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Maki Shiraki
Makoto Uchida, President and CEO of Nissan, holds a press briefing at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 in Tokyo on Oct. 25, 2023. Uchida is under presser to deliver a turnaround and to keep his job at the troubled carmaker.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 8, 2024
Nissan boss Uchida races to save the automaker — and his job
Makoto Uchida is under pressure to reverse Nissan’s fortunes after years of turmoil following the 2018 arrest of former chairman Carlos Ghosn.
A Toyota Motor Lexus LF-ZC electric concept vehicle at the Beijing Auto Show in April
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2024
Toyota aims to ramp up China production in a strategy pivot
The plan represents a strategic pivot by the world's top selling automaker in the world's largest car market.
Japan's declining population has made it more difficult for convenience store operators to grow.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Oct 1, 2024
Some 7-Eleven owners in Japan welcome foreign bid, hoping for change
Some franchisees are concerned about competition from rivals and say they are struggling with rising costs.
Nissan expects kei EV sales to expand, as kei cars are relatively inexpensive compared to regular cars and their size makes them suitable for short-distance trips.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 8, 2024
Nissan may bring ultra-compact EV production in-house from 2028, sources say
The automaker is considering moving production to its factory in Kyushu in the business year starting April 2028.
Toyota Motor, Toyota Industries and Aisin are planning to sell Denso shares worth a total of about ¥700 billion, sources said, which would be the second-biggest such share offering in Japan this year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2023
Toyota plans $4.7 billion sale of Denso stake as EV pivot looms
The sale of shares in Denso would mark the latest step by the automaker to cash in on stakes in affiliates as it ramps up production of electric vehicles.
Staff from All Nippon Airways and a travel agency escort a Chinese tour group from Beijing upon their arrival at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 24, 2023
Will 'explosive spending' return to Japan with China group tours?
Hopes the tours will herald big returns clash with a struggling Chinese economy and Japan's controversial release of treated wastewater into the sea.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 27, 2023
Nissan board gains shareholder backing, but must tackle surveillance claims
Recent turmoil recalls the turbulent period that led up to and followed the ouster of former head Carlos Ghosn.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2023
Nissan seeks tech tie-up without Renault as alliance nears end of road
Japan's third-biggest automaker by sales is seeking a partner outside the auto industry to develop software that connects vehicles to cloud-based services.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 23, 2022
Technology-sharing a sticking point as Renault, Nissan hash out reset, sources say
Renault and Nissan said this month they were in talks about the future of their alliance, including Nissan potentially investing in an electric vehicle business being spun out of Renault.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 8, 2022
Toyota supplier Toyoda Gosei asks employees to take leave as lockdown bites
The firm, which makes air bags, brake hoses and radiator grilles, has asked domestic employees to take a day of leave in June following production suspensions by Toyota and other automakers
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 6, 2022
For Japan's hard-hit airlines, demand for Hawaii flights offers glimmer of hope
An upswing in demand for flights to Hawaii, a long-favored destination for many Japanese, is seen as a bellwether for the overall travel sector.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2022
Toyota aims to rev up 67-year-old Crown with SUV model, sources say
The SUV — which will come in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full-electric models — marks an attempt to bring the Crown more in line with market trends.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 15, 2022
With Toyota as partner, Mazda hopes to jump-start U.S. market
For Mazda, restarting U.S. production with help from Toyota is the game-changer it hopes will jump-start sales in the world's second-biggest market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2022
ANA plans belt-tightening before fare hikes, says incoming CEO
Koji Shibata also said that the crisis in Ukraine is so far having a limited impact on the airline's earnings.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 7, 2022
Firms in Japan start to feel the heat over Russia ties as rivals shun Moscow
Executives say privately they are worried about reputational damage, a sign corporate Japan is — however reluctantly — becoming more responsive to pressure on social issues.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 28, 2022
Toyota gears up its first BEV with safer and longer-lasting battery
Battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, typically take hours to charge, using quick-charging methods that often cause the battery's cells to heat up, leading to degradation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 15, 2021
As autos go electric, Toyota chases hydrogen dream
In Japan, where mass layoffs are politically difficult, hydrogen's allure is that it would cause less disruption than a full switch to EVs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 2, 2021
As unpredictable Olympics loom, Japan's sponsors struggle to adapt
More than 60 Japanese companies together paid a record of more than $3 billion to sponsor the Tokyo Games, an event most Japanese now want canceled or delayed again.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 1, 2021
Little-known fees help Japan's trust banks dominate profitable niche market
Insiders say an 'industry custom' of termination fees keeps profitable business in the hands of a few big trust banks because newcomers balk at the cost.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 31, 2021
No Plan B: Japan's sponsors shelve ads as mood sours over Olympics
Sponsors also worry that organizers have not told them what contingency plans there are in case the pandemic derails the games again this year.

Longform

People in cities across Japan will pop into their local convenience store for any number of products they believe will help them with a night of drinking.
Hangover cures are everywhere in Japan — but do they work?