author

 
 

Meta

Vlad Savov
For Vlad Savov's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Close-up of a silicon wafer. The Japanese government is funding a range of projects from research to advanced chip manufacturing, making an ambitious $67 billion bid to reclaim a central role in the semiconductor industry.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 27, 2024
Apple and Tesla veterans aim to help Japan design AI chips
The aim is to provide customers with an alternative to the semiconductor leaders Nvidia and Arm.
While Apple has dominated the holiday quarter in recent years, its surge ahead of Samsung over a full year is unprecedented and suggests Apple is weathering an industrywide slump better than its rivals.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 17, 2024
Apple passed Samsung as world’s top phone-maker in 2023
Apple's surge ahead of Samsung over a full year is unprecedented and suggests Apple is weathering an industrywide slump better than its rivals.
Huawei caused a stir in the U.S. and China last August when it released a smartphone with a 7nm processor made by Shanghai-based SMIC.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 5, 2024
Huawei teardown shows 5nm laptop chip made in Taiwan, not China
The firm caused a stir last August when it released a smartphone with a processor that was only a few years behind the cutting edge.
Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group, speaks during the SoftBank World event in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 4, 2023
SoftBank’s Son tells Japan: Adopt AI or get left behind again
Japan, which largely missed the initial wave of growth from the internet, can’t afford to lose another three decades, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2023
Rakuten applies to list brokerage arm as debt concerns mount
Billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani’s online retailer has seen its shares tumble to a 14-year low.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 21, 2023
SoftBank’s Son goes back on offense to cement his tech legacy
The billionaire is ending years of relative dormancy after his Vision Fund, the world’s largest pool of tech capital, racked up billions of dollars of losses.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 30, 2023
Asus plans to sell first managed AI service hosted at client facilities
A major concern around existing AI services is that they’re operated through online data centers that can expose sensitive information.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 10, 2023
Tesla planning new Shanghai battery factory despite rising U.S.-China tensions
New manufacturing projects by the auto-maker and France’s Airbus give a boost to Chinese industry as other firms like Apple rethink production in the nation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 7, 2022
Microsoft and Nintendo agree on 10-year Call of Duty deal
The agreement depends on Microsoft closing its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 24, 2022
Nintendo breaks sales record with new Pokemon games on Switch
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were released simultaneously on Nov. 18 and sold over 4 million units at home in Japan, also setting a new domestic record.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA
Oct 19, 2022
Rakuten becomes the NBA's secret weapon for winning fans in Japan
The Japanese e-commerce giant says its brand recognition in the U.S. has grown to almost 70% from 23% over the five years it has been working with the Golden State Warriors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 10, 2022
Robot arms to replace shelf stockers at FamilyMart in Japan
The AI-driven arms are designed to replenish drinks in refrigerators and are now in mass production.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2022
Apple hikes iPhone and iPad prices in Japan after yen tanks
The tech giant has added as much as 25% to the cost of its mobile gadgets in the country, taking the iPhone 13's starting price up to u00a5117,800.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 3, 2022
Musk’s grand vision for 'free speech' on Twitter faces reality check in Asia
Asia is home to more than half the world's population and is the platform's biggest growth opportunity.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 4, 2022
Toshiba to more than double power chip output with new plant
The move comes as makers of electronics and cars struggle to procure even basic chips for routine tasks such as power management and wireless connectivity.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 6, 2021
SoftBank slumps 9% after week of bad portfolio news
Shares fell to u00a55,057 — the biggest intraday drop since March 2020 and part of its worst annual decline since 2006.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 4, 2021
Google to open app store payments to comply with South Korea law
The country's National Assembly approved a new law in late summer that mandated that mobile app store operators open up their platforms to outside payment handlers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 20, 2021
Google’s new Pixel handsets and Android system boost iPhone competition
The two U.S.-based firms are competing in a much-changed smartphone market this year, with Chinese Android vendors having improved significantly.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Oct 13, 2021
Apple's China balancing act more precarious as Xi cracks down on tech
Last month China's top court effectively granted consumers the right to sue Apple for alleged abuse of market power, threatening the delicate balance the firm has cultivated in the country.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2021
Big Tech is gearing up for a massive fight with Modi’s India
India is growing more assertive in its efforts to control online communications, challenging Twitter and Facebook's practices and threatening to set a precedent that could extend worldwide.

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?