Misaki Harada wants to quit her job as a receptionist at a restaurant management company in Tokyo and move into marketing for an apparel-maker. But the 24-year-old said she wanted more than just a bigger paycheck. Her next employer would need to improve her quality ...

The global push among carmakers to make ever lighter vehicles is leading some auto suppliers in Japan to turn to what seems like an unlikely substitute for steel — wood. Japanese researchers and auto component makers say a material made from wood pulp weighs just ...