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Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 7, 2016

Already under sanctions, adding more poses dilemma, especially for China, over Pyongyang nuke test

U.S. presidential candidates and members of Congress demanded more sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday after its latest nuclear test, but major powers will likely be reluctant to take the tough steps necessary to force Pyongyang to abandon its weapons program, former U.S. officials and analysts said....
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 26, 2015

Ripped-off bar hostesses in Japan stand up for their rights

With an increase in nonregular employment driving more women into the night entertainment business, some are turning to labor unions to deal with clubs that try to con them.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 21, 2015

Former Line CEO's new venture aims to track the pulse of world fashion with smartphone videos

Having already spent time in the limelight as the CEO of Line Corp., Akira Morikawa has now started a new venture that targets would-be fashionistas and connoisseurs of popular culture.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 19, 2015

The troubling slump in American startups

Data on startups provide robust evidence of a pervasive decline in U.S. business dynamism over the last several decades.
EDITORIALS
Nov 20, 2015

Another back-to-back GDP drop

It's time for the prime minister to take stock of 'Abenomics' and consider what needs to be done to achieve the virtuous cycle that he keeps promising.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 5, 2015

Kyocera founder's secret: Make workers happy

If this 83-year-old billionaire is right, one of the most important lessons of business school is pretty much wrong.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 3, 2015

Beijing found to be covertly operating global public radio network

In August, foreign ministers from 10 nations blasted China for building artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea. As media around the world covered the diplomatic clash, a radio station that serves the most powerful city in America had a distinctive take on the news.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 30, 2015

Abe treads in China's footprints in Central Asia, picks up human rights baggage

Prime Minster Shinzo Abe's trip to Mongolia and Central Asia — in which he became the first Japanese leader ever to visit Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan — looks to bring in a raft of investment deals for Tokyo. But the whirlwind tour likely had other motivations, too, and raises questions...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 18, 2015

China's Xi lauds Britain for 'visionary' openness, prods others to emulate

Chinese President Xi Jinping heaped praise on Britain for what he called a "visionary and strategic choice" to strengthen commercial ties with China, as he prepared for a state visit to the United Kingdom that's expected to be richer in pomp and considerably warmer in tone than his recent trip to the...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 18, 2015

Beijing promotes low-paid college graduates to startup CEOs

Quitting her job as receptionist, joining rock bands and chancing her tattoo-sleeved arm at small business ventures would once have branded college graduate Ding Jia as a rebel in China. Now she can claim state endorsement as a "creative."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 30, 2015

'A Most Violent Year' conjures up the moral ambiguity of '70s cinema

Early on in my career in the music business, an older, wiser artist gave me some advice that has always stuck with me: A contract is only as good as your lawyer. In other words, when it comes to anything short of a fingerprint on a murder weapon, it doesn't matter what the law says, only having the money...
WORLD / Politics
Sep 23, 2015

Xi arrives in Seattle to meet tech titans, looks to downplay China slump, cyberspying allegations

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Seattle on Tuesday to kick off a week-long U.S. visit that will include meetings with U.S. business leaders, a black-tie state dinner at the White House hosted by President Barack Obama and an address at the United Nations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 11, 2015

Experts, investors upbeat after Google's surprise overhaul of operating structure

Google Inc. on Monday announced a surprise overhaul of its operating structure, creating a holding company called Alphabet to pool its many subsidiaries and separate the core web advertising business from newer ventures like driverless cars.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 10, 2015

S. Korea's economy still not ready for prime time

Seoul has made little progress prodding the industrial conglomerates that dominate its economy to embrace global business practices.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Aug 9, 2015

New marker's magic is ink's conductivity, user's creativity

Tokyo-based venture AgIC Inc.'s silver magic marker looks like any other average marker. But in fact, it's far from ordinary.
EDITORIALS
Jul 23, 2015

Learning from the Toshiba scandal

It remains to be seen if the exit of Toshiba's top executives will change the corporate culture that produced the massive accounting scandal.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 17, 2015

Ambition and ego: Inside Nagamori's Nidec

Ambition matters more than brains in Shigenobu Nagamori's world. As chief executive officer of Japanese motor maker Nidec, Nagamori is known for his eccentric management style.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 17, 2015

Mitsui tries to pin down identity, says try-anything attitude has been key to its success

It earns more than Coca Cola Co., has operations in as many countries as Starbucks Corp., boasts a payroll almost as long as Google Inc. and has been around longer than Philadelphia. Yet many consumers outside of Japan probably haven't heard of it.
EDITORIALS
Jul 15, 2015

Toshiba's cooked books

Unless it's determined why Toshiba's existing governance mechanism failed to prevent accounting irregularities it will be difficult to prevent similar incidents in the future.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 3, 2015

Sony's ¥440 billion fundraising opens way to finance unit buyout

Sony Corp.'s first share sale in 26 years is fueling speculation the company may buy full control of Sony Financial Holdings Inc., a move that could save taxes and help the parent meet performance targets.
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2015

Otsuka Kagu father-daughter succession feud a symptom of Japan's woes

In a country where family conflict is usually kept under wraps, the boardroom fight at Otsuka Kagu was as titillating as reality TV.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 27, 2015

Chinese companies with no heir apparent

Wang Jianlin, chairman of Dalian Wanda Group and China's richest man, has just one child, 27-year-old Wang Sicong. That would seem to make the question of succession at the privately held Wanda a simple matter.
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2015

International students face job hunting hurdles in Japan

A 23-year-old student from China who attends the prestigious University of Tokyo is now looking for a job in Japan.
EDITORIALS
May 23, 2015

Rakuten forges ahead in English

E-commerce giant Rakuten has managed to do what the educational system apparently can't — get Japanese people to speak English competently.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 18, 2015

Disillusionment with Japan

Inevitably observers of Japan are disappointed and disillusioned when they see that Japanese leaders in politics and business are failing to confront the demographic threat and promote the changes needed to achieve a positive future for Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 10, 2015

As rest of EU pulls away, Czech president finds friendly welcome from Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Milos Zeman, his Czech counterpart, in the Kremlin on Saturday, cementing the warm relationship Zeman and his entourage have maintained with Moscow even as other European leaders have pulled away.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 9, 2015

The golden arches lose their luster

The sharp downturn in business at McDonald's — which has thrived for most of the past 44 years in Japan — has got everybody talking. This past January alone, revenues at existing outlets, the company announced, had fallen year-on-year by a whopping 38.6 percent, with losses for the 2014 business...

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