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Maiko Takahashi
For Maiko Takahashi's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
May 27, 2019
Nissan, tied to a Renault-Fiat merger, would face a much less independent future
The carmaker may find itself tied to an even bigger gorilla.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
May 12, 2019
Carlos Ghosn's successor, Hiroto Saikawa, under siege from within as Nissan profit sinks
Nissan chief Hiroto Saikawa finds himself under pressure from several angles, including a drop in company profits and slumping U.S. sales.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 2, 2018
Elderly women to bear the brunt of Japan's spending cuts
As Japanese society ages and the government cuts social welfare spending, older women are bracing for the impact.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 2, 2018
In aging Japan, Nestle begins pivots from candy bars to personalized nutrition, taking beverage capsules to next level
The company that brought you milk chocolate, Maggi instant noodles and Rocky Road ice cream is worried about your health.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 23, 2018
What would a 40% cut to phone bills mean for Japan's mobile carriers?
Japan's mobile carriers have come under government scrutiny for high phone bills that have helped bring years of enviable profit margins and given them a combined market value of more than $250 billion.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 2, 2018
146-year-old cosmetics firm Shiseido gets makeover to woo millennial buyers
Shiseido Co., the beauty company that's 146 years old, is giving itself one big makeover.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 22, 2018
Green light for casinos offers jackpot to Japanese companies
Let the competition begin.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 13, 2018
Uniqlo finds success abroad, downplays trade war risk
Fast Retailing Co. shares climbed the most since January on signs that the retailer's steady expansion in overseas markets, now headlined by the face of Roger Federer, is bearing fruit even in the face of risks from an escalating trade dispute.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 13, 2018
Takeda CEO talks about Shire acquisition and the future integration of the firms after Japan's biggest outbound takeover
Christophe Weber says growth and innovation are the metrics for success in Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.'s $62 billion purchase of Shire PLC. The first order of business is bringing global shareholders around to Japan's biggest-ever outbound takeover.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2018
Kirin Holdings wants its aging customers to eat more healthily
Seeking growth beyond a shrinking beer market, Kirin Holdings Co. is turning its attention to making people healthier.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 1, 2018
Chiba Prefecture businesses push for casino resort
The list of regions battling for a coveted spot for the development of casino resorts ranges from Osaka to Hokkaido. And you can add Mickey Mouse's neighborhood to the list of possibilities.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 15, 2018
Kirin pursues $932 million buyback as it continues Asian expansion
Kirin Holdings Co., Japan's second-largest beverage maker by market value, plans to buy back as much as ¥100 billion ($932 million) in stock as it seeks to improve shareholder returns while building up its presence in the Asian beverage market.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 9, 2017
Leaving TPP a strategic blunder by Trump, ex-U.S. trade rep Michael Froman says
The Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement will cost the U.S. access to markets in the Asia-Pacific and make it easier for China to advance its own vision for the region, said Michael Froman, who served as the U.S. Trade Representative under former President Barack Obama.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 14, 2017
Japan's push to curb drug costs seen risking trade row with U.S.
Japan's effort to rein in soaring health-care costs threatens to become a source of tension in economic relations with the U.S. after running into opposition from the American pharmaceutical industry.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW 2017
Sep 5, 2017
Japan must adhere to cap on social spending, new labor minister says
Japan needs to hold fast in limiting the rise of social welfare spending, said Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Katsunobu Kato in a recent interview.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 21, 2017
Japan's millennials tend to sacrifice higher earnings for job security, thwarting BOJ's economic reforms
Millennials in Japan have little interest in the job-hopping ways of their overseas counterparts, seeking stability and security instead. That is thwarting the Bank of Japan's efforts to jolt the economy back to life.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 5, 2017
Top OECD official touts hiring quotas in Japan would give 'womenomics' a shot in the arm
Mandatory quotas for hiring and promoting women are options Japan could consider to take its "womenomics" push to the next level, according to the social policy chief at the OECD.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2017
Trump cookies outpace Abe buns in Diet souvenir shop
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is being trumped by Trump — in the sweets department.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 24, 2017
Cherry blossom fever boosts companies' bottom lines
Every spring people across Japan are enraptured as the cherry trees explode into bloom, clothing the country in pink. The blossoms last for only a few short weeks, but in that time the fleeting flowers make for good business.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 24, 2017
Ex-economy chief Amari feels Trump misunderstands TPP
The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which U.S. President Donald Trump backed his country out of on Monday, is actually the best way to achieve the fair trade in Asia that he promised American voters, former Japanese economy minister Akira Amari has said.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world