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May 05, 2024
 

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Masumi Suga
For Masumi Suga's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 25, 2022
Russia-Ukraine conflict pushes Nippon Steel to tap alternative sources of iron ore
About 14% of Nippon Steel's iron ore pellet feedstock currently comes from Russia and Ukraine, Takahiro Mori, the firm's executive vice president, said in an interview.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 17, 2022
Nippon Steel to seek ¥2 trillion in state funds for 'net-zero' goal amid China rivalry
Chinese rivals, able to take advantage of massive funding from their own government, will be a greater threat to Japanese producers, the firm's managing executive officer warns.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2021
Heavy snow snarls travel in Japan during year-end holidays
Scores of flights were canceled, warnings were issued of possible highway closures and trains delayed by the storm on Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 30, 2021
Japan’s steel giant is set to win price hikes as metal rallies
Nippon Steel Corp. executives have been increasingly vocal in seeking better terms for domestic contract prices to bridge the gap with international prices.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 22, 2021
From bathhouses to fisheries, hidden inflation is creeping across Japan
Gasoline prices soared to a seven-year high this month and the government is expecting the tightest power supply in a decade this winter.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2021
Japan’s ‘carbon neutral’ liquefied natural gas shipments may not offset emissions
Measures such as preventing deforestation or supporting renewable energy projects actually do little to extract additional carbon from the air, and shouldn't contribute to net-zero claims.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 31, 2021
Nippon Steel riding Beijing policy tailwind to record profit
China's push to reduce carbon emissions is providing a tailwind for steel producers worldwide as it limits output from the country and pushes down the cost of key ingredient iron ore.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2021
Every roof in Japan could have solar panels in the future
Japan has a long way to go to wean itself off coal and natural gas, which is used to generate more than 70% of its electricity.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2021
Prices on everything from electric cars to beer cans may go up as aluminum costs surge in Japan
Producers of the lightweight metal are increasingly calling the shots in pricing talks with Japanese buyers, as demand climbs amid a tightening global market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 4, 2021
Nippon Steel says higher prices needed to guarantee supply
A huge gap has been created between international and domestic steel prices, and Nippon Steel Corp. risks falling behind, the firm's executive vice president, Takahiro Mori, has said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 2, 2021
Japanese steel giant shifts to recycled metal in green race
Taking steps toward decarbonization is one of the pillars of Nippon Steel's mid-term business plan starting April, the firm said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2020
Japan residents urged to wear masks at home as cases soar
Koike and other prefectural leaders have urged older people and people with underlying health issues — and those living with them — to don masks at home during the New Year break.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 7, 2020
Giant Japanese steel mill signals pandemic recovery taking root
In the last two weeks, Nippon Steel has announced plans to reopen at least three blast furnaces as demand for steel recovers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 21, 2020
Japan’s oldest mill turns to cleaner steel to take on China
Japan’s oldest steel mill is venturing into recycling the industrial metal to tackle climate change and survive a race with Chinese mills.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 28, 2020
Nippon Steel warns that China is set to tighten grip on market
Japanese makers are facing increased competition on steel quality as well as price as Chinese mills seek to catch up on technology.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 20, 2020
Japanese trading giant Itochu edges traditional rivals by shunning energy and metals
Itochu is shattering the old pecking order led by Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Sumitomo by extending its lead as the nation's most valuable trader.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jan 7, 2020
First female on century-old Komatsu's board calls on women in Japan to lean in
Kuniko Urano is the first, yes, the very first woman board member of Komatsu Ltd., a 98-year-old company that is the world's No. 2 construction and mining equipment maker.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 6, 2019
World's first self-styled space trader scopes out a $43 billion industry
The business of manufacturing and launching small satellites is projected to grow almost fourfold over the coming decade to $42.8 billion, creating an opportunity for those seeking to profit from increased commerce between companies in the industry.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 31, 2019
Nippon Steel's reinvention of its namesake metal could make car bodies 30% lighter
Imagine the weight of 24 elephants bearing down on a tiny spot the size of a postage stamp.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Dec 7, 2017
Kobe Steel scandal may open doors for rivals, spurned suitors
The worst product quality scandal in Kobe Steel Ltd.'s 112-year history has reignited speculation it could be broken up for sale or merged with a rival.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
Yen swings stir talk that Japan is in the FX market once again
An electronic screen in Tokyo displays the yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar and the graph showing its recent swings, on Thursday.
Harajuku strives to reclaim its former glory — and surpass it
Laforet Harajuku, which celebrated its 45th anniversary last year, has been a witness to the district's evolution over the years.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Japan's May 1 intervention may have cost ¥3.66 trillion, BOJ data suggests
An electronic screen displays a graph showing Japanese yen exchange rates surging against the dollar amid signs of intervention by authorities, in Tokyo on Thursday.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces
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