For Mayuko Matsumoto's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Some companies are bringing retirees back into the office to pass on know-how gained through decades on the job. Such workers can offer valuable insights and placement agencies are increasingly accommodating them as Japan faces a looming labor shortage. Sakae Kajita, 67, retired two years ago ...
The rapid spread of internet services has accelerated the shortage of information technology engineers, prompting IT companies to conduct in-house reforms to lower turnover and outsource orders to overseas firms. ISA Plan Inc., a contract systems developer, introduced a system in fiscal 2010 under which ...
Domestic companies are coming up with a series of new services that leverage the latest in drone technology. MicroAd Inc., a Tokyo-based online advertising company, has unveiled a service called Sky Magic to produce sound-and-light extravaganzas. Drones illuminated with LED lights can project logos, words, ...
There is a new focus on physical and mental drills to keep middle-aged and older people sharp as graying Japan grapples with rising levels of dementia. The health ministry has forecast that the nation will have 7 million dementia sufferers in 2025. "Full recovery from Alzheimer-type ...
In a bid to grow their businesses and plug talent shortages, regional small and midsize companies are increasingly trying to poach managers and other senior staff from big firms in major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. At a briefing in Tokyo in late March ...
Japanese manufacturers and retailers are increasingly targeting big-spending Chinese visitors, with many recently shifting their focus from group tours to independent travelers. While Chinese group tours are known in Japan for bakugai (explosive buying) of Japanese goods, particularly electronics and cosmetics, a growing number of ...
In the face of a labor shortage and a push to get more women into the workforce, some Japanese companies are taking steps to accommodate the needs of working parents, such as allowing them to bring their children to the office or to work ...
New enterprises and programs for helping "crowdsourcing" entrepreneurs improve their skills and income are growing popular. Crowdsourcing is a way to obtain and provide services from masses of people who are working jointly and usually online. It is an attractive option for people who want ...
NAGOYA — Rental businesses dealing with such items as high-end undergarments for women, pets and motorcycles have grown popular among consumers keeping a tight hold on their purse strings in these trying economic times. Kyoto undergarment maker Embelline Marketing Co. has long supplied beauty salons ...
