company in Japan became a linchpin of the tech industry
When Japan decided to pick a fight with South Korea last month, it dug deep into the supply chain to impose sanctions on three obscure materials made by a handful of Japanese companies few have ever heard of.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 12, 2019
After 600% rally, pioneering tech firm Minebea Mitsumi prepares to shape post-smartphone future
Yoshihisa Kainuma has made a career out of being in the right place at the right time.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 12, 2019
The obscure firm making iPhones better: Japan's Lasertec masters extreme ultraviolet lithography
After two decades in development, chipmakers are making a costly bet on a technology that will cram even more transistors onto silicon. Their success may hinge on a little-known company in Yokohama.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 28, 2018
Sony bumps ups 3D camera sensor output as smartphone-makers show interest
Sony Corp., the biggest maker of camera chips used in smartphones, is boosting production of next-generation 3D sensors after garnering interest from customers including Apple Inc.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 14, 2018
Huawei freezes orders from Japanese supplier after CFO arrest
The surprise arrest of Huawei Technologies Co.'s Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou is about to impact one of the Chinese company's suppliers in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 8, 2018
Signpost's cashierless kiosk in Tokyo signals a real challenge to Amazon in 'smart store' sector
Amazon.com Inc. is betting that stores of the future won't have any clerks or registers. A company in Japan thinks it can get there first.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 14, 2018
Japanese tech CEO behind popular 'Monster Strike' in search of new hit
Five years ago, Koki Kimura pulled off an unthinkable turnaround to save his company. Now, he's trying to do it again.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 27, 2018
Nintendo bets on new cast of characters in first built-from-scratch mobile game
Nintendo Co.'s two-year old experiment in mobile gaming is heading for uncharted territory with Dragalia Lost, its first smartphone title featuring original characters rather than its established stars.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 25, 2018
Maverick Harvard MBA shakes up a century of Panasonic's corporate culture
Panasonic Corp. has carefully cultivated a culture befitting its 100-year history, with many employees starting the day doing calisthenics and singing the corporate anthem. Now, Yasuyuki Higuchi is supposed to shake up those traditions.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 27, 2018
Rakuten details carrier plan to reposition against Amazon and SoftBank
E-commerce giant Rakuten Inc. is offering a glimpse into its ambitious plan to build a cutting-edge wireless network to take on Masayoshi Son's SoftBank Group Corp., stay in the lead in mobile payments and win back market share from Amazon.com Inc.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 26, 2018
'Super Mario' creator says gaming industry should put steady subscriptions ahead of in-game charges
The legendary video game designer who created "Super Mario" and "Donkey Kong" has a word of advice for today's industry: Stop nickel-and-diming users.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 15, 2018
Sony's catch-up plan to break into pro camera market
Eight seconds — that's how long a cowboy needs to stay on a bucking bronco to qualify for a rodeo score. For photographers, that's barely enough time to take just a few blurry, often unusable pictures.

Longform

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