author

 
 

Meta

Miho Uranaka
For Miho Uranaka's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
The Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho hotel and office complex in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 22, 2024
Seibu may sell 36-story Tokyo office building for ¥300 billion, sources say
Japan's highest value property transaction is currently the ¥436 billion sale by the government in 2022 of its stake in another Tokyo office building.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC) new plant in Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 18, 2024
TSMC eyes advanced chip packaging capacity in Japan, sources say
Bringing its chip-on-wafer-on-substrate packaging technology — currently all in Taiwan — to Japan is one of the options the chipmaker is considering.
Toshiba and Rohm said Friday they will collaborate in the power semiconductor business, planning to spend a combined ¥388.3 billion to expand their production with one-third of the outlay covered by the industry ministry.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 8, 2023
Toshiba, Rohm to invest $2.7 billion to jointly produce power chips
The latest partnership is what the industry ministry has hoped for out of concerns that the country's power chip industry is too fragmented.
Daikin plans to start introducing the custom chips in high-end air conditioners from 2025 and is looking at using them in about a fifth of units by the end of the decade.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 1, 2023
Japan air conditioner king Daikin eyes custom chips for energy savings
Bespoke silicon costs more than off-the-shelf alternatives but offer better efficiency and allow a reduction in the use of other components.
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.
A structure of the Arctic LNG 2 joint venture is seen under construction near the settlement of Belokamenka, Murmansk region, Russia, in July last year
BUSINESS
Nov 7, 2023
U.S. sanctions on Russia LNG won't harm supplies, minister says
The industry minister said that Japan will ensure its energy supplies are not affected by U.S. sanctions on a Russian project in which it has a stake.
Kokusai Electric's technology and manufacturing center in the city of Toyama
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 25, 2023
Kokusai Electric shares jump 28% in Tokyo debut
The stock closed at ¥2,350, valuing the company at ¥541.5 billion as investors grabbed shares following the IPO.
Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.'s Japanese office in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 17, 2023
Taiwan's Powerchip considering five sites in Japan for factory
Powerchip announced in July that it was setting up a joint venture with financial firm SBI Holdings with the aim of securing government subsidies.
Fujitsu and Riken say they have developed Japan's second quantum computer.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 5, 2023
Fujitsu and Riken develop Japan's second quantum computer
The 64 qubit quantum computer from Fujitsu and state-backed Riken will be integrated with a 40 qubit quantum computer simulator.
Osaka Organic Chemical Industry President Masayuki Ando talks about their strategy at the company office in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2023
Japanese chemicals company sees potential niche in EUV chipmaking materials
Little known even in its home country, Osaka Organic has carved out a critical niche in the semiconductor industry by supplying companies that make photoresists.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 3, 2023
Panasonic needs four more EV battery plants, executive says
Panasonic Energy CTO Shoichiro Watanabe signaled an openness to potential joint ventures for EV battery production, citing the changing nature of such projects.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 15, 2023
Rakuten plans to raise around $2.2 billion via new share issue
The deal would mark the latest move by the company, which has already been selling assets and moving to list group units, to raise cash after years of losses.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 21, 2023
Rakuten Bank shares surge in Tokyo debut after IPO
The IPO was Japan's biggest in over four years, albeit muted by caution about a banking sector reeling from U.S. bank failures.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 29, 2023
As home market shrinks, 'Made in Japan' appeal still offers hope for Miki House
From a country with ever-fewer births, the firm is looking overseas — for production, and for customers who will buy products like its ¥100,000 Gold Label brand pajamas.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 20, 2022
Japan sounds out refiners on buying Russian oil from Sakhalin-2, sources say
The Sakhalin Island complex, partly owned by Gazprom and Japanese companies, is vital to Japan's energy security as it accounts for 9% of the country's liquefied natural gas imports.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 19, 2022
Suntory Beverage's first female CEO wants to see more women as managers
Makiko Ono will be one of only a handful of women to lead a big Japanese company once she takes over the job early next year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 25, 2022
Nippon Steel eyes more stakes in coking coal mines to secure stable supply
The steelmaker says sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine have squeezed an already-tight supply of commodities such as metallurgical coal.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 8, 2022
As yen tumbles and prices rise, gadget-loving Japan seeks out secondhand iPhones
The Japanese currency's fall to a 32-year low against the dollar has squeezed consumers and accelerated a broader spending shift in the world's No.3 economy
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Sep 2, 2022
Uniqlo shines amid U.S. retail gloom after pandemic-triggered revamp
The flagship brand of Fast Retailing says it's poised to book its first annual profit in North America — after 17 years of trying.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 1, 2022
Japan's property market lures private equity with solid yields
Property investors worldwide are flush with cash and emboldened by stabilizing vacancy rates and rents after disruption by the pandemic, and some are setting their sights on Japan.

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?