For Taiga Uranaka's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Some ¥3.28 trillion in funding for roads, bridges and thousands of new homes in areas devastated by the tsunami in Tohoku 3½ years ago is still languishing unspent in the bank. That means Keiko Abe is heading into a fourth winter of subzero temperatures ...
Regulators are increasing the pressure on regional banks to consolidate, worried that shrinking populations outside Japan's major cities will leave lenders too weak to stand on their own. After direct prodding from the head of the Financial Services Agency for the more than 100 regional ...
The decorum traditionally seen in Japan's mergers and acquisitions has broken down, as hostile takeover attempts have grabbed the spotlight. The latest boardroom row, between Origin Toshu Co. and Don Quijote Co., stems from a Don Quijote bid to acquire Origin shares after the discount ...
Online shopping mall operator Rakuten Inc. reported Thursday 2.3-fold growth in its operating profit for calendar 2005 to 34.89 billion yen, buoyed by its stock brokerage business. The firm did not offer an earnings projection for this year, but Chairman Hiroshi Mikitani said he expects ...
A traditional seasoning flies off store shelves after the bottles begin sporting a cartoon panda. A droplet-shaped character turns a little-known manufacturer into a household name. These are just two examples of the magic worked by the corporate character boom that has gripped the nation ...
Don Quijote Co. made a surprise announcement Wednesday that it had acquired a 15.28 percent stake in Origin Toshu Co., refusing to give up its quest for the chain of 24-hour boxed-meal stores. The reversal came after a takeover bid launched by the discount retailer ...
Comic book artists and industry officials expressed concern Tuesday about the potential for illegal distribution on the Internet, pointing to cheap and simple technologies that could spawn homemade bootleg factories. "We don't know yet whether the case is the tip of the iceberg, but there ...
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and Sony Corp. unveiled new digital cameras Tuesday that will go on sale next month in a bid to get out in front of the pack amid intensifying competition. Sold under the Panasonic brand, Matsushita's Lumix FX01 features a 28 mm ...
Backpedaling from his previous position, Livedoor Co. President Kozo Hiramatsu said Monday the firm is preparing for any eventuality, including possibly selling itself to a willing buyer. The comment, made at a news conference following the indictment of the company, along with founder Takafumi ...
Asahi Breweries Ltd. said Friday it had named Hitoshi Ogita, president of Asahi Soft Drinks Co., to replace President Koichi Ikeda, as the country's top brewer faces growing pressure from rival Kirin Brewery Co. Ikeda, 65, president of Asahi Breweries since 2002, will become chairman ...
