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 Cory Baird

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Cory Baird
Cory Baird is an economics and business staff writer who regularly covers the Bank of Japan and trade issues. He completed his Master's in Public Policy at The University of Tokyo, where he focused on central bank policy. He is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
For Cory Baird's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jan 9, 2019
Episode 4: Japan's changing demographics
As Japan becomes a more ethnically diverse and multicultural country, aging communities are grappling with the complexities of how to live with new, young tenants from different cultures.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / 2019 Outlook
Jan 2, 2019
Economic outlook for 2019: More uncertainty for Japan's economy amid planned tax rise and global slowdown
While it is not known which events will hold back global commerce, professional economic soothsayers appear in agreement that growing risks and uncertainty will slow Japan's growth.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 12, 2018
Episode 3: #MeToo rises in Japan
What happens when a journalist comes forward with allegations of sexual harassment against one of Japan's top government officials?
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2018
Inbound investment to Japan continues on upward trend driven by Asian neighbors
The total value of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Japan increased to ¥28.6 trillion in 2017, bringing the country a step closer to meeting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's goal of doubling such investment to ¥35 trillion by 2020, according to the Japan External Trade Organization.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 28, 2018
Episode 2: The hangover that followed Japan's bubble era
In the 1980s and '90s, Japan saw one of the greatest economic bubbles in history, but after it burst, the hangover that followed was just as massive.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Nov 24, 2018
Can greed be good? Carlos Ghosn, CEO compensation and a skeptical Japanese public
After Carlos Ghosn's shocking arrest Monday, many of his most ardent supporters were left to reconcile their positive image of the man said to have saved Nissan Motor Co. against the possibility he may have committed numerous crimes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / IDEAS IN ACTION
Nov 15, 2018
Despite ups and downs, designer and former teacher Kenji Suzuki is making pedal-powered Cogy wheelchairs a reality
While career success has taken him from elementary school teaching to the head of Tess Co., Kenji Suzuki's life has not always been easy or straightforward.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 14, 2018
Episode 1: Dual nationality in Japan
Japan's Nationality Act forces young adults with multiple citizenships to choose their nationality by their 22nd birthday. The choice is so tough that many flout the law and instead choose to live in a legal gray zone. Oscar Boyd is joined by Japan Times staff writers Sakura Murakami and Cory Baird to discuss the issue.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 14, 2018
Natural disasters add to growing economic headwinds as GDP contracts in third quarter
Natural disasters this summer combined with global trade frictions were behind the economy's sluggish third-quarter performance, making GDP fall at an annualized rate of 1.2 percent, government data showed.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 13, 2018
Some rising prices should be taken with a grain of salt
For the first time in almost three decades the Salt Industry Center of Japan has announced it will raise the price on many of its products by around 15 percent, indicating inflation has finally arrived in at least some industries.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 9, 2018
Department store Takashimaya joins new venture in Bangkok as it looks beyond traditional domestic sales model
Boxed in by a shrinking domestic market and consumer preferences shifting toward online shopping, the only way for Japanese department stores — as well as the broader retail sector — to survive is to get a slice of fast growing markets overseas, especially in neighboring countries.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 5, 2018
To what extent will Japan's 2014 downturn repeat with the new tax hike?
The wallets of Japanese residents may get a little lighter next year, as the prices of most goods and services are set to rise under a new consumption tax system starting in October 2019.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Nov 4, 2018
Japan’s busy year on trade likely to shake up the economy for years to come
The nation's deal makers are having a busy year, as the reincarnation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership moves a step closer to implementation and another trade pact may also be concluded.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2018
Japan-U.S. Business Council meet reaffirms commitment to free bilateral and global trade
Business leaders from Japan and the U.S. gathered in Tokyo on Wednesday to reaffirm their commitment to free bilateral and global trade, in a rebuke of Trump administration's tariff policies that have taken effect over the past year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 31, 2018
Bank of Japan downgrades economic growth and inflation forecast as its 2% goal remains out of reach
Speaking at a news conference, BOJ Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda denied that the revisions represented a large shift in the bank's outlook.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2018
As IPCC report warns of growing climate change risks, Japan seeks to adapt
A report released this month by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that unless global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, Japan's summer of extreme weather may become the new normal.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 19, 2018
Current U.S.-China frictions do not amount to a new 'cold war': ex-Australian PM Kevin Rudd
As tensions ratchet up between the U.S. and China over trade and security issues, many major news organizations around the globe have given a platform to commentators trumpeting the arrival of a new "cold war" between the world's two largest economic superpowers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 18, 2018
Amidst global upheaval, diplomats and experts eye greater role for Japan
Despite the fraught global environment — with U.S.-China animosity mounting alongside a bevy of regional security concerns — Japan appears to be viewing the situation as a glass half-full scenario, according to leading experts, as well as current and former officials.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 16, 2018
Japan must look beyond U.S. for stable economic and military future, says risk analyst Ian Bremmer
As the United States’ commitment to global leadership and principles grows ever more uncertain under President Donald Trump, Japan finds itself with little choice but to look beyond its closest ally to ensure economic and military security, according to analyst Ian Bremmer, the head of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 5, 2018
Twenty years in the making: The backstory behind the new Toyota-SoftBank joint venture
Appearing together at news conference on Thursday in Tokyo, Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda and SoftBank Group Corp. Chairman Masayoshi Son recounted an episode 20 years prior that put the two at loggerheads over a proposed business venture.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores