Business / Corporate | FOCUS May 29, 2020
Nissan falls behind rivals in industry's critical transitional period
Nissan Motor Co.'s business downturn may be causing a costly delay in the global race toward new mobility technologies, analysts say.
National Mar 30, 2020
Japan struggles to get a grip on social distancing
Japan's approach to halting the coronavirus pandemic might seem to other nations around the world like it is very social, and not so distant. As communities from Milan to Melbourne find themselves compelled to hunker down in their homes, peeking through the curtains at a ...
National Mar 11, 2020
Japan's florists promote 'flower power' for homes as virus spoils party
March, which marks the end of the academic and business year in Japan, is usually one of the busiest periods for the flower industry, with surges in demand for graduation ceremonies at schools, send-off parties and weddings. But this year the spread of COVID-19 is ...
Business Feb 11, 2020
Japanese firms moving production sites to Southeast Asia as coronavirus outbreak disrupts supply chains
Japan's manufacturers have started moving production out of China because they fear the deadly coronavirus outbreak could prolong plant closures and wreak more havoc on their supply chains. Reallocating production outside of China means a temporary surge in costs and is not an easy decision ...
Business Feb 7, 2020
Japan firms slowly moving away from old ways on recruitment and pay
Japan's unique, long-held employment practices characterized by annual new graduate recruitment, lifetime jobs and seniority-based pay raises have helped support economic growth in the postwar period. But many major companies have begun to question whether to continue with the decades-old system at a time when ...
Business Jan 6, 2020
Corporate culture remains obstacle to Japan adopting telework
The government has been actively promoting telecommuting, touting its many merits from easing traffic congestion and enhancing disaster preparedness to helping recruit and retain talent amid Japan's chronic labor shortage. Yet it seems there is a long way to go before large numbers of employees ...
Business Nov 7, 2019
More Japanese companies using subscription services to woo customers
Subscription-based businesses are growing slower in Japan than in other big economies partly due to regulatory barriers, but the number of firms drawn to the model is on the rise as consumers search for personalized and more cost-effective ways to use products that have ...
Business / Tech | FOCUS Oct 21, 2019
More Japanese businesses turn to mixed-reality tech for employee training
Corporate Japan's growing need to rely on new technologies to cope with the shrinking workforce was on show at the recent CEATEC technology exhibition, with service industry companies turning out in greater numbers this year. As more and more skilled workers reach retirement across various ...
Business / Economy Oct 2, 2019
Tax hike to heat up battle among Japan's restaurants to keep customers
The consumption tax hike has brought the restaurant industry — already grappling with shortages of labor and rising costs of materials — yet another challenge in keeping customers and attracting new ones. Major restaurant operators have taken various measures out of fear that the tax ...
Business | FOCUS Sep 16, 2019
High-speed 5G network seen as ready to give big boost to online gaming
At this year's Tokyo Game Show, the big draw was next-generation 5G networking — setting pulses racing with the prospect of a radically more immersive gaming experience. Offering data transmission speeds around 100 times faster than 4G, 5G is expected to enable more seamless imagery ...