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Daniel Leussink
For Daniel Leussink's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Toyota's hybrid RAV4 Prime at an auto show in Los Angeles in 2019
BUSINESS
Feb 2, 2024
Toyota to outshine rivals as more consumers opt for hybrids amid EV slowdown
Toyota is expected to offer an upbeat outlook when it reports its earnings on Tuesday, helped by its heavy reliance on hybrids.
Daihatsu said Wednesday that it will suspend shipments of all vehicle models made in Japan and abroad due to an unfolding scandal over misconduct in its crash tests.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 20, 2023
Toyota's Daihatsu to halt shipments as safety scandal widens
The results of an investigation suggest the scope of safety concerns, first disclosed in April, is now far greater than previously thought.
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.
Secondhand Toyota cars on sale in Moscow in July 2016
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 3, 2023
Japan puts the brakes on lucrative used-car trade with Russia
While wiping out Russia's biggest source of used cars, sanctions have driven down prices for secondhand cars in Japan.
Honda's electric vehicle e:NP2 is displayed at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai in April. The recent weakening of the yen couldn't come at a better time for Japanese automakers, which are struggling in the Chinese market.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 14, 2023
Weak yen gives Japan automakers temporary relief from China pain
A weak yen has traditionally lifted profits for Japan's big exporters
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
May 28, 2023
Proxy adviser ISS backs Toyota shareholder proposal on climate disclosure
A proxy adviser has recommended that shareholders of Toyota vote in favor of a resolution urging the automaker to improve disclosure of its lobbying related to climate change.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 26, 2023
Honda agrees strategic collaboration deal with TSMC
Japanese automakers have struggled to completely shake off the hit from tight global chip and parts supply during the pandemic, though constraints have eased.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 17, 2023
Mazda to appoint former North America head Masahiro Moro as next CEO
Moro, 62, will officially take over pending the approval of the shareholders and board in June, the company has confirmed.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 10, 2023
Honda beats estimates with 22% rise in third-quarter operating profit
Still, the automaker faced setbacks in China from the spread of COVID-19 and the chip shortage in the third quarter that extended into January, with some of its dealers temporarily closing.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 23, 2022
Japanese homeowners face an unfamiliar headache: higher mortgages
The Bank of Japan whipsawed global financial markets when it said on Tuesday it would allow rates to rise a little more, signaling a potential end to ultralow rates.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 12, 2022
Japan's machinery orders post biggest fall in six months in blow to corporate spending
Core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as a barometer of capital expenditure in the coming six to nine months, fell 5.8% in August from the previous month.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 5, 2022
Japan to curb electricity costs amid weak yen and recession risks, PM says
The government will compile another economic stimulus plan by the end of October, including a rare measure to directly ease the rise of electricity prices, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 14, 2022
Japan's machinery orders posted surprise gains in July
The surprise increase in core orders — a barometer of capital expenditure — could provide temporary relief for policymakers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 1, 2022
Japan's tight jobs market fails to deliver on egalitarian promise
The emergence of the freelance class poses a challenge to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has pledged to redistribute wealth through wage hikes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2022
Japan's factories expand output for a second month in July
Factory output rose a seasonally adjusted 1% in July from a month earlier, extending the prior month's near double-digit surge.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 8, 2022
Japan runs first current account deficit in five months
The world's third-largest economy ran a current account deficit of u00a5132.4 billion ($980 million) in June, government data showed.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 5, 2022
June data shows households increased spending for first time in 4 months
The data, which was stronger than the median estimate for a 1.5% rise, showed people spent less on fish and vegetables, while also spending more on transportation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 8, 2022
On Japan's farms, a weakening yen adds to slow-burning discontent
The yen's slide to a more than two-decade low this year has hit Japan's farmers hard, making the already high cost of imported feed, fuel and fertilizer even more difficult to afford.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 8, 2022
Japan's household spending slips again as chip shortage hits consumers
Households are also facing pressure from the yen's sharp decline that is pushing up prices of imported fuel and food.

Longform

High-end tourism is becoming more about the kinds of experiences that Japan's lesser-known places can provide.
Can Japan lure the jet-set class off the beaten path?