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COMMENTARY / World
Jan 14, 2013

Sign of the Financial Times: Will it sell independence?

Too many years ago, this young reporter was about to move from one of Britain's biggest newspaper groups to a paper with a daily sale of fewer than 200,000 copies. A hard-bitten veteran, who had spent years reporting for the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph pleaded with me over farewell drinks not...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 8, 2013

Young Livesense chief needlessly lonely at top

It is a rarity for a young person to turn a startup into a corporate success story in Japan, but the nation's future growth may in fact depend on such youthful entrepreneurs.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Jan 6, 2013

Frederik Schodt: pop culture ambassador to the world

Quick quiz: Who was the first Japanese civilian to be issued a passport?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Sep 18, 2012

It's past midnight but child-abduction treaty promise is not yet a pumpkin

Despite much promise and a flurry of activity, it didn't happen: Japan failed to ratify the Hague Convention on international child abduction and pass the extensive piece of accompanying domestic legislation the government felt was necessary in order for it to do so. Both items on the Diet agenda were...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Sep 15, 2012

Bone up on your tax audit ninjutsu to fight back

Our island of 602 people has a PA system that is used to make important public announcements. While these announcements usually concern typhoon warnings, ferry cancellations and funeral announcements, the PA system is not limited to these. Temple ceremonies are announced too, such as Buddha's birthday...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2012

Changes afoot as Beijing seeks new economic models to sustain growth

China needs to shift to a new growth model as its cost advantages begin to erode and overseas demand staggers, while cooperation with Japan in future-growth sectors will benefit both countries, Chinese officials and scholars said during a recent symposium in Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Aug 5, 2012

David Atkinson: Ancient Japan captures money man's interest

David Atkinson was still in his 20s when he rose to fame as a Japan-based banking analyst with the U.S. investment bank Salomon Brothers, prior to him moving to Goldman Sachs.
EDITORIALS
Jul 8, 2012

Rakuten's English drive

E-commerce giant Rakuten kicked its English policy into high gear last week, as English became the official language for the Japan-based company. Founder, chairman and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani has promoted, or rather "forced," English to become the company's official language.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jul 7, 2012

In wake of 3/11 disasters, successful Italian helps those who helped him

After 21 years in Japan and for most of that time working 15 hours a day, Calabrian restaurateur Elio Ermanno Orsara has achieved a certain measure of success.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 1, 2012

Poor record not stopping BayStars from aggressive marketing

A professional sports team has essentially two goals: Trying to win a championship and promoting the team to attract fans.
BUSINESS
Jun 29, 2012

Panasonic says solar panel production could rise 30%

Panasonic Corp. may boost its production of solar panels by about 30 percent next fiscal year because of government incentives, the head of the business said.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jun 23, 2012

Aussie rejects salaryman lifestyle to embrace love of nature in Hokkaido

Rambling among crates of raw fish, dawdling around with 450 types of freshly caught produce. It may seem an odd way to relax, but for James Gallagher, 46, the organized chaos of the Tsukiji Fish Market used to be a welcome respite during his lunch breaks at the advertising firm Dentsu in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2012

Tepco halts dividends, so metro buses to run red ink

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's bus operations, running in the black since 2003, probably lost money for the first time for fiscal 2011, and the major reason is the dividends from Tokyo Electric Power Co. shares have dried up.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 6, 2012

Japan's women are increasingly taking the future into their own hands

Sara Blakely's story is inspirational. The 41-year-old Floridian began her working life as a door-to-door fax-machine salesperson. Then one day she looked in the mirror — but not at her face.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 23, 2012

Capitalistic consensus moved Brazil investors

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's visit to Washington earlier this month offers an occasion to consider how some once-poor countries have broken out of poverty, as Brazil has. Development institutions like the World Bank have advocated improving business law as an important way to do so. Are they...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 6, 2012

Sony to use commercial products to bolster consumer unit

Sony Corp. will use the technology of its business-use products to help revive its consumer-products unit, Kazuo Hirai said in his first public address as company president on Thursday.
COMMENTARY
Oct 10, 2011

Salivating over ways to prevent competition

Cindy Vong is a tiny woman with a problem as big as the government that is causing it. She wants to provide a service that will enable customers "to brighten up their days." Having fish nibble your feet may not be your idea of fun, but lots of people around the world enjoy it, and so did some Arizonans...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 4, 2011

Japan's rivals look to lure away yen-harried firms

As the economy staggers under the weight of the strong yen, businesses in Japan are receiving much-needed offers of help, with a chance to reduce rent, pay fewer taxes and cut utility costs.
COMMENTARY
Aug 16, 2011

The Song of Chu and Japanese politics today

"Song of Chu all around" (si-mian-Chu-ge) is an old Chinese saying that means "being besieged or deserted on all sides."
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 10, 2011

Nuclear power debate heating up

The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant accident has sparked an unprecedented public debate on the nation's energy policy, and prominent figures are weighing in.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years